HALEY CLUTCHED THE EDGE of the counter and stared at Konstantin's broad shoulders as he walked away from her.What the hell was she doing? She'd known down this path lay disaster, and she'd charged ahead, anyway. Now it wasn't her brain doing the talking. It was everything else. Her heart most of all.She hadn't missed the scorn when he talked about himself. For whatever reason, Konstantin saw himself as broken or lacking. It wasn't the first time, either. She couldn't begin to understand a childhood that had made him believe such things about himself, especially when she saw the little things no one else did. Like the carefully organized holiday care packages that went out to all of the entry-level workers across three companies. Konstantin protected his family time, but he gave freely to the community and charities.Those weren't the markers of a bad man.And then there was everything she saw at home, when no one else was watching. The way he was with his daughter. How he tre

Saturday. Lake House. VA.KONSTANTIN REMAINED PERFECTLY STILL. His internal alarm had woken him up first at five, at which point he'd realized that his highly sexual dreams hadn't been dreams at all.Haley was in his bed.She was still there, more than an hour later, and very much naked.Part of him couldn't accept what had happened as reality.How could he allow himself to slip up like that? Twice? And let it lead to this?He wasn't the only architect of this design. Haley had been there. She'd been more than an equal participant. And yet the responsibility was on him.Konstantin swallowed and stared up at the ceiling.From the day they'd met, he'd known they had chemistry. It was impossible to not feel it, see it reflected back in her eyes. But they'd drawn their boundaries and stayed away from each other.Until now.He stared down at the top of her head. She'd wrapped an arm and leg around him, choosing to use his shoulder as a pillow instead of the ridiculous

Saturday. Lake House. Virginia.KONSTANTIN PUSHED TO HIS feet and strode to the windows before reminding himself that he couldn't open the curtains.Damn his mother. Damn her and whatever the hell plan this was."This isn't coincidental." He turned to face Haley. "She didn't just find out about me and decide to reconnect. This is her plan. She wants something. But what?"Haley looked back at him, her face grim. "Is it time to look at the pictures?""Yes." He grimaced.This wasn't a task he was looking forward to.Haley got up and he followed her out to the dining table. A small suitcase sat against the wall. She picked it up and placed it on the table, opened it and began handing him stacks of framed photographs."We'll have to take them out of the frames," he said."Want me to do that while you look at them?" she suggested."Sure."Haley pulled out a chair and patted it. "Sit."He did as directed, fully aware she'd switched to taking care of him. Guilt gnawe

Saturday. Lake House. VA.HALEY GLANCED FROM THE phone to Konstantin and back."What the fuck was that?" she asked."I don't know." He placed the phone on the table, still frowning at it."You aren't going to go. Are you?" To her it was obvious. You did not go into enemy territory knowing it was an ambush."I think I have to," he said slowly."What? Why? No. Konstantin, no."He glanced sideways at her, that cool, composed look of his firmly in place. "It's not your decision."Haley slouched back in her chair. "You know she wants something from you. You know she's not on your side in anything. It's likely she's setting you up for something. Why give her this meeting?""Because what other move do I have? We know roughly what she's been doing and who she's pretended to be, but there has to be more to this. And I don't think we're going to figure it out looking at a bunch of old pictures." He flicked the closest picture with his index finger."Then talk to her on the

Saturday. Lake House. VA.HALEY LISTENED TO THE silent house.She'd heard the garage open and close earlier, then someone on the stairs.Konstantin was back.The security cameras had told her that much.She wanted to know how the dinner had gone, if he'd learned anything, but she didn't feel like she could go to him and ask. Not with how they'd left things earlier. She'd walked on eggshells around him all afternoon until he left. He'd hardly said five words to her.This was why she'd stayed away from the mercurial man in the beginning. He tied her in knots without even trying.What the hell was wrong with her?Yes, she'd always given Konstantin a wide berth, but this was ridiculous.The man was her boss. Personal feelings aside, she needed to know how the situation had evolved.And deep down she wanted to see him again. Natasha Titov was the mother she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Haley couldn't imagine how seeing her again had messed with Konstantin's head.