Countdown to trouble in 3...2...1...

Jenna Delaney has her life all mapped out—work, fiancé, financial plan. But when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, Jenna’s best-laid plans disappear. Instead, she finds herself lip-locked with the hunkiest of all hot male strangers. And whoa, serious fireworks. The kind that make a girl plan on how to get best laid!

Rick Sinclair is blown away by the sheer force of their chemistry, especially when they end up at his borrowed high-tech “smart” apartment. Except that this apartment seems to know just how to set up a seduction...because suddenly Jenna is in Rick’s bed. And this one breathless night could take them anywhere...

“It’s the start of a whole new year...”

“Hmm,” Rick said as he tugged the duvet over them. “In all the drama I forgot about that. We’re off to an interesting start.”

“Yes, very interesting.” She realized something else...she wasn’t cold anymore. But she snuggled closer just the same. “Care to make it even more interesting?” she murmured, equal parts thrilled and alarmed to see his eyes darken.

Rick grinned. “I’m a storm chaser. I’m always game for more,” he said and stroked her cheek. “Are you sure, though?”

“Oh, Rick...” Jenna studied his handsome face. “I’m going to regret a lot of things about this night. But none of them are you.”

He shifted close enough that their bare legs tangled. And when she leaned in for one of his steamy kisses, he met her more than halfway.

No hint of shyness, no reluctance. Her hands were on his back, on his sides, exploring.

His free hand cupped her breast, and all was right with the world.

Dear Reader,

New Year’s Eve is a great holiday. No gifts are demanded, it’s practically illegal not to have a drink, it feels fantastic to forget what went wrong the past year and believe that the coming year is going to be your best one ever.

What is never supposed to happen, not even as a joke, is to find your fiancé in the hallway kissing his former college girlfriend at the stroke of midnight.

It doesn’t just suck for Jenna Delaney, who has come with her betrothed to the same James Bond costume party in downtown Boston for the fifth year in a row. It’s also a pretty major kick in the heart to Rick Sinclair, the boyfriend of the woman kissing Jenna’s fiancé. Especially since Rick was going to propose at midnight.

The odds of Jenna and Rick getting snowed in together at a very swanky “smart” apartment in the heart of Boston are slim, and the chance that their heartbreak could turn into something better is off the charts. But love finds a way.

I hope you’ll find Jenna and Rick as funny, bright and sexy as I did, and that you’ll look for the next books in the Three Wicked Nights trilogy. All three heroes were best friends at MIT, and the smart apartment...the really smart apartment...belongs to their friend Sam, who’s asked the guys to test the surprising tricks and treats they’ll discover during their very wicked nights in Boston.

I’d love to hear from you! You can catch me as @Jo_Leigh on Twitter and at jomk.tumblr.com on Tumblr!

Jo Leigh

One Breathless Night

Jo Leigh

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JO LEIGH is from Los Angeles and always thought she’d end up living in Manhattan. So how did she end up in Utah in a tiny town with a terrible internet connection, being bossed around by a houseful of rescued cats and dogs? What the heck, she says, predictability is boring. Jo has written more than forty-five novels for Harlequin. Visit her website at joleigh.com or contact her at joleigh@joleigh.com.

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Extract

Copyright

1

“GUESS HOW MANY James Bonds there are in this room right now.” Jenna Delaney tugged up her neckline as she watched the Bonds interact. Some were short, some rotund, some blond; quite a few had the beginnings of beer bellies. But they were all clearly dressed as the one and only Double O Seven.

Jenna and her friend Mindy were stationed perfectly: close enough to the New Year’s Eve buffet table that they could nibble all they wanted, yet still have a great view of the reunion suite. “Ten? Twelve?” Mindy shook her head. “I give up. How many are there?”

“They’re all Bonds,” Jenna said. “Every single man here. All they had to do for their costume was rent a tux. That’s it. Unless they already owned one, which would have made it even easier. Meanwhile I, silly fool that I am, shelled out big bucks for Mimco bloodred lipstick, OPI blackish-purplish nail polish that’s the perfect shade but hideous, a necklace that looks like a noose, nearly cried putting my hair up in this awful twist and I’m wearing a dress that is far too revealing, just to match the outfit Vesper Lynd wore in Casino Royale.”

“You looked all that stuff up, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did. All the Bond girls have their own wikis.” Jenna took her cosplay as seriously as she did her job teaching middle school English.

“Bless your heart,” Mindy said, lifting a brie-covered cracker to her mouth. “I stole my costume from the men’s playbook. None of it’s new. I put it together using stuff from my own closet.”

Jenna eyed her friend’s black blouse and slacks. “That’s supposed to be a costume?”

Mindy nodded as she chewed.

“So what are you? A background extra?”

“Don’t be silly. I’m Judi Dench’s ‘M.’”

Jenna turned to face her now. “But she wasn’t a redhead.”

Mindy grinned wickedly. “I’m M in disguise.”

Jenna laughed.

“For what it’s worth, you look sensational.” Mindy looked her up and down, and then zeroed in on her neckline. “Well, you would if you’d quit trying to hide your breasts.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been tugging on your top all night. You’re not showing off that much, you Victorian prude, you. Look around. There are women here who are barely clothed, for God’s sake. It’s a James Bond–themed party.” Mindy reached over and tugged down Jenna’s top an inch. “It’s called a plunging neckline for a reason. Why didn’t you just come as Miss Moneypenny?”

Jenna clutched her bodice. “I have. Three times, as you well know.”

“Right. Because we come here every freaking year. There are things to do all over Boston. I mean, it’s New Year’s Eve and First Night, yet every year, we get stuck coming to the same old party. It’s criminal, all that we’re missing. It’s not being disloyal to their alma mater if we want to see other things, too.”

They were Jenna’s fiancé and Mindy’s husband, both graduates of Boston University. “You have a very good point.” Jenna picked up what looked to be a salmon puff. “It’s time to expand our repertoire. Just...Payton has the whole routine down—”

“Tough.” Mindy might not look like M, but right now she sure sounded like her. “I like you guys a lot, but I’ve had it. No more parties where we have to play dress-up. If the guys miss our skimpy outfits, they can wear them.”

Jenna laughed until she realized her hand was still covering her décolletage. It wasn’t as if her boobs were big enough to cause a stir. And she never used to be a prude. But then she’d started teaching twelve-year-olds. And dating Payton. Not that he made her a prude, but they did go to a lot of functions for his ultraconservative accounting firm, and she had learned to dress and act the part. She let her hand drop and straightened her back. “Okay, next year, you make the plans. I’m sure Payton will get on board.”

Mindy raised one eyebrow. “And if he doesn’t?”

“He will. Where are they, anyway?”

Mindy made a face. “Probably tucked in a corner somewhere discussing the newest thrilling tax requirements.”

Zane, Mindy’s husband, had not only gone to BU two years ahead of Payton, but he was also an accountant at the same firm. Jenna liked the couple a lot but they really only saw each other at events like these. They lived in a different suburb, and both Mindy and Jenna worked full-time.

“Have you seen him?” Mindy nodded toward a tall, dark-haired man standing at the other end of the buffet.

“Who? Oh. I hadn’t, no. But I... He’s...good-looking.”

Mindy nabbed a chocolate-dipped strawberry, now that they’d moved the few steps over to the dessert section. “Good-looking? That’s like saying the Mona Lisa is a nice painting.”

“Okay, fine. He’s gorgeous,” Jenna said. “Honestly, I stopped listening to you the moment I saw him.”

“You’re forgiven. I mean, he actually looks like James Bond. Better than Daniel Craig, if you ask me.”

Jenna nodded, even though she knew Mindy wasn’t looking. “He must be a swimmer. Right? That’s a swimmer’s body.”

“I don’t know. I think runner. No. Martial arts,” she said, her voice lowering an octave.

“Hmm. Quite possibly,” Jenna said in a British accent.

Mindy laughed. “I’m sending him a telepathic message to take off his jacket.”

“While you’re at it, you might as well ask him to take everything else off, too.”

“That seems greedy.”

Jenna was giggling now. “Oh, damn, he’s with someone.”

“So are we.”

“Of course we are. I’m just window-shopping. Ah, his girlfriend’s beautiful.”

“I never did like blondes.” Mindy eyed Jenna for a second. “You’d look good with him,” she said. Then she started loading a plate with petits fours.

Jenna laughed. She scooped up a bite-size brownie, while scoping out the rest of the goodies, ignoring everything that wasn’t chocolate.

‘He looks...dangerous,” Mindy said. “If only he’d take off that damn jacket. Let us see what he’s got under the hood.”

Jenna looked up from the buffet table and stared at her friend, who was unashamedly checking out the guy.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was hiding a Walther PPK.”

Almost choking on the brownie, Jenna cleared her throat and said, “I thought that sentence would end in a completely different way.”

Mindy’s eyes lit up as she turned to Jenna. “I take back the Victorian comment. And give you extra points for the classiest way of subverting the ‘is that a gun in your pocket’ joke I’ve ever heard.”

“That’s me. Classy as—oh, crap, he’s coming closer.”

Mindy bumped her shoulder. “Don’t look him straight in the eye.”

Jenna nodded absently at Mindy, more interested in the gorgeous dress the guy’s date was wearing than in him. A few seconds later, she realized what her friend had said. Her gaze flew back to Danger Bond. “Damn it, I just looked him in the eye. He caught me. Stop saying things.”

“Jenna?” Mindy poked her in the shoulder. “Jenna.”

“Yes, what? Hello?”

“Payton,” Mindy said, a little too brightly. “Zane. Thank goodness you guys are back. We were beginning to think you’d asked some Bond girls if you could do their taxes.”

“Ha,” Mindy’s husband said, without the least bit of humor. “I never get tired of accountant jokes.”

Mindy waved dismissively before she accepted her double Scotch from him. Jenna’s gaze caught on her wedding ring set. The rings were Vera Wang. Diamond and sapphires on white gold. God knew how expensive they’d been.

Then she looked down at her own engagement ring. She and Payton had picked it out together. The lovely three-quarter-carat princess cut on platinum had been a perfect choice. The money they’d saved by being careful was socked away in their new-house account. The wedding was set for the following June—if they didn’t postpone it yet again.

Regardless, by then she’d have paid off the balance of her student loans and they’d have a significant amount for a down payment in Easton, a very nice suburb equidistant to both their jobs. There was a reason they’d decided to have the wedding in his parents’ gorgeous backyard. It was very important to both of them to enter the next phase of their lives debt-free.

She took her White Russian from Payton, and gave him a kiss. “You should eat. Everything’s very good.”

“I’m grateful you went to the trouble of tasting it for us. In this place, it’s impossible to tell the villains from the heroes.”

“You’re welcome.”

Payton pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, and then went to get a plate. But he didn’t make it that far. The beautiful blonde with Danger Bond gasped when she caught sight of him. “Payton?”

“Oh, for God’s sake... Faith! You never come to these.”

She was even more beautiful when she smiled. “I didn’t know you did,” she said, putting her plate down and giving him a really big hug. Jenna and Mindy raised their eyebrows at each other.

It lasted just a few seconds too long, that hug. It was so unlike Payton that Jenna barely noticed when Danger Bond joined them.

Faith stepped back. “This is Rick. My boyfriend. We’re in Boston because of him.”

Payton introduced himself. Jenna watched the two men shake hands. Evidently Faith was partial to good-looking guys with dark hair. Jenna sighed at her foolishness. It was an alumni New Year’s extravaganza. People were consuming great food and lots of alcohol. So they hugged. It didn’t mean anything. Even so, she moved right up against Payton’s side.

Payton put his arm around her. “Jenna, this is Faith Quentin. We were friends in college.” They shook hands, and Faith gave her a quick head-to-toe. It made Jenna feel superior when she didn’t check out Faith in return. No one but Mindy needed to know that she’d already scrutinized the woman.

Danger Bond held out his hand, too. “I went to school across the Charles River, but Faith lets me come here, anyway. Rick Sinclair.”

His smile was great close up, genuine but at odds with his steely jaw and piercing blue eyes. It occurred to her, as Payton finished the introductions with Mindy and Zane, that the college across the river from Boston U was MIT.

“So you stuck with journalism.” Payton smiled at Faith. Or maybe he’d been smiling all along.

“I did. I’m very lucky. Journalism has—wait. How did you know?”

“I—” Payton seemed startled. He recovered quickly, so no one noticed. Except Jenna. She saw the telltale tic that meant he was flustered. “I must’ve read something in the alumni magazine,” he said easily. “If I remember correctly, you won a National Magazine Award.”

Jenna blinked. Either he’d followed Faith’s career or he’d read his alumni magazine cover to cover, something Jenna could have sworn he didn’t do.

“Damn straight she did.” Rick pulled Faith in for a quick hug. “She’d only been working for Discover for a year and a half. The NM award is the magazine equivalent to the Pulitzer.”

Faith blushed and tossed her perfect blond hair behind her shoulder. “He’s only bragging because he was a major part of the series.”

“Really?” Zane, who’d lost no time filling his plate, rejoined the circle. “What was it about?”

Payton hadn’t gotten his dinner yet. He should have been starving. Jenna was about to point out that he was drinking on an empty stomach, but when Faith said, “Climate change and the formation of supercells,” Payton looked as if he’d never heard anything more fascinating.

When Payton asked her what part Rick had played, Jenna gave up. If he wanted to wake up to a hangover, that was his business.

Seemingly taking her fiancé’s curiosity in stride, Rick said, “I’m a meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory.”

Faith gave Rick a look. A couple’s look. “More like a professional storm chaser who also happens to hold several advanced degrees.”

That certainly got Jenna’s attention. “Storm chasing. Well, that sounds terrifying and dangerous.”

Rick shrugged. “It can be dangerous, but it’s also an incredible rush. I don’t think I caught what you do?”

“She’s a teacher,” Payton said. Another thing he rarely did. Speaking for her wasn’t really necessary. “Middle school English. At a very good school in Scituate.”

Jenna stared up at him. It was clear by his tone and the reference to South Shore, which was a good school but not like Thorndyke Road or Amigos, that he was trying to glam up her job. He wasn’t even the least bit convincing. But that he’d thought she needed glamorizing squeezed her heart. What was it with him tonight? Maybe he’d already had a second whiskey before he’d come back to join her.

Faith gave her a charming smile. Rick, however, looked at Payton for a bit before turning to her. “That’s where all the real action is,” he said. “What excites students in those formative years makes all the difference. I’ve wanted to study tornadoes since I was fourteen. Kids are so passionate at that age.”

“They are,” she said. “I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was thirteen.”

There was a pause then, just long enough for a change of subject. Mindy was being awfully quiet. It was Payton who broke the ice. “Oh, wow, I need to eat,” he said. With his hand on his stomach, he turned to Jenna. “Can I get you anything?”

She shook her head. At least that was more like the Payton she knew. Then he surprised her with a kiss. Not the usual peck, either. There was a little bit of tongue and everything, right there in front of everyone. She ended it quickly. “Thanks, Mr. Bond,” she said, hoping she’d hit the right teasing note.

Payton winked at her. “You’re welcome.” He faced the group again. “Okay, then,” he said. “Great seeing you again, Faith. Will you be in town for a while?”

“A couple of days.” Faith smiled at Rick, and then at Payton. “I’m sure we’ll run in to each other again soon. Nice to meet you all.”

The beautiful couple eventually blended into the crowd.

Once they were back to being a foursome, the men went to peruse the buffet table while Jenna sipped at her White Russian. She and Mindy were standing right next to the chocolate fountain, but she wasn’t hungry.

Mindy bumped her shoulder and whispered, “Danger Bond defended your honor.”

“What?” Jenna laughed. “No, he didn’t.”

“Okay, your profession. Still...it was nice.”

Jenna forced another laugh, grateful Mindy hadn’t mentioned Payton’s weird behavior. She did, however, give Jenna a couple of questioning looks, especially when Faith and Rick walked past them again. Jenna smiled as if nothing at all was wrong. She wasn’t jealous. Not really.

But she had to admit she was mystified by Payton’s behavior. He hadn’t mentioned they were engaged. He’d spent most of the brief encounter grinning at Faith. But maybe he’d just been caught off guard, seeing his old friend. Jenna could imagine herself fumbling if she’d run in to her college boyfriend, Martin, at a party. Of course that was a different thing entirely. She didn’t think anything had gone on between Payton and Faith. At least he’d never said as much. Anyway, Faith would be an idiot to roam when she had Rick. He’d been completely charming.

Payton claimed a recently vacated spot at a bar-height table. She would’ve preferred to sit somewhere, but it was nice to be able to put her drink down.

“Now that I’ve looked around,” Payton said, finishing off his whiskey, “I don’t think there’s a more beautiful Vesper Lynd in the whole hotel.”

She smiled, knowing he’d have said that even if she’d thrown a sweater over a workday dress. “I honestly thought there wouldn’t be so many Vespers.” The words were just out of her mouth, as yet another one walked by. “I suppose it makes sense, though. The movie was relatively recent.”

“None of them carry it off as well as you do.”

Another compliment? Interesting. Payton normally kept his praise private. But then, he’d never kissed her like that in public, either. There was no reason why he shouldn’t say those nice things in front of Zane and Mindy, and yet...

“And I’ve never seen your eyes look so alluring.”

Okay, that was really over-the-top. What the hell was going on with him? Did it have to do with Faith? Were these guilt compliments? Or drunk utterings? Like her, he wasn’t a big drinker.

One of the things she appreciated most about Payton was that he was predictable. It might not be an appealing trait for a lot of women, but for her it was. She loved him for his stability. For the fact that their future together would unfurl without a lot of bumps and tears. Still, three compliments in a row? “What did you and Zane talk about for so long when you went to the bar? Ways to woo a sure thing?”

All of them laughed and Payton’s shoulders relaxed as he said, “I haven’t seen George and Cora for a while. Did they say where they were headed?”

Mindy finally piped up. “They’re dancing downstairs. We’re going to meet them as soon as Zane’s finished eating. Want to join us?”

Payton shook his head. “It’s too loud and crowded down there. I’ll probably stick around here.”

Jenna’s chest tightened again, which was ridiculous. He and Faith, they’d been friends. If they’d been more than that, Payton would have told her. She’d been a Wellesley girl. Martin had been her boyfriend for two years. There had been a few others, as well. Payton knew about them. Just as she knew about Payton’s old girlfriends during his years before the two of them met. In all the time she and Payton had been together, jealousy had never been an issue. It had barely been a thought.

She checked her watch before she turned to Mindy. “It’s ten thirty now. How about you two text if you decide to leave early, or we can meet by the second-floor elevator in an hour before the countdown begins?”

“I think it’ll be easier to meet here,” Payton said. “We already know where it is and from what I’ve heard, the reunion committee is doing something special at midnight here in this suite.”

Mindy and Zane agreed before they left, but not before Mindy gave Jenna an odd smile.

“You know what, honey?” Jenna said, catching Payton’s gaze. “Maybe next year, let’s think about going somewhere different for First Night.”

The way Payton looked at her, she might as well have asked if he wanted to go on a crime spree with her.

“Sure,” he said unconvincingly. “Why not? We can talk about it. What say I try and slog my way over to the bar again? We’ve got plenty of time. As long as I’m back before midnight.”

His expression, as eager as a she’d ever seen it, was all wrong. And why hadn’t he asked her to go with him. She’d known him too long to be this surprised. As he made his way through the throng of New Year’s Eve revelers, her heart sank.

Had they been coming to this reunion party every year because of Faith?

2

RICK’S CELL PHONE VIBRATED. Stopped, and then did it again. Some oaf plowed into his back and the only thing that kept him on his feet was the mass of writhing, frenetic partygoers in a banquet room so packed it made him wish he and Faith had never come to the reunion. But she’d asked, and he’d just been talking to his friend Sam, who’d wanted Rick to check out the prototype apartment in Boston, so it was a no-brainer. He wondered now if Faith’s interest in attending the party had been a little more personal than she’d led him to believe. She sure had liked catching up with Payton. Anyway, it didn’t matter. He and Faith had been having a good time. And it was only going to get better.

He pulled out his phone as Faith rubbed against him on the dance floor. It was a work call, and he couldn’t afford not to take it. There was no use telling her, not with the music so loud, but he held the phone up until she noticed and nodded at him.

He was grateful for the call. He liked to dance, but the band was loud enough to wake the dead. It took a bit of maneuvering, but finally he found himself in an overcrowded hallway, where he spotted a sign pointing him toward the restrooms.

Once inside, it was quieter. Still, his ears rang despite the high-end plugs he took out and put in his pocket. Not the pocket that held tonight’s surprise. The other one. Then he pressed speed dial.

“Happy New Year, you bastard.” Even in the echoing bathroom with two hand driers running, his coworker’s Jamaican-tinged taunt came in loud and clear.

“Antwan, if you just called to harass me, I’m going to program your iPod to play nothing but ABBA.”

“You’re the devil incarnate,” Antwan said. “Here I am minding the weather of the world while you’re out dancing the night away. But being that I’m a nice guy, I’m still going to tell you that downtown Boston is looking tricky around two in the morning. Big snow dump, so you and Faith should hightail it to that fancy apartment right quick after she says yes.”

Rick reached inside his other pocket and pulled out the one-point-four-carat engagement ring he’d put there just before they’d left the apartment. “Thanks, man. Any other trouble spots?”

“Why do you care? You’re still going to ask her to marry you, yes?”

“Yep. Right after we finish the kiss. It won’t be like...you know.”

The last time he’d planned to propose, he’d hidden the ring in his jeans pocket. It had been her birthday. They’d gone up in a hot air balloon, which had seemed like a great idea at the time. The first ten minutes of their special flight? Fantastic. After that? A complete snooze. For both of them. The mood was irretrievably lost somewhere over the Oliver Wildlife Preserve a year ago November.

Of course, if he’d really wanted to ask her the big question nothing would have stopped him, as Antwan had been quick to point out. But then his friend thought he was being an idiot to propose. Antwan liked Faith well enough, but he said he couldn’t see the sparks. He was too damn romantic. A shared sense of humor, purpose and comfort would last long after the honeymoon was over.

“I’m sure nothing will stop you this time.”

Rick’s pulse quickened, which was just his excitement over finally doing the deed. “You got it. Anyway—”

“Hold your horses, Ricky. I’m not finished. Book your flight home for early Saturday morning. That’s the only break I see before Boston gets hit by a series of wicked storms. Potentially record-breaking snowfall.”

“Well, that’s annoying. I made dinner reservations for tomorrow night—”

“Which you might be able to keep, but I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Damn. So, tomorrow night’s a maybe, then we leave on Saturday...how early?”

“Before ten.”

“Well, thanks a bunch.”

“Yes, because I specifically created the polar vortex just to screw up your holiday.”

“I knew it,” Rick said.

Antwan laughed. “You’re proposing, and it’s New Year’s Eve. At least you’ll have a couple of nights. So make them count. Don’t you two be glued to The Weather Channel, eh?”

Okay, now Antwan was being plain annoying. Rick and Faith had been living together for over three years and they always watched The Weather Channel before bed. Just one of the many things they had in common. She completely understood about his work and didn’t even blink when he would hare off with his storm-chaser team at the first hint of a supercell. Hell, most of the time, she’d head out, too. Not as part of his team, but to do her own reporting thing.

She’d come to live in Norman to be near the National Weather Center. They’d met when she’d interviewed him, and he’d known right away that the two of them would be good together.

“Anyway,” Antwan said, a grin clear in his voice, “what are you doing talking to me in some toilet when you could be with your fiancée?

“She’s not my fiancée yet. And how did you know I was in the bathroom?”

“Nothing says class like a flush in the background, my friend. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Yeah. Thanks, buddy. Happy New Year.”

After disconnecting, Rick looked at the diamond again. It was all clean lines and flawless beauty, just like Faith. She didn’t really wear a lot of jewelry. Not that he’d seen. Which made sense. She was working out in their home gym every day that she wasn’t on assignment, or swimming at the rec center. And when they went climbing or scuba diving, jewelry wasn’t a good idea. But she’d wear an engagement ring. Probably.

He’d noticed one on Jenna’s finger. He wondered why good old Payton hadn’t mentioned she was his fiancée. The thought was cut short when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He spun around, dislodging the hand and ready to flatten the moron who’d touched him—until he got a whiff of the moron’s breath.

“Don’t do it,” the drunk said, his voice moist and sloppy. He looked to be in his fifties or sixties and was listing to his right. “Just live with her. ’N’ don’t have kids. They’ll drain you dry. Happy New Year.”

The man entered one of the stalls as Rick slipped the ring in his pocket. He hadn’t actually thought about marrying Faith, not until a couple of guys he worked with had started having kids. They were around his age and while he harassed them a lot, both of them seemed happier. From there the seed had been planted.

Besides, with Faith in his life, a future with kids didn’t sound so bad. She was an adventure junkie like him. They both had a major interest in atmospheric studies. And she was just the kind of woman he needed. Independent. Driven. Career-minded. Gorgeous. He’d never met a woman as easy to get along with. So yeah, even though Faith didn’t want kids now, she’d probably change her mind down the road. He wasn’t ready for them now, either. But he’d turned the first corner in his thinking. Sure, things would change. But they’d always looked forward to challenges.

Proposing to Faith was the logical next step. He wouldn’t say that last part to her, though. She’d just laugh and tell him his entire life was illogical. And he’d have agreed.

As he washed his hands, he thought again about that guy Faith had hugged. It was full-body contact. If he hadn’t seen it, he wouldn’t have believed it. She was most definitely not the huggy type. When she was forced into one, she’d bear it and come away with her very convincing fake smile, but she’d never initiated more than a guy hug—one shoulder to another, a quick pat on the back—when there was a choice.

Maybe she’d felt obligated to plaster herself against him? Some old debt she had to pay? No. She’d been smiling as if she’d just spotted a rare left-moving supercell.

What the hell was he worried about? Faith wasn’t interested in anything besides her work and, well, him. And Payton wasn’t as good-looking. Rick turned to check himself out in the mirror over the sink just to make sure. Damn it, he couldn’t tell. He looked more like a villain than Bond. Faith liked to call him dangerously sexy. Seriously, though, who named a guy Payton? Jesus. Still, weird name or not, he’d managed to get himself a hot fiancée.

The paper towels left something to be desired, but finally Rick couldn’t put it off any longer. He reinserted his earplugs and went back to find Faith. They only had twenty minutes until midnight.

* * *

JENNA WAS ONCE again by herself. Payton had gone off with a fraternity brother to grab a final drink, and she had no expectations of seeing him until just before midnight.

If Jenna had had it her way, she and Payton would have left with Mindy and Zane. They’d very rationally decided to go home so they wouldn’t be caught up in the mess of drunken crazy people trying to get on the train for the suburbs.

Instead, Jenna had walked too far in heels that were too high, and somehow managed to end up right in front of the dessert table again. She’d never fit in her wedding dress if she kept this up.

Oh, screw it.

She chose a chocolate-stacked, delicious-looking thing. For God’s sake, it had a brownie bottom, a cheesecake center and chocolate-mousse top. It would take a stronger woman than herself to walk away.

She’d just taken her second bite when Danger Bond entered the room. His gaze swept directly over to where she was standing. Of course.

Faith joined him seconds later and Jenna spun around. Now she was facing a blank wall. Nothing suspicious there.

Good grief, why had Payton left her here? Why hadn’t they gone home already? She was tired and cranky. And she needed to put down her plate. Walk away from temptation. There was still coffee left, decaf even. But, naturally, there was no convenient tray nearby. The closest was by Faith and Rick, and since she wasn’t going anywhere near them, Jenna walked all the way across the suite, where she found a big tray next to a pretty decent unpopulated corner.

All was well until she looked over at her favorite couple...

But they weren’t where she’d last seen them. Instead, they were right in front of her. Well, not directly, but close enough to prevent a casual escape.

A deep cleansing breath made it possible to scan the room for Payton, but she couldn’t seem to cut off her thoughts about Rick. Or Faith, if she was honest. She wasn’t wearing an engagement ring. She’d called Rick her boyfriend. Those came and went, as she well knew, but surely Rick was a keeper. A beautiful woman like Faith could have anyone she wanted. A hunky storm chaser was far more in her league than an accountant.

Damn. Jenna was worried about Faith, but that was idiotic because Payton would never leave her. The two of them had their whole future planned out. They already had names picked out for their first child.

What was wrong with her? It had to be the alcohol. She’d had two White Russians, and Payton was bringing her a third. Even in college she was always on the hunt for caffeine, not booze. At least they were taking a train back home, but by the time they reached their stop, one of them had to be sober to drive Payton’s car to their place.

Faith was on the move, and Jenna watched her until she left the suite. Then Rick headed for the buffet so Jenna was free to move out of the corner. When her gaze caught on a clock near the door, she stopped in her tracks. Payton had been gone more than a while. Maybe drinking on an empty stomach had caught up with him? How awful to feel sick when this place was packed to the rafters. She hoped he was okay. And wasn’t still at the bar.

That thought made her queasy... Double damn it, because her first thought had been that Faith might be going to the bar and the two of them would run into each other. This night needed to end already. She didn’t give one damn about New Year’s. Or First Night. Next year, she wasn’t coming close to this hotel. Maybe she’d stay home and watch a movie and eat popcorn. Yeah, that sounded great.

She kept her eye on the door for the next five minutes, but the only thing of interest was Rick leaving the suite. Two more minutes of pacing, and then she was really worried. She called Payton’s cell phone. Again. And again, but it went straight to voice mail.

She’d have to go find him. The suite was packed but she made it out the door quickly. And then she saw Rick. Alone. Staring down the hallway with a rapt expression.

Jenna followed his gaze. The hallway was busy with people, so at first, she only had a terrible feeling about what had made him stop in his tracks, but then she got the confirmation. A space in the crowd had opened up. As if to frame the last thing on earth she wanted to see. Payton and Faith were hugging so tightly Jenna forgot how to breathe.

But it got worse. Jesus, how could it get so much worse?

When they parted, it was only to take a half step back. Just enough room for Jenna to notice that Payton looked...happy. A different kind of happy. Nothing she’d seen in all their years together.

So happy he’d forgotten her.

“What the...?” She jumped and found Rick was inches away from her. He glanced at her, and then his gaze went back to the couple down the hall. He looked stunned.

“They’re just friends,” she said to him. “He said that several times. Friends.”

He seemed surprised to see himself next to her, but he was quick to go back to watching Faith and Payton. “That’s what she told me, too.”

Payton continued to beam, even as he put their drinks on the closest surface, which happened to be a railing too narrow to properly hold the glasses, but he obviously didn’t give a shit about the drinks or her because he was talking a mile a minute, making another woman laugh, making her put her hand—both hands—over her heart. He spoke extravagantly, with lots of arm waving, although none of it in Jenna’s direction.

She’d known him five years, and not at all.

“Who the hell does he think he is?”

Rather than watch the train wreck down the hall she turned to Rick. He looked ready to pound Payton into a puddle, and she thought that was a fine idea.

“For one thing, he’s my fiancé.”

He turned to her, and took a moment. “Look, I don’t want to cause a scene or anything, but I swear to God if he touches her again...”

“I know. I mean, I don’t know. I’ve never seen him like this. Normally, he’s...nice. He hasn’t spared me a glance since your...girlfriend tried to absorb him into her skin.”

Rick shook his head. “You saw that, too, huh?” He sighed, loudly. “I have a goddamn ring in my pocket. I feel like the world’s biggest idiot.”

As tight as her stomach was, the implication of what he’d just said made it tighter. “We need to do something. Now. There are only a couple of minutes left.”

“Do something? Like knock his block off?”

She shrugged. “It’s too crowded to take a swing up here. You could hit anyone.”

“My aim’s really good.”

“Umm, has she ever done this before?” Jenna asked.

“Hell, no. Goddamn it, she’d been so casual asking to come to this reunion. Like it was no big deal.”

“I know. I mean, maybe they discovered they’re long lost...siblings?”

Rick gave her a look that made her last hope vanish. “You ever touched your brother like that?” He was practically growling in a very Danger Bond way. It was sexy as hell.

Oh, God.

Something had to be wrong with her brain. Had she really just gotten weak-kneed over the man who wanted to beat up her fiancé? Alcohol was the only answer, even though she felt as sober as a...sober person. “I don’t know. Maybe you could hit him one time. One time wouldn’t be too much.”

Rick retrieved something from his pocket, and for a moment Jenna was afraid it would be a gun or a knife. It wasn’t either, although she had the feeling he would have been handy with both. It turned out to be the ring, of course, and it was stunning. “It’s beautiful,” she said.

“I thought so. I thought she’d think so, too. But then she met... Is he famous or something? Faith never said what he did for a living.”

She sighed. “He’s an accountant.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I can’t seem to turn away. They just keep doing...” She moved her hand in a vague gesture.

Rick wasn’t looking at her, though. He was tall enough to see over people’s heads. “Shit. She’s a well-respected journalist. She’s won awards. She specializes in covering natural disasters.”

“Like the one we’re having now?” Jenna asked. The shock was wearing off a bit. More precisely, the shock was being shoved aside by a hurt that might be fatal.

“Yeah, except there’s nothing natural about it,” he said, as he put the ring back in his pocket. “Great way to bring in the New Year, huh?”

“I’m trying to think of one thing he could say right now that would fix this.” If only they’d left with Mindy and Zane...

“Hey...” Rick put his hand on her arm. “You okay? You’re looking awfully pale.”

“I’m fine, thanks,” she said, trying to breathe. “And by that I mean I’m not fine in any way. Although I doubt I’m going to faint.”

“Ten...”

The number filled the air, so loud it hushed the huge crowd.

“Nine...”

“Shit,” Rick said again. He took a step closer to Jenna. “If they—”

“Eight...”

“—even try to come back at the last second.” He faced Jenna. “She hasn’t even looked down this corridor. Not one look.”

“Five, four...”

People shifted, the crowd seemed to part, giving her another clear shot of the happy couple for a few seconds. If Payton glanced to his right, he would see her standing next to Rick. But he only had eyes for Faith.

“For fuck’s sake,” Rick said. “All they’d needed to do was walk around a corner. We’d have never known why they’d missed the countdown.”

“Maybe they planned...” They weren’t kissing, but they might as well be.

On the count of three, Rick looked at Jenna again, and she’d never felt so much empathy for another person.

Trying as hard as she could not to cry, she moved right into Rick’s personal space but she couldn’t look away.

“One! Happy New Year!”

Payton leaned closer to Faith. So close there was only one thing it could lead to. One second after Payton’s lips touched Faith’s, Rick put his hand on the back of Jenna’s neck and pulled her into their own midnight kiss.

The moment his mouth touched hers...fireworks.

3

RICK PULLED JENNA closer and kissed her again. He thrust into her mouth as the cacophony around them spurred him on. Even through his tux he could feel her fingers digging into him, her lips and tongue as fierce as weapons, the anger and the heat between them more dangerous by the second.

He hoped they were watching. That prick Payton needed to see what he’d lost. Never in his life had Rick experienced anything like this. In the back of his mind a voice whispered that none of it was real. Soon he would wake up, and the betrayal would have been a nightmare.

Jenna nipped his lower lip and broke that spell. It was real, all right. Revenge built on humiliation and pain, and he didn’t give one damn.

He inhaled sharply as Jenna pressed against him, against his hardening cock. Good. Great. He pulsed back, but when his balls started to tighten, he pulled away. Not far. He had her by the shoulders and she looked...well, she looked beautiful, but wrecked.

Tears had smudged her makeup, and there was a very small nick in her lower lip. Even though her pupils were blown, he could see the desperation in them. Wanting, he knew, to turn back time. Trying to make some sense of this bizarre twist.

“You want to get out of here?”

She nodded immediately. “Anywhere else.”

When he looked down the packed hallway, the lovebirds had finally stopped kissing and remembered who they’d come with. Payton looked stricken, which was a pity because Rick would’ve liked to have struck him first. Faith looked flat-out guilty.

Whether they’d actually spotted them, Rick couldn’t be sure. But when the two of them began squeezing past people, pushing through the crowd, Rick took Jenna’s hand and he bullied their way to the stairwell.

As the door shut behind them, he paused a moment. “I don’t know if you saw, but they were headed toward us.”

Her phone rang, and she pulled it out of her tiny purse. She shook her head and the sad smile she wore when she turned it off got to him. He much preferred the smile he’d seen at the buffet, when the world had still turned on the right axis. He doubted he’d see that anytime soon.

His phone rang, too. Like Jenna, he turned it off. Just for now? Maybe. He wasn’t in a position to walk away from Faith. Their lives were connected. And as far as he knew, they’d only kissed. That pissed him off all over again.

“Come on, then,” he said. They started down the steps. It wasn’t the quickest getaway ever because a lot of other folks had had the same idea, but they weren’t stalled often. Amazingly, when they made it to the coat check, the line moved along nicely.

Not quickly enough to distract Jenna from her thoughts, though. Her shoulders rose as if they could hide her. If he had a say, he’d keep her so busy for the next couple of hours that she wouldn’t have time to look like that again. “You’re from Boston. Where to?”

She blinked at him, coming out of her hurt, looking surprised to find him holding up her wool coat. “I don’t know,” she said, slipping her arms into the sleeves. “I rarely come downtown or to the harbor.”

“That’s okay.” He hastily shrugged into his coat. “I know where there’s a party.”

Her hands shook as she slid on her gloves. He pulled on his own, and then took her hand. They hurried through the swarm of revelers, some still wearing the silly paper hats the hotel had provided. He wondered how many other hearts had been broken at the stroke of midnight.

The second they were out in the cold, Rick pulled her closer. It was freezing, and there was a huge line of people waiting for taxis, so the train it was. Luckily, it was just across the street.

Inside the terminal the mood was festive despite the terrible smell of overindulgence, but Jenna started shrinking again.

“All right,” he said. “I’m whipping out a cliché, but only because when you mentioned you were a teacher, you lit up. What’s your favorite book?”

The question appeared to win over her despair, and she surprised him with the smile he’d figured was a lost cause. “I do light up, don’t I?” she said. “I know it’s not glamorous, but I love turning the kids on to the magic of books. I honestly believe that being a reader changes lives for the better.”

Oh, yeah. This was more like it. “I agree. But you’re not getting out of answering my question.”

“I get asked that a lot, but I never know what to say. I don’t have a favorite. I learned how to read when I was four. My favorite back then was an alphabet book.”

“How about when you were...fifteen. When the hormones kicked in.”

Their train pulled up, and they scurried into the car, not even minding that they had to stand. “Let’s see if I can remember. Um—” she lowered her lashes for a moment and he fought the urge to wipe away the traces of her tears “—okay, it was All-American Girl by Meg Cabot.”

“Mine, too.”

She laughed.

He wanted to kiss her. And punch Payton into next week.

The moment they’d reached Copley Square, something changed. The light that had sparkled in her seconds ago had dimmed. Rick led her to a shadowed corner. He stared into her sad, confused eyes as he shoved his gloves into his coat pocket. “I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said and used his thumb to wipe the damp tracks from her cheeks.

She sniffed, but she didn’t make a move. “It wasn’t you. God, every time I think of how he—” A shudder shook her body. “I’ve already picked out my wedding dress.”

“I have no idea what he was thinking. Anyone who could cheat on you is an idiot.”

Jenna tried to smile. “If you were in my class you’d get an A for effort.”

“Nah, I would’ve already flunked out.” Rick grinned at her raised brows. “Too hot for teacher.”

“Faith is the idiot,” Jenna said with a soft laugh, and leaned closer.

Or maybe they both did. He wasn’t going to kiss her, even though he wanted to. But he wouldn’t object at all if she kissed him.

She brushed her lips across his and whispered, “Thank you.”

He caught her elbows and pulled her even closer. She came willingly, her lips parted, her warm breath an invitation he couldn’t refuse.

Everything else dimmed. The noise, the lights, the crowd. They were back to that space, that separate reality. From strangers to this in a single hour.

“Son of a bitch.”

The man’s voice was low and angry. “That’s my spot you’re using. Don’t you be messing up my spot with your nasty business.”

Although he was big and held a large black case that would make an impressive weapon, he looked pissed off, not scary. “Sorry, man,” Rick said. “Wouldn’t dream of trespassing.”

With his arm around Jenna, he walked them out to the edge of the flow of traffic. It must have been the right spot because the busker was pulling a sax from the case, which he left open for tips.

Jenna was frowning into her purse just as Rick pulled out his wallet. “Everything okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “Tiny purses don’t hold much, especially cash on New Year’s Eve.

“I’ve got it covered.”

The music began, jazz, just loud enough and easy, that even the really drunk wouldn’t have a problem with it. He left Jenna’s side for a moment to drop a twenty into the case. When the busker paused, Rick said, “If you can play something to dance to, that’ll double.”

There was no way to tell if the saxophone player would go for it. But the moment Rick reached Jenna, the music segued perfectly into an old Gershwin song, “Embraceable You,” which was one of the best slow-dancing songs ever.

Rick pulled Jenna close, already moving his feet to the music.

“What are you doing?”

“Dancing. In the subway. On New Year’s Day.”

“No, wait,” Jenna said, her words riding a laugh. “I’m a terrible dancer.”

“Nope. Sorry. That excuse is for other nights, other subway stations.”

“That’s fine, but I’d have to be a lot drunker than I am now. So let’s just stop and listen to the nice man’s saxophone.”

Rick moved them into a shadow as other people stopped to listen. It was mostly an older crowd, but that was cool. No one was watching them, though, as he reached inside his coat pocket and brought out two miniature bottles of vodka. He snuck them into her peripheral vision and she barked out such a big laugh people did look. But Rick didn’t care. “Drink up,” he said.

“Seriously?”

He nodded. “I really want to dance with you.”

“But we’re—” Jenna looked around as if there were plainclothes cops on the lookout for tiny booze.

“You know what? It’s fine.” He smiled. “We can just go upstairs—”

She plucked one of the bottles from his hand seconds before it would have disappeared in his pocket. Grinning like crazy, she took off her gloves, opened the bottle, lifted it in a silent salute and chugged that sucker down like a pro.

Then she coughed for almost a minute.

By the time she lifted her arms in the traditional slowdance posture, the song had ended. He decided he liked the new one just as much, even though he didn’t recognize it.

They stayed low-key. There were no grand sweeping moves as they danced close, away from the people rushing by. Considering where they were and how many people surrounded them, he was startled that he could smell her. The ultrafeminine scent didn’t surprise him in the least. It completely suited a woman like her. It was a weird thought that meant he might be drunker than he imagined.

The sounds of the trains made it hard to hear all the notes, but the crowd got bigger, and then some other folks started dancing.

He pointed it out to Jenna, and she just beamed. “I love this,” she said, shouting to be heard.

“Me, too.”

While it wasn’t exactly a flash mob, the dancers and the audience were making it difficult to pass through, which brought a cop around to break it up. Rick and Jenna exchanged smiles. She had beautiful shining eyes when she wasn’t crying. No matter what happened next, or even tomorrow, Rick wanted to remember her exactly like this.

* * *

JENNA WALKED INTO the gorgeous Mandarin Oriental hotel, glad to have Rick’s arm around her. It felt different, of course. She’d gotten used to Payton, and how they fit together. This was...unsettling. Because she felt comfortable. As if the difference suited her. Probably because she was tipsy. And pissed. And hurt down to her bones.

But that didn’t explain how she’d felt when he’d kissed her. It was... No. She didn’t want to think too much about it. Or the dancing, which had been like a scene from a romantic comedy.

Someone else’s romance.

But it was the kissing that made her head spin. The last time she’d kissed anyone but Payton was almost five years ago.

No. She stopped herself again. Put on the brakes. Thinking was simply out of the question. It would only bring more tears, which hadn’t helped thus far. And wouldn’t be fair to Rick. He was being a sweetheart while still managing to look like Danger Bond.

His concern for her wasn’t just because he was a nice guy. Clearly, taking care of her helped him avoid thinking about Faith and that diamond ring in his pocket. Not that she didn’t appreciate his kindness, but they were both running as fast as they could to outpace the midnight that had come and gone.

“Isn’t it late for a party?” she asked, glancing around the stunning lobby, tastefully decorated with white lights, red and white poinsettias and a Christmas tree that had to be fifteen feet tall. “Won’t it be over?”

“Nope. They’ll keep refreshing the buffet all night, until around five in the morning, when they’ll bring out breakfast.”

“I like this hotel,” she said, trying for a more cheery disposition. “If breakfast includes waffles, I’m not leaving.”

Rick led her straight to the elevator and two things popped into her head. Despite the unusual circumstance, he was still a stranger. And here she was blithely following his lead...to his room, for all she knew.

They stepped into a waiting car and as the door slid closed she asked, “Are you staying here?”

Rick smiled. “Nope. There really is a party.”

“Oh, good.” She stared at the flashing red numbers as they passed each floor. “Are we crashing it?”

“Is that a problem?” he asked, humor in his eyes.

Any other night? Yes. Tonight? Jenna shook her head. “None whatsoever.”

With a wicked grin he leaned over, and she held her breath, certain he was about to kiss her. But the elevator stopped and as the door opened he straightened, leaving her breathless and disappointed. Why? It wasn’t like her. Everything from midnight on wasn’t her.

Sure, Rick was attractive. The second she and Mindy had seen him they’d both reverted to dreamy-eyed teens.

Thinking back to those lascivious jokes about Rick had her blushing as they walked toward the banquet room. Of course neither she nor her silliness had caused the night’s events to unfold but how weird was it that things had ended up like this? “You okay?” he asked, and there was his arm again, around her shoulders, steadying her.

She nodded, finally accepting that nothing would feel like her regular life in the foreseeable future. It would either be too wonderful to be real, or a punch to the gut when she thought about Payton.

She wished she could be more like Rick. He was hurting, too, only he didn’t appear to be dwelling on it.

He seemed to know exactly where the party was so maybe they weren’t crashers at all. Alone for a minute while he checked their coats, her gaze swept the room as she hoped to see a banner or anything that would tell her who was hosting the party. And there it was, a banner made of rectangles, most of them dark gray, and the lowercase i in cardinal red.

Rick’s alma mater. The suite was much larger than the Boston U room. And way more extravagant. The buffet was still stocked over an hour past midnight, and there were three bar stations, all staffed, none of them with horrible lines.

“Drink?” Rick asked. “Food?”

“Drink first,” she said. “I need to be a little fuzzier than I am right now.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Everything feels off for me, too. Like when you’re in a car accident. Or a tornado.”

“Yes.” she said, sighing, though the tornado reference did make her smile a little. “Of course you get it...you should have been engaged right now, and I’ve hardly been there for you.”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about me. Maybe I’ll be loaded with regret tomorrow, but tonight I’m thinking I dodged a bullet.”

“Really?” How could that be possible? A man didn’t bring an engagement ring to a party without caring about the outcome. Or maybe men did. What did she know? She’d thought she’d never have to worry about Payton’s commitment to her. Then again, she wasn’t exactly a beacon of purity in this debacle. Kissing Rick the first time was forgivable, but all the kissing since? Wanting him to kiss her? If there could be any reconciliation at the end of this...thing, she’d have to own up to her own behavior, although she never would have been with Rick at all if Payton hadn’t—

She forced herself to breathe, to blink away any tears. “Still,” she said, “I’m very sorry. I hope there aren’t too many regrets.”

“I don’t think it’ll be too bad, although I’ve got a hell of a lot of questions.”

She nodded as she realized they were already in line for drinks but she had no recollection of walking there. “Payton isn’t... He’s this steady man. He’s always where he’s supposed to be. Doesn’t drink, except on special occasions, doesn’t gamble, doesn’t get high. He’s a goddamn rock. Reliable in every way. Always where... Oh, I said that already. But honestly, he’s the one I’d call if something like tonight happened to me.”

Rick studied her for a long moment. “I’m not like him. Not that you couldn’t call me to help out in a jam. But when I’m not working I’m most definitely not a rock. In fact, I climb them. I chase tornadoes and skydive, too. On the plus side, I try to be where I’m expected, I’m not much of a drinker, with the obvious exception of New Year’s Eve. And you should probably know that punching Payton is still really high on my bucket list.”

Jenna knew he was kidding, but if the circumstances called for a punch, she had no doubt he could pull it off, which was not just cool, but sexy as hell.

Yet another reminder that this was not her life.

4

IN BETWEEN SPOTTING Rick at the BU party and actually meeting him, Jenna’s imagination had gone wild. Now that she’d spent time with him, it was clear she hadn’t given him enough credit. He most definitely was a steely-eyed badass. But he’d also made her laugh, made her smile. Been there for her.

“Forget him,” she said. “Forget Faith. What are we drinking?”

“Usually, I’m good for a beer or two, but tonight, I’m a Scotch man. And you?”

“White Russian. Heavy on the white. I’m a lightweight and I always go for the girlie drinks.”

“I know plenty of guys who drink White Russians.”

“Liar.”

“Fine. I don’t know them personally. But I’m sure I’m right.”

She smiled. Again. A small miracle. “Why do I get the impression you say that a lot?”

“What, that I’m right?”

She nodded. “My guess is that you are. A lot.”

“What makes you say that?” Rick was studying her again. It should have been intrusive and uncomfortable. It wasn’t. “Except for the train wreck at midnight and the alarmingly amazing kissing, you don’t know much about me.”

“Uh, several advanced degrees?” she said. “That was a pretty big hint.”

“I don’t know that the two correlate, but I do have a habit of saying I’m right. How’s that for obnoxious?”

“Oh, please. You’re hot, brilliant and nice. Wait.” The line moved. She didn’t. “Are we talking about the same kiss?”

“What? I think I’m insulted.”

“Oh, okay. Never mind. That kiss. Of course.”

“If you need a refresher...”

What Jenna needed was that damn drink. Alarmingly amazing? Yes, that was a rather good description. She hurried a couple of feet to close the gap between her and the man in front of her. That was when she saw it was a cash bar and quickly felt around inside her purse for money.

When it was their turn she paid for the drinks. Rick let her easily, which she appreciated. Although what did it matter if he appeared to be nearly perfect? Yes, he had gorgeous blue eyes that threatened her undoing every time he looked at her, and the way he kissed made her forget her whole world had collapsed. And yes, he was being as nice and supportive as she could have hoped for, but...

“You know what?” she said. “You’re right.” She followed him to a small unoccupied table, where they sat across from each other. There were still people on the dance floor, despite having no band. She liked the piped-in music better than what she’d heard at the Bond thing. This was more her speed. Old-fashioned dance music. Like in the subway.

“What am I right about this time?” he asked.

“Oh.” She’d forgotten why she’d been thinking. “No, no, you’re right. It would have been the easiest thing for them to make sure we couldn’t see them. But they were standing in the hallway right outside of the BU suite. As if they were so lost in each other that, that...” After taking a couple of big gulps, she put her drink down. “I would never.”

“No,” he said. “You wouldn’t.” He sipped his Scotch, watched the dancers for a moment and then looked at her again. “Although, you do have a point. It’s possible that they just lost their heads for a few minutes. That they’d had too much to drink, and things got out of hand.”

“Is that normal for Faith?” Jenna said. “Does she just lose her head for a few minutes and kiss other men?”

“Not that I’ve ever seen.”

She sighed. “Payton doesn’t, either. Except he did, and from the way he looked at her, he didn’t think of me at all. There was no other exit from that hotel suite. The first thing I saw was you, staring down the hallway. It was crowded, but it didn’t take more than a couple of seconds for me to catch on.” She winced at the memory. Her stomach did that twisted thing that made her feel like crawling in a hole and never coming out again. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to let it go, but... I had a trickster father and I don’t want anything like that in my life.”

“Trickster?”

“He’s chock-full of mischief, my dad. He’s always been a salesman, the kind that requires a lot of travel, but his real love was inventing things that were supposed to make gazillions of dollars. They never did. He knew how to charm the ladies, though. Lots of them. Including my mother. The only thing he couldn’t do was take care of his responsibilities. My mom ended up having to work two jobs, sometimes three. She was exhausted all the time. I learned how to take care of myself. Which isn’t a bad thing in itself. But...” She shrugged.

“Ah. That kind of trickster.”

“I know, I’m a walking cliché, choosing Payton, who’s the exact opposite of my father. But I don’t care. I hated that my dad was gone so much. And that the only time I felt as if we were a family was when he came home. But that wasn’t very often. The only time I felt really...”

She inhaled deeply, then decided to just tell the unvarnished truth. It wasn’t as if she’d ever run in to Rick again. “The only time I felt really loved was when he was home. When we were all together.”

“What about your mother?”

“She was a good mom, in her own way. She did the best she could. If she minded that he was away a lot, I never heard her complain. When he was home he was the center of her universe. I love my mom. I really do. But she just let him keep his head in the clouds, when he had a family to support.”

Rick sipped on his drink, and Jenna felt foolish for that last outburst. She watched the couples on the dance floor, all around their age and older. It was nice, and she was able to calm down a bit.

“Do they live in Boston?” he asked, and her gaze went back to him. His blue eyes made her forget the question for a minute.

“Not anymore. They moved to Santa Fe four years ago. No, five. He still spends half his time on the road and she keeps accepting his crumbs. I know I shouldn’t say any of this.”

“Why not? I’m the ideal audience. The quintessential perfect stranger. In a blink I’ll be gone.”

“True.”

“So, what’s it like now, with them?”

She shrugged. Drank some more of her very strong White Russian. “It’s okay. We’re not close.” Tears welled again. She blinked them back and then wiped away the one that had escaped. “Would you feel up to telling me about you and Faith?”

He did the staring thing again. She’d love to know what he saw, but she wouldn’t ask. Finally, he nodded. “You know how we met? She was a freelance writer who specialized in the earth’s atmosphere and climate change. I’d been in my job for a couple of years. After she interviewed me, we became friends. We went to the same gym, and we were both into mountain climbing, bikes, running. Sex was great, and we didn’t get on each other’s nerves. So she moved in with me.

“She knew I’d be working a lot, that I’m a storm chaser, and that all my friends were also into atmospheric studies. She went wherever the headlines took her so she was gone a lot herself. Every time we connected we were good together. There weren’t any issues. We never actually talked about our relationship.”

“What changed?”

“Hmm?”

“Something big must have changed for you to want to get married.”

“You’d think. But I just figured we’d been together long enough and—” He shrugged. “Kids. The idea of having them. I want that. Not yet, though.”

“So, you were putting down a deposit?”

He inhaled, and she wanted to take the words back.

“I’m so sorry,” Jenna said. “Ignore that, please. I probably shouldn’t have asked about her. Clearly, I’m no good for anything right now. Which is terrible, because you’ve been wonderful.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re dead-on. That’s exactly what I was doing. But now I want to put some thought into what comes next. Faith and I get along. Always have. And yeah, I’ll admit, with our chaotic lives, our relationship has been convenient.”

He sighed and stared at the dancers. A song Jenna liked started, and for a few moments, neither she nor Rick said anything. His expression changed, though, from pensive to something darker.

“This wasn’t the first time I tried to propose to Faith,” he said. “Clearly I didn’t try very hard. Hot-air balloons aren’t great for proposals. But then, I thought New Year’s Eve was a good idea.” He shrugged. Took a drink.

Jenna’s throat tightened as she stared at the small diamond ring on her left hand. She and Payton were nothing like Rick and Faith. Well, they were convenient, she supposed. He didn’t live in California or work the night shift. But they had talked about their relationship. Each step had been carefully thought out. She’d been the one to decide that they wouldn’t live together until they were married, but Payton had supported her fully. She loved him. He’d been exactly the kind of man she’d always wanted.

Though right now she had no idea what she wanted.

“That first kiss,” Rick said, his smile so nice, she let go of the breath she’d been holding. “I mean us. That was unexpected.”

“It was,” she agreed. “Completely. To be honest, you literally took my breath away.”

He was back to looking pensive. It was a damn good look on him. She imagined half the women in the room were undressing him in their thoughts.

But she worried she’d said the wrong thing. “Do you suppose payback somehow makes kissing more thrilling?”

“Thrilling, huh?” He didn’t actually puff up like a sage grouse in heat, but his faint smile did look awfully smug. “Probably. Yeah. You think if I kissed you right now, it would be payback again?”

She finished her White Russian, feeling that buzz she’d been chasing. “Yeah. I think payback’s going to be a big part of everything for a while.”

“I’ve got no problem with that.”

Jenna laughed, grateful she’d already swallowed. “You know what? I don’t, either.”

“Then we better get some food.”

“I’m sorry, what? You’re hungry? Now?”

“Not especially,” he said. “But you just polished off a lot of booze. Have you had anything else to eat besides chocolate?”

How did he know about that? Had he been watching her earlier? God, she hoped not. She picked up her drink, remembering too late that she’d finished it. “You’re probably right about eating,” she said, gently putting the empty glass down. “Because I’m a little drunk.”

He helped her up and they went to scope out their second buffet of the night. It was a very good buffet, especially when they zeroed in on the amazingly fresh crab and lobster. Just as Jenna was heading around the table to the oysters, an inebriated man in a beautiful suit stopped right in front of her, although he was looking over her shoulder.

“Rick? Is that you?”

“Hey, Paul. How you doing?”

Obviously, Rick wasn’t especially happy to see Paul. The man was nice-looking, if you were into three-piece suits with just a hint of pocket square showing.

“Great,” Paul said, his voice oily with booze and self-pity. “Just great. My wife left me last week. I thought it would be a good idea to come here instead of sitting home alone. Stupid. All I can think about is her and Dennis.”

“I’m sorry to hear it, Paul.” Rick slipped his arm around her so smoothly, she would have bet money that Paul hadn’t even noticed. “Maybe this is just a separation—”

“Maybe nothing. She wants out. All she cares about now is my money and her dermatologist.”

“Man, that sucks.” Rick put a hand on Paul’s shoulder. Steadied him a bit, and took him a few steps away from the food. “You have a place to stay tonight?”

“Got a room. Don’t want to go until I know I’ll crash until tomorrow. Why I came. Being alone is what sucks. The quiet. The...everything.”

“I think you’re gonna sleep just fine if you go up soon,” Rick said. “Real soon. Okay?”

Paul nodded, but not at Rick. There was an older man heading for them. He appeared to be someone connected to the group, or the hotel, she wasn’t sure which. But when he arrived, he smiled at Rick and then took over watcher’s duty. “Real soon, it is,” Paul mumbled.

“You think he’ll be all right?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “He knows a lot of people here, and he’s a big donor. They’re not gonna let him get into too much trouble.”

“Does that mean you know a lot of people here, too?”

“Not necessarily. I’m trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. You about ready to go sit down?”

She put several oysters on her plate and nodded.

Rick shook his head and put some on his, as well.

They found another table. They were both drinking water and the food was delicious. Jenna liked that he wasn’t hesitant to make yummy noises. It said a lot about him. He was comfortable in his own skin. She’d seen that all night, and she admired it a great deal.

Even though there wasn’t a bite of chocolate on her plate, she enjoyed every last bit of her food. After quickly washing up in the ladies’ room, she waited for Rick, who took her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

She didn’t know the song. Or care. They didn’t even dance, not for real. They just swayed back and forth, hardly moving their feet. She let her head rest on his shoulder. No, his chest. Rick was taller than Payton, and God, he smelled good.

“Payton loved me more,” she said.

He stopped swaying. “What?”

She pulled back, far enough to look at him. “I always thought he loved me more. I wanted it that way. I never told anyone. But I wanted to have the upper hand.”

“Because of your parents’ relationship?”

“Yes,” she said, surprised he’d made the connection so quickly. Obvious as the correlation seemed, it had taken her a while. She went back to swaying, and smelling his spicy cologne. It made her think of fall. Of leaves and grass and a storm brewing.

“I’m not in love with Faith,” Rick said.

Jenna didn’t lean back this time. She let him lead.

“I love her. Although I’m very disappointed and angry about what she did.” His body had tensed, and Jenna gave his shoulder a light squeeze. He tightened his arm around her, bringing her breasts flush against his chest. “I guess I thought the more passionate, long-haul kind of love would happen eventually. And being friends wasn’t a bad basis for a marriage.”

“Fair enough,” Jenna said, raising her voice, not her head. “But only if both parties agree.” She felt a bit drowsy...from the music, she supposed, and Rick’s warm body. “They both threw us under a bus tonight.”

They kept on dancing their own slow way when the music changed and Katrina and the Waves started singing “Walking on Sunshine.”

“Maybe you can salvage this thing,” she said, tilting her head back to look at him. “You might want to check your messages. I mean, you’re in Boston. You’re probably going to be sleeping in the same hotel bed. Eventually.”

“Well, that’s one way of looking at things.”

“And the other?”

He smiled his Danger Bond smile. “You and I go back to the apartment together.”

* * *

RICK WAS ALMOST sorry they’d left the MIT suite. It was too easy to think without constant distractions. But he knew Jenna had to be exhausted, and not just because it was 2:00 a.m.

The lobby traffic had dwindled, because it seemed everyone was outside in the freezing cold waiting for transportation. The longest line by far was the queue for taxis and he could barely hear the piped-out Christmas carols for the sound of whistles.

The idea of hypothermia, mixed with the daunting proposition of checking his texts and calls, made him wish they’d stuck with booze instead of switching to shellfish. But he couldn’t leave Boston without talking to Faith. “What do you think?” he asked. “Should we get in line?”

They were still inside the hotel near the front exit. Jenna had her cell phone out and from the number of tone notifications, Payton hadn’t spent all of the last two hours kissing Faith.

“I’ve got nineteen texts and six voice mails, none of which I plan on reading. Well, maybe a couple, But my intention is to text him to let him know I’ve made other arrangements for the rest of the morning.”

“Sounds about right. So, since I’m also just checking a few of Faith’s texts, we should probably get in that insane line.”

Jenna shivered preemptively. “Does that second bedroom have a heated blanket? Or a fireplace?”

“You’ll be fine,” he said. “I promise. Besides, the cab will be heated.” With great reluctance, he turned on his phone. He had his own pile of unread, unheard messages. Checking the first three and the last three texts should give him all the information he needed. If Faith was truly stranded, he wasn’t going to leave her here, even if it would make for the world’s most awkward cab ride. He didn’t want to think about the sleeping arrangements, but he’d do his best to make the night as comfortable as possible for the three of them. “I’ve got twelve texts and nine voice mails.”

She took a step toward the exit, and then just stopped. “Huh. What if it’s not all apologies?”

“What do you mean?”

“The way they looked at each other? Maybe they’ve reconnected with their soul mates. Maybe they’re writing us to say goodbye.”

“I doubt it. They chased after us, remember?”

“Right.” She nodded as she led the way to the porte cochere.

The cold was like a sucker punch. Sadly, he’d learned a lot about that feeling tonight. But they found the end of the taxi line and he opened the first of the texts.

I’m so so sorry!

The second was straightforward and typed at 12:13 a.m.

Where are you?

At half past midnight the tone shifted.

I’m starting to get worried

It probably made him a horrible person, but instead of feeling guilty, he was glad. He swiped through until he found the last three texts. But the first of those was all he needed:

I’m with Payton and he’s letting me stay at his place

He turned off the phone. Moved a whole quarter of an inch forward, trying to save not only their place without disturbing Jenna, but also gain some distance from the man behind them. Nothing was shady about the guy, but he got inside their personal space bubble. And as soon as Rick could, he moved his wallet to a safer inside pocket.

But all that was nothing, really. He looked over at Jenna. She was texting so he couldn’t see her expression. Couldn’t read her through her heavy woolen coat. Was she telling Payton to go to hell? Accepting his apologies?

When she did meet his gaze again, she’d put her phone back in her purse and donned her gloves. “We’ve hardly moved. At this rate, we’ll still be in line next New Year’s Eve.”

She seemed fine. Subdued, but fine.

“We could take our chances with Uber.” He’d used the services of the app-generated taxi service before, but not on a major holiday.

“That’s true. I imagine we’d find a ride sooner that way. But I don’t know. I think we should walk.”

He laughed out loud, evidently annoying Mr. Oblivious behind them. Rick didn’t care. What he should do was tell the inconsiderate bastard to just move. But first he said, “You’re joking, right? The apartment isn’t around the corner. It would be a challenge in the middle of spring, and, if you haven’t realized, it’s snowing.”

Jenna shook her head. “What kind of a weather chaser are you? So it’s cold out. We’ll walk fast.”

The man behind him snorted.

Rick tensed and turned on the guy, ready to teach him a thing or two about manners. But the guy was completely absorbed by something on his tablet, and not paying any attention to Rick or Jenna.

Stepping to the side to regain his equilibrium, Rick wasn’t sure if he should laugh his ass off or find a therapist. Normally, it took a hell of a lot more than inconsiderate line movers to make him Hulk out. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as Zen about Faith’s midnight kiss as he’d thought.

Turning to Jenna, it also occurred to him that her impulse to walk to the financial district wasn’t such a crazy idea. They both had a lot to process and he knew of no better way to unclutter his mind. “Okay. Let’s go for it,” he said. “We can always defrost when we get to the apartment.”

Her expression changed from that self-contained cool to ready, willing and able. She started walking as fast as those stupidly high shoes would let her. And that was pretty darn fast. It actually took him a few seconds to catch up to her. When he did, she turned on him so sharply he nearly ran in to her.

She grabbed his lapels and yanked him even closer. “Whose stupid idea was this? It’s freezing out here. We’ll never make it to the corner, let alone your fancy-ass apartment.”

He laughed, and then kissed her very cold lips. But that was just a peck while he unbuttoned his coat all the way down. The second the last button was undone, he pulled her against his body. Then he closed the coat, making them a warm cocoon. “Better?”

“Oh, yes,” she mumbled against his collar. “How are you going to call Uber?” Adjusting her head so she wasn’t smothering herself, she said, “Keep in mind, I’m not letting you go.”

Unable to resist, he bent and maneuvered them a small but crucial distance. One that changed a gentle forehead kiss into a fiery, no-holds-barred stunner of a kiss.

Everything disappeared. The street, the cold, the whistles and the horns. There was just Jenna with her death grip on his tux, meeting his tongue thrusts with her parries until they were both dizzy with lust.

And then...

“You want to carry that inside, fella? This is a public street you’re on.”

He only opened one eye, just in case the voice was in his head. But no. It was one of Boston’s finest.

He hated moving her away, but there was nothing to be done but to call Uber and freeze as they waited for their ride.

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