Miranda stood in the candlelit bedroom

Clearly the room was set for seduction. Disbelief—and excitement—coursed through Colin. Was this the same Miranda he’d had snowball fights and pizza parties with when they were kids?

“Shh—no talking…” she said.

She approached him and he felt his groin tighten. The sheer gown she wore hid next to nothing, and he knew he’d have a hard time resisting her.

“Miranda…”

She stepped up close, her breasts grazing his chest as she unbuttoned his shirt. One hand slipped inside the garment and rubbed lightly over his chest. She had to feel the slamming of his heart against his ribs. “Maybe we should slow down….”

She smiled. “Well, we do have all night….”

Her breathing was shallow, and Colin knew she was as aroused as he was. His head was spinning as she peeled off the nightgown. He tried to speak, but the words came out as a groan.

Standing before him in only a silky thong, Miranda met his gaze with such desire, such openness…such passion. Yet he knew with painful clarity that if he let this happen they would regret it later.

He had to end this. Now.

Dear Reader,

It’s true that the best romantic relationships rest on a solid foundation of friendship, but what about when friendship becomes the biggest obstacle to romance? That’s the difficult situation Miranda Carter finds herself in, and her solution to the problem is unique, to say the least.

This book was a lot of fun to write. Writing about friendship and romance gave me opportunity to explore how the two can be a wonderful yet messy combination. Miranda has to figure out how far she is willing to go to get something—or someone—she wants. Who hasn’t made an impulsive decision and then had to dig themselves out of the resulting mess? And when the mess means you are having the relationship of your life with the guy you’ve loved forever, who wants out?

Miranda finds herself in over her head while involved in a fun and sexy romance with Colin, and she learns a lot about herself along the way. I hope you enjoy her journey as much as I did. Stop by my Web site at www.samanthahunter.com and drop me a note letting me know what you think of About Last Night….

Sincerely,

Samantha Hunter

About Last Night…
Samantha Hunter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

1

“SO WHEN ARE YOU GOING to jump Colin?”

Her friend Penny’s voice was loud, and the women sitting nearby in the beauty salon had ears like bats. Miranda Carter cringed, praying that Penny’s voice had been drowned out by the sound of the blow dryers and the salon’s Muzak. Otherwise, word would be out all over the small seaside city of Portland, Maine, that she was after Colin Jacobs even before her gold highlights took.

“Shh! Like that’s going to happen anytime soon. Or at all.”

“You can do anything you set your mind to. I have faith in you.”

Before Miranda could reply, Penny had pushed her whole head up under the dryer, so she wouldn’t be able to hear Miranda’s objections anyway.

Oh, well. It still felt good to be able to spend time with her friend and pamper herself. The highlighting was expensive, but she deserved a treat. It had been a tough year: she’d kicked it off by almost dying, and now she was opening her own business. Not to mention she was living back in Portland again after being gone for almost ten years. Sure, she’d come back for holidays and the occasional birthday, but she hadn’t lived here since she’d left for college. It was kind of weird. Nice, but she was still getting used to the idea.

She flexed her leg, stretching it as best she could in the chair. Penny’s head popped out again, her usually impish eyes concerned. “Leg hurt?”

Miranda nodded and rubbed it, gesturing to Penny to get back under the dryer. She was fine, the pain was just a residual effect of a compound fracture that was mostly healed but would take much more time to mend completely.

Six months ago she’d been in Denver, where she’d lived since graduating from Colorado State. She’d thought she knew the lower trails by Gray’s Peak well enough to risk a weekend hike by herself. A violent autumn thunderstorm had sent her sliding down a slippery slope, proving how wrong she was with a vengeance.

The accident had shaken her badly. The two days of struggling in the cold and rain were thankfully a painful blur. She’d dragged herself over the dirt and rock, searching for her cell phone to call for help, unaware of the extent of her injuries. Apparently she had passed out while trying to call 911, but the signal, though weak, had led an emergency rescue team to her.

When she’d awakened in the hospital her parents had been there, worried to death. When she was out of critical condition, she’d been transported back to Maine, where her folks had helped her to recuperate. At first she’d planned to return to Denver, but she discovered she’d missed Portland more than she’d thought.

Besides, there was nothing really keeping her in Denver. She’d ended a romance that was going nowhere a year before her accident, so there wasn’t anyone there waiting for her. But there was someone here in Maine, and that had influenced her decision to stay, though she wasn’t ready to admit it, not even to Penny.

Looking out the window at the fading snows of early April, she found it hard to believe her life had changed so much so quickly. She was almost completely healed and happy to be alive, period, but a near-death experience changed the way you looked at things, corny as it sounded. She deeply appreciated simple joys, like getting her hair done with her best friend, in a way she never had prior to the accident.

Her thoughts about things like falling in love felt more urgent. Though she’d always been one to try new things and believed in living life to the fullest, her accident had somehow unleashed a passion for living. That passion was particularly powerful when she thought about Colin Jacobs, and she wanted to do something about it—something that she’d failed to do such a long time ago.

The tumble down the side of the mountain had also shaken more than her romantic sensibilities. She’d been drifting through life, working odd jobs since college, not really knowing what she wanted to do. While in the hospital she’d had a lot of time to think about it, and she knew she wanted to make a difference. The sight of the big brown eyes that were the first thing she’d seen when the rescue team found her—the dogs had reached her first—had inspired her to open her own dog-training school.

It was surprising she hadn’t thought of it before. For years she’d been volunteering at animal shelters and with dog trainers, helping to train abandoned pooches to behave better so that they could find homes. She loved working with animals and was good at it. She read about animal behavior, but also followed her instincts, and she’d done pretty well. She’d never thought of combining that experience with her business degree.

Her own two dogs, Chuck and Lucy, were so well trained that people always commented on how nicely behaved they were, and she was proud of that. Not being one to move slowly, once the idea struck her, Miranda had practically cleaned out her bank account to open a small office close by the veterinary office where Penny worked in south Portland. Open for just a little more than two months now, she was receiving referral customers steadily. The accident had nearly killed her, but in many ways it had gotten her to focus on just what her priorities were.

Turning her attention again to the magazine she was holding, she smirked at the cover story—“The Total Seduction: A Five-Step Plan to Jump-Start Your Love Life (or Your Lover).” She didn’t even have a lover to seduce—yet—though she had plenty of fantasies rolling around in her lust-saturated brain. She knew that what she needed was a plan to make those fantasies reality. No more waiting around for love to happen.

Colin was an old friend, true, but he also could melt her bones with just a glance. His sparkling golden eyes seduced her constantly and he didn’t have a clue. But things between her and Colin were…complicated. At least for her. They’d known each other since kindergarten; they had a lot of history, and that history had a habit of getting in the way of something more developing between them. When she’d come home, it was very much like old times—she and Penny, Colin and Travis, all back together again. She saw Colin all the time; in fact, he’d helped her move her mammoth desk into her office. The four of them usually got together at least once a week. But he didn’t really see her as a woman, certainly not as a lover—just as his old pal Miranda. It was beyond frustrating.

The hairstylist returned, lifting the hot dryers off their heads. She checked under the foil, blessedly proclaiming them both “done.” Miranda grimaced inwardly. She hadn’t been done in quite a while. Looking down at the magazine, she knew that one way or another she was going to have to change that. And soon.

COLIN BARELY AVOIDED the ball that whipped by his face and smashed into the wall behind him. He nimbly ducked, swung around, sweeping his arm in a powerful arc that sent the small blue ball whizzing across the court and back at Travis, who made an expert corner play back in Colin’s direction. Sweat soaked his shirt, and he dragged the back of his fist across his forehead, squinting to focus. Travis was on a brutal tear, and Colin knew he wasn’t going to win this one.

Travis, recently returned from medical school in New York, was almost a full-fledged doctor now, and pulling long shifts in rotating departments at the hospital. Colin was amazed that his friend had time or energy for things like racquetball, but Travis never seemed short of energy.

Sometimes their games of handball were low-key, a friendly volley with casual conversation, and other times, like tonight, they were all-out war. Jumping up, Colin fiercely pursued the ball, slamming into the scuffed white wall but missing the shot by a hair.

“Ha! Game! You suck!” Travis had won and, in keeping with tradition, he continued with the humiliating “I won, you lost” song and dance around the court. Colin chuckled, thinking Travis’s dance was more embarrassing for himself than it was to Colin—not that Travis was ever embarrassed about anything.

Colin was competitive, too, and he liked to win, but tonight he’d just wanted to push his body to exhaustion to loosen tense muscles. Teaching psychology to undergrads at the university along with doing his own research projects often left him feeling like a spring that had been wound too tight by the end of the day. So he pursued several physical activities to unwind. The body had to be exercised as well as the mind.

He slumped down to the floor and watched Travis boogie around. Colin looked skyward after hearing giggles floating down from the ceiling. About a dozen female undergrads were watching them from the observation deck. He waved a tired salute, recognizing one of the faces from his freshman psych seminar, and the giggles increased. Great. Travis looked up and then extended a hand to him. Colin grabbed it, pulling himself up.

“They want you, man. They’re hot for teacher.”

Colin laughed and ducked as Travis chucked the ball at him, hitting the wall to his side.

“Yeah, right. I don’t think so.”

Travis smacked the ball again, glancing up at the girls. “Chicks that age dig older men, especially their professors. It’s all that power and mystery. Haven’t you ever been tempted?”

Colin jumped forward, swiping at the ball before Travis could hit it.

“Making time with a student? God, no. For one thing, I could lose my job, and for another, well, you know, it would be like you looking at your patients as prospective dates. I just don’t see them that way. They’re just students.”

Travis grunted as he lunged for the ball.

“I knew some students who dated professors in school. Seems like it goes on a lot, even though they have the so-called rules. Academic policy doesn’t really restrain human nature or raging hormones. Depending on the circumstances, I don’t see the problem with it, as long as it’s mutual.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not my thing. I prefer women my own age.”

“Graduate students, then?”

Colin grabbed the ball out of midair before Travis could pop it back against the wall and pinned his friend with an inquisitive stare. “Why all this sudden curiosity about whether I’m letching after my students?”

Travis looked up again, smiling at the girls, setting off another wave of bubbly laughter. “Just curious. I mean, look at them. They’re cute. It’s not the same as me with patients. My people are sick, and they are coming to me for help. That’s totally different. Even if you don’t do anything, I can’t believe you don’t look. I mean, even think about it.”

Colin rolled his eyes, giving in. “I might notice if they’re pretty, sure—”

“Ha! Dawg! I knew it!”

Colin chucked the ball at Travis, bouncing it off his forehead. “But I’ve never thought about a student in a sexual way. I like women who have lived a little, you know, who have more life experience.”

“I’m willing to bet some of those girls have had considerable experience.”

“Is your mind always in your pants? Or someone else’s?”

Travis laughed and shook his head. “Only when I’m off duty.”

“And only when you’re around Penny?”

Travis’s jaw dropped, and he stared at Colin. “Huh?”

“Well, it’s obvious you’re totally into her. Might as well come clean.” Colin grinned and watched Travis shift uncomfortably. He rarely got Travis on the ropes, and it was fun.

Travis didn’t answer right away as they exited the court, and Colin was even more intrigued. When he looked over, his friend’s face was as serious as he had ever seen it.

“Okay, yeah. I’m crazy about her. When I got back I asked her out once and it didn’t go well. She freaked, so I backed off and we never talk about it.”

“Why’d she freak?”

“I don’t know. She just got all stressed and I told her not to worry about it. Though now I wish I’d pushed it a little more. I guess it was because of her father leaving them, and her and her mom being on their own, or whatever. I don’t know. She can be crazy sometimes, but it’s cute.”

“You know it’s love when crazy is cute. How come you never said anything about asking her out?”

“I only like to brag about my conquests, not my rejections, dude. How about you? Any non-student hot-ties I should know about?”

They walked through the gym doors and grabbed towels from a fresh stack by the door. Colin sat down on the wooden bench, shaking his head.

“Too busy. I was seeing that woman I told you about in the anthropology department, Sophie, for a while, but she took off to Europe on a grant project, and since then, well, no one’s really caught my eye.” Except for Miranda, the little voice in his head taunted him. He ignored it.

“You know, I always thought you and Miranda would get together.”

Colin nearly choked as he heard the words come out of Travis’s mouth.

“Excuse me?”

They headed to the showers, and Travis shrugged. “No reason, just that it would be cool if we ended up as couples, you know, me and Pen and you and Randi. We would get married and then our kids would all play together like we did.”

Colin turned the shower on full blast, enjoying the wash of heat against his sore shoulders. “Maybe you and Penny could work, but Randi and I could never be more than friends.”

Travis tossed him the soap, his brow furrowed inquisitively. “Why not? Are you interested?”

Colin shrugged. “Even if I were, it’s out of the question.”

Travis shut off the water and grabbed his towel, cinching it around his waist. “Hey, if you want her, man, you should go for it. You guys would be good together. Randi’s a doll.”

“She is, but it’s not in the cards. Besides, I could never know for sure.”

“Know what?”

Colin scrubbed the towel over his body, looking away at nothing in particular. “If she was with me or if she was with Derek’s brother.”

“What the heck does that mean?”

“Think about it. She was in love with Derek. You know that. She was devastated when he died. We all were. I figured that’s why she left and never came back much. Even if it were a remote possibility for us to get together, I would always be second string, Trav. That’s not good enough.”

“I don’t know, Col. I may be off base, but it seemed that when we got together the other night there was definite chemistry working between you two. We were all dancing, but you two kept gravitating back to each other. High school is a world away—you’ve barely seen each other for years—you’re like brand-new people now.”

“You can’t just erase the past, Trav. I mentioned something about Derek to her, and I could see it in her face. Something changed in her eyes. I don’t think she ever quite got over him. If we danced a lot together the other night it was just because you kept trying to maneuver Penny into that dark corner.”

“Yeah, not very successfully. I do like watching her dance, though.”

Colin smiled at Travis and turned back toward the lockers. In spite of the vigorous exercise, talking about Miranda had stirred up the feelings he was trying to exorcise. As his skin heated with familiar waves of desire, he wondered if being second best would be better than nothing at all, or if it would be worse.

MIRANDA AND PENNY SAT crunched into a small booth at their favorite waterfront pub. The place had been around when their parents had been kids and was still going strong. The heady aroma of garlic and freshly baked pizza permeated the air and had made Miranda’s mouth water as always when she’d walked through the door. Though she’d sat in this booth a hundred times, everything seemed sweeter, more pungent now.

She looked around, soaking up the atmosphere. They had been working on a large pizza for the past hour, and finally the subject that had been left behind at the salon reemerged.

“So, what’s your plan for dealing with the Colin situation?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

Penny sent her a definite “oh, c’mon” look across the table, and she caved.

“Okay, I have been thinking about it, but thinking and doing are two different things.”

“The other night you two seemed to have some real sizzle going. He asked you to dance.”

Miranda shrugged. “Yeah, but the four of us danced together. I danced with Travis as much as Colin, so did you. Colin and I are close, and he’s been great since I’ve been back.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Every now and then I do think I catch a little sense of something more, something different between us, but I think it’s just me and wishful thinking.”

Miranda looked intently at the pizza and seriously considered another slice. Nerves made her want to eat and she had plenty of them. Thank God for elliptical trainers and a fast metabolism.

Grabbing the slice, she took a bite to avoid continuing and then reached down into her bag, taking out the magazine from the salon. She met Penny’s questioning eyes squarely. “What? They said I could take it.”

“Did you tell them you wanted it for a recipe?” Penny’s eyes danced with evil mirth as she glanced over the cover story. “Or is this research?”

“It was an interesting article.” Miranda slumped back in her seat, pizza forgotten. “Yeah, okay. It got me thinking about Colin. What doesn’t? I want to do something, but I don’t want to lose him as a friend. It’s driving me crazy. I would have thought I was over this a long time ago. Then wham, since I’ve been back it’s been full-force adult lust. Very frustrating.”

Penny squeezed her hand and smiled before she resumed eating her pizza. “You’re such a romantic. It doesn’t surprise me that you feel this way. You were crazy about him then. Going out with Derek was a mistake.”

“I know. I guess I just thought since one brother wasn’t interested, maybe the other one would do. Or in truth, I was hoping to make Col jealous, though I know it was awful to use Derek that way. And I know he used to rub Col’s face in it, but I thought maybe that would jar him, make him come around, but I guess he really didn’t have those feelings for me. Then or now. But I look at Colin still and it’s like…”

“Everything else disappears?” Penny finished her sentence, and shared her own insights.

“Colin always had that extra, I don’t know what to call it. He was just…deeper. I mean, he’s gorgeous, but he’s also a nice guy. Rare combination.”

“I know. He’s almost too nice, though.” Miranda grimaced. “I wish I could get him to be a little naughty.”

“I think he was always trying to make up for Derek. Derek was great, but he was such a bad boy. God, remember how he gave Joyce and Ed fits?” Penny laughed softly, remembering the good old days. “He was always in trouble. And he was just as gorgeous as Colin, but I can see how Colin would have felt like he had to behave, you know, to balance out Derek.”

Penny sighed, tipping her empty bottle at the server to indicate she would like another before continuing. “You know, after you left, it was so sad. He got sucked up in school and taking care of his parents. He and I hung out a little, but we didn’t have much in common.”

“Why not? You’ve known him as long as any of us, and you were in school, too.”

Penny’s mouth twisted self-derisively. “Hardly the same as what you guys were doing.”

“Penny, you got a good two-year degree, you graduated at the top of your class, and you’re doing a job you love, not to mention you’re great at it. You’re amazing with those animals. And with the people, too. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Yeah, being a vet’s assistant is fun, but it’s hardly like being a doctor or a professor. Or having your own business. Speaking of which, how’s that going?”

“Good so far. Starting up is slow, but I owe my ability to pay the rent to you. With the clients you’re sending my way, I’m getting more referrals and business is picking up. It was a good idea to set up shop so close by the vet’s. A lot of folks seem to walk their dogs in that area, too.” She lifted her beverage in a salute to Penny, and continued. “I think I may start some group classes at the shelter, and split the proceeds with them. I need to do more formal training in some advanced techniques, though, so I can maybe pick up some contract work with the police, or search-and-rescue teams. Then maybe I can afford to do some free classes for people who can’t afford to pay.”

“That’s good thinking. I’m glad it’s going well for you—you deserve it. If you could get things going with Colin, life would be almost perfect, huh?”

Miranda considered what Penny had told her about Colin. “I hate it that he sees me as Derek’s girlfriend instead of just me.”

Penny nodded. “Then I guess you have to tell him. I can see why you wouldn’t have said anything right away, but I think it’s time to tell him you’d actually broken up with Derek the night of the accident and see if it makes a difference. It could clear the air for something to happen between you two.”

“Ha! Talking to him directly? I don’t know about that plan—far too much fall-flat-on-my-face potential. That would be too sensible and straightforward for me.” She smiled reluctantly over her drink. “Why do you always make sense?”

“Hey, that’s me. Sensible Penny. Just like the loafers.”

“Stop it. You are as wildly lacking in sense as the rest of us, and I won’t hear any differently. Hey, a couple guys at the bar haven’t been able to take their eyes off you all night. You are such a sex goddess.”

Penny grinned and looked toward the bar, her green eyes impish. She was cute—the type of woman men were automatically attracted to. A small, pixielike redhead, Penny had an innate, feminine sex appeal that Miranda sometimes envied. Miranda liked her own straight, statuesque build well enough—being strong and streamlined had its own advantages—but sometimes she wished she was curvier and cuter like her friend.

A laugh bubbled up from Penny when she waved playfully at the guys at the bar. Penny routinely underestimated herself, which Miranda found frustrating. She knew it came from the fact that Penny had grown up in less comfortable circumstances than the rest of them, but it bugged her that Penny insisted on downplaying herself much of the time.

“Yeah, I’m a real sex kitten.”

“Hmm. Maybe one who’s interested in curling up in the lap of one particularly cute resident doctor that we both happen to know.”

“Eww! Hardly. Though maybe I’d like to scratch him.”

“Why do you even bother to hide it? You guys are obviously hot for each other.”

“Um, Miranda, have you been in a room with us lately—or, come to think of it—ever?”

“Actually, yes. You argue like cats and dogs, but that is just the adult version of the playground-punch-in-the-arm. Face it, you’re a smitten sex kitten.”

“Puh-leese. Clever way to sidetrack this conversation, but let’s get back to you.”

“Coward. I still say if you made a move on Travis, he’d cave like a house of cards. I, on the other hand, am facing the sexual Berlin Wall with Colin.”

“Well, you know, they did tear that down, so there’s hope.”

“Okay, fine, Great Wall of China then, smart aleck.” She grimaced playfully. “I have to think of something. If I store up any more sexual energy I am going to explode. And it won’t be pretty.”

“So are you seriously thinking of implementing the five-step plan here?” Penny gestured at the cover story in the magazine lying between them.

Miranda took another bite of her pizza and chewed, mulling that idea. “Maybe. Some of the ideas were good. And if it doesn’t work, I can at least say I tried. Life’s too short to be wishy-washy about things. You just gotta jump in and see what happens.”

She didn’t really feel that casual about it—the feelings she had for Colin were strong, if confusing, and if he rejected her, it would hurt. But she’d survive. She’d discovered that about herself: she was a survivor.

There was something about quiet, responsible Colin that made her want to burrow down under the layers and see what was there. She wanted to release the wild man underneath all that calm. If she could do it, she had a feeling it would be worth the risk.

She couldn’t believe it when she’d returned home and he was still here and single. But he was different. Grown-up, a man now, and even more gorgeous than she’d remembered. Those tawny, hazel eyes seemed to stare straight through her, and though she knew it was corny, she longed for the kind of deep connection that she imagined a woman could have with a man like that. The kind that lasted forever.

Penny reached over and waved the magazine in front of Miranda’s face. “Earth to Miranda, so what’s step one?”

“They suggest a woman should take control of the relationship as a first move. No waiting around for the guy to decide, or to make up his mind about when and where. You decide how, you decide where, you decide when. Men have always been under pressure to make these big decisions, and they face rejection all the time. So, you relieve pressure by being the one to take control. It’s supposed to energize your relationship and push things to a new level.”

Putting the magazine back down on the table, Penny nodded approvingly.

“Sounds good. How do you do that, exactly?”

“They have several suggestions, from simply inviting him out on a date to doing a striptease, or setting up a seduction, including bondage and other kinky stuff that is control related. It depends on the existing relationship you have with the other person, and your personalities. Something tells me Colin would run for the hills if I pulled out the handcuffs.”

Penny’s eyes widened. “You have handcuffs?”

“I was speaking hypothetically, Pen.”

“Oh. Well, sounds like it’s worth a try.”

Miranda felt a naughty smile twitch at the corners of her lips. Her mind was made up. Her skin tingled with excitement. She had her plan in hand. She was going to seduce Colin Jacobs.

2

Colin,

Come to my house at seven tonight—I have a surprise for you. Come alone, and you can’t say a word until I tell you to. Oh, and don’t be late. I know this probably sounds strange, but just do it. Remember, no talking!

Randi

COLIN STARED at Miranda’s e-mail in the dim light of his office. Books were stacked everywhere and piles of student tests cluttered his desk, leaving just enough room for the laptop that glowed in the darkness. To the outside observer it looked like a complete mess, but he knew exactly what was in every spot. Research projects, student papers, faculty documents—he could find anything he needed quickly. Why bother with extras like filing cabinets? But at the moment, he simply narrowed his eyes as he read the screen, murmuring to himself.

“No talking? Just do it? What the heck is she up to?”

His curiosity was piqued. It had been two nights since he’d seen Travis and discussed his feelings for Miranda. Maybe Travis was right—maybe he should just take a chance. God knows he’d thought about it enough. But as soon as he seriously considered it, the same heaviness would settle in his gut and he couldn’t go through with it. Quick affairs were nice, and he’d had his share of them, but with Miranda it would have to be something more. He knew they could never really have a future together. And worse, their friendship could be destroyed in the process.

He could hear his brother Derek’s voice in his head as clear as if it were yesterday, bragging about how he and Miranda were dating, and how they had made out for hours in the back seat of his car. It had driven Colin nuts, but his brother had beaten him to her and there was nothing to be done about it. The best man—or at least the braver man—had won.

Colin hadn’t been completely honest with Travis. He’d thought about approaching Randi a million times since she’d returned home, had played out what he would say, how he might ask her out, and it had never felt right. In his head, she was his brother’s girl, not his. She was only Colin’s in his fantasies, which had been long dead until she returned, when they had refueled with an almost cruel ferocity.

He closed his eyes and pictured her, feeling his insides tighten and his skin go warm. She was almost his height—nearly six feet—slim, and strong. She had…presence. There was intelligence in her face and, God knows, her voice alone could inspire his fantasies for nights on end.

She was beautiful, no doubt, with long, curling sable hair that tumbled everywhere and deep brown eyes that didn’t miss a thing. He’d often dreamed about wrapping those tresses around his hands, or burying his face in them. But she was more than beautiful.

She had a kind of fire that always seemed to be burning just under the surface, a quiet intensity. Yet she was one of the most open and friendly people he knew. If only he could bring himself to take the chance—

“Dr. Jacobs?”

Shaken out of his reverie, he looked up and saw Nell, his teaching assistant, standing in the doorway. It was getting dark outside and he switched the small desk lamp on, glancing at his watch. He was due at Miranda’s soon. He was curious as to what had prompted her to send that strange e-mail telling him to show up but remain silent. Probably Penny and Travis were in on whatever it was as well.

“Hello, Nell. What can I do for you?”

She stepped tentatively into the office, laying a stack of papers down on the desk.

“These are done. I applied the grading criteria you gave me as best I could, but I marked some of the ones that were less clear with Post-its for your review.”

He smiled. Nell was a first-year doctoral student in clinical psychology, and she worked hard—maybe too hard. Her straight black hair was pulled back tightly from her face and she wore no makeup, not even lipstick. Shadows showed under her eyes. It made her appear very…sparse. And exhausted.

“I appreciate you getting these to me so quickly, but you could have taken a little longer. I know you just got out of your own version of midterm hell. How are your classes going?”

She bit her lip, looking down.

“Oh, they’re fine. Quantitative stats is giving me a little bit of a problem, but I’ll get through it.”

“You will. Smythe is tough, but she’s a great professor. I’d be happy to help you with some of the problem sets if you get stuck, just let me know. Quantitative is important.”

She nodded and turned her head to glance out the window that overlooked the quad.

“You’re here pretty late. I didn’t expect you to be in, but figured I would leave the tests on your desk for morning.”

“Yes, well, I’m trying to get through this grading. There may be a few students from your section I’ll need to confer with you about before this is over.”

She smiled, and he thought she might actually be pretty if she tried.

“Okay, just let me know when you need me to do that. I am usually near e-mail.”

He was eager to draw their conversation to a close, but wanted to be supportive. “You’re doing a great job, Nell. Above and beyond. Tell you what, let me take you for a coffee next week and we’ll talk about the tests in a more pleasant place than the office. Sound good?”

She nodded awkwardly and in the low light he could just see pink stain her cheeks as she backed away from the desk. He stepped around the desk, looking at his watch again, and knew he had to hurry her out of the office if he was going to make it to Miranda’s in time.

“Listen, I remember what it was like, and I want us to have a different kind of relationship than I had with my advisor. Hopefully a much more friendly one.”

He slipped a companionable arm around her shoulders and guided her to the doorway, needing to hasten her departure so he could leave. He gave her arm a quick squeeze before reaching for his jacket. Her eyes widened and she nodded before saying a quick goodbye and exiting the room. He shook his head, hoping he’d gotten his point across. This was the first semester he had had his own teaching assistant, and he didn’t want to get a reputation as an ogre.

He was all for hard work, but sometimes if you over-did it, your production could actually suffer. He saw it happen all the time in burned-out students and colleagues. Other advisors had their T.A.s over to dinner, and created more of a social situation, treating them like colleagues more than students. He made a mental note to make more of an effort in that area. Coffee would be a start.

He shut down the laptop. It was later than he had thought, and he had to get going. Closing up his briefcase, he grabbed his jacket and shut the light off behind him, wondering again what Miranda’s mysterious e-mail was all about. He expected to find out soon.

MIRANDA HEARD the truck pull up in front of the house and looked out into the lighted driveway, confirming that it was Colin. She peered through the curtain, watching all six feet of him slide out of the heavy-duty pickup, and sucked in a breath. He stood for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure what to do, or why he was there, and then closed the truck door.

He wore the years well, the man fulfilling the promise in the boy, his lanky frame filled out, muscular and hard. She watched him approach the door, the muscles of his thighs stretching against his jeans with each long step. Miranda had frequently treated herself to the view of those jeans from behind and quivered in anticipation of seeing what was underneath them. He still fried her brain cells like no other man ever had.

Even though she watched him approach, the knock on the door had Miranda nearly jumping out of her skin. In the twenty minutes or so she’d fussed and waited for Colin to arrive, she’d gone over every move, every detail, many times. He was on time, seven sharp, as she knew he would be. The moment was at hand. She pulled herself up, reminding herself that this was Colin, the man she’d known her entire life, and whom she’d always been attracted to. This could only be good, right?

Forcing herself to relax, she went to her bedroom door, calling to him to come in. She watched him enter the room and look up the stairs, following her voice. When his eyes widened in surprise, traveling down the length of her scantily clad body and back to her face, his mouth opened to speak, but she quickly put a finger to her lips, silencing him.

“No. No talking. Just come up.”

It was clear from his expression that whatever he’d been expecting, this was not it. She gestured to him to join her with a naughty little tilt of her head, smiling in delicious anticipation. This was going to be fun.

COLIN HEARD the door click shut behind him and swallowed hard as the scent of her sexy perfume wafted over him. He walked up the stairs on automatic pilot, curiosity consuming him. What was going on?

It was clear enough when he saw her, posed sexily in the doorway of her bedroom. He tried to train his eyes in another direction, but the room was clearly set for seduction. Then his gaze landed on her again, disbelief coursing through him. It was almost hard to believe this was Miranda—his Miranda—with whom he’d had snowball wars and late-night pizza parties when they were kids.

She walked up to him and he felt his groin tighten in a way that suggested he was going to have a very hard time resisting her. It was every fantasy he’d ever had about her coming true. The sheer gown she wore hid next to nothing, and it occurred to him that this was the first time he’d seen her naked, or as close to it as he could imagine. Well, there had been that one time they’d all gone skinny-dipping when they were thirteen, but that was not the same at all.

The lacy material clung to her breasts, and was slit nearly to the hip. A long, silken leg emerged as she walked toward him, and he wasn’t sure, but he might have groaned out loud.

“Mir—”

“Shh! No talking. I told you.”

Her voice was sultry and commanding, and she had a fire in her eyes that sent arrows of lust shooting straight to his…toes. Who would have known he liked having a woman taking control this way, leaving him mute and helpless? With other lovers, he had always been in control, the one who made the moves. He had initiated the action. This was…mildly kinky? To enjoy having someone else be in control, ordering him around? He didn’t know he would like kinky sex. But as he felt himself thicken, becoming painfully hard, he knew he liked it quite a lot. He filed that thought away for further examination later.

She stepped up close, her breasts grazing his chest as she pushed the lightweight jacket from his shoulders, then loosened the knot of his tie, which did nothing to clear the obstruction in his throat. She took him by the hand, leading him to a small table. She looked into his eyes, hers communicating brazen desire.

“I’m going to feed you.”

He noticed she didn’t ask, for instance, Are you hungry? Would you like a strawberry? But a statement. A command. He knew he should stand up, call this off, but his mind and his body were too caught up in her spell to object. And who was he kidding? She was every man’s fantasy—his in particular—come to life.

She poured a glass of champagne and took a sip, then dipped a ripe strawberry in the glass before lifting it to his mouth. He took a bite. A drizzle of juice escaped down his chin, and he might have touched an electric fence for the jolt that shot through him as their tongues touched when they both attempted to catch the stray drop. He heard her chuckle, a low, sexy laugh that told him he was in big trouble.

The feeding went on for torturous minutes on end. She not only fed him but let him watch her eat, and he felt his muscles clench in primal response when she dipped her fingers into the champagne and traced them down her chest, along the edges of the nightgown over the creamy curves of her breast. He licked his lips instinctively and felt his traitorous cock throb with need. There was nothing he could do to stop it. She was shredding his control into confetti.

Victory and lust surged in her eyes as she took in his reaction, and she clasped his hand in hers again, pulling him over to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room. He watched them both as she stood beside him, running her hands over him, tugging his shirt loose, buttons popping and flying everywhere.

His heart thundered in his chest. His eyes were glued to the image of her undressing him. He felt as if he was in an excruciatingly seductive dream, except that every tingle of response, every shudder of pleasure as her hands moved over him was achingly real.

She slipped her hands inside his shirt and rubbed them lightly over his chest. She had to feel the slamming of his heart against his ribs. Heat washed over him. It had been far too long for him, and he’d exercised great restraint. Now he was too close to the edge from her simple touch.

Her mouth followed her hands and before he knew it he was naked in front of the mirror, his body glistening with sweat, every inch of him from head to toe rock-hard and fully aroused. He stared at the image of her kneeling in front of him, such a submissive position for a woman so in command.

When her reflection showed her leaning forward to touch her mouth to his already incredibly sensitized erection, he nearly lost it right there. His mind clicked a mental photograph of the picture they made, an image he would never forget. Things were getting out of control—he was out of control—and he needed to stop this. With a grunt of objection, he backed up, away from her mouth. She rose and smiled, taking him by the hand again and leading him to the bed.

“You’re right—no need to rush things. We have all night. Sit.” Her breathing was shallow, and he knew she was as aroused as he was. It was wrong that he let it go this far, but he was so hungry for her, and he really didn’t want to stop, even though that way was madness. He felt his head spin as she peeled off the nightgown. He tried to speak, but the words came out as a long groan.

Standing before him in only a silky, flesh-toned thong, she met his gaze with such desire, such openness, and such…passion…he knew with painful clarity that if he let this happen they would regret it later. As much as he wanted her, needed her, he had to end this.

It was almost physically painful to push down the wanting, to ruthlessly shut off the desire, but he forced himself to do so. She walked to him, concern evident in her expression, lifting her hand to touch him, and he nearly flew to the other side of the room, not trusting himself to be touched one more time and still stay strong.

MIRANDA WATCHED HIM withdraw from her and felt confusion and rejection splash over her like ice water. She stood there, naked, wondering what had gone wrong. Her plan was working. He’d enjoyed it, that was obvious. She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Yet in one second, in one horrible moment, the wall had slammed down between them yet again and he had pulled away, physically and emotionally. Dazed, she couldn’t fathom what was happening.

“Colin, I don’t understand…” Her voice was barely a whisper and she took a step forward, stopping as he took a step back.

“Miranda…Randi, please. Just give me a minute.”

Chills traveled over her skin, followed by a surge of shame and deep embarrassment. She too reached for anything she could to cover up, tears stinging at the back of her eyelids.

“Why? What’s wrong?” She wrapped a sheet around her body and tried to manage the tumult of emotions that raged through her. She was shaking and her breath came in gulps, but she fought hard for some vestige of control. She watched him finish dressing and managed to speak again, her voice small, which she hated though she couldn’t seem to control it.

“Don’t you think I’m sexy, Colin? Don’t you want me?”

His head snapped up. She saw the shock in his face, and knew that wasn’t it, as he was quick to confirm.

“Does it look like I don’t want you? I’m burning with it, Randi, but it just doesn’t feel right. I shouldn’t have let this happen.”

She felt her knees shake beneath her but somehow continued to stand. Staring him in the eye, she demanded an answer.

“Why not? You won’t even give it a chance.”

Silence hung between them for a long moment, and his jaw squared, as if he were hanging hard on to his control.

“I’m having a physical reaction to you—what man wouldn’t? You’re gorgeous and seductive, but that’s all it is. Just a physical response. And one we shouldn’t act on.”

“That’s all you feel for me? You are just reacting like any man would to a naked woman?” Disbelief and hurt were evident in her words, and he tried to explain.

“I didn’t mean it like that. You are my friend and I care about you, and that’s why I’m stopping. Try to think about this rationally, Miranda.”

Her heart constricted and she wasn’t sure she could breathe. “Rationally?” She didn’t know if she actually spoke the question. She saw red. He was stomping on her heart, humiliating her, rejecting her without even a good reason why.

Colin stepped forward, but this time she retreated.

“Listen, Randi, you may think you want to start something with me, and I can almost understand that. You might see me as an alternate to Derek, a way to put those demons to rest, but that’s not a role I intend to take up.”

She angrily clutched the sheet more tightly around herself. “You honestly think I wanted to sleep with you as a substitute for Derek? I never even slept with Derek, you moron! How could you think such a thing? Did you get this out of one of your psychology books, Col? If you don’t want me, be honest about it, but cut the psychobabble.”

“Miranda—”

“We’ve always had something between us, Colin, whether you will admit it or not. Stay, and give us a chance, Colin, or just get out. It’s your choice.” Her voice caught, but she stood strong, her eyes blazing into his. He stood helplessly for a moment and then turned away. She closed her eyes, not wanting him to see her heartbreak, but she knew she didn’t need to worry about that as she heard the door open and then click softly shut.

“Fine, then. Just go.” She spoke to the empty room. Giving in to the pain, she let the sobs take her over.

COLIN PARKED his truck at the side of the road in Old Port, regret gnawing at his gut. If he’d known what she had on her mind he never would have shown up tonight. He’d hurt her, he knew, but she needed to hear the truth before they got caught up in something that wasn’t healthy for either of them. He should feel as if he’d done the right thing—so why didn’t he?

The streets were quiet, though some folks enjoyed a walk along the old cobblestone streets in the warming spring air. He stopped by a sidewalk bridge between two buildings that overlooked Casco Bay and stared out into the darkness. When Derek had died, he’d gone through the predictable stages of grief—anger at his brother for leaving him alone. And guilt. The horrible frustration and guilt he felt while he watched his parents suffer. No matter what he did, he couldn’t make it better.

He couldn’t make it better for Miranda, either, then or now. She’d left Portland after Derek’s death, and maybe some of those old ghosts were things she still had to work through now that she was home again, but he wasn’t going to be part of that. He had to be the one who stayed in control. When she thought things through, she would be glad he had walked away. Even though it was the last thing he’d wanted to do. It would have been so easy to give in, to sink into the willing flesh of her body, have all his fantasies become reality. But what was easy wasn’t always right.

“Dammit, Miranda.”

He pushed back from the rail and began walking to the car, his mind numb and his body still on fire. He needed a cold shower and some sleep. Maybe he’d wait a few days and then try to talk to her. He only made it a few steps when he heard a funny little squeaking sound and someone yelling. Suddenly, he saw two men on bikes barreling down on him, waving their hands frantically for Colin to get out of the way. They hit their brakes, and he watched their bikes wobble, but it was too late.

He moved to avoid them, but one biker unfortunately moved in the same direction he did. The impact was hard and sudden; he felt the sharp jab of the bike’s handles into his gut and then the heavy thud of a body as the man flew over the handles of the bike, crashing into him. Colin was pushed backward, flipping over the rail. Strangely, through the surge of pain and movement, he thought how odd it felt to be so completely out of control of his body for the second time that evening, tossed about as if he were weightless.

He grabbed desperately for the rail but only grasped darkness. The next sensation he felt was intense, bone-biting cold—and pain. He hit something hard, and it hurt. He saw Miranda’s face in his mind’s eye just as everything faded to black.

3

“I WANT TO SPEAK to Dr. Monroe, Travis Monroe. I want to see him now!” Miranda was nearly hysterical with fear, and was willing to walk directly over the emergency nurse and into the intensive care unit if she had to.

They had Colin. Travis had called her, and she had somehow made it to the hospital through her panic and tears. She had to see him, see that he was alive, before she would listen to anyone. She had to see for herself. God, it was all happening again. First with Derek, and now Colin. If they lost him how could she live with herself? Obviously he had been upset when he left. This was all her fault.

The nurse put gentle but firm hands on her shoulders, and Miranda braced herself to break way when she was distracted by footsteps running up behind her. Just at that moment, Travis turned a corner out into the hallway, his expression grave. She started to call to him but saw Colin’s mother dash past her, and over to Travis. Miranda broke away and quickly followed behind Colin’s dad and Penny.

The scene was sheer chaos. Travis put his hands up to stop the flow of questions that suddenly flooded the hall and herded them back toward the waiting room. Miranda looked at Joyce, Colin’s mom, and felt ashamed of her own lack of control. Joyce must be reliving the nightmare of losing Derek right now and that was much worse than her own panic. The older woman was drawn and pale and clearly needed to sit down. Miranda swallowed her fear and dropped back, trailing the group as they entered a small room.

Travis started to speak.

“First things first—you should all relax. Colin’s okay. We’re watching him carefully right now. He was mildly hypothermic and took a nasty bump, but his vitals are good and he didn’t sustain any serious internal injuries or broken bones, which is amazing in and of itself.”

Miranda felt relief well in her heart and tears filled her eyes. She glanced over in surprise when she felt a strong hand squeeze hers, and realized Colin’s dad, Ed, was holding her hand, his own face tense with worry. She nodded reassuringly at him, squeezing his hand back as Travis continued speaking.

“There is one thing, though. You need to know before you see him.”

“What? What is it?” Miranda spoke for the first time, and Travis’s eyes locked on hers.

“Well, this isn’t unusual with a serious fall, and it will likely clear itself up quickly, but—”

“Just spit it out, Travis!” Penny interrupted impatiently, and Travis slid her a look that made Miranda wince.

“He isn’t remembering everything at the moment. He knows he was in the water, but he doesn’t remember how he got there, how he was rescued, or the events leading up to the fall.” He surveyed their faces, gauging their reactions before he continued. “There could be other random memory loss, but we have to wait and see. Sometimes people will permanently lose their recollections of the events immediately prior to a traumatic experience and other times it comes back in stages. It’s confusing for him right now, so just go with it.”

Joyce’s voice quavered. “Will he know us?”

Travis squeezed her shoulder kindly. “I’m pretty sure he will. At least from what we could tell, it seems he’s lost a chunk of time, but not his memories of people. Especially those he’s closest to. Besides, who could forget your cooking?”

Miranda admired Travis’s professionalism, as well as his kindness. She had never seen him in his doctor role before and was very impressed. He was like an entirely different person. It was hard to believe this was the same carrot-topped, practical-joke-loving Travis they had all grown up with.

“We have to wait until he is fully awake and aware until we know the extent of his memory loss. And he may have some short-term memory problems in the coming days or weeks. That’s not unusual with amnesia, so don’t worry if he can’t remember a phone number, or something like that.”

They nodded. Ed guided Joyce over to a couch to sit down, leaving Travis, Penny and Miranda together.

Penny spoke, her wry voice cutting through the tension. “Travis, are you sure? Remember you told me my toe needed to be cut off when I stubbed it?” She reached over and flipped the end of Travis’s tie.

Travis’s expression was pained as he closed his eyes and shook his head. Leave it to Penny.

“I was twelve then, Pen.”

“Yeah, but still, you were way wrong.”

Miranda had to smile and wink at Penny. A little humor never hurt.

“When can we see him, Travis?”

“You can all go in to see him, one at a time, to put your minds at rest…but just for a minute. He needs to sleep this off. He’s pretty heavily sedated, too, so don’t expect much. Tomorrow he will be better.”

They nodded and proceeded to walk single file down the hallway behind Travis. Miranda caught up with Travis, relieved she could finally speak to him alone.

“You said he was in a bicycle accident. Was anyone else hurt?”

Travis stood by the emergency-room door, stepping to the side while Joyce went in to see Colin.

“The other guy was pretty banged up, has a decent concussion, but his friend managed to avoid the whole thing, which was a blessing. He had an emergency flare and a flashlight on his bike and managed to signal a nearby boat coming in for the night. If Colin had been in the water much longer, his chances would not have been good at all. Hypothermia sets in fast.”

Miranda sank against the wall, swallowing hard.

“I can’t even imagine how bad this must be for Ed and Joyce. They were supposed to leave on an anniversary cruise in two days. They are probably wrecks.”

Travis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll talk to them when they come out. I can understand their panic, but it’s probably not necessary to cancel their trip. Col will feel banged up for a few days, and we’ll have to wait and see on the memory issues, but he’ll be up and around by tomorrow, and we’ll probably release him if he shows no other symptoms.”

Miranda considered telling Travis about their evening, wondering if it might help to trigger Colin’s memory, then she shut up. Everyone was going to think she was a bad-luck charm for the Jacobs brothers.

Joyce and Ed came back into the hallway appearing much more relaxed, and Travis smiled.

“He was awake? He knew you?”

“Oh, yes. Right away. Though he couldn’t say much. When will you be releasing him? He can come home and we’ll take care of him.”

“You know, Randi here tells me you two had a trip planned. As long as nothing else happens tonight or tomorrow—which it likely won’t—” he added at the sight of Joyce’s suddenly worried expression “—he’ll be fine to get up and go home after a day of observation. The best thing for him to do, and for his memory, is to get back to his normal life as soon as he feels up to it. With no major injuries, he’ll probably want to return to work and a normal routine.”

Joyce was doubtful. “Oh, I don’t know. I think he should…”

“Hey, now, you may be the best cookie-baker this side of the planet, but I’m the doctor, right? Just go home now, and relax. He’s fine. He’s lucky.”

Ed nodded and shook Travis’s hand before leaving. Miranda watched them, then turned to Travis.

“Do you mind if I go in for a moment? Alone?” She slid an apologetic look at Penny, who, with her hands, motioned her to go along.

“You go on in. I’m fine. I’ll see him tomorrow when I can talk with him more. There’s no point in tiring him out now.”

Miranda nodded and, with her heart in her throat, walked into the room, unsure of what she would face there.

THE HALL, WHICH HAD BEEN crowded and noisy, was suddenly extremely quiet. Penny peeked up at Travis as she kicked at the corner of the wall.

“So he really is okay? You weren’t just trying to make them all feel better?”

“Penny, doctors really aren’t allowed to be less than completely honest. Unfortunately, even when the news is bad, we have to tell it like it is. So yes, unless something wildly unusual happens, he really is going to be fine. We’re keeping a close eye on him so don’t worry.”

She smiled, relieved, and suddenly felt awkward standing so close to Trav. He’d always been skinny and gawky, freckled and redheaded. She’d called him “Opie” and “chicken legs” and a bunch of other names for as long as she could remember. The teasing was an equalizer between them. It helped erase the fact that Travis’s life had been so different from her own.

Travis had been the last of their little group to appear, his parents moving to Portland from New York City when he was seven. His father was a well-known attorney and, though the group lived within blocks of each other, Travis’s home was much more luxurious than the rest of theirs. He’d traveled all over the world, spoke two other languages and could discuss topics she had no idea about.

Getting stuck in public school for a year because his parents had missed registration when they moved, Travis was out of his element, away from the posh private schools he had attended in New York. He’d been small, skinny and smart—a prime target for bullying—until Penny, Colin and Miranda had rallied around and taken him into the fold. Travis had completed the group. Colin was the intellectual, Miranda was the adventurer, Penny was the no-nonsense one, and Travis was the clown.

She still recalled how when his parents had tried to register him for private school, he’d pitched a fit to stay where he was, and they’d let him. The Monroes were great. Penny had to admit they had never made her feel out of place or like they were rich and she was poor, though that was the truth of it.

When the four of them played, had parties, or otherwise got together, it was always at one of the others’ homes or some other location. The small apartment her mother had just didn’t have room for visitors, and besides Penny hadn’t really wanted anyone to come over anyhow. She’d slept on the sofa bed in the living room, and her mom in the too-small bedroom. There had been barely room for a desk and a secondhand computer for Penny out in the living room. Miranda had been the only one who ever had visited.

Penny had never wanted Travis to see where she had grown up, though now her mom lived in a modest but pretty home that Penny had helped her buy. It was the least she could do for all the sacrifices her mother had made for her.

She nudged her toe against the wall again and looked at Travis from beneath her long lashes. He was still skinny, but now it was in that lithe I-want-to-start-at-your-ankles-and-crawl-my-way-up-to-your-lips kind of way. His hair fell adorably over his forehead and he was always batting it away from his friendly blue eyes. She loved the color of his hair. Penny was also a redhead, but hers was more strawberry blond, where his was a deep copper. She tried not to notice—honestly she put forth her best effort—but he was just so hot.

She also had to put forth her best effort to hide her feelings when other women noticed him—every time they were out in a public place. Travis hadn’t been a monk, she knew, but most of his relationships hadn’t been under her nose, occurring when he was away at school. He always said residents didn’t have time for romance, which must be true, because she hadn’t seen him with anyone in a while.

She came back into the moment, grinding her teeth when she saw him grinning at her in that “Ha! You think I’m gorgeous” way that burned her butt. She put her hands on her hips, and faced him squarely.

“What?”

“You know you want me. Why don’t you just give in to your desires. Pen? Treat yourself. You deserve it.”

She barked out a laugh and rolled her eyes.

“Hey, maybe you can get one of your doctor friends to check out your ego, it seems to be a little swollen.”

He simply smiled wider and took a step closer. God, the one thing that hadn’t changed was what an annoying smart-ass he could be.

“That’s not exactly where I’m feeling some swelling at the moment.” His eyes were wicked, and she had to fight a smile.

“You’re disgusting.”

“C’mon, Penster. Go out with me. How many times are you going to shoot me down?”

Nervously jamming her hands into her pockets, she scowled. “Give it up. I’m never going out with you, Travis. You’re not my type.”

Those friendly blue eyes took on a little edge, and she tipped her face up, facing off with him boldly as he stepped even closer until he almost had her pinned against the tile wall.

“And what type would that be?” he asked, his voice low so only she could hear.

She craned her neck to look past his shoulder. “Randi will be back out any second. I wonder how she’s doing.”

Travis only extended one arm, planting his hand on the wall aside of her, leaning in.

“I’m sure they’re fine. What type of man do you want, Penny? I’m sure we could work something out.”

Penny inhaled sharply, which was a totally stupid thing to do because even in the antiseptic atmosphere of the hospital ward, Travis’s fresh, clean scent was heavenly.

“Back off, will ya?” She pushed forward, planting her hands on his shoulder, only to have him pull her up close, sliding a look from side to side to make sure they were alone. Then, before she could wrestle free, he swooped in and covered her mouth with his, one fast, hot kiss that shot heat straight to all the places that counted. Places that hadn’t received much attention lately.

He let his mouth linger on hers for a minute, then he backed away slowly, satisfied as he took in her flushed cheeks and dazed eyes. The night-duty nurse clattered down the hall with the medicine tray, rolling along in between them, but even that didn’t break the spell.

“Just something for you to think about, in case you decide I might be your type after all.”

Travis winked and turned to walk down the hall. Penny ground her teeth, berating herself mentally for melting from one hot kiss. She would just have to make sure that that never happened again.

FOR A MOMENT Miranda stood by the door watching Colin sleep. He looked so different from the vibrant man whom she had tried to seduce a few hours earlier. Embarrassment flowed though her as she recalled the disaster that had been. Well, Travis said Colin had lost his memory, so she could only hope and pray he didn’t remember.

She took another step forward, and then another, swallowing visibly as she saw how pale he was. Her heart constricted as she surveyed the purple bruises on his face and arms. Tears threatened again. Biting her lip hard, she reminded herself that he was fine. Travis said he was fine.

She didn’t want to wake him though she wanted to know what his response to her would be. Free to stare, to observe the angles of his face, the texture of his skin, she watched him, thankful that he was still here with her. What had happened between them almost didn’t matter, compared to this. Nothing mattered as long as he was all right.

Sighing, she figured she should leave. Tomorrow would come soon enough, and she would help in whatever ways she could. There was no reason for Ed and Joyce to miss their anniversary trip. Her work schedule was flexible, and she could reschedule appointments if need be to help out Colin.

Reaching forward, she smiled slightly and ran the back of her finger over Colin’s cheek.

“I’ll be back to see you tomorrow, big guy.”

When she turned to go, she heard a grunt and a croaking noise. Glancing back, she saw Colin’s eyes flutter open and her heart leaped. He focused in on her, his eyes heavy from the sedation, and she returned to the bedside.

“Hey there.”

“Randi?” His voice was a grating whisper, but it was enough to make her heart pound with relief.

“You remember me.”

His chuckle came out as a rasp. She smiled and touched his forehead but drew her hand back almost as quickly as she had extended it.

“Let me get you some water.” She poured water from the pitcher on the stand and leaned forward, cradling his head while tipping the cup slightly forward with the other.

“Better?”

He nodded and winced as she removed her hand.

“Listen, I’ll come by tomorrow morning. You rest now.”

Bleary hazel eyes blinked again and watched her closely.

“I can’t remember…what happened. The last thing I remember was getting an e-mail from you earlier today…do you know what I was doing out there tonight? Was I with you?”

Unsure of what to say, she smiled brightly and patted his hand, anxious to leave.

“Don’t worry about it. We can talk tomorrow.”

“But—”

She cut him off in a playfully stern voice. “You need to sleep, or Travis will have both our heads. See you tomorrow.”

She walked away from the bed and sighed in relief, but it was only momentary. Who knew what the morning would bring?

TWO BOTTLES OF WINE and several hours later, Penny and Miranda were sprawled across Miranda’s couch, exhausted and depressed from the events of the day. Miranda told the story of her failed seduction, and Penny squirmed as she told the tale of Travis’s kiss—both were at their wit’s end about how to handle their respective situations.

Miranda lolled her head over against a pillow and sighed. Penny’s problems were solved for the moment, and she was snoring like a lumberjack. No wonder. They had finished the champagne she had put out for Colin and then opened a good merlot and drunk that.

She looked at her watch. Two in the morning. Great. Definitely time for bed, or she would not make it to the hospital at all in the morning. Standing on wobbly knees, she leaned over and grabbed Penny’s ankles, stretching her out on the sofa and ignoring the nonsensical mumblings Penny was making. Then Miranda grabbed a blanket and threw it over her, face and all.

Satisfied that Penny was well tucked in, she glanced at the two empty bottles on the table and shrugged. Staring harder, she cocked her head sideways, noticing that the bottles were on top of the magazine that had given her the idea for that stupid seduction in the first place. While picking it up, one of the empty bottles rolled to the floor. She stuck her tongue out at the magazine and then winged it clear across the room with a few choice words flung after it.

Stumbling forward, she hit her toe on the edge of the coffee table. Damn, this just wasn’t her night. Hobbling, she headed toward the stairs and her room. She would have to set her alarm to wake up Penny in time for work. Only five hours from now. That sucked.

Everything sucked. She was crazy about Colin, and he wasn’t in the least interested in her. How the heck had he ended up falling into the harbor after he left her? Now he had amnesia and, with her luck, he would remember everything by morning, and she would resume her full-fledged-idiot status. And her toe hurt, which probably was going to match what her head would feel like in the morning. Just great. She wished she could forget all this. Colin was lucky.

She walked to the back door and whistled. Lucy and Chuck came bounding around the corner and ran outside for their nightly business. Lucy was a medium sized pit bull/Lab mix she had rescued from the shelter when she moved here. Miranda had found Chuck, an indolent basset hound with irresistible ears and woeful brown eyes, in Denver. Miranda loved them both, and would get more pets if she had the room. Calling them back in, she pointed up the stairs, and they ran to their beds in the corner of her room.

Turning on the landing and following the dogs upstairs, she yawned and wondered if Colin really would remember. As much as she wanted him to be okay, it would be nice if her little snafu never made it to the light of his consciousness again. Really, in the scope of things, what was a few lost hours?

What if he didn’t ever remember? Travis said sometimes it was permanent, right?

A bad plan started forming at the edges of her thoughts. She knew it was bad because, well, she just had that feeling, the same feeling she’d had when she tried the old I’m-gonna-seduce-Colin routine. Peeling off her clothes, she didn’t even bother putting on pajamas. She just crawled under the covers, forgetting the alarm clock altogether.

Instead of passing out as Penny had been so fortunate to do, her mind kept spinning, trying to work out that vague idea forming on the alcohol-fuzzed horizon.

If Colin never remembered what had happened last night, could she tell him whatever she wished had happened? Could she rewrite history a little—well, okay, a lot—just for those few hours? Then she could finally make him see that they belonged together as more than friends.

It would be wrong…but only a little, right?

After all, it was clear that he had wanted her as much as she wanted him. He was held back by some misguided idea that she was replacing Derek with him. What if this little amnesia thing was her opportunity to remove that roadblock? Practically humming with possibility, and in spite of her better judgment, her mind continued to spin out a plan until the wine finally took its toll and she fell asleep.

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