She knew it looked bad, his finger on her lips. Oh my God—Clay’s finger was on her lips! Sydney abruptly pulled away. She would have excused herself at once if Javier weren’t so close. Damn it, why did he have to see them together? Confused, Clay turned to see him approach. Javier pasted a smile onto his lips and came to a stop before them. “Sydney...” he said, allowing her name to linger as he took them both in. He didn’t introduce himself to Clay and instead, fixed her in the spotlight of his gaze. Apparently, he thought she should do the honors. “Clay, this is my boss, Javier Lopez,” she said, lifting a hand between them. But feeling the slight tremor, quickly dropped it to her side. “Javier, this is Clay Rutledge. He’s one of the parents here for the events. Actually, he’s a friend of Charlie’s.” She shoved her hands into her front pockets and glanced between them. Javier digested the connection and extended his hand in welcome. “Nice to meet you.” “Likewise,”
