“I’m not disagreeing, but the question remains, what did you do to her?”

“I wish I could parse it out myself. At one point I had her backed into a corner conversationally, and the next thing I knew, she had me backed against her bedroom door, quite literally.”

“That’s delicious on multiple levels. You went in there to break her, and she broke you.”

“She didn’t break me.” Sophia swallowed a few key memories. “At least not in any lasting way.”

“She certainly flipped your script.”

Sophia pressed her lips together, unable to deny the charge.

“What are you going to do now?”

“Nothing” she said. “I’m going to get back to work.”

Talia threw back her head and laughed so loud several other people turned to stare.

“Shh.” Sophia shoved her. “Stop that. And what’s so funny anyway?”

“If you could’ve only seen yourself when she jumped off the horse. I thought you might pass out from all the blood rushing out of your face to places farther south.”

“I wasn’t any worse than you were.”

“No, you totally were. If you’d been wearing pants, you would’ve dropped them.”

“I would not have.”

Talia laughed again.

“No. I’m serious. She caught me off guard last night. I’ll cop to being unprepared for her . . . her . . .”

“Skills? Charms? Passion? Smoking hot body? Her ability to rock your world and leave you a mere wisp of your former self?”

“Enough,” she snapped, when in reality she could just as easily have answered all of the above.

“She’s formidable in a lot of ways I didn’t predict, but I’ve got a job to do here. I don’t have the time or inclination to lose focus over some sexy noblewoman in sexy-ass boots and sexier breeches.”

“So sexy.” Talia made a knee-buckling motion.

“Then you’re free to swoon all you want, but last night was a one-time thing . . . or maybe a four-times-in-one-night sort of thing, but it won’t carry over onto the set. I’m here, one hundred percent.”

“Good, because so is she.”

“What?”

“Incoming,” Talia whispered and plastered a polite smile on her face that clearly indicated Vic was approaching.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Shall we start the afore-promised tour now?”

“Actually, I’ve been called to a different part of the set.” Talia’s bold-faced lie came out of her mouth so quickly Sophia didn’t have time to process, much less call bullshit before Tal added, “Please, show Sophia around, and I’ll make sure she gives me a full report later.”

“Ah, I do hope there’s no crisis on your end, but Ms. LeBlanc and I will carry on in your stead.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Talia said, seemingly unable to keep a little laugh from escaping as she wandered away.