His touch trailed to her other breast, then down to circle her navel, then up to her shoulders. Finally, he touched her chin, turning her face toward him. He kissed her so softly that she hardly felt it at all.

"I know you get up early. Do you want me to leave?"

"No," she said too quickly, alarmed that he might go. Her fast reply made Jamie smile.

"Good. Let's cuddle."

She smacked his shoulder and rolled up to her feet. "I'll lock up. The bathroom's there." Though she started to reach for her robe, Olivia made herself stop and let her hand drop. Instead of covering up, she kicked off her heels and went to turn off the lights and check the door. It felt strange to wander naked through her living room. No one could see in-the blinds were all drawn-but still... She was nude, her skin cooling, her sex still swollen, and it felt daring. Maybe she'd do it more often. Maybe she'd become one of those people who cleaned house in the nude.

She smiled and snapped off the last light. When she returned to the bedroom, Jamie was already snug beneath the covers, tucked in on the wrong side of the bed. The opposite side of the bed her ex had slept in. Her smile stretched wider and she slipped beneath the comforter on the other side, enjoying even that moment of difference. He reached for her, pulling her close. Such a strange sensation being held from the left instead of the right.

"Wait," she said, lurching up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just the light." One long reach, and she plunged them into darkness.

She held herself stiff against him for a moment, but it was impossible to stay stiff with Jamie. He was warmth and relaxation, his body languid and sinking into the bed. By slow degrees, she melted into him. His hand stroked her hair. The scent of his skin filled her lungs. She could feel the press of her weight against him, and yet she was floating...suspended in the dark, anchored by him.

"Good night," he murmured, the words deep with sleep. His breathing slowed. His hand grew heavy on her back. And Olivia let herself pretend that he was hers. Truly hers.

A terrible idea, but it was two in the morning, she'd had half a bottle of wine, and she didn't give a damn about wisdom or prudence. Tonight she could pretend; tomorrow she'd get back to her responsible, grown-up life. For now, Jamie was all hers.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

"I'M WALKING IN RIGHT NOW," Olivia said into her cell. She pretended she was squinting against the sun, but in reality, she was grinning so hard that her eyes nearly disappeared.

"You'd better not be lying," Gwen said. "I tried calling you about ten times last night."

"I was busy," Olivia said, breezing into the building. The heels she'd worn were too high for work, but they made a satisfying riot against the marble floor.

"Oh, you were busy, were you? Filthy little witch. I hate you."

Olivia's laugh echoed down the hall, and she decided she'd better get off the phone before she disturbed the classes. "Are you busy right now?"

"No!"

"Okay, let me put my stuff in my office and then I'll-"

"That will take too long. You'll put your stuff down, check your email, check your inbox. Get up here right now or I'll explode."

"Fine. Okay. I'll be right there."

Gwen was still hooting when Olivia hung up and spun toward the hallway. Her progress was immediately interrupted by the hard shoulder she bumped into. "Oh, no," she yelped. "Sorry."

A man's hand closed over her elbow to steady her. "No, it's my fault," he said as she turned toward him. He was handsome and maybe a few years older than her. "I was trying to sneak by without disturbing your conversation."

"I hope that doesn't mean I've become one of those obnoxious cell phone users."

His smile made him look vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. "Absolutely not. Then again, my standards have plummeted. Last year I went on a blind date with a woman who carried on a full-fledged text conversation during dinner. I'm Paul, by the way. Paul Summers. We met a few months ago."

She must have still looked puzzled, because his smile faltered.

"I took over Johnson's classes when he retired."

"Oh, right! I'm so sorry. Every time a new group of students walks in, my memory for names sinks another notch. You came from Chicago, didn't you? How are you liking it here?"

"I love it. The winter was great. And, hey, no humidity."

Olivia smiled and ordered herself not to glance toward the stairs. She wanted to get up to Gwen's office so she could talk about Jamie. She was bubbling over with him. She needed to- "So, this is probably a bad idea since you didn't remember me, but...would you like to grab coffee sometime? Or lunch?"

"I... What?"

"Coffee?" he repeated, his eyebrows rising. "Lunch? Maybe not?"

"Oh." She couldn't help but smile at his self-deprecating grimace. "Oh, I..."

"Hey, it's okay. I'll try again another time."

"No, it's not that. I'm not very good at this whole...thing."

"Are there people who are good at it?" he asked.

She thought immediately of Jamie, though she wasn't sure if she should be thinking of Jamie or not. They weren't dating really, they were just...having fun. It was temporary. They'd both been clear on that. Jamie was young, wild and, most important, he was free. This relationship would end in a week or two, and he'd move on. She'd have to move on, too.

And yet...

Olivia swallowed, trying to clear the dryness from her throat. "Honestly," she said carefully, "coffee might be nice. But I can't right now. Maybe another time?"

"Okay. I can live with that. I'll ask you again. Consider that a warning."

"I will."

"Nice to see you again, Olivia." He offered a friendly wink before he walked down the hall.

Paul was cute. Educated. And very solidly in his thirties. He was the kind of guy she would date if she was serious. But in this arena, being serious seemed much scarier than being fun.

She'd think about it later if he asked her out again. But right now her hands were full with Jamie.

Snickering at the unintentional pun, she hurried up the stairs to Gwen's office.

Gwen was standing in her doorway. "Holy crap, look at you," she said, then gave an old-fashioned wolf whistle.

Olivia glanced down at her shoes. "I know. I saw them in the closet, and-"

"Not the shoes, though those are hot. I mean the whole thing. The shoes. The extra button you left open on your sweater. The take-me look in your eyes."

"Gwen!" she gasped, nudging her into the office.

"It's true. That man must be just as miraculous as he looks. Did you make him wear the kilt?"

"I did not."

"Well, you should. And videotape the whole thing."

Olivia shut the door behind her and leaned against it. She tried to hold back her laughter and failed. "You're bad."

"Yes. And horribly, painfully jealous. I wish I was walking around with that look on my face."

"Do I really look different? Because a man just asked me out in the atrium."

Gwen collapsed into her chair, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "See? You're giving off a serious vibe, sister. Who asked you out?"

"Paul Summers."

"I don't know him."

"Probably because he's in International Business Law, two buildings over. But you should try to run into him. He's cute."

"Cute?" Gwen grabbed a pen and wrote down Paul Summers. "I'm sure I can think up a reason to run something over to his office. Although..." Gwen eyed her up and down. "We're not exactly the same type."

No, they definitely weren't. Gwen had blond curls and a gorgeous chest that she showed off with subtle skill. "Somehow I don't think he'll mind."

Gwen held up her hands. "Whatever! That is not why I called you here today. Sit down and tell me everything."

Olivia took the chair, then placed her hands firmly in her lap. "I don't know what to say, honestly. I don't want to violate Jamie's privacy, but I feel like I'm going to burst."

"Are you in love?" There was no missing the worry that flashed over Gwen's face.

"No, of course not. I'm not stupid. We're not even really dating."

Gwen raised a doubtful eyebrow.

"I'm serious. I told him I needed to learn how to relax and have fun, and...he just volunteered to help. Last night he made me stay out really late. On Sunday we're going to an amusement park. That kind of thing." She left off the hot tub skinny-dipping.

"Okay, that does sound fun, but there's more to it than that."

"I'll admit there are other things going on. Other fun things."

"Olivia, I can't believe you're doing this."

"I know. It's-"

"I am so proud of you! I wish I could do something like that. I'd like a little fun in my life, too."

That stopped Olivia in her tracks. "What are you talking about, Gwen? You're always having fun."

"Oh, I like to go out and have a good time, but I'd never be brave enough to do what you're doing. With Jamie Donovan? Are you kidding?"

Olivia didn't know what to say. She'd been so surprised by Gwen's friendship-that a woman like Gwen would reach out to her.

Gwen shook her head. "I mean, can you believe you're doing this?"

"No! Even when I'm with him, it's like it's happening to someone else. He's just so..."

Gwen leaned forward. "Amazing?"

"Ha. Okay, yes. He's amazing. In bed and out." She ignored the groan of jealousy and shrugged. "He's just so simple and straightforward. I've never known anyone like that."

"Oh, sure, but back to the amazing part..."

"Gwen-"

"Come on," Gwen pleaded. "Just share something. A little crumb for a starving woman? Pleeease?"

Olivia took a deep breath. "Okay. One thing."

Gwen smiled and propped her chin on her hands.

"Last night we went to dinner, and we had a little too much wine. We walked home, but...we got distracted and we were almost caught messing around at a bus stop."

"No!" Gwen screeched. "What happened?"

"We were kissing and maybe a tiny bit more. It was dark and we weren't thinking straight. A car drove past and lit us up like a spotlight."

"So, what happened when you finally made it home?"

Olivia grinned. "We finished what we started, with no one watching this time." No one but me.

"You're my hero. You know that, right?"

"Heck, Gwen. I'm my own hero."

Gwen pointed at the door. "Get out. I don't even want to look at you anymore."

Olivia started to leave, then stopped with her hand on the doorknob. "Hey, do you want to see a movie on Saturday night?"

"What about Jamie?"

"He's not my boyfriend, Gwen."