“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

I was reaching into the fridge in my parents’ kitchen when I heard a strong, deep male voice behind me. I wasn’t sure if it was addressed to me, but I was intrigued for sure.

I popped the top off my beer, took a sip, and turned around, curious enough to engage in conversation with whoever it was.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

I tossed the man a sexy grin and raised an eyebrow. I couldn’t identify the mystery man at first glance, but he was cute as hell.

“Don’t you recognize me?” He flashed me a smile, showing off his perfect white teeth.

I took a moment to drink him in. He was tall, brooding and absolutely gorgeous. He had muscles everywhere, and I had to resist the urge to reach out and touch those bulging biceps just screaming to be squeezed.

Then it dawned on me who he was. “Holy shit! Adam?” I shrieked like a school girl.

He nodded, his eyes sparkling. “In the flesh.”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it,” I stood on my tip toes to wrap my arms around his neck. He enveloped me in a huge bear hug, lifting my feet off the ground and making me feel dainty and feminine.

I breathed in his cologne and felt a tingle between my legs that I wasn’t expecting. I drew back to take him in again.

“Wow, you really haven’t changed a bit,” I said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He playfully tossed a light punch at my arm.

“Nothing, really,” I said with a little edge of flirtatiousness in my voice. I bit my lip. “Still cute.”

His cheeks flushed. “Aw shucks, you’re embarrassing me, Chrissy. I must say though, you are not the way I remember you at all.” He stepped back to size me up.

“Yep, all grown up now.” I did a sexy twirl. “I’m not Jack’s annoying little sister anymore.”

A new voice came from behind us. “Well, let’s not go too far.”

I turned around to see my big brother Jack approaching us with a teasing grin on his face.

I stuck my tongue out at him. “You just love to taunt me, don’t you?”

“It’s what older brothers are supposed to do.” He smiled and shook Adam’s hand. “Well, look what the cat dragged in! My dad did mention something about you showing up at the party. It’s great to see you, man.”

“Great to see you too, dude,” Adam said as he gave my brother a pat on the back.

Adam had been Jack’s best friend when they were growing up. And really, Jack was right─ I had been the tagalong younger sister, always wanting to stick my nose in their business or bust them looking at a Playboy.

Even back then, I’d had an enormous crush on Adam. He’d lived across the street and mysteriously disappeared when I was fourteen. I knew it was his junior year because he was in the same class as Jack.

“Well I have to go mingle some more,” Jack said. He rolled his eyes as if getting along with family and friends was a chore.

“It is your party after all,” I said and slapped his back.

Jack was getting ready to go out on a six-month deployment to sea. I hated that he had to leave at the same time I was revving up for my summer break, but that was the way life worked sometimes.

I still had my heart set on sunbathing by the pool and lounging around while I tried to reenergize before I had to do it all over again and start my senior at a college a few hours away.

After Jack left us alone again, I looked back at Adam.

He smiled, and my heartbeat picked up. “Wanna go outside and get some fresh air?”

“Sure,” I said. I turned and led the way to the upper deck just off the kitchen.

Jimmy Buffet-ish tunes were playing through the outdoor speakers and there were several people in pool floats, and others laying on the lawn chairs.

I looked over and saw my dad at the grill, flipping burgers, talking to some middle aged guys in khakis.

I sat on the edge of the pool and dangled my legs in the water. I loved how the cool water felt rushing back and forth over my legs.

Adam sat down beside me. “To the summer,” he said and clinked his beer bottle against mine.

“To the summer.” I grinned and brushed my hair off my cheek.

We sat together in comfortable silence for a moment or two, and then I turned to face him.

“Hey, do you remember when you were on the swim team with Jack?”

I leaned in on the question, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world for my hand to land on his thigh. I met his eyes and smiled; if he thought I was going to be embarrassed by that, he was dead wrong. I wasn’t stupid; I knew I was cute, and that no straight guy in his right mind would be upset if I touched his thigh. And I was looking for any excuse to touch him.

He looked down at my hand on his leg and I felt the hard muscle clench beneath it. He didn’t object to it, and I felt the acceptance flutter in my belly. He felt it too. He glanced back up at me and my heart flipped when our eyes met.

“Yeah,” he chuckled and took a swig of his beer. “Those were the good old days.”

Were they ever, I thought. Nothing could be better than Adam in that Speedo.

I glanced up at him and his jaw twitched. He was staring out into space, apparently lost in his own thoughts, maybe about the past.

 I remembered how I used to try to sneak peeks of him in his tight small swim shorts. His package was huge back then even as a teenager, so I couldn’t even imagine how epic it probably looked today now that he was a man.

I tossed a subtle glance down at his bathing suit. His shorts were a lot longer and more casual than his streamlined Speedos, but damn, he was sexy.

“So, why did my dad think you might be at the party?” I glanced up at him and shielded my eyes from the sun, even though I was wearing sunglasses.

I was really sensitive to the sunlight, and Daddy always said it was because I had light blue eyes.  

I tossed my long blonde hair over my shoulder and looked into Adam’s eyes. They were green, almost hazel. His hair was dark and he had just the tiniest hint of stubble on his cheeks.

“Oh!” Adam held his hands out enthusiastically. “I’m going to be working with your dad now. I’ve joined his team.” Adam grinned at me.

“What?”

“Yep, I just recently got my master’s.”

“Wow,” I said, impressed. Being an undergrad was hard enough, but grad school was in my future too and I was kind of dreading it. “That’s so awesome, Adam! Congratulations!”

“Yep.” Adam kicked his feet in the water. “I picked it up in Real Estate Development.”

“Ah,” I said, the puzzle pieces finally connecting. “So you’re going to work at my dad’s firm because of it, then?”

“That’s right,” Adam said and leaned in to give me a high-five which I took, and it made a wet slapping sound as our palms hit. He grasped my hand, and the heat and strength of it shot like an arrow to my womb. I swayed toward him, but then remembered my dad, so even though I couldn’t help but sigh a little, I pulled back.

“I’m going to be taking over for Mr. Findman.” He seemed quietly satisfied and gave a subtle nod.

Screw subtlety. “Holy shit, are you serious?” My voice carried and all the khaki guys turned to look, then turned away again. “He was Dad’s top developer!”

I looked back at my dad who waved when he saw me, but his eyes narrowed when he looked at me sitting inches from his new employee.

I edged a little further away. No point irritating the man who paid the bills. “Mr. Findman actually retired this year,” Adam said.

“Yeah but still…wow.” I couldn’t believe that Dad would hire a new graduate, master’s or not. He was a hard ass─ not necessarily to me, but it was surprising.

“Well, I wish you the best of luck.” I smiled and took another sip of my beer.

“Thanks.” Adam smiled. “I start on Monday. I’m kind of nervous, because I haven’t been back here in so long.”

“Nah, you’ll do great.” I waved a hand dismissively. “There’s nothing to it.”

“Are you sure about that?” Adam looked at me as if he were trying to figure me out.

“You know, I’m finishing my junior year in college,” I said, switching topics. Pay attention to me now!

“I can’t believe it.” Adam laughed and shook his head. “Time sure does fly.”

“Whether or not you are actually having fun,” I retorted.

“True story.”

I don’t know why I didn’t recognize him immediately. I would know that face anywhere— I had thought about that face and that body all those nights I would lie in my bed, wondering where the tingling sensation in my belly was coming from and why it would slowly make its way between my legs.

I was only a kid back then, but I’d always been mature for my age.

In the very early stages of knowing him, when he first would come over to play with Jack, I would secretly watch them and wonder what it was like to get that close to him.

Hell, I’d even named my favorite Barbie and Ken dolls Chrissy and Adam, a total secret I kept from everyone else. Especially when Chrissy and Adam started playing doctor together.

I’d dreamed of a day when we’d be high school sweethearts or something, even though he was five years older. I’d fantasized about having his babies, even way back then. But then out of nowhere the rug was pulled out from under me and he disappeared into what seemed like thin air.

I’d cried myself to sleep, soaking my pillow in my tears the day I’d come home and found the For Sale sign out on the Gardners’ lawn.

Now here he was, back in my house, sitting beside me instead of Jack. We’d apparently come full circle.

“So I guess if you are going to be working with my dad, that means I will be seeing a lot of you then.” I winked at him, unable to control my flirty nature.

Adam’s eyes dipped to glance over my body. “Yeah, probably.”

“Burgers are ready!” my dad announced.

I looked at Adam. I felt a nervous energy next to him and I wasn’t sure if I had an appetite anymore. Apparently he was unaffected by it.

“You hungry?” he asked as he started to stand up.

“Um, maybe I’ll eat in a little bit.” I smiled up at him.

“Okay, well I’m going to go grab a bite,” he said. “Can I come and sit back down next to you?”

I wished he wouldn’t leave in the first place. “Sure. It would be nice to catch up some more.” I gave him a friendly smile.

When he walked away I thought about how magical it felt being next to him again. I felt the tug of chemistry and a connection to him just as I’d had a kid. I wondered if it were obvious. I hoped so— I wasn’t a mortified 12-year-old anymore. These days, I knew how to go after something I wanted.