Page 25 of Fierce Hearts

My heart jumped into my throat as I stilled. "Really? And?"

"He was super evasive, but Leo finally got it out of him that he spent the night with someone incredible. Wouldn't tell us who, though. Just said she was beautiful and a lot of fun. We joked about if we'd be seeing more of her."

I swallowed hard. "Really? What'd he say about that?" I did my best to keep my tone casual and light despite the thrum of my heart.

"No luck, he said it's unlikely to become anything, she's got other ideas in life that he won't fit into. Leo asked if he'd invited her to the Bahamas, and he said he tried but she turned him down. Poor Gray. I kinda think he liked this one."

My stomach twisted with a mixture of guilt and something else. Something I shouldn't have felt.

Had he really wanted more? Or had he just said that for them?

Either way, it was not something I could wonder about. Not now.

"Anyway," Meredith continued, oblivious to my internal crisis, "I need to see you. After I have a recovery day, of course. I'm still on island time. But then we're going to start working on restoring the theater, and I could really use your help. You have such a good eye for design."

The theater. Leo had bought the old Victorian-styled theater for Meredith, knowing how much she loved the historic building. It had been closed for years, falling into disrepair, but Meredith had always talked about how beautiful it had been.

"That sounds fun," I said, grateful for the distraction. "It's a date."

"Perfect! How about day after tomorrow? I'll bring pastries if you get the Starbucks."

"You know the way to my heart."

We set a time to meet, and then Meredith had to go—something about unpacking and laundry and married life. As soon as we hung up, my thoughts turned to Grayson.

He'd texted me a few times since that night. Nothing pushy, just casual messages that somehow managed to convey his interest without explicitly stating it. And now I was thinking over them once more.

Just landed in the Bahamas. The view's beautiful. You would've liked it.

Haven't seen Meredith or Leo all day. Wonder if my niece or nephew will be conceived here? (laugh emoji)

Nice weather today. Where's your dream holiday destination?

I'd responded to each one, but kept my replies as neutral as I could.

Enjoy the sun!

It's definitely possible. Try to have fun too.

Somewhere with the ocean. Nothing beats the ocean breeze.

Yesterday, though, he'd been more direct, and things had had to change.

I know we said no strings, but I can't stop thinking about you, Sofia. Would it be so bad if we talked more? Got to know each other better? Outside of your friendship with Meredith?

I'd stared at that message for too long, closing it and leaving it before finally replying after work, once I had accepted what I needed to say versus how I felt.

We need to step back and let what happened fade away. We had fun, but that was the end of it.

His response had come quickly.

What about a continuing friends with benefits situation? No strings, just... benefits when we both want them?

The offer had been tempting—more tempting than it should have been. Had I even had a wild dream about another night with him? Maybe, but it was something I couldn't pursue.

If I was dreaming about him, then that meant I felt things that were out of place in my life right now. Too much risk. Not to mention with everything that had happened with Marco and Ernesto, the last thing I needed was to complicate my life further with Grayson Cassaro.

I don't think that would work for us. I'm sorry. Plus, I lost another patient this week. This one hit hard. I'm not in a good place right now.

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