She went into the kitchen. She got a glass of water and sat at the table. The house was quiet. Ellie was in her room, reading and more than likely avoiding her.

Abby sipped her drink and then set it down a bit too forcefully. The sound seemed to reverberate off the silence. She sighed, got up and wandered to the window.

Lights were on in Chase's living room. Without giving it further thought, she was out the back door.

A knock thudded on his front door, and Chase squinted at the clock on his VCR. It was almost eleven.

Who was stopping by at this hour?

He looked around for his T-shirt and after a few seconds, gave up. Wearing only a pair of jeans, he padded barefoot to the door and pulled it open.

Abby stood there, her arms wrapped around her waist and a sheepish smile on her lips. "Hi. I know it's late." "No, no. Come in." He stepped back to let her pass. She hesitated for just a second, and then stepped inside. "Can I get you a drink? I have coffee, orange juice, beer." "I'm fine."

He pointed to the living room. "Want to sit down?"

She nodded. Perching on the edge of the couch, she looked up at him, waiting for him to sit. He sat on the couch too, at the opposite end.

She continued to sit forward on the seat cushion, her posture rigid, her hands resting on her knees. Her

gaze seemed to be focused on a point in the corner of the room.

Chase frowned, perplexed. Not only did her demeanor and the mere fact she was here confuse him, but he was also puzzled by her behavior the whole week. She had been avoiding him.

He'd seen her on Tuesday night when she'd gotten home from work. They'd spoken, but she'd been distant. He thought maybe he'd made her uncomfortable with his comments at the barbeque. He never should have mentioned that he was having problems with the platonic arrangement. But he hadn't gotten an opportunity to apologize. He hadn't seen her again, until now.

"Abby, is everything okay?"

She looked at him and smiled brightly. "Yes, I just noticed that your light was on and thought I'd come say hi."

"I'm glad."

"Are you? Really?"

"Yes," he said, and then reached forward to touch one of the hands still pressed to her knee. "Abby, what's going on?"

"I have a big fund-raiser this weekend for Rand Labs." Her eyes now locked on his hand holding hers.

He waited.

"And I invited Nelson to come up to attend with me, but he can't make it. He's always very busy with his work, you know."

"You've said that he's dedicated to his work."

"Yes. Yes, he is." She continued to stare at their joined hands, and Chase started to get uneasy.

Something was really wrong.

"Do you know how long I've been in Maine?"

"A little over a month?"

She nodded, but still didn't look at him. "Yes, I've been here almost five weeks. And in five weeks, Nelson has only called me once-to tell me that he can't come to see me." She laughed humorlessly. "What does that say about me?"

"I don't know what it says about you, but it certainly says that Nelson is an idiot."

Abby's head shot up and she looked at him, her eyes crystalline in the lamplight. Then she laughed; this time the sound was tinged with wounded amusement "You're good for my ego."

Chase watched as she again looked down at their hands.

They sat in silence for several seconds, until Chase slid closer to her. "Abby, why are you here?"

She hesitated. "I wanted to see you."

"But you avoided me all week."

"No-I..." she faltered.

"Abby, I won't deny that I'm very attracted to you. I think you already know that." He pulled his hand

away from hers and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "But I don't plan to be the guy you jump in bed with because your boyfriend just ticked you off."

Abby's eyes widened. "I'm not here-to-for... That isn't what I'm here for." Chase was immediately sorry for his words. He didn't want to embarrass her. He realized her guarded nature had probably made it very hard to seek out his companionship. And what he'd said hadn't been strictly true either. He'd love to be her rebound boy. He actually couldn't imagine anything more appealing than rebounding with her all night long.

She stood, and he caught her arm.

"I shouldn't have said that." He slid his hand down her arm to capture her fingers. They were delicate

and smooth against his calloused skin. "Please sit back down."

She cast a look at the front door, but then did sit, her posture even more stiff, if that were possible.

Again, a heavy silence filled the room.

"You were right." She said the words so abruptly, so quietly that they were almost lost in the thick

stillness.

He squeezed her fingers. "Right about what, baby?"

"I did come here hoping-hoping you could make me feel attractive. Make me feel like there was a man

out there who wanted me. I shouldn't have denied it."

He ran his thumb over the backs of her fingers, noticing the tidy shortness of her nails.

"Well, we're even then. Because I shouldn't have denied that I want to be the man you come running

to." He brought those neat little fingertips to his lips and kissed them. "Because I do. I want to be the

only man you ever come to." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. A small moan escaped her, and she twisted to wrap her arms around his neck.

Her position arced her against him, and he could feel the hardened peaks of her breasts against his bare chest. The cotton of her shirt added to the sensation, abrading his skin deliriously. Her fingers twined into his hair and her tongue tentatively mingled with his. Her kiss was artlessly sensual, and she gave the impression of being chaste despite her long-term relationship with Nelson. Rather than hinder his arousal. Chase found her innocent reactions powerfully alluring.

He moved his hand to cup the back of her neck as he peppered her mouth with gentle, probing kisses.

She clutched his shoulders as if she was afraid he would pull away. Even though he knew he should, he had no intention of moving away. Instead he leaned into her until she was lying back against the cushions of the couch. His hand left her neck, sliding down her shoulder to her side. He toyed with the hem of her shirt, desperate to touch her bare skin.

His fingers slipped under her shirt, brushing the smoothness of her belly.

She gasped, her breath hot in his mouth.

He smiled against her mouth and nipped her bottom lip.

She gasped again.

His hand slowly moved upward, savoring the heat of her silky flesh. She felt as warm and wonderful as he had imagined she would. And he had given that particular subject a lot of thought lately.

At the underside of her right breast, his fingers stopped, and he lifted his head to watch her.

He swirled his thumb around the pebbled nipple.

She arched into his touch. Her eyes closed and her kiss-swollen mouth opened slightly, and Chase felt himself losing control of his desire.

He pushed up her shirt and found the nipple, drawing the tightened bud into his mouth through the white nylon of her bra. Her hands clutched his sides and he felt the bite of her tidy little nails in his flesh.

Her instant reaction spurred his desire on. His erection, which was already rock hard, strained like an iron spike against the denim of his jeans. He shifted, so he was positioned with his knees between her spread legs.

He sat up and looked at her sprawled against the cushions, her eyes half-closed and her hands still gripping his sides.

She looked amazingly beautiful. Her breasts were full and creamy, swelling above the restraint of her bra. A light smattering of freckles dusted the skin of her chest. He bent forward to taste the tempting little specks.

Abby wiggled under him, and he couldn't resist moving to press himself against her.

Her eyes widened at the feel of him against her belly, and he had to chuckle, the sound raspy with his desire.

"See what you do to me?"

Abby looked down to where he was thrust so intimately against her. She squirmed again, and he groaned as white-hot need shot through him. But her movement had positioned her on the couch so that she could pull back to make a little space between their bodies.

Tentatively, she reached down and touched the bulge that strained against his zipper. This time his groan came out more like a growl, and he dropped his forehead to hers.

"You feel wonderful," she whispered, cupping his arousal.

"Abby, baby?"

"Mmm," she murmured as her mouth found the skin of his shoulder, and her hand still caressed his erection. He captured the wrist of the hand at his groin and moved it up over her head. He caught the other wrist and moved it above her, too.

She stared up at him, wide-eyed.

"Damn, you're gorgeous."

Her cheeks flushed to a deep pink, but her eyelids dropped and she writhed against him.

"Abby?" If she continued that, there was no way he could stay focused, let alone keep her focused.

"Abby?"

"Mmmm?"

"I don't want to do this now."

She opened her eyes, and the passion was gone, replaced by a wounded look that darkened their brown depths. She struggled to sit up, but he kept her pinned under him.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not saying that I don't want to make love to you." He pressed slightly against her. "I think it's fairly obvious that I do. But I really want you to think about whatyou want before we take this step. When we make love, I don't want there to be any regrets."

Abby stared up at him for a moment and then nodded.

Chase released her wrists, pressed a quick kiss to her lips and then pushed away from her. Holding out his hand, he helped her sit up.

Again, the room was quiet, but this time, the silence was laced with irregular breathing and the rustle of clothing being straightened.

"I didn't think things would get that out of hand that fast," Chase said.

Abby nodded.