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My knees, along with my heart, liquefy. This is bad. I am falling fast for a man who is all wrong for me. Not that I know anymore what right looks like, but it’s not someone my brother can’t stand.

Logic and heart war some more.

We sip on Manhattans while we talk about movies and music we like, discovering we have a lot in common. We also observe other people in the dining room and make up stories about them. A man with his back to me strides out the restaurant’s front door. His gait is familiar and tickles something at the back of my mind, but I dismiss the sensation when he slides into the passenger seat of a friend’s sedan. I turn my focus on one of the couples Colby and I are inventing stories about.

“It’s their first date, and she’s just stolen all the cat pictures from his wallet. Meanwhile, he’s wishing the night was over so he can go home, dye his hair, and find someone else to right-swipe on his dating app,” I offer about one couple.

Colby lets out a hearty laugh. “I take it it’s also their last date?”

I nod solemnly.

We entertain ourselves like this until appetizers appear and Colby orders a bottle of wine. Sex aerobics and skipping lunch have left me with an empty stomach, and the alcohol fuzzes my brain.

I pounce on a toasted baguette slice and slather lump-crab dip on it. God, that’s good!

I’m preparing my second helping when Colby points a fork at me. “Hungry?”

“Famished. What gave me away?”

A warm chuckle rumbles through his chest. “At least you look more relaxed now than when you first showed up on my boat this morning.” He dips his head so he’s looking straight at me. “No lie, I was a little concerned when I first saw you.”

The bites settle, absorbing some of the bourbon, dulling its edge and allowing my head to clear a little of the fog. I circle back to the reason why we’re here. The Trade. Only I can’t remember who was supposed to go first.

“And now? Are you still concerned?”

“No. You’re … different. Happier, I think.”

Mind-altering sex will do that to a girl, though I don’t tell him. Nor do I confess that he had something to do with my happy.

“It’s been a fun day.” I pop another bite of bread into my mouth.

He gives me a knowing look from beneath his brows, and his mouth curves into a lethal smile. “Especially this afternoon.” His voice is pure sex coated in warm honey.

I squirm in my seat as parts of me throb. The sensation causes me to blurt out, “The reason I wasn’t in a great mood this morning is …”

A beat passes, and he finishes for me. “A phone call.”

The server arrives with our dinners, deposits our plates, and asks if we need anything else. Satisfied when Colby tells him no, he leaves us in silence.

I stare at my meal. “I guess I’m going first.”

He blots a corner of his mouth with his crisp linen napkin. “Kinda looks that way.”

A laugh escapes me, though it’s not exactly a humorous one. My voice quavers as I tell him about the unsettling conversation with Randy.

Fire kindles in Colby’s eyes. It’s the same look I’ve seen in my brother’s eyes. “I thought this douchebag’s name was Royal,” he grits out.

“It’s Randy. Grubbs. Royal Montgomery was his alias, and God knows how many others he has.”

“Want me to pay him a visit?”

“I don’t even know where he is!” I scoff. “Besides, Donny got there first.” I go on, telling him how Donny grabbed the phone from me and warned Randy off. “That’s why I was mad at him,” I add. “I appreciate he wants to protect me, but I can fight my own fights. What really creeps me out is that Randy knew things about my current life that I’ve been very careful to keep private, both to bury my past and to protect myself in case he decided to come looking for me again. And he knew how to find me. Where to find me. He shouldn’t have known those details, yet he did.”

Colby leans back in his chair and studies me for long moments. He abruptly sits forward. “Your brother did the right thing, and I gotta admit it makes me dislike him a little less. That’s exactly what I’d do for my sister.”

I snort. “Would she appreciate you bullying your way in?”

“No, but that’s never stopped me before, and it never will.” The determination in his voice is an icy blast.