They talked for several minutes, catching up and rehashing a few fond memories before promising to get together at some point. He spun around quickly to reach for a drink and collided with her.

Vibrant hair filled his vision. Soft, luscious curves brushed up against him. Her scent surrounded him, a mixture of a day at the beach and clean laundry—citrus and maybe coconut. It was the kind of scent that made him want to escape...with her.

“Sorry. That was clumsy of me. Did your drink spill?” He quickly apologized. She stood so close. Too close. His eyes took in her down-turned gaze, traveled past to the lip she was biting and even farther down to where her top dipped perilously low. His eager gaze took in the gentle swell of her breasts, the pale ivory expanse of divine skin...

You’re such a jackass.

Inwardly he cringed. Five minutes ago he’d wanted to kill a man for doing the very same thing he had just caught himself doing.

“No. It was empty.”

What was empty?

She avoided looking him in the eye, instead looking down at an empty cup.

Oh, the cup was empty. Made sense.

“Good.” Why did this have to be so awkward? It had never been like this before. It had always been easy breezy. His eyes took in the leather leggings painted on her long legs and the bright blue heels that made them look even longer.

That’s why. She had never dressed like this before.

She made a move to lean over again, brushing up against him as he did. “I just need to get to the soda. Can you hand it to me?”

The nerve in his neck twitched erratically as he clenched his jaw. She was going to be his undoing.

“Sure. Here you go,” he choked out.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

She poured her drink and handed the two-liter bottle back to him before walking away, her hips swaying seductively.

“Hey, Josh? What happened to my drink?” He looked up to see Taylor’s innocent face.

Good question.

NINE

Micah gazed at the letter in her hands. Drew had given it to her on their two-year anniversary along with a solitary white rose. She lightly grazed her fingertips over the hastily written words—I hope we’re together for a long, long time.

After leaving Hanna’s house, she’d felt an overwhelming sense of...guilt? It didn’t make any sense. Was it even possible to cheat on the ghost of a boyfriend past? Because that’s exactly what she felt she’d done.

She couldn’t get away from the new feelings she now had for Josh. The way she reacted to him, the type of thoughts she had about him.

Coming home to find the letter hadn’t helped. After she had cleaned out the box of memories she had placed the letter on her dresser, not sure where else to put it now that she had done away with the box.

She felt she was becoming insane even to herself. She really should go see someone about this. It was all getting out of control.

Closing her eyes, she brought forth images of Drew. She tried to imagine what he would look like now. She imagined a beautiful house where they would have lived. A fireplace was lit where they sat in the living room, curled up on the couch. Drew’s arm stretched across the back of cushions, beckoning her to curl up deeper into his embrace. She went willingly.

She looked up into his eyes, his cerulean gaze just as she remembered. His hair was shorter, cropped around his ears and neck. His clean-shaven jaw seemed sharper than before. She lifted her fingers to caress the hard, intense angles.

His kiss descended on her lips and she accepted lovingly with unveiled passion. Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck. Her fingers splayed out through his short hair, pulling him closer, needing more of him.

She gave herself completely to the kiss as it grew more and more heated. Without breaking the kiss, she moved to sit astride him, relishing the feeling of him underneath her.

His lips broke away from hers as he traveled down to the sensitive part of her neck. She threw her head back, desire taking over. She had never felt more alive. Her skin had never felt more sensitive, heightening every detail of his touch. Even the way the coarse stubble on his face scratched against her skin excited her.

Her eyes flew open, her body frozen as she recalled the smooth angles of Drew’s skin.

His head lifted; their gazes locked.

Not blue.

Gray.

Her vision was clouded by the desire he ignited within her, but she couldn’t mistake the heat in those steel-gray eyes.

Josh.

It wasn’t supposed to be him! She needed to get off of him. She needed to breathe. But just as she tried to move, he pulled her back down hard against him.

He wanted her. And if she finally faced the truth, she wanted him, too.

The nip at her neck was her breaking point. Her resolve wasn’t just weakened, it was destroyed. She felt herself melt into his embrace.

Micah framed his face with both hands, wanting to look him in the eyes, to know whom she was kissing this time. His lips met hers in a demanding kiss. His tongue, sliding between her lips, entangled with her own.

She had never known such desperation, such need.

Josh pushed her back onto the couch, moving with her. He deepened the kiss as he positioned himself on top of her. Instinct drove her to wrap her legs around him, tightening the connection until space no longer existed between them.

One hand remained entwined in his hair while the other drifted down his back. The muscles rippled underneath the cotton of his T-shirt as her fingers grazed down his spine. Her hand slipped beneath the cotton to touch the heated skin of his torso. Her greedy fingers roamed to his front and moved slowly, tortuously over him. The animal-like sound he emitted further ignited her arousal.

Alarms went off in Micah’s head, but she ignored them. Instead she grabbed hold of the shirt and yanked it up. She needed it gone. Now. He obliged, pulling away from her only long enough to take it off.

The shock of feeling skin on skin forced her to look down. In the midst of her desire, she was unaware that he had unbuttoned her top and pushed it aside.

The alarm sounded again, piercing through the fog. She couldn’t stop even if she wanted to.

His large masculine hands moved over her—

“Micah!”

She bolted upright at the sound of Sabina’s shrill voice.

“Turn that stupid alarm clock off and get up! You’ve got your interview in an hour!” Sabina yelled from the other room.

Micah’s gaze took in the sheets tangled around her ankles, her comforter discarded on the floor beside her bed.

She put a hand to her chest, feeling the rapid beating of her heart. That was some dream!

“Micah!”

“I hear you! Jeez! I’m up.”

Micah jumped in the shower before Sabina could get a look at her. She knew one look would be enough for Sabina. She would know something was up and then be on her case, demanding details.

The cold water was a shock to her still feverish skin. Goose bumps puckered on her flesh as she forced herself to withstand the punishment for just a moment longer before turning the dial in the opposite direction.

She showered quickly and readied herself for the interview. She needed to focus if she had any hope of making it through this day. And she really needed this interview to go smoothly.

Donning the navy suit Hanna had let her borrow, she studied her reflection in the mirror. For some strange reason she expected to see it written on her face for the world to see that she had had another steamy dream about Josh last night. She was shocked when she didn’t see it staring back at her in the mirror. Though her cheeks were still a vibrant shade of pink. It looked good on her.

“My, my. Don’t you look nice.” Sabina gave her a once-over when she entered the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.

“I try.”

“Did you have a rough night last night? Your alarm clock was going off for twenty minutes this morning. Drove me crazy.”

Heat filled her cheeks. “Sorry.”

Sabina’s eyes widened before a slow smile formed on her face. She looked like a cat who ate the canary. “You had another steamy dreamy!”

“Oh, my gosh. We are not talking about this.”

“Oh, yes, we are. Sit back down. I need details. Who was it about this time? Ooh, ooh! That tall drink of water that Hanna introduced you to!”

“No. And FYI, no one says tall drink of water anymore.”

Sabina waved a dismissive hand. “He was tall and hot. Who cares what you call him, just make sure you, you know, call him.”

Micah stirred some creamer into her coffee and took a tentative sip, not wanting to burn her tongue.

“So who was it? Did you meet someone else last night?”

“No. And I’m not telling you a thing. Last time I told you about a dream, you went and blabbed about it. Can’t trust you with anything.”

“Wow, that was harsh.”

“I’ve got to go. Can’t be late for the interview.”

“I’ll wear you down. You’ll break eventually. Mark my words.”

Micah ignored her and reached for her purse.

“Good luck, bestie!”

* * *

Her interview was a success. Of course, there was the standard waiting period before they would call and offer the job, but she was almost positive they would.

She felt as if she was floating as she walked out of the building and onto the busy streets of Boston. With her current cheery mood, going home sounded like the worst idea ever, so she made an impulsive decision.

It was scary going alone, but in spite of the fear and lack of best friend, she found herself in a parlor chair in the corner of a cramped tattoo shop. This was something she needed to do on her own, anyway. It symbolized the next phase in her life, and that required more independence.

The pristine navy suit she wore stuck out like a sore thumb in the little shop, and she was getting a few odd looks from the random patron or artist.

A man stood and called her name. It was time. She shucked the suit jacket and sat down in the chair, telling him exactly what she wanted.

The tattoo artist leaned heavily on her as he concentrated on getting the template in the right place. The room had a vague antiseptic scent mixed with cigarettes. The smell had a negative effect on her, causing her stomach to churn.

When he started tattooing the ink on her skin, she closed her eyes and focused on the music playing overhead and the hum of the machine next to her. She knew it would hurt, but she wanted this. Once she made up her mind, nothing was going to stop her, even if she had to do it alone. So she chose the small heart design and ignored the pain.

“We get a lot of requests for hearts,” the artist said as he concentrated on getting the thin lines just right. “But this is the first one I’ve done like this. It’s kind of different. I like it. Does it have a special meaning to you?”

“Yes. It does.” She didn’t want to explain it, so she kept it at that. He seemed to accept it as a sufficient answer, because he just nodded and kept working. It didn’t take long at all. She was surprised at how quick he was.

Micah peered over her shoulder into the mirror to see her fresh ink. There on her left shoulder was the tiny heart that she had chosen. Looking at its dainty lines, she knew she had made the right choice. At least this way part of his heart would always be with her.

It was perfect.

* * *

Taylor must have sensed that he wasn’t as into her as she was into him. After he’d handed her her drink at Hanna’s party, she’d walked away and he barely saw her the rest of the night. At one point, he saw her talking to a group of guys. Later, she left with one of them.

His ego was bruised for sure. He had never had a date leave with someone else. Not ever. He must be losing his touch. At least it saved him from having to end it with her. He didn’t feel right leading her on, anyway. Now that he had finally come to grips with how he felt about Micah, he couldn’t stomach the thought of being with anyone else.

His future looked bleak. Micah would never truly be his. And if he couldn’t date anyone else, he was headed for a long and lonely life.

He was pathetic.

He woke early and went for a run. Running always gave him clarity of mind to help him sort things out. It also released all his tension and eased his frustration. And to be honest, he was fraught with tension and frustration these days. With that in mind, he doubled up his normal route and picked up speed, pounding it all out on the pavement.

TEN

Micah had not dressed up for Halloween in years. It was a child’s holiday. Grown-ups passed out the candy. They did not participate. However, in going along with her newly adopted theme of making changes in her life, she succumbed to another one of Sabina’s wonderful ideas and dressed up as a butterfly for a Halloween party at Sabina’s new boy toy’s place.

Her costume was far from what she would have picked out, but Sabina always had a way of making her do or wear something she would regret later. Note to self...stop doing everything Sabina tells you to do and learn to say no. Micah had no idea that butterflies had a skanky species, but here she was clad in a miniskirt and tights, with glittery wings and rainbow eyelashes.

Since the party was being held at Sabina’s boyfriend’s place, she had left without Micah in order to help out with some of the hosting duties. Funny, she never helped with any of those duties when they hosted a party.

Micah exited the apartment building, holding her wings in her hand, and pulled her jacket tighter around her. It had been snowing pretty badly, but she was Massachusetts born and bred. She could handle anything.

Deciding she needed a cup of coffee, she forced her way through the heavy snow toward her favorite coffee drive-through only to find it closed. Hmm... She parked her car and trudged through the snow. It had to be open. Maybe their drive-through was just closed. But as she reached for the door, she came face to face with a large orange-and-black closed sign crushing her hopes.

Great. Just great. What in the world were they closed for? It was Halloween, not Christmas.

She turned back toward the parking lot and just then noticed it was empty. She should have seen that before getting out in this weather. She turned on the car and waited for it to heat up again, flipping on the music and singing along. Putting the gear in reverse, she turned to see behind her, but was surrounded by a blanket of white. She pressed on the gas, but nothing happened. She tried again. Still nothing. Seriously?

Micah was stuck. She was stuck in the snow. Stuck in an empty parking lot with no one around to help. While dressed like a skanky butterfly. Just great.

She put the car back in park and pulled her phone out. Immediately she went to Josh’s number, but stopped just before hitting the green button. Instead she pulled up Sabina’s number. It rang, but no answer. That girl never answered her phone! She tried Hanna, but when it went straight to voice mail she remembered the big meeting she’d said she had tonight. Jamie was too far away. That just left Josh.

She called, and just like she expected, he answered and was on his way.

Why did he always have to play the role of her hero, her knight in shining armor? She would never learn how to make it on her own if she was constantly depending on him to run to her rescue.

Sure, focus on your newly found need for independence. Ignore the way your whole body is teeming with longing at the thought of seeing Josh.

As images of her dream the other night invaded her mind, she was forced to remove her scarf and undo the buttons of her heavy coat. She was so hot she could turn the car’s heater off and stay warm for days just thinking about that dream.

Trouble up ahead.

Deep, deep trouble.

* * *

She called, he came running. It was as simple as that. It didn’t matter that warnings about the impending snowstorm were blasting on every television and radio station. In fact, it only made him move faster.

What he did not understand was why in the world was she out in this mess in the first place. Hadn’t she listened to the news? Forget that. Hadn’t she noticed the blanket of white that covered everything in sight? Even his big, heavy truck was sliding on the slushy streets. Her car would never survive in this.

In the distance he could barely make out her white Camry, already blending into the snowy backdrop. He plowed through the snow building up in the small coffee shop parking lot and pulled up next to her. She hopped out of her car and quickly jumped into his truck.

Her hood fell back as she settled into the seat, revealing part of a Halloween costume. Crazy-colored false eyelashes fluttered erratically as she buckled her seat belt. He shook his head.

“You were going to a Halloween party in this? Are you kidding me? Are you insane?”

“There’s no need to be rude. I understand now how foolish an idea it was.”

“You think?” He carefully steered back onto the road, trying to catch a few peeks at her costume without losing control of the truck. “What are you supposed to be? Tinker Bell?”

“No. I’m a butterfly.”

“A butterfly? This just keeps getting better. What happened?”

“I was headed to the party and stopped for a coffee. I thought the road conditions were doable.”

“Well, Tink, your car should be fine here overnight. Hopefully we can get it out tomorrow. We might have to dig it out, though.”

“Butterfly, you moron!”

He kept his eyes on the road, fully aware that the conditions had drastically worsened since he had first left his apartment. It was almost impossible to see the lanes, and even if he could, he wouldn’t be able to stay in them. His truck felt like a puck on an air-hockey table, gliding back and forth. “Listen. These streets are getting really bad. I can take you back to your place, but then I’d be stuck there until it clears up. Or I can bring you back to my place, where you would be stuck.”

“My place is closer.”

The ride to her apartment was silent and awkward, at least on his side of the truck. This didn’t happen often for him. He liked to be in control of the conversation. If people weren’t comfortable and laughing around him, it just felt weird. He always felt responsible for breaking the ice and easing the awkwardness, but this time he was the awkward one. No amount of jokes or casual banter could dispel the tension making itself at home in his truck.

Pulling up to the Victorian where she lived, he finally let out the breath he had been holding. They’d arrived in one piece, but barely. There was no way he would make it home in this. He shook his head, thinking about how dumb it was that Micah had actually thought she could make it to a party tonight. She ran inside while he made sure his truck was all sealed up. There was nothing worse than realizing you had left a window or a door cracked in a snowstorm. His truck was his baby. He was not letting anything happen to her.

After lifting the wiper blades off the windshield, he headed into Micah’s building. It was going to be a long night. Thank God Sabina would be around. For once he was grateful for their combative relationship. It would take his mind off of things.

He climbed the stairs to her apartment. Her front door was ajar, her snow-covered shoes appearing to have been shed midstep, blocking the doorway. He kicked them aside and placed his next to them, careful not to step in the quickly growing puddle of melted snow.

It was quiet—too quiet. “Where’s Sabina?”

“She’s at the party already.”

Of course she is.

“You should have seen her costume. She is going to be miserable in it all night.”

“Oh, I can only imagine what she would have worn.”

She yanked off her jacket and threw it on the chair by the door. Something caught his eye. Her shoulders were bare, revealing portions of her back. If he was not mistaken, he could have sworn he saw a tattoo on her shoulder. Had she gone without him? Work had caused him to cancel on her, but he’d just thought she would postpone and wait for him.

As she walked from the living room to the kitchen and then disappeared into her bedroom, he strained to make out what the tiny new piece of ink was. It was a heart, but it wasn’t the one she’d said she was going to get. No, this heart was different. Why had she changed her mind?

She had left him alone in the apartment. This was awkward. It never had been before, but it definitely was now. After twelve years of friendship, things suddenly felt alien between them. He didn’t know what to say or what to do. He definitely didn’t feel comfortable touching her anymore. The easiness that had once been a natural part of their relationship now ceased to exist. “I’m going to use your bathroom.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

When he returned, she still had not come out of her room. “Mind if I make myself some coffee?”

“You know where everything is?” she yelled back through the door.

“Yup.” Not that it was difficult. She had one of those cheat machines: insert prepackaged coffee cup into machine and hit the button. Ready in under a minute. No one could ruin that. “You want a cup?”

“Yeah. I never made it into the coffee shop. They were closed.”

“Even the coffee shop had the good sense to stay home tonight,” he mumbled under his breath.

“I heard that,” she said, surprising him from behind.

“Which kind do you want?”

“Hazelnut, please.” She had changed into sweatpants, her typical Micah wear. Her makeup had been washed off, contacts removed and the familiar black-framed glasses were back in place. He could handle this; butterfly wings and leather leggings, not so much.

“Did you have dinner yet?”

“No.” His stomach took that moment to grumble, as if in response to her question. She heard and laughed. “Guess I’m hungrier than I thought.”

“I’ll throw something together then. Let’s see what I’ve got here...hmm. Sabina has provided us with so many healthy options. Yuck. Stir-fry doesn’t sound too bad. What do you think?”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Here, slice these up.” She handed him zucchini, carrot and onion. “Cutting board’s under there.”

He stared at the vegetables in front of him, trying to figure out how to go about this task.

“So how’s Taylor?”

“Who?” Josh looked down at the onion. “You know I hate cutting onions. I hate them, period.”

“Oh, get over it. Stop being such a baby.” She spun to get something else out of the fridge. “And what do you mean, who? Taylor. Your girlfriend. Is that not her name?”

“Oh. Yeah.” He had forgotten about her. How could he not when he was in Micah’s presence?

“Did you forget you had a girlfriend?”

“No. She’s not my girlfriend. We just went out once or twice. I haven’t even really seen her since Hanna’s party.”

“Oh.”

Why did he just tell her that? He could have used Taylor as a buffer without Micah being any wiser.

He could not help but try to gauge her response, watching for any sign or hint as to how Taylor’s presence in his life affected her. She gave up nothing. This was ridiculous. They had been friends forever. He could not think of a person he trusted more. And what he was thinking about, what plagued him day and night, could easily ruin it all. It was not worth it.

“You want beef or chicken?”

She stood by the open refrigerator waiting for his response. But he could not think around her anymore.

“Josh? Are you all right? You seem off tonight.”

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