T hey shared several laughs during the car ride to his condo. Except when he talked about another goalie, Richard Lindsey, and how his injury wasn’t healing well. The starting goalie had suffered a knee injury on New Year’s Eve and hadn’t been able to skate. Martin said the owner kept reminding him that his spot wasn’t solid. The team won more games than they lost and were in the hunt for the cup. Still, she noticed the lines around his eyes. As the elevator opened on his floor, the tension on his shoulders couldn’t be missed. He was stressed, and she decided to relieve some of his stress. No matter what it took.

“It’s not much, but it’s home. Many of my teammates live in this building, and the owner gives us a good deal.” He set her bag down near the door. “I’ll give you the bedroom.”

“It’s only a one bedroom?” She swallowed a lump in her throat. The space was modern and immaculate. Martin’s OCD was visible in every nook and dust free corner. No clutter, no pictures and nothing to distract him. The big screen TV and gaming consoles were the only personal touches. As she stepped closer she noticed all the games he had were hockey related.

“Yeah, no one visits, so I didn’t see the point in grabbing something bigger. I’m hardly ever here anyways. The couch will be fine for a while.”

The two brown couches looked lumpy and far too small for him to sleep on. “You’re not sleeping on either of those things. We’ve shared a bed before. It’s not a big deal.”

After high school graduation a few of them had rented a cabin in the woods. They were all broke and renting a one room cabin had seemed like a great idea. Only the ants covered the floor and five of them ended up in bed together for three nights. It had been cozy, but they made it work.

“That was a long time ago.” A wistful look crossed his handsome features. He took off his coat, and she got her first view of his body.

Goosebumps broke out on her arms. “Only a few years,” she replied. But a lifetime had passed, and so much had changed. Sylvie noticed that he’d become more manly over the years. His arms were bigger and his chest more refined. The shirt clung to his body like a second skin.

The strong jaw and sculpted cheeks were the same. If hockey hadn’t worked out, he could easily have walked the runways for killer coin. With the new added bulk, he’d be a shoe in to sell many pairs of underwear. She shouldn’t have pictured him half naked, but once the image took shape, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Doesn’t matter how much time has passed; it’s never just been me and you sharing a bed, Sylvie.”

He was right, but they’d been friends since they were kids. She considered him one of her best friends. “Are you afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands off me, Martin Thomas?”

Why did that idea excite her so much? A shiver traveled down her spine. It had been ages since she’d been touched by a man. This trip wasn’t about that and not with him.

He had a face like porcelain and he arched his dark brow as he laughed. “You know I love to cuddle. There’s a good chance you’ll wake up with me wrapped around you. Can you handle that?”

“I’ll suffer through it. But I like my space, so expect the occasional elbow to the rib,” she joked as she removed her jacket.

Martin took her coat and hung it in the closet. “You look great.” He grabbed her hand and made her twirl around as he checked her out. “You’re filling out that dress nicely.”

That was a nice way to say he’d noticed her fuller body. She’d gained a few pounds since the breakup; maybe more than a few. Sylvie had always struggled with her weight. Months of nothing but junk food and no exercise had left her old size fourteen pants in the dust. She'd tossed the scale in the garbage after the initial ten-pound increase.

Most of the added weight went to her chest and hips. Though she was softer everywhere, causing none of her clothes to fit. One of the reasons she only needed one bag. “I realize we haven’t seen each other in a while, but you’re not supposed to say things like that.”

His last two trips to Montreal, she’d been too depressed to leave her apartment. All the plans she'd had for her future vanished in the blink of an eye. The upcoming holiday would be a bad one and Martin refused to let her wallow. When he sent her the plane ticket to visit, she couldn’t refuse. She had no reason to stay home with the memories and the sadness.

“I can say anything I want. You are hot. Full figured women are sexy as hell. You’ve always rocked your curves. Is this the reason you’ve avoided me recently? Because you don’t like your curves.”

She let out a long sigh and wrapped her arms around her stomach. He didn’t understand because he was in perfect shape. The extra pounds bothered her, but not enough to do anything about it. Sylvie still liked her body, but she didn’t like her heart anymore. “I wasn’t avoiding you. Thanks for saying I’m hot, by the way. That is such a best friend thing to say.” She winked, not wanting to delve into the real reason.

“Your wink needs work. You’ve gotten rusty hiding in your apartment. That was brutal and looked more like an almost sneeze or you got something in your eye. Either way, you will not attract a man with that. Your new body on the other hand. Damn!” He smiled and picked up her bag, heading towards the bedroom.

She gasped and placed her hand over her heart as if wounded. “I’ll have you know, I could attract a man with that wink if I wanted. The desire to woo someone new isn’t there.” Putting herself out there to date again was the very reason she stayed hidden in her apartment. She’d dated Renny her entire high school and adult life. Eight long years together that was supposed to end with a happily ever after and a wedding in a few weeks.

Her stomach knotted. She followed Martin without paying attention and bumped into him when he stopped at the foot of the bed. A small queen-sized bed.

He turned to face her, and his smile was nothing short of mesmerizing. “I have practice right away. Those fans ate up more time than I expected, but I’ll take you to dinner tonight and introduce you to a few friends. I dare you to flirt. You don’t have to take anyone to bed, except me, of course. But show them the Sylvie charm.”

“I don’t want to.” She stomped her foot, and he laughed. When they were kids, he always loved to challenge people to do stupid things. Truth or dare was practically his middle name in high school.

“A quick game of war will decide,” he said, tossing her bag next to the bed.

She crossed her arms over her chest and his eyes followed the v of her neckline. “What are we, twelve?” When he didn’t answer, she knew he was serious. “Fine. I’ll kick your ass and when I win, you will look mighty foolish wearing my outfit choice at dinner.”

Martin licked his lips. Another shiver raced over her as he reached into his bedside drawer. He pulled out a deck of cards. That’s not what she kept next to her bed. A blush stained her cheeks. He jumped onto the bed and lay flat on his stomach. She joined him and sat with her legs crossed. They’d played this game countless times in his childhood bedroom or in the halls at school. He shuffled the deck and peered up at her, looking like the boy she’d known. In many ways he was the same kid who lived a few doors down, only he was all grown up. They both were.

“No cheating. I’ll cut the deck and deal.” Sylvie rubbed her hands together as her diabolical plan to embarrass him hatched. She pictured him in a funny wig and suspenders.

Once the cards were dealt and the game was underway, she found she was no longer forcing her smile. Spending time with Martin turned out to be exactly what she needed to feel good again. “I missed you, and I’m sorry I took this long to visit.”

His ten beat her four; his three killed her two, and the game was not going her way. “It’s all good. You’re here now and war.” The matching kings dueled, but Martin’s jack took the loot.

After the first round, he had double the number of cards she had. The chances of her winning were slim to none. “I’ll wear whatever you want, but no flirting. I’m not ready,” she pleaded her case as he beat yet another of her cards.

His smile only deepened. Round two turned into more of the same. “We’re going to declare me the winner right now. I need to get ready and rush out. I’ll pick your outfit too, just for trying to renege. You’ve got a few hours to get ready.” He rolled off the bed and strode out of the room.

“Esti de gros cave!” The last thing she was in the mood for after a long flight was a long evening being fake. The big idiot thought he was helping, but he wasn’t. Sylvie pushed the cards onto the floor. Her tantrum wouldn’t make one bit of difference. She pounded the mattress with her fists, but it solved nothing. She picked up a few cards and then stormed out of the room after him. He must have forgotten what a broken heart felt like and how long it takes to heal.

She opened the door to the bathroom expecting to find him brushing his teeth or cleaning his ears. Not standing buck naked, stepping into the shower. “Merde. S… sorry.”

“Was there something you wanted or were you planning to join me?” He gripped the shower curtain in his hand, but didn’t pull it closed.

Her cheeks heated as her eyes moved the length of his arm and down his torso. “I… The… Why didn’t you lock the door?” That would have been the time to turn around, but she didn’t. She saw everything; every inch of him. And there were many inches to take in.

“I’m used to living alone, besides I have nothing you haven’t seen before.” Martin finally closed the curtain and she exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

She might have seen a man’s naked body before, but never his. Never one so pristine and so hot that she drooled. Sylvie turned and left him alone to shower. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Heat crept over her. The water turned on and she pictured it running over his pale skin. She tried not to focus on all those muscles and the trail of dark hair that ended between his legs. Her breathing accelerated and her thighs clenched together.

Fanning her face, she had to admit that she was attracted to him. It was wrong of her to look at him and get turned on. Or was it? This wasn’t the same boy who stole her candy at Halloween, or the same kid who dared her to jump the fence behind the school. He was a man now. A single adult. They were both single for the first time at the same time. But she wasn’t ready for another relationship and he wasn’t offering her one.

He couldn’t be interested in her that way either. They were friends; best friends. He’d told her to flirt tonight; with other people. The idea of flirting with a stranger gave her hives. She scratched her arm as she headed back to the bedroom. She’d been a salacious flirt when she had Renny. He gave her confidence, and he never cared that she laid on the charm around others because he knew she belonged to him. Or maybe he hadn’t cared because he never truly loved her. When he left, he took every ounce of her self-esteem with him. Bastard. Months later she was still trying to rebuild.

Sylvie sat down and put her head in her hands. Her legs bounced as she tried to regain her composure. The corner of a card poked out from under the bed and she kicked it. A few minutes passed, and she was still warm all over. It’s not every day she saw such a fine male specimen bared for her perusal. Not that he’d intended for her to see him. Then again, he loved to rattle people. They’d been friends too long for her to think the unlocked door was unintentional. The question that plagued her was his rational.

If he’d been trying to supercharge her libido, he’d succeeded. Her nipples puckered at the memory of all those lines and sinew. Sylvie hadn’t had sex in months. Her toys suffered from overuse; however, dating scared her sex drive away. But at that moment it was alive and well. She glanced down at her bag and decided she might need to work out some of her frustrations once she was alone.

Martin walked into his room wearing nothing but a towel. “Your cheeks are flushed. Do you find it too hot in here?” He turned to face his closet and dropped the towel. His backside was on full display and she knew he had to be messing with her.

She shifted on his bed and stared at his finely chiseled ass. He’d always been an insatiable flirt, but it'd never bothered her before. She’d been so in love that no one else ever entered her mind. It’s not that she didn’t consider Martin attractive before now, because she did. She saw the way girls fell all over him. But he’d been firmly planted in her friend zone and she never thought of him in that way. The way she looked at him right then wasn’t friendly. She forced herself to turn away before he caught her gawking again.

“Um… Where are we going later? I only brought one pair of heels.” Not that she wore them often. She was the same height as her ex, and he preferred her in flats. Even in heels, Martin still towered over her.

“Dinner and dancing, so you’ll be forced to mingle and get out of the shell you’ve built. I’ll grab you an outfit on my way home. What size are you now?”

There’s no way in hell she was telling him her dress size. “Shoe size eight and I like things that sparkle.”

He stepped closer and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. Luckily, he’d put on clothing. She exhaled. “Tell me what size dress to grab, smartass. I know what looks good on you, but I want to make sure you’re comfortable. We will have fun and let loose tonight. I rarely party, but with you here I… it’s going to be fun.”

“I’ll go shopping while you’re at practice. It’s not like I have anything else to do, but I appreciate the offer.”

“Have to play hardball, eh?” He released her face and bent down to grab her bag. “Remember it’s my choice what you wear. There’s no point in fighting it.”

She jumped off the bed but he was faster. He had the zipper open by the time she attempted and failed to stop him. “Don’t go through my stuff!”

He pulled out a pair of jeans and one of her bras tumbled out onto the floor. “Tell me what size you are and I’ll give it back,” he said while keeping the bag out of her reach. She made a move for the bra, but he scooped it up first.

They fought for a while. She pushed him onto the bed, but he refused to give up her garments. She was winded from the struggle. “Some things are private and none of your business. Like my cup size and pant size. If you don’t give it back, I’ll sit on you.” The threat caused her to burst out laughing. She’d said those same things to him when they were younger.

They both laughed. “Sylvie, I’m more than happy to have you sit on me. As long as you sit on my face with your legs spread open.” He leaned back and smiled. His joke made her belly tingle.

“Get serious and give me my pants.” Sylvie held out her hand.

“Fine,” he said as he checked the tag and handed her the jeans. He did the same with her bra. Her face turned crimson. “It’s not the big deal you’re making this out to be. You are now and have always been the sexiest girl I’ve ever met. I’ll pick out something that makes you see what I see. Trust me.”

“Impossible,” she breathed and flopped down on the bed. “Do your worst. I’m not a sore loser. So, I promise to wear whatever you bring me, but I swear if I’m uncomfortable I’m not leaving the condo.” Part of her wanted to stay hidden behind his walls, but she'd come to visit her friend to start living. This was part of that.

He rubbed her back and tingles spread over the entire area. “I’ll only be a few hours and then I’m all yours. I’m thrilled you’re here. Two years I’ve lived here, and it’s never felt like home. With you here I have something to race back to, and I like that.”

“I’m happy to be here too. See you soon.” She pushed him when he leaned in for a hug. Sylvie meant her words and smiled as he walked away. She sat back and enjoyed the view.