Page 37 of Last Fall

“Exactly. So I think we should keep doing what we’re doing. We should be friends before we think aboutanythingmore.”

Friends.

Two weeks ago that word would have been tolerable but now it was disappointing.Friendswasn’tenough.

“Allright.”

He stepped closer. “I just want to make sure we’re both ready. That we both understand what we’re getting into.” He brushed his thumb over my cheek again. “It’s taking everything I have to hold back, darlin’. When I finally let go I need to know you’re in it with me. I don’t think I could take watching you walk awayfromme.”

“Erik,” I sighed his name becausedamnthat was quite possibly the sexiest thing I’d ever heard inreallife.

His thumb drifted to my lips, then he stepped completely away from me. I’d never felt morenaked.

“I wanted to ask if you were busy next Thursday? I’d love it if you could talk to my sister while she’s here.” He kept his gaze carefully trained over my shoulder, his hands shoved in hispockets.

Friendsagain.

Cold, distant friends who knew all too well how spine-tingling hot it was to kiss eachother.

But he was right. I wasn’t ready for more.Yet.“Um,sure?Why?”

“She’s graduating in December. Has a great internship and a job alreadylinedup.”

“I’mlost.”

He glanced back at me and I was surprised to see how much heat was still simmering in those dark depths. “That’s the problem, you see. She’s logical to a fault. She’s playing everything safe. Belle has been scribbling in notebooks since she could hold a pencil. Reminds me a lot of you. I thought maybe you could talk to her about the publishing industry, give her some insight.” He shrugged. “I know it’s a volatile business and nothing is guaranteed no matter how good you are but I hate that she’s boxing out an entire piece of who she is because it isn’t practical.” His words had everything to do with his little sister, but his eyes screamed an entirely differentstory.

“Of course. Just let me know when as soon as possible so I can set aside the time.” My hands shook as I swept my hair over my shoulder to let some air coolmyneck.

“How about one o’clock?” His voice sounded rough like the air was running over sandpaper. “We have a box for the Bolts and Pythons scrimmage game. We can hang out and maybe it won’t seem so much like a setup to mysister.”

Hockey? I just barely understood baseball. But then again, it would be cool inside and involve free beer. Plus more time around Erik as friends. “Uh, sure. As long as you don’t mind my complete lack of knowledge of thesport.”

His eyes danced again. “The only sport that matters is baseball and you do just fine there.” Then he cleared his throat. “So I’ll see you Thursday?” So much hope in that littlesentence.

“I’ll bethere.”

“Sleep well, Zoe.” He waved me up the porch steps, careful to keep hisdistance.

I took the first two steps then turned to look down at him, feeling the electricity pulsing between us, the way the hair on my arm rose up just the way I described in my books.Huh.Funny that I could write something I’d never actually felt until now. “Goodnight,Erik.”

He stood there, staring at me. I shifted on my feet feeling completelyawkward.

“I’m going to watch you go inside and lock the door, Zoe. I want to be sureyou’resafe.”

My heart skipped. “From thegators?”

He jerked his chin toward the door. “Humor an overprotective guy,wouldyou?”

I scurried across the porch, punched the code into the back door, and slipped inside. Sure enough, Erik waited until he heard the deadbolt slide into place, thenwaved.