As if suddenly coming out of a trance, Sam completed his earlier statement. “I was going to come up to the door to get you.” He paused then, and I wondered if he was going to tell me what was wrong. “You look amazing, Abby.” Relief flooded through me at his wonderful words. “When I imagine you in my mind, it’s hard to visualize you just right. My memory doesn’t quite do your beauty justice. So, then when I see you the next time, you take my breath away all over again, just like that first night when I saw you at my family’s charity auction.”

No one had ever said anything so impeccably sweet to me. I beamed up at him. All of the nervousness about seeing the Davis clan again had magically fluttered away at Sam’s kind words. “You don’t look half-bad yourself.” I kissed him right on the lips before adding, “But my mind remembers you and your sexy bod perfectly.”

“My bod, huh?” Sam teased me, nuzzling his nose against mine. “Do you think you might have time to pay some attention to my bod later? It misses you.”

I gave him a coy look as I slid into his sleek sports car. “I can probably work you into my schedule.” I heard him chuckle as he shut my door and rounded the Porsche to the driver’s side.

25

The dread began building again as we made our way to the Davis estate. I hated any kind of confrontation, and I couldn’t imagine that today’s brunch would go by without a really big one.

Except when he needed to shift gears, Sam held my hand, tenderly sweeping his thumb across my clammy palm. His touch sent tingles through me. I savored the connection with him. There was simply no denying our physical attraction to each other.

All too soon, we passed through the brick pillars that stood on either side of the long driveway that led to Sam’s parents’ home. I looked at the imposing mansion and couldn’t fathom growing up here. My family had been financially comfortable, and I had never gone without anything I needed, but this kind of opulence was so over-the-top that it almost felt foreign to me.

Sam glided the Porsche to a stop at a circle in the driveway, near a giant cherub fountain. The concrete baby angel was spitting water through the air to a small pond where an abundance of brightly colored koi swam lazily through the water. The display made me smile. Considering her quirky taste, Sam’s mother, Janice, had to have a fun side, didn’t she? Maybe this meal wouldn’t be as bad as I had feared.

The fountain must have been a recent addition because Sam shook his head when he saw me looking at it. “At least it’s not peeing, I guess.”