I wake up just before dawn to see the light on in our walk-in closet. Shane’s undoubtedly getting dressed for work. As he comes out of the closet dressed in his suit and tie, I admire the fine picture he makes standing in front of our dresser as he puts on his Rolex and pockets his keys and phone.

“Good morning,” he says, catching my reflection in the mirror. “Did you sleep well?”

I yawn and stretch like a cat, still drowsy and looking forward to falling back to sleep. It’s still dark outside our penthouse windows, and that means I’m not about to get up. “Mm-hmm.”

He chuckles. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He walks to my side of the bed and leans down for a sweet, languid kiss. His warm fingers brush the hair back from my face. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart. I’m sorry I woke you. I’ll see you this evening after work.”

“Have a good day,” I murmur, half asleep already. “I’ll miss you.”

He kisses me one last time. “I’ll miss you too.”

I smile as he quietly closes the door behind him. We sound so domestic, like an old married couple.

* * *

When my alarm goes off at seven-fifteen, I awake and stretch. Sam will be here in less than an hour to pick me up for work, but I’m finding it difficult to muster the energy to haul myself out of bed and into the bathroom to get ready. I don’t know why I’ve been so tired lately. I should eat better and start exercising. Maybe that will help.

I feel like I’m moving in slow motion as I clean up and get dressed for work. Finally, running a few minutes late, I rush out to the kitchen, pulling on my sandals as I go.

“Sorry I’m late,” I say, breathless.

Cooper smiles at me from his station in front of the stove. “No problem. I’ve got your breakfast right here, still warm.”

I take a seat at the breakfast bar, and he sets a plate of food in front of me. Then he pours me a cup of coffee, adding just the right amount of cream and sugar. Cooper spoils me to death, no matter how many times I tell him he doesn’t need to.

“Thank you,” I say. “This looks delicious.”

“My pleasure, kiddo.”

I’m eating as fast as I can while I check my phone for messages. There’s one from Lia, thanking me for stopping by her place last night. And another one from Erin, asking me if I’m okay.

It’s five minutes before eight, which means Sam will be here any minute to pick me up for work.

I still don’t have much of an appetite, but I manage to finish my eggs and bacon and coffee.

I glance up at Cooper, who’s putting the dirty pans into a sink full of warm, soapy water to soak. “You were out late last night,” I say, trying to sound casual. I watch for his reaction, which is pretty much nonexistent.

He turns to face me. “Yeah, I guess I was.”

“Were you out on a date? Is he anyone I know?”

Cooper is so private, so tight-lipped about his love life. I know he’s old school, partly because he’s a generation older than me, at the ripe old age of 54. When it comes to his love life, he’s still very much in that don’t ask, don’t tell mode after having served in the military. But times have changed. Surely he knows I won’t judge him for his sexual orientation. I love him – he’s like a father to me. And since my real father died when I was a baby, I need Cooper.

Cooper dries his hands on a hand towel and crosses his muscular arms over his chest, looking almost defensive. “I had a good time, thanks for asking.”

I roll my eyes at him. “That’s not exactly what I asked. I want details. Who’s the lucky guy? Come on, dish!”

He raises his eyebrow. “I don’t kiss and tell, kiddo. I’m sorry, but that’s all I’ve got for you.”

“If I were dating someone, I’d want to talk about it. I mean, I am with Shane, of course. I just meant I wouldn’t want to keep it to myself. I’d want to talk about him, at least with my friends. You can tell me absolutely anything, you know.”

He smiles as he pours fresh coffee into my cup, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “I know, honey,” he says, stirring in cream and sugar. “And I appreciate it. I really do. But I’m just not a kiss-and-tell kind of guy.”

The elevator dings, and a moment later Sam saunters through the foyer door looking like a rebel today, with his ripped jeans and chunky black boots. Over top of his graphic T-shirt is a lightweight black leather jacket that I know conceals the gun holster. His hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and he’s got a fresh undercut. Sam’s twenty-eight, a former Army Ranger thanks to a parachuting accident and twelve broken bones, but he looks far more like a street punk at the moment than ex-military.

“Hi, Sam,” I call out as he walks into the kitchen. “You got a haircut.”

“Hey, Beth.” He smiles at me. “Sorry I’m late. And yeah, I got the sides trimmed yesterday.”

“It looks good. And no problem, I’m running a little late today too.”

Sam eyes Cooper and gives him a discrete nod. “Cooper.”

Cooper nods back. “Sam.”

Sam frowns, and then his gaze darts away from Cooper. I wonder what that exchange was all about. Why so aloof?

“Ready to go?” Sam says, his eyes fixed on me.

I hop down from my barstool. “Yes. Just let me brush my teeth. I’ll be right back.”

When I return to the kitchen, Sam’s gone.

“He’s waiting for you in the foyer,” Cooper says, clearing away my dishes. “Go on, don’t keep the boy waiting.”

“Boy?” I laugh. “He’s twenty-eight, Cooper. I’d hardly call him a boy.” I give Cooper a hug. “Thanks for breakfast.”

He reciprocates by giving me a light squeeze. “You’re very welcome, honey.”

As I head into the foyer, I find Sam pacing in front of the elevator. When he sees me, he stabs the elevator call button with way more force than necessary.

“Is everything okay?” I say.

He shrugs. “Sure. Fine. Why?”

“You seem a little off this morning, that’s all.”

“I’m tired. I didn’t sleep much last night.”

The elevator deposits us quickly at the main lobby, and as the doors open and Sam steps out ahead of me, I notice a dark bruise on the side of his neck, just beneath his ear. My heart skips a beat when I realize what I’m looking at. I know a hickey when I see one. I should know, Shane is fond of hiding them on my body. I’m tempted to ask him about it, but it’s really none of my business, and I’ve done enough prying into people’s love lives for one morning. So I let it pass. If he’s seeing someone, he’ll tell me when he’s ready.

When we step outside, I pull my jacket close to ward off the cool fall air. The trees outside the apartment building are losing the last of their leaves, and the ground is covered with crunchy bits of red, yellow, and orange. It’s hard to believe that winter is only a few weeks away now.

I feel a delicious sense of anticipation. Shane’s parents will be home from Italy soon, and we have a wedding to plan.

The concierge flags the next taxi in the queue, and when it pulls up to the door, Sam opens the rear car door for me to slide in to the back seat. He slips in beside me, and we’re off.

I glance at him and can’t help smiling when I catch sight of his little love bite. He must know I’ve seen it because his fingers come up to touch the spot.

“Don’t ask, okay?” he says, frowning.

“Okay.”

I reach for his hand, and he squeezes mine gently. He attempts a smile, but I’m not fooled. He’s far from happy. I just wish I knew why.