When she answered the door, all rationale and sense left Abby. How could she think about anything when Jordan was so breathtakingly beautiful? Her hair like summer painted onto her head. Her kissable lips. Abby remembered doing just that. She wanted to lean forward and do it again.

It was all she wanted to do.

But instead, she stood back.

Jordan’s lips were pursed.

“Come in,” Abby said. “Straight up the stairs.” Not that there was anywhere else to go, but she always pointed it out.

Jordan standing in her flat was odd. She didn’t quite fit. This was Abby’s lair. It wasn’t to do with her and Marcus. Her and anyone else. The flat was Abby’s sanctuary. But Jordan did not make Abby feel calm. Not when her blue jeans were cupping her round arse so deliciously.

“Please, sit.”

Jordan did, perching on the edge of the sofa.

“How did you find me?”

“You told me you lived on Charity Street, so I looked it up.”

Abby gulped. “You remembered.”

Jordan met her gaze. “It was pretty recent. I remember it all.”

Abby squirmed under her stare. She remembered it all, too. “Cup of tea?” Abby had no idea what she was saying. She was on auto-pilot.

A shake of her head. “I think we need to talk. So when you’re finished being polite, come and sit on the sofa with me, please.”

Jordan was being firm. Pushy. That wasn’t doing anything to quell Abby’s desire for her. If she’d turned up crying, that might have repelled her.

But not this.

Abby did as she was told.

Jordan stared at her. It wasn’t a warm stare. Or one filled with want. It was a hard stare. Jordan meant business.

Abby sat up straighter, trying to get her head into the same game.

“You’ve been ignoring my calls and my texts.”

“I texted you back to cancel lunch.” Jordan couldn’t deny that.

“Once,” Jordan said. “But this isn’t just about us, Abby, or about what went on over the weekend. This is about our work, too. My professional reputation. I can’t drop the ball on your wedding so close to the finish line. People talk. So even if you want nothing more to do with me personally, we still have to decide what we’re doing professionally. Either we carry on and get this done, or we agree to sever ties and make up a lie.”

Abby nodded. Everything Jordan was saying made perfect sense. But it didn’t stop her feeling like she was being ripped in two from the inside out.

However, she had to do the right thing.

But what was the right thing?

Everyone told her Marcus was the real deal.

Everyone couldn’t be wrong, could they?