sure you have a good grip on the sheet first. I’ll be at the bottom to catch you. And don’t look down.”
I looked and let out a squeak.
“I said don’t look down.”
“You can’t say don’t look down. Obviously that’s just going to make me look.”
“Come on,” he said, his tone strong and soothing. “Slide on down. I’ve got you.”
“Okay.” I took a fortifying breath and released my feet.
I squeaked again as I slid, gritting my teeth against the burn of the fabric in my hands. Too fast. I was going too fast. I was going to—
Strong arms caught me around my waist, bringing me to a sudden stop. The breath rushed from my lungs and I let go of the sheet as he set me gently on the ground.
“Oh good. I didn’t die.”
“Why the hell were you climbing off a balcony with a sheet?”
I brushed my unruly curls out of my face, scooped up my shoes, and started walking away barefoot. “They offered me cocaine and wanted to do a threesome. I panicked. Thank you for helping me down, but I have to go.”
“Wait, what?” He jogged a few steps to catch up with me.
“Never mind. I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me.”
“No, I believe you. Are you all right? Do you need a ride or something?”
I kept walking, although I wasn’t sure if I was heading in the right direction. Away from the scary cocaine couple—and the guy who’d just seen up my dress. “No, after the night I’ve had, the last thing I’m going to do is get in a car with someone I don’t know. I guess I won’t know an Uber driver if I order a ride, but that doesn’t count. But maybe I’ll call one of my friends because clearly, my night is cursed and I’ll probably get picked up by a psychotic ax murderer.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the lobby?”
“That’s not the way to the lobby.”
I stopped and let out a breath. I needed to slow down and think. My eyes lifted, meeting his, and I choked on my own spit.
It was him.
I hadn’t seen him in person in at least twenty years—since we were kids—but he was low-key famous now, especially in Seattle. Besides, I’d never forget that face.
Camden Cox.
“It’s you.”
He gave me a smile that made it clear he wasn’t surprised to be recognized—but gave no indication that he knew who I was.
Jerk.
His expression softened and for a second, I wondered if my snap judgment was wrong and he did remember me. He blinked and one corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
A swarm of butterflies took flight in my stomach and that sexy little grin of his sent a pleasant tingle down my spine.
Camden Cox hadn’t just grown up sexy. He’d grown up drop-dead gorgeous. Thick, dark hair. Haunting gray eyes. Sharp cheekbones and square jaw. He wore the hell out of his dark suit with a vest and tie.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
Like a record scratch, I jolted back to reality, no longer under the hypnotic spell of a gorgeous man—or his slow Southern drawl. He didn’t remember me. Yep, jerk.
“Sophia,” I said, using my birth name. I didn’t know why. No one had ever called me Sophia, not even when I was a baby. But at this point, I didn’t want him to realize who I was.
“Nice to meet you, Sophia. I’m Camden Cox, but everybody calls me Cox. Are you sure I can’t get you a ride, or—”
“No thanks,” I said quickly. “I’ll get myself home. Thanks for helping me off the balcony.”
I glanced around to orient myself and saw a sign pointing to the lobby. Before he could say anything else, I walked away, my heels dangling from my hands, the chill night air still wafting up my dress.
2
Cox
Sophia.
She walked away—toward the lobby this time—the sway of her hips positively hypnotic. I stood rooted to the spot, mesmerized. Her scent lingered in my nose and I could still feel the slight tickle of her soft hair against my face.
I’d never been so awestruck by a woman before.
It wasn’t because I’d seen up her dress—and seen everything. Granted, that had taken me by surprise. Who expects to look up and see a woman climbing off a second story balcony, in a dress with no panties? It was certainly a first for me.
No, there had been something about her. About the sound of her voice and the smell of her hair. The way she’d felt sliding down the front