Page 207 of The Friends and Rivals Collection

I flick on the light, unknot my tie, and say hello to Zeus.

He rubs against my leg and meows. I understand immediately. I scoop a handful of his favorite kibble into a bowl, and set it on the floor.

I turn on another light in the living room and contemplate pouring a Scotch. Feels like a night for the amber liquid. The kind of evening where I’ll pace around my pad, hoping she’ll arrive soon. A night when I should flop on the couch, stare into the distance, and think dark thoughts.

But that’s not who I am.

Even if Mia has things to tell me, I can handle them. That’s what I do. I handle stuff.

Rather than pace, I grab a book, my dog-eared and well-worn paperback of A Prayer for Owen Meany . I flip it open to a random page and read words I’ve read many times before.

The knock on my door comes quickly, and I open it. Mia strides in with purpose, her chin high, her eyes fierce. She places her hands on my chest, as if she’s warding me off. “I told myself I wouldn’t do this.”

All the air spills out of me. “Why?”

“I dated a good friend of Max’s right after college.”

And that’s the reason. That’s all the reasons, it seems. “What happened?”

Her hazel eyes are intense. “It didn’t end well.”

I furrow my brow. “You mean Max didn’t handle it well?”

She shakes her head, the loose little strands of her hair moving with her. “It’s not about him. It’s about me. I’ve never wanted to get involved with one of his friends since then. That’s why I’ve had to resist you. That’s why I’ve held back before.”

I grit my teeth, then will myself to let go of my frustration. “What happened? Who is this guy?”

“His name is Eric.”

I search my files for a friend of Max’s by that name. But he’s never mentioned an Eric, not even in passing. “I’ve never heard of him.”

Mia lets out a long, sad breath. “That’s the issue. They aren’t friends anymore.”

My shoulders sag, and I get it. I understand at last what I’m up against. This cuts so much deeper than the question of when and where I tell Max I’m mad about his sister. This is about whether she’ll even let herself cross a huge hurdle.

But Mia surprises me by wrapping her arms around my neck. Pressing her breasts to my chest. Sliding her body against mine.

“Mia,” I say, and this time the warning is real. “You tell me you shouldn’t do this, and then you do this .”

“I told you because I want you to know where I’m coming from.” She draws a deep breath. “But I don’t want us to stop.”

I close my eyes, feeling my body sway as if I’ve had too much to drink, when all I’ve had is a glass or two earlier.

It’s not alcohol, though, that makes me feel this way.

It’s the uncertainty of opening my heart.

But even so, I don’t want to resist her.

I rope my arms around her waist, bringing her closer, walking backward with her toward the kitchen counter.

“I can’t think straight when I’m touching you,” I say, my voice rougher than it’s ever been.

“I can’t, either.” Her back hits the counter, and I lift her onto it so we’re face-to-face and eye-to-eye.

“So what are we doing?” I don’t break my gaze. I don’t mince words. I serve it straight up. “I don’t want half of you. I don’t want a fling with you.”

“I don’t want that, either. All I know is I don’t want to hurt Max.”

“And I don’t want to hurt you.”

“But I’m still here.” With a clear voice and fierce eyes, she says, “And I don’t know how to stop wanting you.”

This woman is breaking me down. I don’t even know if I can have her the way I want. But I don’t want to let her go, either. That means I need to show her. I need to convince her we will be different. That I’m not Eric, even though I know nothing about him.

I bend close and push the strap of her dress over her shoulder. “I won’t hurt you.” I kiss her neck, her collarbone. “This won’t end badly, Mia. I promise you.”

“Patrick . . . you don’t know that.”

I kiss her shoulder, and she shudders. “I do know that. And I mean it. I’m not that guy.

” I don’t know how to make it more obvious without spelling it out for her.

But she’s not ready to hear the truth—I won’t let it end badly because if I have my way, we won’t end.

Instead, I clasp her face in my hands and say, “You have to know I will do everything to make this good for you. Every single thing between us will be good.”

She trembles and circles her arms tighter around my neck. “It’s so good already.”

Our eyes lock, and the air between us is charged like a live wire. Electric. Ready to burn.

“Then what do you want, Mia? You know what I want. You. I want all of you, and I’ll tell Max tomorrow that I’m crazy for you. But if you think you shouldn’t be doing this, then you’re right. We shouldn’t do this. If you need to leave, I need to be the man who lets you walk away.”

She closes her eyes, and when she opens them, they shine with heat, with fire, with an insatiable need I recognize instantly. It’s how I feel.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Her lips curve up in a grin. “Except to your bed. Right this second.”