“So, this is the apartment.” She waved her hands around the living room. The large window on the far wall looked out onto the street. A decent view, she imagined, from higher up in the building. The furniture, although nice, wasn’t a matching set like in Brecken’s apartment. These pieces had come from clearance sales, homes she’d organized, and weekend estate sale finds.

“My father insisted I live somewhere with a doorman for security, so he covers half the cost,” she admitted, not that she needed to explain her living situation. She just wanted to fill the silence. “Michael’s room is on that side, and mine is over there,” she said, pointing to each far side of the apartment and his eyes followed. “The living room and kitchen separate our rooms. Michael snores terribly, so I had to find an apartment that didn’t share a wall.”

“I do not. You shouldn’t talk about me when I’m in the other room and not capable of defending myself.” Michael appeared from his side of the apartment, running a towel over his wet hair. He smiled at her and extended a hand to Brecken. “Good to see you again, man.”

Brecken nodded a bit formally, and her stomach dropped. If Michael and Brecken couldn’t sit and be comfortable around each other, then things with Brecken would never work. She needed Michael in her life. More than that, she wanted any man she dated to mesh well with her best friend. Michael was family, and boyfriends didn’t get priority over family, but she was all too painfully aware as the situation stalked uncomfortably around her that she wanted Brecken in her life, too.

“You want a drink?” Michael asked as he headed to the fridge. He pulled out a Coors and twisted the cap off. He grabbed another and held it up in the air as a silent offering.

Pretending to busy herself around the apartment, she avoided eye contact with Brecken. She silently hoped he could find a way to sit and have a beer with Michael like they were old friends or at least new friends.

She relaxed and let out a breath of relief when Brecken finally responded. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

Brecken took the offered bottle and they all settled into the living room. Michael turned the channel to a poker tournament, which had the conversation turning to the finer points of Texas Hold’em. The players, the announcers, the game, the probability—January tuned out somewhere around their critique of the announcers and focused on Michael and Brecken. They had more in common than she had originally thought. Not only were they both smart businessmen but they also shared at least three common interests: beer, poker, and her.

Satisfied that they weren’t going to get into some testosterone driven pissing contest about something, she slipped from the room to get ready for dinner. She sifted through the clothes in her walk-in closet, her absolute favorite feature of the apartment, moving quickly to the back where her nicest dresses were kept. Most of the dresses came with her from Chicago, the other few expensive dresses hidden away were bought for her so she could accompany her father to fundraiser events.

She frowned as she picked through the clothes. Nothing felt right. These were certainly the types of dresses Brecken was accustomed to women wearing on dates, but they weren’t her. She had decided that the dark blue dress with a sweetheart neckline was the best option for the occasion and the least likely to make her break out in hives when the dress behind it fell to the ground. Reaching down to pick up the fallen garment, her fingers grazed against the silk, leopard print fabric and her lips pulled into a smile. It was perfect. Under any other circumstance, it would not be something she’d pick for a second date, but after their day together, it seemed completely on par with his status quo.

When she emerged almost an hour later, the boys were right where she’d left them, but Brecken looked more relaxed. A beer in one hand, his other thrown over the back of the couch, his suit jacket was off and his tie had been loosened. He tipped his head back and laughed at something Michael said before glancing her way, their eyes locking. January stepped into the living room as he stood and slid his gaze slowly down her body and then back up before he reached for his suit jacket without taking his eyes off her.

Michael glanced over at her and did a double take. “Wow, Jan. Nice dress.” He chuckled and tipped his head to the side with a curious stare.

Brecken slipped his jacket on and fixed his tie, eyes still not leaving her. “Yes, wow,” he uttered as he pulled her tightly against his hip.

“Where are you two going tonight?” Michael asked, turning the volume on the television down.

Looking to Brecken, she waited for him to spill the plans.

“Artemisia. It’s a little dive Greek restaurant, but the food is delicious.”

She watched his mouth, mesmerized as his tongue darted out and licked his lips. Her pulse quickened, and she began to have serious doubts that they’d make it to the restaurant with the way he was looking at her and the constant pulse in her core.

After saying their goodbyes to Michael, Brecken ushered her out the door and into the elevator without a word. When the metal doors closed, he turned to her, but much to her disappointment, he didn’t push her against the wall and kiss her like she wanted him to. Instead, he stared at the ceiling and blew a long breath out. “Nice dress.”

Running a hand down the silky material, she looked at him as he glanced at her again out of the corner of his eye.

“You like?” she asked and raised one eyebrow.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed, nearly painfully so. “Yes. I like very much.”

With a smile that was beginning to hurt her face, she leaned into him and placed her free hand on his stomach, nuzzling closer.

“I’m going to rip that dress off you and fuck you until neither of us can move,” he whispered as the elevator dinged open and he tugged her along after him.