“Well, well. You’re quite the social butterfly these days, aren’t you?” Derek asked, his lips lifted in a mocking smile. Then Sophie swung her bare legs out of the car, and that smile turned downright evil. “And don’t try telling me this one isn’t a woman. I can see that for myself.”

Harrison could see it too. Sophie made it impossible to do otherwise, what with the short, tennis-style dress she’d opted to wear today. It rivaled the one she’d worn the day he met her and seemed all the more ominous because of it. He didn’t know what he’d done in a past life to deserve a dog trainer who looked as tempting as this one, but it must have been something terrible.

Or, he thought, taking in the sight of her unloading a box of supplies from her car, her legs leading up to the gently swishing skirt that skimmed over the rounded curve of her ass, something wonderful.

“Be nice,” he growled to Derek. Then, seeing that his friend’s eyes were riveted on the increasingly exposed expanse of skin near the tops of Sophie’s thighs, he added, “But not too nice.”

“Good morning!” Sophie called cheerfully as she made her way up the stairs. She didn’t even blink when she saw Derek standing there, nor did she explain what she was doing at Harrison’s house a mere twelve hours after giving him the weekend off. She shifted her box to one hip and extended a hand in Derek’s direction. “I’m Sophie, the dog trainer.”

“I’m Derek, the best friend,” he replied easily. He also made a motion to grab the box. “Let me take that for you. It looks heavy.”

“It’s not,” she said, but she handed it over anyway, sealing Harrison’s fate in the process. Now Derek had an excuse to linger—and linger he would. He too was more like a friendly goiter than anything else.

Before she could get far, however, Sophie noticed the cooler and fishing gear. Her eyes widened, and she sent an alarmed look Harrison’s way. “Uh-oh. I didn’t realize. Are you going somewhere for the weekend?”

“Of course not,” he said, just as Derek perked up.

“Hell yeah he is. He’s supposed to be going on a fishing trip. We head over to Farragut State Park around this time every year.”

“You do?” Sophie’s alarmed look didn’t lessen. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Harrison hunched a shoulder. “To be honest, I forgot about it until Derek showed up. But it’s fine. They can go without me. Bubbles is more important right now.”

“Bubbles?” Derek guffawed. He looked like he wanted to say more, but Harrison turned on him with a fierce glare.

“Bubbles,” he echoed, daring his friend to argue.