Sophia & Cameron (Palmers of Copper Creek #2)

Chapter 1

Sophia Palmer

Five Years Earlier

“ O h, he’s cute .”

Sophia swung her attention around to see where her hotel roommate was gesturing.

Unsurprisingly, her eyes locked with the man she’d seen nearly everywhere she looked.

He was tall—at least a good foot taller than her five-foot-three frame.

The muscles in his arms bunched as he lifted his arm to smooth back his hair.

His dirty blond hair was pulled back into a knot on his head, and he completed his hippie sort of look with ripped jeans and a T-shirt that showed off just how fit he was.

Yes. He was mouthwatering and the sort of guy a girl could melt into the floor over. Normally, he’d be the exact kind of guy she’d go for. He looked like he was up for a good time with no commitment.

But there was something in the way he smirked at her that unnerved Sophia to her very core. The hair on her arms rose as his unabashed stare continued to remain locked with her own.

Darcy leaned closer to Sophia, and her hot whisper brushed at her skin. “I think he’s got a thing for you. I haven’t seen him pay attention to any other girl.”

Sophia rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the crowd of mostly college-aged individuals who were dancing to the pop music playing at this particular dance hall. “Maybe he’s looking at you.”

From her periphery, Sophia noted the way Darcy tilted her head as she continued watching the stranger. “Nope,” she said, popping the “p” as she turned to look at Sophia. “He’s definitely into you. Maybe you should go ask him to dance.”

“ Pass ,” Sophia said with an exaggerated flourish.

“We only came to this place to get out and eat a few appetizers while we’re at it.

” She winked and then jutted her chin at two men in hockey jerseys on the other side of the room.

Now they were her type. Their lack of interest in anything serious couldn’t have been more obvious.

With a wrinkle of her nose, Darcy shook her head. “Nah. The other guy is much better looking.”

Yeah, the other guy was better-looking. He was probably charming as all get-out. And in thirty minutes, he could probably have her begging for something more. Sophia shook her head adamantly.

“How is he any different than the other appetizers you’re interested in, huh?

” Darcy pouted. Even though they’d only just met yesterday when they checked in for the horse breeding conference, she was already acting like they’d been friends forever.

Darcy’s face now blocked Sophia’s view of the hockey hotties.

With exaggerated movements, she darted her eyes in the direction of the man.

When that didn’t seem to work, she jerked her head in that direction.

“Come on. He looks completely delicious.”

Sophia took a sip of her sweet tea and nodded. “Of course he does. But Mr. Manbun over there doesn’t look like he wants a snack. He’s here for the full five-course meal.”

Darcy tossed back her head with a laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s harmless. Just look at him.”

She had been looking at him. She’d looked at him in no less than four of the seven classes she’d attended at the conference.

She’d looked at him the second he’d shown up at the venue they were at.

Sophia had looked at him so much that she could probably draw him from memory if she had the inclination. That wasn’t the problem.

Mr. Manbun had looked right back.

Darcy groaned when she apparently realized she wasn’t going to convince Sophia to take the steps necessary to hook the guy. If this was a simple catch-and-release, Sophia would have been on board. But something told her it wouldn’t be that simple.

As if against her will, she let her eyes drift in his direction. But he wasn’t there.

Sophia stiffened. Where had he gone? Had some other girl captured his attention? Probably. Darcy had said as much. The guy looked like a catch. Her focus bounced from person to person.

“Looking for me?” a male voice said from behind her.

The hairs on the back of her neck lifted, and her heart stumbled. She didn’t have to turn around to know who was behind her. His voice could only be described as a husky purr. Already, Sophia wanted to wrap herself up in the sensation of it.

Slowly, Sophia turned to face her visitor.

She was forced to lift her chin in order to meet his eyes.

Gorgeous blue eyes that looked almost gray peered down at her.

One side of his mouth quirked upward in an infuriatingly handsome smirk.

His facial scruff was neatly trimmed and only added to his allure.

No.

Sophia refused to allow this stranger to make her legs quake.

And yet, that smile drew her in.

It was all she could do to hide behind her own flirty and outgoing mask she wore when she was around any man.

She smiled and tilted her head as she narrowed her eyes. “Not hardly. I was trying to decide if it was time to leave. This place has lost its appeal. The music is giving me a headache.”

For a moment he didn’t move. But then he leaned in, and her breath caught in anticipation of his lips meeting hers. Why wasn’t she backing away? Disappointingly, his face hovered just above her shoulder, his lips so close to her ear that she could feel the heat of his skin. “Liar,” he whispered.

Goosebumps trailed along her arms despite the sticky heat coming from everyone dancing. Her head reared back, and she snorted, but no words formed on her lips.

His smile continued to stretch wider. Then he jerked his chin toward the dance floor. “Care to dance?”

Sophia arched a brow as she moistened her lips with a flick of her tongue. Her throat had gone dry. This man had the ability to steal the air from the room, and it was making her feel lightheaded.

She was just about to accept his offer when someone bumped into her on their way to the restroom. It knocked enough sense into her head to clear it. “Pass,” she said with a smile of her own. Then she spun around, her black hair swishing over her shoulder.

There was no way she’d look back. She couldn’t afford to.

Whoever he was, he was trouble. She was only going to be in Texas for a week.

She didn’t have time for a distraction like Mr. Manbun.

This time next week, she’d be back on her brother’s ranch and the stranger staring holes into the back of her head would be a distant memory.

“This place is much better. I like the music, too, don’t you?

” Darcy scanned the room the second they entered the local hangout spot she’d picked out.

The music playing through the speakers was more reminiscent of what she used to listen to when she was in high school, which meant the majority of the people here were likely closer to her age.

There were a lot more men in cowboy hats, too, which meant there would likely be more country music played.

Here, she was in her element.

Sophia nodded and smiled broadly at her new friend. It was only her second day in Texas, but it promised to be fun. She looped her arm through Darcy’s, and together they made their way to the dance floor.

It wasn’t hard to get lost in the music.

She could dance and not worry about seeing people she knew.

She could forget that she had responsibilities back home.

But most of all, she could forget that less than a year ago, she’d had her heart broken by a boyfriend who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

The worst part was that it had happened shortly after her brother had been cheated on by his fiancée.

Sophia pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the present.

They danced for going on thirty minutes when Darcy said she was thirsty and was headed to grab some water. Sophia nodded but opted to stay on the dance floor. A slower song started, and a man with dark hair and dark eyes grinned at her and raised his eyebrows.

She held out her hand, and he took it, placing it on his chest. He took her other one and placed it around the back of his neck.

They swayed, not bothering to tell each other their names or where they were from. Tonight was about fun—about being with someone who smelled good and who could guide her across the dance floor without promising her the world or begging her to offer the same.

When the dance was over, she was ready for her own cold water.

“Wow, Soph. You really know how to pick them,” Darcy said. Her eyes were wide, and they followed the handsome cowboy as he returned to his own group of friends.

Sophia shrugged as she requested a bottled water. Then she faced her friend. “As long as he can move and doesn’t step on my toes, that’s all I need.”

“Then maybe you’d promise me your next dance?”

The scream that erupted from Sophia’s throat at the sound of his voice was swallowed up by the start of another upbeat song.

Darcy got an amused look on her face. Her eyes practically sparkled as she let her focus sweep from the top of the man’s head to his feet and back to his face.

Sophia turned toward the intrusion with a hand on her hip. She arched a brow at Mr. Manbun. “No offense, but you don’t look like you could keep up.”

The second he flashed his smile at her, she got distracted. But it was his low, sultry voice that did her in entirely. “You never know until you give me a chance.”

Darcy nudged her, causing Sophia to stumble forward a step. She nearly bumped into the handsome stranger.

She’d caught him staring at her at the conference again today.

He’d kept his distance, not approaching her no matter how many times their eyes met.

It was strange, to say the least. Sophia’s eyes narrowed as she flapped her hand at her back to stop Darcy from insisting that she accept the stranger’s request. “Are you stalking me?”

Mr. Manbun chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Then how did you know I was here?”

His gaze shifted to Darcy. It was only for a split second, but it had been enough.

Sophia gasped and whipped her head around to stare at her friend. “You didn’t,” she hissed.

Darcy flushed and lifted a shoulder. Then she backed up a step.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Sophia’s hand shot out to reach for her friend, but at that same moment, a warm hand wrapped around her elbow. He spun her around to face him. “One dance, Red. That’s all I ask.”

“Red?” Sophia scoffed.

His eyes darted to the streak of red she had in her dark hair.

“Oh,” she said. At least he wasn’t asking for her name.

With a groan, she eyed him warily. “One dance.”

“One dance,” he agreed.

“Fine.”

He tugged her to the dance floor. That was her first mistake.

Her handsome stranger could dance. And it wasn’t just swaying side to side with the occasional twirl.

This guy knew his stuff. He spun her around, dipped her, and moved her into steps she wouldn’t have been able to keep up with if he wasn’t holding her against him.

One dance turned into another, then another and another.

It didn’t matter if the dance was slow or fast. He had moves.

Sophia lost track of time. It wasn’t until the room had started to clear out that she realized how late it had gotten. She pulled away from him, feeling very much like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight as she hurried across the room.

He fell into step beside her easily enough. “I want to see you again.”

She tossed him a smirk. “What happened to one dance?”

He pulled her to a stop, and his eyes drilled into her. “I think we both gave up on that request a few hours ago.”

Sophia couldn’t maintain the heat of his stare, even if she wanted to, and forced herself to look for Darcy. She hadn’t seen her in a while.

“I think your friend went back.”

She gasped with surprise and a moderate amount of betrayal. “What?”

He reached for her hand, and she stared down at it where he traced his thumb over her knuckles. “I want to see you again,” he repeated softer. It was almost like he wanted to say something more, but he was holding back.

The temptation to agree to a date was almost too much to bear. But she managed.

Sophia pulled her hand from his and shook her head. She replaced her desire with her usual mask of flirtation. “No thanks.” Then without giving him a second look, she hurried out the doors to catch a cab.