Zia walks up to me, our gazes held, hers gentle, mine tired. She touches my chest, and presses her hand flat over my heart, chin lifting, black eyes slowly closing. An electric charge vibrates through the softness of her lips as they slowly press into mine. Stepping back, her eyes open. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”
Feeling my heart pounding hard I rasp, “That’s the first kiss I’ve had from anyone else in twelve years. And I hope it’s not the last I get from you.”
Zia smiles, devastating me. “I’ll get a wine opener.”
Zia
I’ve got one of those fake fireplace heaters, flickering ‘flames’ giving the feeling of coziness with heat emanating like a normal heater. This space is too large for it to warm my loft, but the illusion of fire always makes me happy. On our second glass of wine, from the other end of my couch, Nax points to it. “I like this.”
“My brother gave that to me for Christmas two years ago.”
“Did I meet your brother?”
“He was there, but I don’t know if you met.”
“What was his name?”
“Noah.”
Nax shakes his head. “Was there a reason?”
“Other than it being super cool?”
He grins, “Guess there isn’t a better one than that.” With thick fingers I could stare at for days, he lifts his glass for a sip, sea-blue eyes enjoying the fire.
I’ve got my fuzzy throw blanket around just me, and it’s acting like a little wall between us. All I keep thinking about is that kiss.
I want more.
But wouldn’t dare.
He’s just found out terrible news, but in my mind it frees me to dream about him.
About a possible us.
Trying to keep my mind busy with something other than his lips, his firm body, the length of him, and what those fingers might indicate, I share, “There was a reason. When Noah and I were little, our first apartment had a fireplace. We absolutely loved it. Wanted it on every night it was feasible. We tried to get Mom and Dad to use it when it wasn’t cold out, but it wastes money. It was a war we never won…except for one Christmas when it was oddly warm.” Tilting my head I ask, “When you went to college here, do you remember that one random hot day that comes every winter?”
His eyes narrow as he tries to recall. “It was a long time ago.”
“It happens every year, like Mother Nature wants to give us a break from the cold, one blessed day in the seventies. Everyone runs outside in shorts.”
He nods once, picturing it. “I bet that’s fun.”
Taking a sip, I wet my lips before continuing, “Because it was Christmas, even though it was seventy-four degrees out — at night! — our parents lit the fire without us begging. Since we’d been told no so many times we hadn’t even asked.” I smile at the memory. “It was really special.”
“He got you this because of that time?”
“Mmhmm. He wrote about it in the card.”
Nax gazes at the illusion of flames. “We didn’t have a fireplace when I was a kid. I was raised in San Diego. No need really. Though some people have them for the luxury of it. We didn’t.”
“Do you surf?”
His face lightens. “Sure! Me and my friends used to surf all summer. I still surf to this day. I’ve been teaching Joe.”
“Ever see a shark?”
“Twice.”
Goosebumps race across my spine. “How close?”
Nax sets his glass down and spreads his arms as wide as they’ll go. “First one was this close.”
Covering my mouth I cry out, “What did you do?! I would have lost my mind!”
Rising from the couch he acts it out. “I was on this wave. It was glorious! The shark must’ve thought so, too, because it was riding that baby with me. I saw his fin.” Nax points. “That had better be a dolphin. My heart was already pounding as it always does when you catch a wave like that one. But when I saw its eyes I felt like it was going to blow right out of my chest.”
I gasp, “You saw its eyes?!”
“Beady little things with no soul.”
“Oh come on, we don’t know that.”
“I’m telling you, it was the devil.”
I laugh, “Stop it.”
“I told it to stay the fuck away from me. Sorry, the Tuck away from me.” Nax bows and sits down, picking up his glass, sea-blue eyes brighter than since he first arrived. “The other one was far away. Not nearly as interesting.”
“You didn’t have a conversation with that one?”
“I commanded it, Stay over there you swimming devil! Guess it heard me. You have a beautiful smile, Zia.”
It fades under scrutiny. “Thank you.”
“I’ll make it come back. You watch.”
“You might.” I take a sip, winking at him. “You might not.”
Nax grins, and as we gaze at each other, his smile fades, too. “Sounds like a good guy.”
My head tilts. “The shark?”
“Noah.” Jogging his chin to the fireplace, he leans back. “That was a thoughtful gift.”
“He’s a great brother. I was lucky I didn’t get Evan, the trouble maker. He’s Christina and Tempests’ brother. They tackled that monster as a team during his rebellious years. It would have been just me wrangling him to get his act together. But Noah…he’s my rock. Much calmer.”
“He older then?”
I take a sip, licking my lips as I shake my head. “Two years younger, but when we were growing up our parents fought a lot. Noah and I huddled against the door in my bedroom, listening to them shouting. I needed a calming spirit like his in those days. When I get scared I lash out, and it’s not great to do when your parents keep getting back together over and over.”
“You yelled back?”
“I used to run out of the bedroom and shout
