I can’t tell if it’s Kyle or Jeremy. “Hey . . . It’s Piper.”

There’s a long stretch of silence.

And then a buzz and a click sound, as the interior door unlocks.

I give the taxi the thumbs-up and then head in.

The interior is attractive—trendier than some of the family-friendly ones in the area. There is a small cubby to my right where a security guard would sit, but it’s empty. I’m not surprised. We’re in the suburbs, a generally safe and quiet area. Most condo boards have opted for security camera systems and part-time staff to save on budget.

I clutch my purse to my side as I ride the elevator up to the seventh floor, my stomach a fluttering mess of nerves. I’m more nervous for this than I have been for any board meeting or investor presentation I’ve lived through. Maybe it’s because this is personal; the end result means everything to me.

When I round the bend in the hall, Kyle is waiting for me, leaning against the door frame, barefoot and wearing track pants and a plain white T-shirt that clings to his torso without being too tight. His hair is damp and pushed back, reminding me of afternoons in the lake, when he’d slide a hand through it to keep it from falling onto his forehead.

He watches me approach, his eyes drifting over my outfit—a casual navy-blue-and-white striped cotton jersey dress that hugs my curves and makes me think of warm summer days at Martha’s Vineyard.

“You found me,” he murmurs with a crooked smile.

“Jeremy was right. It’s easy to remember.” I stop just in front of him and inhale the scent of soap and cologne that wafts around him. “You smell good.”

“I was just getting out of the shower when you buzzed.”

Thoughts of Kyle answering my call in nothing but a towel hit me, and heat begins crawling along my skin. “It’s okay that I’ve surprised you like this?”

“Yes.” Not a hint of a waver in his voice.

An electric charge is building between us. His deep inhale tells me he feels it, too.

“Come in,” he murmurs, gesturing with an inviting hand. He closes the door softly behind us.

It’s a modestly sized but nice place—with an all-white galley kitchen and floor-to-ceiling windows off the living room, letting in plenty of light. Sliding frosted glass doors on either side lead to two bedrooms, where neither bed is made.

“Where’s your brother?”

“Out with some new friends.”

“Sounds like he’s settling in well.”

“He does well anywhere. He’s a social guy.”

“You were a social guy.”

“Why are you here, Piper?” Kyle’s gaze drifts to my mouth.

He knows exactly why I’m here.

Swallowing my anticipation, I reach into my purse. “I just happened to be out shopping earlier and look what I found.” I hold up a fistful of cherry and razz apple flavored Fun Dips—ten packs in total, which took visits to five different convenience stores before I found them.

Kyle grins. “I haven’t had one of those since Wawa.”

“Me neither. So I was thinking it was time for a little game of two truths and a lie.”

“Fine.” His eyes settle on mine, suddenly serious. “You go first.”

Okay. I take a deep breath. “I didn’t really need a gel pen on Saturday night.”

He chuckles and I feel the sound deep in my chest.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you came to Lennox.” I hazard a reach up, to skate my fingers over his cheek. “And I will jump off any cliff you ask me to, no matter how frightened I am, as long as it means you’re waiting for me at the bottom.” I let my hand fall to his shoulder and my thumb drag along his bare collarbone, reveling in the heat of his skin. “What’s my lie, Kyle?”

He swallows hard. “That’s a trick question.”

Because they’re all truths.

“You always were too good for this game.”

“My turn.” He steps forward, guiding me backward until my back hits the door. “I knew you didn’t really come back for a pen.” His hands find my hips. “I’ve measured every girl I’ve dated since Wawa against you and they’ve all failed miserably.” His golden eyes lock on my mouth. “And I’m an idiot for being too scared to do this.” My head hits the door as his lips crash into mine, but I don’t feel the throb, meeting his mouth with my own fervor, as thirteen years of pent-up pain, love, and lust releases between us. Our hands roam urgently—tugging at clothing, learning new curves, reveling in each other’s familiar heat—as if we have only minutes to accomplish all that we want to do.

He breaks free long enough to reach back and yank his T-shirt over his head, tossing it to the hardwood floor, and then his lips are on me again—on my mouth, my throat, my collarbone, his warm breath trailing along my skin.

My fingernails drag over his shoulders and my eyes shut, as I revel in the feel of both new and old.

I barely notice Kyle pushing the straps of my dress off my shoulders, and then the material is pooling at my ankles and I’m stepping out of it. He wastes no time peeling off the rest and, within minutes of stepping into this condo, I’m still at the front door but I’m naked. His skin is hot against mine as he pulls me into his arms, our bodies smashed together.

I don’t hesitate, sliding my fingers beneath the elastic band of his track pants and easing them down over his hips, momentarily surprised by the lack of boxers beneath, but quickly distracted when his pants hit the floor.

“I never thought we’d be doing this again.” He grabs the back of my thighs and hoists me up into his arms, guiding my legs around his hips. The door is cool against my bare back as he presses me into it once again, his mouth dipping down to wrap around a pebbled nipple this time, sending shivers skittering to my core.

“I don’t think we ever did this,” I manage to get out around a soft moan, his hard length pressing against me, my body aching to feel all of it. Everything back then seemed so new and tentative. I remember a lot of fumbling, a lot of nervousness; a lot of Kyle hesitating, not wanting to pressure or rush me.

While this moment with Kyle is also uncharted territory, there’s nothing tentative about him letting me know what he wants.

And I’m perfectly fine with giving it to him, except for the fact that he has a brother who may come home at any minute.

“Your bedroom. Now,” I demand, my arms linked around his neck, my lips against his ear.

His mouth is still on me as he carries me to the room on the right, groping blindly for the door handle to slide the door shut before falling into bed on top of me. “I’ve thought about doing this every morning you walked in through the front doors.”

“Even while you were ignoring me?” I tease, my fingers curling through his damp hair, sending it into disarray as he grinds his hips against mine.

“Especially then.” His teeth skate across my neck as his mouth edges downward, his arms braced on either side of me, the muscles in his broad shoulders straining beautifully as he lifts and holds himself over me, his eyes taking a long, leisurely look downward, over my naked body beneath him.

I follow suit, reaching down to grip him, parting my legs in an inviting way.