Page 5 of Sleeping with the Frenemy

Chase

Victoria Parker was more beautiful than I remembered.

She was also royally pissed off.

I was prepared for that.

A parade of emotions marched across her face as she absorbed my presence. First, there was shock as her blue eyes widened and her plump lips parted on a strangled gasp. Then there was disbelief—accompanied by a slight shake of her head that sent some of her mahogany hair slipping over her shoulders. Finally, her cheeks grew flushed and she narrowed her eyes.

Ah, yes.Anger laced with irritation.

Anger at seeing me again. Irritation because I called her Vicky.

“It’s Victoria,” she said, her eyes narrowing even more.

“My mistake.”

Her expression didn’t change.

The wind picked up, sending a shot of cold air straight down my collar. I leaned to the side so I could look around her.

“Can I come in?”

She moved, blocking me. “No.”

“Bad manners,” I murmured.

She made a huffing sound. “You would know.”

The wind gusted harder. Ice crystals swooped on a current of air between us. My overcoat was plenty warm, but I hunched my shoulders. “Come on, Victoria. What are you afraid of?”

Fire leapt into her gaze.

I was gonna get it.

Which was fine.

Considering I wanted it.

Just as she opened her mouth, a tall redhead appeared over her shoulder.

“Victoria? What’s wrong—” The redhead saw me and snapped her mouth shut.

Surprise flitted through me. This could only be Katherine, her younger sister. She had to be around twenty-one now. When I left Virginville seven years ago, she was a skinny teenager who wore her flaming hair in a tight bun at her nape. Not much had changed, except now the orange-red mass was piled on top of her head.

It was a striking color, but I preferred something darker. For example, a waterfall of brown with flashes of garnet that played hard-to-get in the sun.

I extended my arm past Victoria, brushing her sleeve with mine. “How are you, Katherine? You look well.”

“Ah…good.” She looked between me and Victoria before shaking my hand. “You, um, look good, too.”

Well, at least one of the Parker sisters thought so. I was batting five hundred.

I smiled. “Thanks.”

“Chase was just leaving,” Victoria said. She’d moved back when our sleeves touched, jerking her arm away like I burned her.

“No, I wasn’t,” I said.

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