Wrapped in You Read Free Page A

and a girl, none of them biologically related, and had raised them as a united family.
    From the beginning Zach had sparked her attention with his quiet, mysterious mannerisms. Since she’d known him he’d been a man of few words. Like today in her office, when he’d propped himself up on one shoulder against the wall and simply stared at her beneath heavy lids. Zach was the type who observed, and it was anyone’s guess what went on in that head of his.
    Sophie had grown up perfectly proper, with church on Sundays, her parents belonging to the right social groups, and straight A’s through school. Yet everything about her life felt boring and stuffy. The moment she’d met Zach, she couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
    Sophie and Chelsea had instantly clicked when they’d met on the playground. They’d bonded over their schoolgirl crush on Beau Skeens. He’d had a Mohawk. A kid with a Mohawk was beyond cool, and Sophie and Chelsea had both giggled behind the swing set while they watched Beau play basketball. From then on the girls were inseparable.
    And when she’d gone home with Chelsea after school one day a couple years later and saw Zach, that infatuation with the bad boy continued. He sat, scowling, at the Monroes’ kitchen table until Chelsea punched him in the arm and told him to smile because this house would be the best place he’d ever want to live. Then she’d invited him to walk to the Dairy Dream for a milk shake.
    Yeah. Sophie had fallen for the boy who seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, but could be talked into a double chocolate shake by his new perky sister.
    While Sophie had been raised to worry what others thought, Zach didn’t give a damn. As a teen, she’d wondered how well that would go over with her proper parents, if she just threw caution to the wind and worried about what made her happy and not the rest of the world. Chelsea had hinted more than once that Zach would be good for Sophie, and vice versa.
    Nearly a decade had passed since she and Zach had finally stopped dancing around each other. They were heading toward something that could’ve been remarkable, when all of their lives changed in an instant. Since then, Zach Monroe treated her as if she had the plague, as if he couldn’t stand to be in the same room with her. He’d pushed most people away and nearly worked himself to death . . . and all of that was after he’d gotten out of jail.
    Swearing off bad boys, silent seducers, and that pull toward the mysterious, no matter how heavy the temptation, Sophie had opted to move on. For a while she’d been afraid to date, afraid for a man to see the scars she had hidden beneath her clothes. Eventually she realized the scars weren’t going away and she needed a social life. She’d been dating Martin for six months, and they were quite compatible when they could squeeze in dates between their busy schedules. Well, they weren’t so much compatible as they shared similar backgrounds and Sophie’s parents loved him.
    But lately she’d been wondering if there should be more to a relationship. Shouldn’t there be sparks or . . . something?
    Flynn jumped onto the sofa and curled up next to Sophie.
    â€œGreat, I’m the cat lady,” she muttered against the next bite of ice cream. “I’ll die old and alone. You’ll probably outlive me.”
    She sighed as she dug in for another spoonful. She needed to call Martin and let him know the guys were going to think about the offer. With the way Zach had left abruptly, and Liam still dead set on selling, she truly had no idea which way this decision would go.
    Sophie’s cell chimed from her purse she’d left in the kitchen. Normally she’d ignore it, but she had several new listings and she was known for being prompt and professional.
    Eyeing the carton of ice cream, she silently promised to return soon. Running as quick as