“You two make a good team...” Julia was as subtle as a kick in the head, but I was not taking that bait. Not today when I felt like I was one big, exposed nerve. Thankfully my best friend knew me enough to figure out when she’d pushed me too far. We both kept our attention on Theo as he handed the baby to her mom. My breath caught, just from looking at him. It occurred to me that it was a shame this show only had a couple of weeks left. A few more months here and he might get laugh lines around his eyes. The thought made me ache, because I wished I could see it. But I knew that this place was just an intermission for both of us. The pressures of our lives, of our family obligations would swarm us the moment we got back to New York.

Right then Theo looked up and his gaze landed squarely on me. For a second he almost seemed surprised to see me, then his whole face opened with an incandescent smile as he started walking in our direction.

“Damn girl.” Julia fanned herself. “That’s a whole fucking mood right there.”

“Yeah, a life-detracting, goal-wrecking mood,” I muttered miserably while Julia laughed. But despite my supposed distress my entire body responded to Theo Ganas’s impending proximity. Limbs loosened, belly fluttered. Lips parted, eager for a kiss that wouldn’t come.

“Que lo que, Julia.” I grinned despite myself as I heard Theo greet Julia with the Dominican expression. I was a fucking sap.

“Hey, you’re looking relaxed.” The suggestive tone in my alleged best friend’s voice was practically screaming I know you two fucked but Theo didn’t give an inkling he understood.

“Just admiring our designer’s vision.” Theo smiled in my direction and my stomach did that clench and release thing. He was wearing a salmon polo and jeans, which should not have looked good on anyone over eight years old but on him seemed straight out of a fashion magazine summer feature. He looked delicious in that sun-kissed Eros thing he had going on at all times.

“I bet you didn’t know you had such a brilliant design goddess working for you for all those years.” My friend’s voice was sweet enough, but there was a challenge in her eyes. Like she was testing Theo. He straightened his shoulders at whatever he saw in her eyes, but didn’t really seem annoyed by the question.