Page 68 of First Comes Love

“We were friends…” he starts, taking one step forward and placing one hand on the door, preventing me from shutting it again. “But you weren’t just a friend to me, Kat. You were more.”

“More?”

Oh my god, is he saying what I think he’s saying?

My mouth’s turning dry, and I can’t peel my eyes away from his.

Jesus, even my lips are parting of their own accord. I feel as if electricity’s crackling under my skin, making my heart beat faster and my mind work slower.

“More,” he nods without taking his eyes from mine.

; Before I know it, he takes another step forward, his body now almost pressed against mine. One second passes, two seconds pass, and then…he starts leaning in, slowly, and I can’t help but part my lips.

Oh, shit!

“No, stop!” I say, remembering myself.

Lowering my voice, I point with my thumb at the couch in the middle of my living room. There, three-year-old Anna is fast sleep, wrapped tight in a mountain of blankets.

Alexander’s eyes follow the direction my thumb is pointing at, his eyes find little Anna asleep on the couch, and then he just stands straight and runs one hand through his sandy hair.

“Oh, man,” he sighs, “I need a fucking drink.”

Three

Alexander

Note to self: murder Chris and Mike when I get back.

I can’t believe they dragged me all the way here just so I had to face the harsh reality: Katherine’s happily married, and she has a daughter.

Oh, man, this is way beyond fucked up.

For a second there, I almost fucking kissed her.

For a second, I almost…believed.

Turning on my heels, I bolt out of her apartment and walk down the corridor in a daze. Without even bothering to say “goodbye,” I make my way toward the elevator and punch the button over-and-over again.

I just want to get out from this fucking nightmare.

“Slow down, Jesus,” I hear Kat say behind me, and I look back at her over my shoulder. She followed me all the way to the elevator, and now she has her arms folded over her chest, tapping one foot against the floor.

Fuck, she looks even more beautiful than I remember. Flawless skin, high cheekbones, and lips of a violent red. Long, straight blonde hair, almost like a sheet made of the most perfect satin.

And her eyes…still the color of a clear blue sky, just like I remember them.

And don’t even get me started on her body. With a tight black dress hugging her curves, she looks like she just walked out of a Victoria’s Secret’s magazine ad.

To say she’s perfect is almost an insult.

“You’re not gonna disappear again, are you?”

Yeah, you better bet that’s what’s going to happen, I think to myself, but I can’t bring myself to say it.

“I…I just need a drink,” I tell her, and the elevator doors swing open right when I say it.