Ella had been the preferred target of their meddling mother for years, while Crystal had been the favorite when she was married to Bill. She was embarrassed to admit that she’d actually felt special to her mother during that time. It was the only time in her life that she’d ever felt as if she wasn’t a complete disappointment. Sadly, she’d let herself be pushed into marrying Bill, and she’d stayed with him, even though she was miserable during the marriage. It had seemed easier than dealing with her mother’s disapproval. And even worse, she wasn’t sure if she would have ever had the courage to leave Bill if not for seeing Ella break away from her mother’s control and live her life the way she wanted to. Crystal would never be able to repay her sister for showing her that there could be more to life than what she’d had.

Ella dropped into a chair, giving her a wary look. “Did Mom track you down yesterday?”

Crystal held up an imaginary gun to her head. “Oh yeah, and in person no less. She let herself into my apartment and was waiting for me when I got home.”

“Crap.” Ella winced. “I hate those surprise visits. She did that to me a lot before Declan and I got married. Now he’s told me that I had better never give her a key to our home. He says he’ll be pleasant as long as she acts that way to him, but there is no way she’s walking in unannounced again.”

Crystal started snickering. “Remember when Mom walked in on you and Declan in bed together while you were dating?”

Ella shuddered. “How could I ever forget that? She almost caught us a few other times as well. She e-mailed me quotes on the evils of fornication for months after that. Declan was afraid he’d never be able to perform again, just remembering her staring at him.” Giving an impish wink, Ella added, “Trust me, his fears were completely unfounded.”

Crystal laughed, still amazed that her shy sister could talk about sex now with only a slight blush. “Thanks for sharing that. Maybe if you’d said something along those lines to our mother, she would have been too distracted with you to ambush me.”

“Was it bad?” Ella asked, even though she already knew the answer. Parental time was never pleasant for them.

“Just the usual.” Crystal shrugged. “I’m a disappointment, more than likely a slut, and I have horrible friends. I’ve ruined my life by not begging Bill to forgive me. Oh, and she’s not speaking to me again until I ask her forgiveness for being a disrespectful smart-ass.”

Wincing, Ella said, “Boy, she gave you the works. How long do you think the whole not-speaking-to-you thing will last before she shows up again?”

Clicking her tongue as if deep in thought, she finally said, “I give her a week—max. She’s too curious about where I was over the weekend. There’s no way she’ll drop that this soon.”

Ella’s eyes appeared to cross for a moment before she breathed out. “You sure don’t believe in taking baby steps, do you? I mean, I know you told me what happened with Mark, but I still can’t believe he took care of you like that. I’ve spent a little time around him at various business functions, and he’s always charming. But he’s so—gorgeous. He looks like Matthew Bomer. All dark, sexy, and mysterious. I’ve heard he never sees the same woman twice either. Crys, you’re like a long-term relationship to him!”

Lifting a brow, Crystal asked, “Why are you over there lusting after Mark when you’re married to Declan Stone? Your hubby is a serious stud muffin. You know I stare at his ass at all our family functions, right?”

Ella grabbed a paper clip from her desk and tossed it at Crystal. “I’d have to be blind to miss that. The only person’s butt he stares at, though, is mine, so that’s all that matters.”

“You’ve got that right,” Crystal conceded. “He’s totally whipped, Ells, so good for you.”

Suddenly, her sister snapped her fingers together and literally jumped up and down in her seat. “I’m going to have a barbecue this weekend, and we’ll invite everyone—including Mark. That way, you’ll be able to see him again without looking like you’re stalking him. Are you still doing that, by the way?”

Trying hard to look offended, but failing, Crystal nodded. “Just a tad, and only on his Twitter account. I haven’t resorted to walking up and down the hallway outside his office yet. It was easier before when he didn’t know me. Now it would look too obvious.”

“No, really?” Ella said dryly. “Anyway, I’ll get with the others and make this happen. Don’t make any plans for Saturday evening.”

Crystal didn’t bother to point out that she rarely had anything to do on the weekend. After Ella had left, she wondered why she hadn’t told her about the tweets that she’d been exchanging with Mark. Something about it just seemed too personal to share. For now, she wanted to keep it between them. It was almost too good to be true, and she didn’t want to tempt fate by overanalyzing it.

At least now she had a reason to see him again, and she had to hope that the week would pass by quickly before she resorted to driving by his house.

Chapter Six

Mark had gone straight home after work and given Denny the night off. He generally used the drive to and from the office to return calls and e-mails, but still preferred to drive himself when the workday was over. After changing into something more casual, he’d grabbed the keys to his Porsche and driven across town to his favorite bar, Rivers. It was a popular meeting place for college students and professionals. He’d been chatting with the bartender, Jason, while enjoying a scotch and water, when a blond-haired beauty settled on the stool beside him. A quick glance told him that she was around twenty-five and had a spectacular set of fake tits. She had the perpetual tan common to so many living in a beach town. He had the sudden urge to lecture her about the dangers of sun exposure. What the hell was wrong with him? The only stern warnings he was usually interested in giving were in the bedroom. He had certainly never cared enough to go beyond that.