“Would you like some soup now?” he asked, testing the temperature of the container with his hand. “It’s still slightly warm.”

I nodded and started to stand up. Some hot soup sounded appealing for my sore throat.

“Sit down!” he insisted. “I’m pretty sure I can figure out how to use your microwave.”

My eyes traveled to watch his incredible body and his nice ass walk towards my kitchen. I covered my eyes and rubbed my face to banish the thoughts. I had to get him out of my apartment – as soon as possible. Then another thought flashed through my mind. This wasn’t just my apartment anymore. This apartment was a home that I chose to share with Ryan; a home where we were living together in happiness and where no other man should be standing.

“Careful, it may be too hot now,” Kyle cautioned, handing a mug of soup to me.

“Thanks,” my voice strained as I set the cup down on the table. “Kyle? I appreciate all of this, but why… why are you here?”

“What, we’re not allowed to be friends?” he quickly replied.

I thought about his question for a moment and replied with one of my own. “If your girlfriend was traveling out of town for work, do you think she’d appreciate another woman being in her home while she was gone?”

“What does that have to do with us being friends?” he countered.

As sick as I felt, I still wasn’t falling for his bullshit. “I don’t think you’re here because you want to just be friends.”

“You think I have some ulterior motive?” Kyle questioned my glare.

“Please!” I squeaked. “You’re a man; you have a pulse. Don’t question my intelligence.” I wiped my snotty nose with a tissue, hoping that would discourage his thoughts even more.

“All right. To tell you the truth, when I saw that you were flying home alone I thought that maybe you and pretty boy broke up. I mean, you’ve got to admit that being with him definitely has its drawbacks!”

His little dig on Ryan really irritated me.

“Oh, and I suppose things would be a lot better for me if I was dating someone else? Someone like you perhaps?” I hoped my tone was sarcastic enough.

“Your life would be a hell of a lot more private, that’s for sure! No cameras, no photographers, no fanatics.” He tossed a pack of crackers over to me.

“Wait. Let me see if I got this straight. So instead of being with someone like Ryan, who is trying to do everything possible to shield me from danger, you’re saying I’d be better off with someone like you, who willingly risks his own life every day to put himself in front of danger to protect complete strangers. Is that right?”

He looked away and then a little cocky smile appeared on his lips. “You’ve at least thought about it. That’s a good start. And I would protect you a hell of a lot better than he would. Besides, being with me doesn’t come with risk.”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself. You are the one who’s forcing me to compare the two of you. And to tell you the truth, there is no comparison.” I got up from the couch, irritated now by his presence.

“Kyle, I appreciate the soup and the kindness, but we can’t be friends.”

He crossed his foot up on his knee, getting even more comfortable in the chair. “Why not?”

“Because you don’t want just a friendship!” I scornfully stated the obvious. “Kyle, I love Ryan. I have committed my heart to him.” I picked up Kyle’s coat. “I’m sorry, but I think it’s time for you to leave now.”

“That’s a shame. You’ll never know what could have been.” I noticed he didn’t even attempt to get up. “You’re not married to the guy, and I don’t see a ring on your finger, so the way I see it, you’re still available.”

“Available? Did you not just hear what I said?” I was no longer just irritated; I was starting to get angry now.

“I heard you,” he muttered. “I also know that it won’t be long before he screws up and cheats on you. They all do eventually. He’s not the first actor I’ve had to watch over. You’d be surprised to know the great lengths they go through to keep their little affairs hidden. Even the married ones screw around.”

“Oh and I suppose if I was dating you, you’d be totally different from that. You’d never cheat on me.” I laughed mockingly.

“No, I wouldn’t. And if you were with me, I’d only take local assignments so I wouldn’t have to travel and be away from you,” he continued. “There would be no reason for you to ever doubt me.”

“I have no reason to doubt Ryan either. You’re a man, he’s a man; either it’s in your nature to cheat or it’s not.” My throat felt like I’d been swallowing razorblades and I was starting to run a fever again. It was time for him to go.

“And I can tell you, Kyle, that it’s not in my nature to cheat either. I love Ryan. That’s all you need to know. Now if you don’t mind, I’d really like to rest.” I shook his coat in my hand so he’d get the message.

He stopped to look at me before taking his coat from my hand. “I’ll be watching and waiting. You’re an intelligent woman. You’ll come to your senses soon enough.”

His assuredness was getting a bit creepy.

I was glad when he finally left. I watched him walk halfway down the alley to make sure he was leaving before locking up and setting the alarm.

Back in my apartment, I picked up my cell and hit the first entry in my phone book. It was time to come clean with Ryan.

By Monday my cold had morphed into something altogether more atrocious and wicked. The pain in my sinuses and chest was almost unbearable and I could not stop coughing. My ribs and stomach muscles hurt badly from all the hacking and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Marie helped me into her car which was parked by the back door. I was relieved just knowing I would be seeing a doctor today.

“I told Ryan about Kyle,” I whispered between coughing up lung tissue.

She looked at me, waiting for my further explanation.

“He was livid.” I wiped my nose. “But then after he calmed down he was glad that I told him. He doesn’t know everything though. I spared him some of the details.”

“What details?” she asked, patting me on the back as I coughed severely.

I shrugged, not knowing how to say it. “Kyle pretty much said that I’d be better off with him instead of being with Ryan.”