He waved her off with a fond smile, thus confirming Harrison’s belief that Oscar too was incapable of telling that woman no. Whether it made him feel better or worse, however, he wasn’t prepared to say. While it was nice to know he was no anomaly, it would have been nice to have at least one person out there who could be trusted not to fall under her spell.

“Monday morning, Harrison,” Oscar said to him, all signs of that indulgent softness gone from sight. “Nine o’clock. Don’t make me regret this.”

“No, sir.”

Oscar looked as though he had more to say—or perhaps he was reluctant to leave Harrison and Sophie alone—but he eventually took off, heading through the field to where his Suburban was parked in the lot.

Harrison waited until the car had pulled away before turning to Sophie. “Are we really going to walk Bubbles around out here, or was that a ruse to get rid of Oscar?”

“Um. A ruse, obviously. The second Bubbles is off the clock, that means I am too.”

“Why does that matter—” he began, but there was no need to finish. One look at Sophie supplied all the answer he needed. She licked her lips in what had to be deliberate leisure, making it impossible for him to look away from the soft, gently parted plumpness.

He took a wide step back. “Oh no you don’t.”

“What?” she asked. “I didn’t say a word.”

“Oscar knows there’s something between us. He can tell.”

“Can he? I wonder how.”

“You know very well how. Ever since you started staying at the house, you’ve been exuding sex at me.”

Those oh-so-plump lips parted in a laugh. “I’ve been exuding sex?”

“At me,” he added, lest she forget the most important part of that accusation. Sex appeal in a woman who looked like her was no mystery, but the fact that it was unfurling his direction was. It was as though tendrils of ivy were wrapping around him, drawing him closer and closer until he had no chance of escape.

A gorgeous plant, ivy, but destructive as all hell.

She did it now with a firm step in his direction, careful of the puppy who lay obediently at their feet. The tugging started in his gut, a churning of desire that worked up to his throat and choked him from the inside. From there, it moved lower, drawing him inexorably forward.

“No one has ever accused me of exuding sex before,” she said, her voice a low purr. “How am I doing it?”