And Colin had unknowingly been spot on this morning when he’d chided his older brother about not having had sex for quite some time. But it had been even longer than the six months that Colin had guessed at, closer to a year actually, and the encounter had been rather forgettable, enough so that he had to concentrate now to even recall the woman’s name and face.

After he’d broken off his engagement to a tearful Davina, Ian had had neither the time nor the energy to become involved with someone new. He had also been extremely considerate of Davina’s feelings, unwilling to be seen out with someone new so soon after ending their relationship. The demands of his job back then had been nearly overwhelming at times – traveling all over the world as something of a troubleshooter for the company, which involved being on the road more than half of each month.

And then had come the unexpected news that he was being promoted to Regional Director of the company’s American division – overseeing all of the properties in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. He’d been far too busy selling his London residence, packing up all of his furnishings and belongings, and familiarizing himself with all of the new responsibilities he would have to even think of going on a date. It had only been on his second to last night in England – after a farewell party attended by his brothers, closest friends, and several co-workers – that he’d finally given in to temptation.

Admittedly he’d been more than a little tipsy, not to mention fighting off a bad case of sadness and melancholy at leaving his home, and he had reasoned afterwards that this was why he’d allowed himself to get picked up by the woman at the hotel bar. It had been a quick, meaningless one-night stand – something that he’d really only indulged in a couple of times before – and he had gone back to his own home quickly thereafter.

Since his arrival in San Francisco, he’d been far too busy getting settled into his new job and home to think about meeting someone new. He’d gone on a few very casual dates, but not much beyond that.

He’d grown jaded, he realized now with resignation, and had more or less given up hope that he would ever meet that one special woman – the one who would cause bells to ring and sparks to fly and his heart to sing. It was highly unlikely that such a paragon even existed – his ideal of the perfect woman. And until he was lucky enough to actually find such a woman – or be willing to compromise his ridiculously high standards and settle for less – Ian was destined to remain married solely to his job.

Chapter Nine

San Francisco, Two Years Later

Tessa looked around the room that would serve as living room, dining area, and kitchen – though the tiny cooking area with its two-burner stove, compact refrigerator, and almost complete lack of cabinet and counter space was technically more of a kitchenette. She tried to hide the dismay she was feeling as she tried to figure out how all of their furniture was going to fit into such a cramped space. Not that they had a lot of belongings, of course, but even the little they had was going to be a tight fit in such a tiny apartment.

“Um, it’s got – ah, character, I suppose,” she acknowledged in a halting voice. “The wood floors are nice, and the bay window.”

She didn’t add that the floors were scuffed and badly in need of refinishing, while the wooden window frame had several visible cracks, and she could feel the cool early autumn air seeping inside the apartment through the poorly insulated glass panes.

Peter grinned. “Come on, just say it out loud. The place is old and cramped and kind of a dump. But it is within our budget, and probably the only thing we’re going to be able to afford in this city.”

Her heart sunk a little bit more at this realization. There wasn’t even a proper bedroom, just a curtained-off alcove where their furniture would be crammed in, and a tiny closet that would barely hold their modestly-sized wardrobes. The bathroom was equally tiny, with just a shower stall and no tub, and the fixtures looked to be several decades old.

Still, the place was relatively clean, and the apartment building was located on a busy street, with restaurants, shops, and bus stops nearby. The latter was particularly important, since they had sold both of their cars just prior to moving here from Tucson. Both of the vehicles had been in dire need of major repairs, and since they had already discovered the cost of owning a car in San Francisco would be outrageously expensive, they had made the decision to rely solely on public transportation in their new home.

“Changing your mind about moving up here with me?”

Tessa glanced up in surprise at her husband’s cynically phrased question, and was quick to shake her head in denial. “No. Not in the least. I knew what I was getting into when I asked to come with you, that we’d have to downsize and make a lot of adjustments to our lifestyle. But I’m not about to change my mind, Peter. This move – it’s what both of us need. For our careers and, well, for ourselves.”

Neither of them had good memories of Tucson, and when the opportunity had presented itself to make this move to San Francisco, they had both jumped on it. After receiving his degree in journalism from the University of Arizona, Peter had struggled to find a job in his chosen field. He’d done an internship at a local newspaper, sold a few freelance articles, but had quickly realized that he would have to move out of the Southwest in order to secure the sort of job he really wanted. But after sending out resumes, networking, and applying for every possible position he could find, he’d finally been offered a job with an international news agency based in San Francisco.

“The pay is crummy, and I only get paid after an article actually sells,” he’d told Tessa, though he had barely been able to contain his excitement when telling her the news. “I’ll be based in San Francisco but spending very little time there. My territory is going to be in Asia, so I’ll be traveling to places like China, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. My travel budget is practically nonexistent, the stories I’ll be covering won’t exactly be the most scintillating, but it’s a start, Tess. More of a start than I can ever hope to get here in Tucson. And,” he’d added soberly, “it will be a chance for me to finally get out of this place. Even though I haven’t lived in my mother’s house for over five years now, the ghosts still seem to follow me everywhere I go here.”