My personal life is off-limits. Even Will doesn’t know why I left after high school graduation or why it took me five years to come back to Philadelphia. When it comes to my family, there’s nothing but drama. At least my father isn’t around anymore to torment me. Our lives are simpler now that he’s gone, but his absence doesn’t take away the rest of my pain, the constant nagging that brews inside my chest on a daily basis.

After the interview ends, I leave the Wells Fargo Center with Will, pulling my collar up when the cold touches my neck. It’s still bitter in Philly, a little colder than what I’ve become accustomed to over the years of living in the city.

“We should do something nice for Mia.” Will holds up the key fob in his hand and clicks the button to unlock the doors. “Why don’t we stop by the grocery store on the way back to her place so we can make her dinner?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You don’t know how to cook.”

He opens the door to his black BMW M2 and looks across the hood at me. “Maybe not but you do.”

I shake my head at him. “Bastard.”

“Hey, you wanted to stay with my sister. The least you can do is show off those culinary skills while you’re crashing on her couch.”

We get inside the car, and Will pushes the button for the ignition, a steady stream of cold air blowing through the vents.

“It wasn’t my idea to stay with her,” I counter, getting comfortable in my chair.

These stupid racing seats are not meant for men who are six foot four and weigh two hundred twenty pounds. I stretch out my legs and buckle my seat belt.

“You asked me to call Mia. My first thought was to rent a hotel room for the night, but you had a hard-on to stay with Mia.”

I cross my arms over my chest, annoyed. “That’s not how it went down. I only suggested you call her so we could meet up with those girls without having to deal with moving our shit. We were both tired from being on the road. Don’t act like you wanted to bother with any of it.”

Will drives off the lot at the Wells Fargo Center and heads toward Broad Street. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter where we sleep, anyway. Since we don’t have to work, you can cook for us tonight. Knowing Mia, she won’t eat unless we fill her fridge with food.”

“She has always been stubborn.”

“She gets it from our mom,” Will says, as he crosses Broad Street.

“Where are we going? The supermarket is in the opposite direction.”

“I’m stopping at the butcher. Mia likes the veal from the Italian place over here.”

“I take it I’m making veal Parm for dinner.”

He nods. “Mia will love it. She’s getting too skinny. She needs a decent meal. I think she lives off bags of junk food, tap water, and the free coffee she gets from work.”

I feel this odd sense of responsibility for Mia. If my circumstances had been different ten years ago, I would have taken care of her. I wouldn’t have run away to deal with the mess I’d made. Now, she hates me. I can’t say that I blame her one bit. I would hate me, too. And I deserve every ounce of Mia’s anger.

I glance out the window as we drive through South Philly. “We shouldn’t go out tonight. I still have a hangover.”

“Since when do you turn down a chance to party? You don’t have to drink. We have to get my sister out of the house. If Mia’s not working, she sits at home and watches movies or reads old newspaper articles. That’s not normal for someone her age.”

“No, that’s definitely not normal. But Mia is a big girl. She can take care of herself.”

Will parallel parks in front of a butcher shop and turns off the engine. He glances over at me, frustrated not with me but with his sister. “You saw for yourself how well she’s taking care of herself. Her job pays shit, and she refuses to take any money from me. That girl has too much pride. The least we can do while we’re staying with her is feed her and show her a good time.”

I could show her a good time all right.

“Don’t do that.” Will points at me with a disapproving expression on his face. “You have that creepy look about you like you’re up to no good.”

I want his sister under me, on top of me, on her knees, and in my bed. Yeah, I’d say that counts as being up to no good. Will would kill me for having these thoughts about Mia, but I can control myself. Maybe staying with her was a horrible idea. We should find another place to live. But maybe this is a fresh start for Mia and me. There are a whole lot of maybes in my head.

“Nope.” I wink. “I’m down with the plan. Let’s show Mia some fun.”

* * *

Unlike my luxury apartment that overlooks the Camden Waterfront, Mia’s place is a three-floor walk-up in the middle of Center City. The entire building smells of the Chinese food that wafts up the stairs from the restaurant on the ground floor, mixing with the delicious scent of my Italian cooking.

As I open the oven door to check on the veal, I hear Mia drop her keys in the hallway, cursing to herself. I can’t help but laugh.

A few seconds later, Mia comes crashing through the front door and throws the grungy looking messenger bag she carries everywhere on the floor.

She tips her nose up to the ceiling, her eyes wide as she glances over at me. “You’re cooking dinner? Wow!”

“Why do you seem so surprised?”

“I had no idea you still cooked. I figured by now you would have a personal chef make your meals since you’re rich.”

She walks into the kitchen and hops up on the counter, surveying my body. Either she doesn’t care that she’s blatantly checking me out or she doesn’t realize she’s doing it. Will would have a stroke if he saw the way we are looking at each other right now.

“I’m full of surprises, Princess.” I wink at her and then turn around to stir the sauce in the pot.

The scent of herbs and spices assaults my senses, causing my stomach to growl. All I had to eat was the mini sandwiches the team had laid out for the interview.

Mia scoots closer to the stove and looks down at the stove. “It smells amazing. I can’t even remember the last time I had food that didn’t come from a bag or the Chinese place downstairs.”

“I figured as much. This dinner was Will’s idea. You can thank him for taking pity on you.”

She snorts. “I don’t want your sympathy. I live the way I do by choice, thank you very much. Food is overrated and so are hot men who can cook.”

“Don’t let Will hear you say that.” I raise the wooden spoon from the pot and blow on it before putting it in front of Mia’s mouth. “Taste it.”

At first, she seems apprehensive, but she follows my order. Good girl.

“Mmm…This is amazing.” Mia licks the remaining specks of sauce from her lips.

She draws more of my attention to her mouth, her tongue, and her luscious lips. Then, I start thinking of what her lips would feel like wrapped around my cock and have to stop myself from getting a boner in her kitchen. With Will in the shower and only ten feet away from us, I have to keep my head in the game.

Mia leans forward with her eyes fixed on me. “So, what are you making me?”

“Spaghetti, veal Parm, and fresh garlic bread.”

She smiles so wide that my expression mirrors her, my cheeks hurting from how much I am smiling.

“Ethan Waters made me dinner. I’ve never had a man make a meal for me.”

“Don’t read too much into it.”

“Still, this has got to be a big deal for you. My co-worker will flip out when I tell her about this. I think she has a crush on you.”

“Most women do,” I deadpan.

She laughs and points a finger at her chest. “Not this one.”

I drop the spoon on the stove and pull her thighs apart so that I can move between them. Sliding my hands up her legs, I take my time, careful not to take things too far. I lean forward and place my palms on the counter on both sides of Mia, laughing on the inside as she sucks in a deep breath. She holds it and waits for what seems like a minute to exhale.

Even beneath her sweater, I can see her nipples harden, the tiny buds poking through the thin fabric. If I had to guess, her panties are wet right now. She’s close to panting when I move closer as if I’m going to kiss her. I consider making a move until the bathroom door opens, banging against the wall in the process.

Will pads down the hall and closes the spare bedroom door behind him. Thankfully, he didn’t catch us. I was so close to following through on what I had left unfinished years ago.

I want her. I need her. But I can’t have her.

I bend down and whisper into her ear, my breath on her skin causing her body to tense up. “You were saying, Princess.”

We engage in a staring contest, my dick getting harder as she brushes her fingers down my arm. She rolls her tongue over her bottom lip so slowly that I can’t stop myself from mimicking her movements.

“I think your sauce is burning,” Mia says, tilting her head to the saucepan that’s bubbling over.

I grab the wooden spoon from the cooktop, lift the rattling lid, and stir the sauce until it simmers down.

“You are too distracting,” I confess, removing the spaghetti and sauce from the hot burners. “Can you do me a favor and set the table? It’s time to eat.”

Mia slides off the counter and bumps into the spoon in my hand, splashing sauce down the front of my shirt. She grips my shirt in her hands, staring down at the stains with her mouth wide open.

“I am so sorry, Ethan.” She wets a dishtowel and dabs at the spots. “Let me fix it. I can get this out for you. Take your shirt off.”

“You know there are other ways to get me naked,” I whisper into her ear, so low there’s no way Will can hear me.

Mia stills, barely breathing.

“Is it time to eat yet or what?” Will comes up from behind us and pulls out a chair at the four-seater kitchen table, the legs scratching loudly on the tile.

“Almost.” I begin unbuttoning my shirt, and Mia attempts to help me, our fingers colliding at the same time. Her touch sends a prick of electricity along my skin.

“Good.” Will stares down at the cell phone in his hand, laughing at whatever’s on the screen. “Hurry up, Chef Boyardee. I’m fucking starving.”

I ignore Will’s comment.

Ever since we moved into the apartment together, I have done all the cooking. Will does the cleaning even though he’s shitty at it. Our arrangement works for us, but living together with Mia is another story. Part of me feels as though I am a horrible friend for wanting to fuck Mia. I guess I am. I have always harbored guilt over wanting Mia.

But is it that wrong to have these desires for Mia? She’s beautiful, smart, strong-willed, and passionate. What man wouldn’t want her? I’d be a fool not to. The fact she’s still single amazes me. If I could, I would be with Mia in a heartbeat.

Staring into each other’s eyes, we both suck in a deep breath and let it out. With Will two feet away from us, we have to break away from each other. Mia doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of her being my best friend’s younger sister. Or maybe she does and could care less. The hormones in the room are too strong for either of us deny. So, I make the first move and step back from Mia, shaking her hands-free from the buttons.

Mia turns on her heel, as if embarrassed. It’s not until I see her move in the direction of the laundry room that I realize she wants me to follow her.

“I have to change my shirt,” I tell Will. “Give me a few, and then we’ll eat.”

He nods, preoccupied with the message he’s typing out on his phone. “Sounds good, man.”

Being in the same room with Mia and Will, the room feels small, too crowded. Even though I shouldn’t like Mia, I do. A long time ago, I shared a part of myself with Mia. I was so close to telling her the reason I moved back to Boston until my father ordered me to leave right after my graduation party. I keep parts of my life hidden from the world, some of them buried so deep even the reporters haven’t discovered the truth.

When I used to meet Mia on the swings in her backyard, it was the first time I’d wanted to talk to someone about my past. Everything is the same yet the complete opposite of what we used to have with each other.

I find Mia in the laundry room with her back facing me, reaching up on her tippy toes to grab a bottle of stain remover from the shelf. After I unbutton my shirt and slide it over my shoulders, I move behind Mia and press my hip into hers, causing her to gasp.

I set the shirt on the washing machine in front of her. “It’s all yours, little lamb.”

She bumps her ass into my thigh and spins around so that we are facing. “Are you going to keep doing this to me every chance you get?”

“I’m not doing anything,” I lie.

Her breath hitches when I lean in, and she doesn’t pull away from me. Our mouths are only a few inches apart, our eyes locked and aware of the sexual tension between us. I watch as the panic scrolls across her face, unsure of how she wants to handle this situation.

Neither of us can deny the connection we share. I think Mia wants me to kiss her. But I can’t. Can I?

Will, why do you have to be in the other room? Fuck.

I move my hands to both sides of Mia, pinning her down with my body. She leans back against the washing machine, as I grow harder against her thigh. As much as she wants to escape me, she can’t stop herself from closing her eyes and inviting me to kiss her. Mia wants this as much as I do.

I dip down to brush my lips against hers, lightly touching her, and she moans, softly. A tiny smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. Having this kind of power over Mia gets the blood pumping, a high, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. When I move my mouth from hers, she opens her eyes, full of fire and desire.

“Ethan, what are you doing?” Mia chokes out, her breathing erratic. “Will could walk in here any minute.”

“But he didn’t,” I point out.

She turns around and shakes her head as if she’s angry with herself. “You should put dinner on the table before Will comes looking for us. You know how he gets when he’s hungry. I will be there in a few.”

“Right. I’ll leave you to it then. Thanks, Mia.”

“You’re welcome,” she mutters. “Thanks for making me dinner. Most of the time, you are an ass, but sometimes, I see a glimmer of the boy I once knew in there.”

I move away from Mia, hanging in the doorway for a few seconds so that I can watch her in action. She rubs detergent into the fabric, oblivious that I’m still in the room with her. Thinking over her words, I channel the person I once was with Mia.

“Tell me something good,” I say.

She stops moving and glances over her shoulder at me. “What if I want to start with my something bad?”

I smile at her. “Tonight, I only want to hear your something good.”

She grins so wide it reaches up into her blue eyes. “It just happened a minute ago. You were always my something good.”

It takes every ounce of energy I have inside me not to close the distance between us and give Mia the kiss I have wanted to give her for years. Instead, I decide to leave her with something better.

“You were mine, too,” I admit.

It’s the truth.

Her face glows with happiness, and I’m glad that for once I can give it to her, even if it won’t last long.

Mia was my ray of sunshine during the darkest days with my father. Too bad I have to walk away as if this never happened. How can I act normal around Will when every feeling I ever had for Mia comes to the surface every time she’s in the same room as me?

We need distance. So, I do the right thing and walk out of the room without another word, wishing Mia wasn’t my best friend’s little sister.