Brian Haner Jr

Late Sunday night Brian paced through his house. Val and Matt had arrived home a few hourse before, looking in love and blissfully happy. He and Nicole had left together, but they'd parted ways. Now he wished he'd taken her up on her offer to come over to help him with Sky. Not that he needed help with his daughter- she was currently sleeping peacefully in her crib- byt because he wanted to spend time with Nicole.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. about how she'd looked all weekend with kids. She'd been fun, funny, patient and infinitely beautiful...even with icing smudged on her cheek. He also couldn't stop thinking about that incredible kiss they'd shared. It had been passionate and intense and dangerous. Dangerous because he knew better than to get involved.

He didn't want or need the complication. He didn't want to risk caring and losing again. At one time he'd lost everything important in his life.

Unfortunately... or maybe fortunately... he found himself on the verge of getting involved with Nicole.

The smart thing would be to walk away, he told himself. He didn't need her or the complications a relationship would bring. They were both busy people moving in different directions. They didn't want the same things. So it was better to stay friends, nothing more. He would start pulling back right away.

But first he was going to call her.

Telling himself he was ten kinds of fool, Brian walked down the stairs and picked up the kitchen phone. He dialed Nicole's number from memory, then listened to it ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi. It's Brian." He paused. Now what? "I don't have an excuse for calling," he said. "I just want to see you. Naked." The last bit had dropped out of his mouth without warning, but it was too late to call it back. Besides, it was the truth.

He heard her breath catch, then a long silence. "Talk about coming to the point," she murmered, sounding slightly stunned.

Disappointment overwhelmed him. He could practically see her frantically trying to come up with a way to let him down gently. Keep it light, he told himself. Don't let 'em see you sweat. "Hey, don't worry about it," he told her. "You can say no and we'll still be friends."

"Thanks for telling me. I'm just not sure I want to, um, say no." She cleared her throat. "The thing is, I'm not the trashy ingerie type."

Desire, need, elation, all of it slammed into his gut. Was she really saying yes? "I can honestly say that I wouldn't care if you wore a space suit. I'm a lot more concerned with what's underneath."

"Yes, well, okay. Brian?"

He gripped the phone more tightly. "Yeah?"

"What are we doing?"

"Hell if I know. And before you scold me, Sky's upstairs. she didn't hear me swear."

She laughed softly, then sighed. "You know this is crazy. I mean it's a bad time for us, emotionally. You're dealing with Sky and all the changes she represents. I'm just barely beginning to understand that there are some issues from my past that I"m going to have to come to terms with."

"I know that."

"What I'm saying is that we're going to be mature about this. I won't deny that I want you, but I'm not sure becoming lovers is wise. We're going to have to remember that this is about friends becoming intimate and nothing more. I don't want either of us to misrepresent or misunderstand the situation."

"Nicole?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to talk all night or do you plan to get your perky butt over here?"

There was a moment of silence. "Do you have condoms or do you want me to bring them?"

He sucked in his breath. Talk about getting right to the point times two. "I can scrounge up a few."

"A few?"

"Hey, it's been a long time."

"I'd say no more than ten months."

"Ouch. Okay, ten months. But there hasn't been anyone since Lily."

"It's been a while for me, too." She swallowed. "I'll be right over."

"I'll be waiting."

"Are you going to answer the door naked?"

He laughed. "Do you want me to?"

"I don't think so. I'm nervous already. That would probably send me screaming into the night."

"Then I'll keep my clothes on. But not for long."

"I can't wait," she hung up the phone.