“No.” Sophia mustered something akin to firmness in her tone. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

Vic frowned. “May I ask why?”

“Things are better now. I suspect his hissy fit was never about you and me to begin with, at least not in the way we understood, but I don’t think your presence will be productive as we try to right the ship, not for Brian or for me.”

“But if you don’t know the terms, how do you know he’ll accept your autonomy?”

“We’ve got an intimacy coordinator now, so I think he’ll behave, but even if he doesn’t, that’s for me to deal with, not you.”

“I want to help.”

“I don’t want you to,” she said flatly. “I’ve dealt with a thousand Brians, and I’ll deal with a hundred more until it’s my name on the back of the director’s chair because that’s my job, and I want to get back to work.”

Vic sighed. “You know I have the ultimate faith in you. You belong in the director’s chair right now.”

“I know.” Sophia kissed her quickly. “And I appreciate your faith in me, but you’re not a film producer.”

“Most women would’ve been impressed by the titles I hold instead of the one I don’t, but you’re not most women, and I adore that about you.” Vic flashed her one of those knee-weakening smiles. “So, I propose we both focus on our own jobs today. We’ll see how everything goes, and then we can talk more in depth over dinner tonight.”

Sophia tensed. This was it. She’d been dreading this moment so much she had put it off for one more night, but she couldn’t avoid it indefinitely, and the longer she lingered, the harder it would be on them both. She had to do the right thing now, or she didn’t trust herself to do it at all.

Vic must’ve read her mood, or maybe her body language. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not coming back to the castle tonight. I didn’t even plan on staying last night. I already had all my things moved back to the inn before you got off work.”

“Without talking to me?”

Sophia laughed a quick shot of a laugh. “I did try to talk to you, and see where it got us. I will always end up in your bed every time I let you get close to me.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Yes.” Her voice rose. “It would be bad on so many levels, and we hashed them all out last night. Nothing’s changed. Not my past, not your family, not who either of us are at our core. And now we’ve both got jobs to get back to.”

“But you’re not leaving yet. We have more time. We can do our jobs together.”