Ashley grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Thanks, Jess. I really appreciate you being here for me.”

“Aw, of course, hon. You’d do the same for me.”

Ash smiled. “Yeah, but I won’t have to. Because you’ve found the perfect guy.”

Jess had been out on a couple of dates now with Eric and things were definitely heating up between them. And everything Jess told Ash about him showed that he seemed to adore Jess. Ash had a good feeling about the two of them.

It was tough getting up the next morning for work, after a pitcher of margaritas and staying up way later than she should have. Jess had stayed over and they’d talked half the night. Now they were both regretting the lack of sleep.

But it had been fun.

Thank heavens it was Friday already because she’d definitely be dragging by the end of the day.

Jessica had helped her forget about Dare last night, but at the office, thoughts of him plagued her, keeping her distracted and listless. Her heart still ached thinking about what might have been.

Could she really have believed that he might want to carry on a relationship with her? He’d be returning to New York at the end of the month. What did she think, he’d come visit her every weekend? She fly out there and spend time with him?

He might be able to afford to visit her all the time, but her budget wouldn’t allow her to do the same. And she couldn’t really accept him paying for her travel all the time. As much as she’d love spending weekends in fabulous New York City.

No, it had been a flawed plan all along. Not that she’d really planned it. Her heart just sort of decided it would all work out.

Her heart? Was she really falling for the guy, or was it just the lustful stirrings of her need to be dominated by someone so powerful and authoritative, so sexy and muscular?

Ah, the allure of an older man.

She leaned back in her chair and sighed. Her coffee mug caught her eye. Bold black letters proclaimed HAPPINESS IS FINISHING YOUR DAILY WORD COUNT above an image of an adorable kitten, fast asleep, with a quill pen lying between its paws. Adam had bought her that cup when she’d confessed to him that she had a secret yearning to be a novelist. He’d been super supportive and had had this mug custom made for her. Because of its constant reminder on her desk, she wrote a little bit every day, even if it was just a couple of hundred words over her lunch hour. She hadn’t finished her book yet—she constantly seemed to be revising it—but because of Adam and his encouragement, she was making progress.

Well, right now she needed a coffee. She picked up the mug and headed across the office. When she got to the small room with the coffee machine, she saw that the last person had left the pot nearly empty. She sighed and filled up a new filter with coffee grounds, then waited while the coffee dribbled into the pot.

She glanced up as someone else stepped into the room.

Adam stood there with his mug in hand.

*   *   *

As soon as Adam saw Ashley standing waiting for the coffeepot to fill, he’d stopped.

“Oh, sorry, I’ll come back later,” he said.

Damn it, he missed her. Missed their runs in the morning. Their regular night to get together to watch movies and talk. Even in the office—especially in the office—he’d felt it was important to give her space.

He really shouldn’t have come on as strongly as he had that day in his office, but he couldn’t undo what he’d done. Now he just had to wait it out to see if she’d come around. Hopefully to embrace the romantic relationship he so hoped they could forge, but even getting back to what they used to have would be a relief.

He wanted her as part of his life, at whatever level she’d allow.

He turned to walk away.

“Wait, Adam. You don’t have to go.”

He turned back and stepped into the room, taking in the welcome sight of her. But he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. The slight sag of her shoulders. She looked tired. And she seemed to be listless, tapping her fingers against her skirt.

She seemed to be uncomfortable under his gaze.

“So how are you doing?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said, but she didn’t sound fine. She sounded stressed.

The coffee stopped dripping into the full pot and she picked it up to fill her cup. Another drip splashed on the burner, sizzling softly when it hit the hot metal.

She filled her cup then held up the pot, offering to fill his. He held it out and she poured in the hot coffee.

“Thanks,” he said.

She nodded, then turned to grab a milk carton from the fridge. It was unopened and she unfastened the cap and then tugged on the plastic ring of the seal inside. She seemed to be having trouble, then it pulled out and she spilled milk on her skirt.

“Oh, damn.” She grabbed a paper towel and started to wipe it up.

“You okay?” Adam asked.

She seemed upset and definitely off her game.

“I’m fine.” She poured milk into her coffee then sealed it and put it back in the fridge. “I’m just a bit off today.”

He wanted to ask if it was because of him. Did being around him make her this nervous? Or was it something else? If something had happened … he wished she felt comfortable talking to him. They’d always shared things before and this distance between them was killing him.

“You know that if you need anything … or you just need to talk … I’m here for you.”

*   *   *

Ashley’s heart thumped in her chest. Adam was always there for her. She knew that. But she couldn’t talk to him about this. Cry on his shoulder because another man had dumped her. Not when he’d professed his feelings for her.

And if she did tell him, would he jump on the chance to convince her to be with him? And if he did, how hard would it be for him to convince her? When she felt so rejected and fragile? So needy of a man believing she was special?

She knew she could step into his arms and he’d hold her. Tell her everything would be all right. He would tell her how important she was. How much he cared for her. How he always had.

And she would love it. She would give in and succumb to her attraction for him.

But would that be fair to him? Sure, she’d been attracted to Adam for a long time, but she didn’t know where it would go. Or if it would last. What if it ended and their friendship along with it?

But mostly it wouldn’t be fair to him because she still had feelings for Dare. And that was no way to start a relationship with Adam.

She stared down at the steam rising from her cup in a slow coiling cloud and nodded.

“I know. Thanks, but I’m fine.”

*   *   *

But Ashley was far from fine. She pushed open the door to her apartment and walked inside, dropping her briefcase on the floor beside her. She walked to the couch and slumped down, then pulled off her shoes and tossed them across the room toward the entrance, not caring that they landed several feet short, forming a misshapen mess.

She was tired, and lonely. And she missed Dare.

And Adam.

God, when he’d come into the coffee room and offered to be there for her if she wanted to talk … She had so much wanted to take him up on it.

She so much wanted to step into his arms and be held.

She scraped her hair back from her face and rested her head back on the couch. Damn, she had to get a grip.

The phone rang. Thank God.

She snatched up the handset. “Hello?”

“Hi,” Jessica said. “I thought I’d check in on you. How are you doing?”

“Oh, God. Adam talked to me today. Said I could talk to him if I needed to.”

“You told him Dare broke up with you?”

“No, he just knew something was wrong.”

“He’s a really great guy.”

“Yes, he is. But I’m not calling him.” She knew that’s what Jessica was trying to get her to do.

“So text him.”

“Jess…”

“Look, whatever you want to do, but you know I’ve always thought the two of you would be great together.”