“And if you had told me years ago, I would still be around and still be thinking you’re the best friend anyone could wish for.” I dove in for another hug and held her until she was ready to let go.

“Thanks,” she said, wiping her tears again. “I needed that.”

“You can tell me anything; I’ll never judge you.”

“I know. That’s why I love you,” Becky said, giving me the most heartfelt smile.

I’m glad we had that talk. The guilt must have been eating her up all these years. Then, I wondered if some of the things she had done that I had often questioned, was her way of coping with that guilt. The excessive drinking, going through boys like they were nothing…maybe hoping for the one that would help her forget.

It was close to midnight and tomorrow would be my first day back at work. I had promised Max I would spend the night, so after Becky headed for her room, I headed to Max’s place.

6

I FELT BETTER GETTING that off my chest last night, but I hadn’t told Jenna the whole truth. I failed to mention my roommate had killed someone else in that accident. I know she wouldn’t judge me, but that was my guilt that I needed to come to terms with.

After giving several offers to excited authors, I headed out to the mall. I needed to mail my parents’ gifts and get something especially nice for Jenna, Nicole, and Kate. There was still a week and a half left until Christmas, but I knew that the closer it got, the crazier the mall would be; limited parking spaces, long lines, and swarms of people with bad, grumpy manners.

Everywhere I looked Christmas decorations of red and green adorned the walls and doors of every store. Parents braved a seemingly endless line with their children, to take a picture with Mr. Fake Santa Claus, who looked rigid and bored. As the Christmas music resonated throughout the mall, it filled my heart with a giddy feeling, and I couldn’t help but sing along.

Entering Nordstrom, the bright colors caught my eye. A table held neatly folded cashmere scarfs lined up in rows, and more hung on a rack adjacent to the table. This was going to be easy. Thumbing through the layers, I was so excited. They were simple, solid colors, but elegant. Buying a gift I knew they would love gave me a huge thrill, and I was beyond happy that I could get the shopping out of the way this quickly.

I bought a purple one for Nicole and red for Kate, but I was indecisive for Jenna. Then a thought jolted my mind. Not only did I want to make her blush, I wanted to buy something she could use. Oh, I couldn’t wait! Holding the shopping bag with two Nordstrom boxes inside, I dashed to Victoria’s Secret.

There were so many options for sexy lingerie that it was difficult to pick just one. I finally picked a black negligee with spaghetti straps, low cut to show cle**age, with lace trim on the bottom. It was perfect. Taking it to the mirror, I draped it on my body. Yup, it would drive Max crazy seeing this on Jenna.

I was just about to put it down, when I heard a soft wolf whistle. No single man would dare come in here alone, so who was the jackass that was standing behind me when he’s already taken? I hoped his girlfriend smacked him hard.

Still looking in the mirror, I slowly lifted my eyes the length of his body, checking him out. I saw long legs, tight abs, nice biceps, and Oh God! Blistering heat flushed from my head to my toes. Mortified, I turned to him as my breath stuck in my throat, unable to meet his eyes. “Umm…Matthew…wh…what are you doing here?” I wasn’t sure how loud or soft I spoke. He stepped closer, as if he wanted me to repeat my words, or was he checking to see how red I was.

“Awww,” he pouted like a child who had just had his favorite toy taken away. “I was enjoying myself.”

His words made me blush even more, so I wanted to return the favor. I stepped forward, closing the space between us and held my bold stare. “Do you shop here often or is this your regular hang out?”

My question had no effect. Instead, he lifted the corner of his lips and gave me the most delicious, wicked grin. “Only when I get to see one of those draped on a beautiful live model.”

Did he just call me beautiful? Damn! My face felt warm again and I noted some curious customers’ eyes gazing at us. “Ummm….” I blinked and refocused. “I wasn’t buying it for me. I’m buying it for Jenna as a Christmas present.”

“Lucky Max.”

I don’t know why, but that made me giggle.

He smirked and his eyes glinted flirtatiously. “If you want, you can go try it on and show it to me. I’ll let you know if Max will like it on Jenna.”

“What? In your dreams,” I said flatly, turning away from him to pick up my pace toward the cashier.

Thankfully, there was no line so I went straight to the register. As the cashier rang me up, she kept looking behind me with a smile I knew so well. It was definitely a flirtatious smile or the kind that begged for attention. Whoever was behind me in line must have been hot for her to gush like that.

After she gave me back my credit card, I reached for the bag, but before I could grab it, someone behind me snatched it instead. As I turned to see who would take my bag, I smacked into his hard chest.

“Whoa…steady…I wasn’t going to steal it,” he said, wrapping an arm around me to keep me from falling.

I sucked in air as I dissolved into Matthew’s embrace. He was the sizzling sun and I was ice, unable to move, melting into his warmth. As my chest heaved, my knees became weak and I saw nothing but his beautiful eyes staring intently back at me, willing me to see nothing but him. Nobody else existed in our own little enclosed world. It was only a few brief seconds, but it seemed timeless until he spoke and released me.