Romance On Thin Ice

Even though she knew she should be focused on packing and organizing, Meg couldn't help herself. She turned the TV to the NHL channel and let out a contented sigh when she saw that a replay of a New Jersey Devils game was on. After settling on the couch with a mug of tea, she turned the volume up.

"And we're back for the second period." The first announcer had a dry tone and sounded almost bored with the game.

Meg ignored him as she often ignored the announcers. It took her a minute but she soon caught on to what game they were showing and she winced at the memory.

The Devils had made the playoffs last spring only to be upset by the Flyers in the first round. This was game two and if Meg recalled correctly, it was the Devils' one win of the series.

The score flashed across the top of the screen and Meg smiled as the announcers started to recap the first period stats. New Jersey was trailing by one but Zane Pritchard had rallied the team and crowd with a short-handed goal a couple minutes into the first period.

The puck dropped for the start of the second period and Meg held her breath without realizing it. She didn't let it out for a minute, not until the phone rang and startled her.

"Hello?"

"So I'm sitting here in a suit, sweating my balls off and wondering what the hell I was thinking."

Meg laughed at her friend's familiar voice.

"And you're laughing at my pain. Thanks, Meg. Glad you care."

"Oh come on, Zane. You're at an autograph signing, not a charity ball." Meg kept her eyes on the TV screen as the red jerseys flew across the ice. "Why didn't you wear something light? It's still August, for goodness' sake."

"You could have suggested that earlier," Zane grumbled.

"You didn't ask me earlier. And anyway, you can't still be sitting out there or you wouldn't have called me."

"That's true. They allowed me to go cool off inside the building."

"So go to the bathroom and douse yourself with cold water."

"And go back out with a wet shirt?"

"Are there girls in the audience?"

There was a pause before Zane replied, enough to make Meg start laughing, no matter how it made her feel like she'd been sucker-punched. Never mind that she'd never liked to talk to Zane about women.

"Who am I kidding? There are always girls in the crowd when you're out in public, Z."

He snorted and Meg could picture him rolling his eyes. "What are you up to, Meg?"

"I'm not telling you." Meg let out a short laugh. "You'll just make fun of me."

"It can't be any worse than signing autographs at Busbee's Auto World."

"No. I can't tell you."

"Meg, come on. How long have we been friends?"

"Ah...since you were in diapers?"

"Both of us, thank you very much, and how much have we learned about each other in all those years?"

"Oh, God help me, way too much, Z." Meg laughed as memories of their fun childhood and wild adolescence washed over her.

Over the line, Zane's deep chuckle stirred her insides. "Yeah, like that time I caught you in the basement making out with Joey Hardwicke?"

"Damn you! You swore you'd never mention that again!"

Zane laughed. "I lied!"

"You're a snake, Zane. I can't believe you'd bring that up."

He just kept laughing. Meg scowled and wracked her brain for something equally as embarrassing to mention.

"Oh! That's not as bad as the time you needed me to cover for you when Eloise thought you were at hockey camp."

Zane's mock gasp made Meg giggle.

"Then you couldn't leave my basement for two weeks because she wanted to hang out with my sister all the time."

"Stop it, Meg."

She laughed even harder at his annoyed tone. He grumbled on the other end of the line until she relented and promised - again - that she'd never bring it up. He did the same.

"So really, what are you doing?"

Meg sighed. "I'm watching reruns."

"Oh yeah? What's so embarrassing-"

Meg cringed when he stopped short.

"Wait a second. Don't tell me you're-"

"Yes! All right, yes. I'm watching hockey reruns."

Zane howled with laughter.

"I don't think it's that funny." Meg eyed the TV and smiled. "I'm only on game two of the Devils playoffs series."

Zane's laughter died. "You're joking."

She snorted. "It's what's on. I can't help it."

"I really don't think you need to watch that again."

"If it makes you feel any better, it's the game you won."

"Considering that it didn't help in the long run, it doesn't make me feel better at all, Meg."

Meg winced again, this time from the wounded tone in his voice. "Zane, I'm sorry. You need to get over it though. What is this? Late August? And you're still stewing over the loss from April?"

"Your point is?"

Meg blew out an annoyed breath and adjusted her seat on the couch. "My point is that you need to forget all the boneheaded mistakes you made in the spring and focus on what you're going to do right this fall."

"Did you just call me a bonehead?"

Meg giggled. She knew he was just playing along and humoring her but she didn't mind his diversion. "If the shoe fits..."

"Well! This has been fun, Meg. Thanks for the pep talk."

Meg burst out laughing. "God, Zane. You're too easy."

He snorted. "Don't let word get out."

"I'm sure all those Jersey girls know by now."

This time Zane laughed. "As if I even have time for women. Did I tell you about the benefit I'm going to tomorrow night? Then there's another signing on Friday all day at the Prudential Center. And of course there's development camp and practices starting next week. Nowhere in there do I even have time to sleep in, let alone dote on some needy chick."

Meg burst out laughing. "You're such a modern man. Not every woman is a 'needy chick,' you know."

"You're the only person of the female persuasion who isn't demanding."

"Again, with the modern outlook. Who are you kidding, Zane? 'Female persuasion?' No wonder you don't have a girlfriend."

"I told you. Don't have time, don't need one, don't want one."

Meg scoffed.

"And you're one to talk, Meg. When was the last time you talked to a guy above the age of sixteen?"

"I don't need a man."

"You're just saying that because Trent was such a jackass."

Meg giggled. "He's not the only reason I'm saying that."

"I still can't believe you put up with him for as long as you did."

"I put up with him for about as long as you put up with Candy."

"God, don't remind me."

"Hey, you started it."

Zane chuckled. "Fine, fine. Truce, all right?"

"Agreed."

"So what else is new?"

"Not much. Just contemplating packing some of my kitchen stuff." Meg bit her bottom lip and waited to see if he could figure it out.

"Packing? Are you finally leaving that one-room shithole behind?"

"Hey! I'll remind you that this 'shithole' was once good enough for you to crash in."

"Well, that was before."

"Yeah, yeah, before you were a big, multi-million dollar earning bonehead."

"I thought we'd let the bonehead thing go?"

"Well, you dissed the apartment. You should be more careful."

Zane laughed. "You'd think I'd have learned after all these years."

"You'd think so."

"Come on, Meg. Are you moving to a new place?"

"Yup. Last week of August."

"Awesome. Is it closer to work?"

"Definitely."

A pause.

"OK, are we going to keep playing twenty questions or are you going to tell me where your new spot is?"

"Let me grab the address." Meg stifled another giggle as she pretended to look. She didn't need to consult her notebook to know her new address. Ever since she'd accepted the position, she'd been beyond excited and had memorized her new address as soon as she'd secured the place. "Here we go...apartment 302, Newark City View Lofts."

"Newark? I don't remember that area in Minneapolis."

Meg rolled her eyes. "That's because it's not in Minneapolis."

There was a brief pause and then she heard Zane's sharp inhalation. "No fucking way."

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"You're moving to Jersey? You'd better not be messing with me, Meg."

"No messing, Zane. Starting next month, I'll be teaching at West Forest High School."

"No fucking way."

Meg laughed. "You've got to stop cussing, Zane."

"I can't believe it! How long have you been planning this?"

"I didn't plan to move to Newark specifically. You know I've been looking for a new post and when this one came up, I applied. I just found out last week for sure. Apparently one of the teachers went on maternity leave at the end of last year."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted everything to be finalized first. I didn't want to jinx it."

Zane laughed. "Jeez, Meg. You're not supposed to be the superstitious one. That's me!"

"Just because you're an NHL player doesn't give you sole ownership of superstitions. And anyway, it worked, didn't it? I move in three weeks!"

"I can't believe this!" Zane gave a wild whoop and Meg laughed. She could hear shouts in the background. "Shut the hell up, Dave! My best friend is coming to town and she'll kick your ass!"

Meg laughed even harder.

"Meg, this is fantastic. Tell me you're not joking around here."

"I'm not joking, Zane. I'm moving to Newark."

"I can't believe it."

"Neither can I, sometimes."

"This is great. Right? This is great for you, isn't it?"

"It is. It's an amazing opportunity and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't totally excited about being close to you again."

Zane laughed. "I always knew you had a thing for me."

Meg scoffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder, even though he couldn't see the dismissive gesture. "Don't flatter yourself, bonehead."

"Bite me."

Meg laughed.

They talked on the phone for another few minutes before hanging up. After the conversation, Meg turned off the TV, knowing she couldn't avoid packing anymore. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Zane about packing her kitchen stuff. She didn't have a lot but now that she was moving out of state, it seemed like she had far too much.

With a sigh, she poured herself a fresh tea and started to load one of the boxes.

"Is she hot?"

Zane narrowed his eyes at his teammate before switching knees and stretching his other leg.

"What?" Mike Forsythe gave Zane an innocent shrug and grinned.

"How would you like it if I asked if your sister is hot?"

Mike shrugged again and then lifted his stick over his head to stretch. "I'd probably tell you to shove it."

"Exactly."

"I'm not asking about your sister, Zane. Your best bud, Meg, is she hot?"

"She might as well be my sister, Mike. So...shove it."

Mike laughed just as Adam Griffiths skated over.

"What's going on?"

Mike turned to Adam and pointed a gloved hand at Zane. "I'm trying to find out if his friend, Meg, is a hottie and he won't tell me anything."

"Oh?" Adam turned a wide grin on Zane who scowled in return. "Why not? Is she a total dog?"

"Shut it, Adam."

"Ha!" Mike laughed and slapped his thigh with one hand. "She is! She's a barkin', hairy, ass-faced dog, isn't she?"

"She's gorgeous and you'd be lucky if she even said hello to you, jackass," Zane couldn't stop himself from snapping at his teammate.

"So she's a hottie!" Now it was Adam's turn to laugh. "No wonder you don't want to tell him anything. You want her all to yourself!"

Zane gritted his teeth and reminded himself that his teammates were only trying to get a reaction out of him. It wasn't like this was the first time his male friends had grilled him about his best friend.

What's the big deal? Zane shook his head. It's not like we're the only people who have friends of the opposite sex.

Zane had mentioned Meg to his teammates before and none of them had given more than passing interest, probably because she didn't live in the area. Now that he'd explained about her new job and move, they were giving him the gears. Most of the time he'd be able to shrug it off but right now, he wasn't in the mood for Mike and Adam's bullshit.

Ever since Meg had told him about moving to New Jersey, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her being so close. They'd be able to hang out like they used to and laugh over the same jokes that no one else in the world understood. The tight feeling in his chest got tighter when he thought about taking her out and introducing her to all his friends and teammates. It was a feeling somewhere between excitement and apprehension and the fact that he couldn't quite figure it out was what made him snap at Adam and Mike.

"Can we practice, please?" Zane skated away without waiting for a response.

Mike and Adam hollered at him for a minute before the coaches hit the ice and rounded everyone up.

Zane focused along with the rest of the team. They were in the midst of their training camp and the preseason would be starting in a few weeks. There were more than a dozen new faces; young guys called up from the minors for a shot at a spot on the regular roster and rookies drafted back at the end of June. There were also several more experienced guys, acquired during the off-season through trades.

Zane hadn't spent much time getting to know anyone but that wasn't a conscious decision. He was just distracted these days and it had nothing - and everything - to do with the fact that Meg was going to be in Jersey in less than two weeks.

Two weeks later, Meg felt like she was about to cry. She stood on the sidewalk out front of the apartment building and wanted to bury her face in her hands and sob like a child.

"So you're telling me that there never was an available apartment?"

The building manager shook his head and gave her a sympathetic smile. "You're the fifth person in two weeks that I've spoken to."

"Why couldn't anyone contact me sooner?"

The manager shrugged. "We didn't know it was happening until the first guy showed up here two weeks ago. I've contacted the authorities and they're working on tracking the scam artist down but for now, we don't know how many people he's taken in. Even if we did, we have no way of getting a hold of anyone."

Meg drew in a deep breath, barely holding herself together. "So you're telling me that I've paid my security deposit and first month's rent to someone who has no connection with this building."

The manager nodded, still giving her that insipid smile.

"And you also have no available apartments to rent, which in the end, doesn't matter, because I wouldn't have the money to pay you anyway."

"I'm sorry, miss. I can recommend a good hotel nearby for you until you get things sorted."

Meg stared at him. "A hotel? I can't afford a hotel! I could barely afford the move and the down payment on this hole!"

The smile on the manager's face disappeared and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I understand that you're upset, but there's no need to get angry with me."

"There's no one else for me to be angry with right now." Meg knew she was being irrational but she was broke and homeless. She was in no mood to be kind.

"Well, maybe next time you should check into who you're paying before you shell out that kind of money." With a glare, the manager turned and walked into the building.

Meg stared after him and fought down the urge to stamp her feet and scream at the top of her lungs. She was about to turn around and kick her car's tires just to relieve some of her frustration when she saw another vehicle pull up to the curb.

Zane popped out from the driver's side. "Hey! I heard someone here needed help moving today!"

Meg took one look at him and burst into tears. His jaw dropped in shock but he didn't hesitate to run around and pull her into his arms.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? What happened?"

Meg shook her head as she clung to him, soaking the collar of his jacket. He squeezed her tighter and rubbed her back as he held her, letting her cry.

After a few minutes, she stopped sobbing and pulled back. Zane smiled and palmed her cheeks, gently wiping away the moisture.

"Hello, best friend."

She gave him a weak smile and drew in a deep breath before she started to explain what had happened. He looked as flabbergasted as she felt when she finished.

"That's unbelievable."

"Tell me about it." Meg sniffled and rubbed her nose. "Now I have nowhere to live and no money to even get a place."

"Don't worry about it, Meg."

She snorted and pulled out of his arms. "Easy for you to say, Zane. You didn't have to scrimp and save for a month to afford this move."

"I said, don't worry about it." Zane leaned back and looked into her face. She was a few inches shorter than him and he didn't have to bend far to meet her eyes. "You'll come live with me."

Meg laughed. "What? I can't live with you."

"Why not?"

"Please, Zane. We couldn't even take a weekend holiday together without biting each other's heads off."

"That's because you snore and hog the covers."

"Yeah? Well, you leave your shit all over the place and never wash the dishes."

Zane scoffed and gave her a firm squeeze. "Come on, Meg. You don't have a lot of options, you said so yourself."

Meg stared at him, drinking in the sight of his boyish grin and the glint in his chocolate brown eyes. They hadn't seen each other in a month and she felt like a jerk for breaking down on him first thing.

"I'm sorry, Zane."

"For what? This isn't your fault."

"I'm sorry for ruining this. I was so excited to see you."

"Well, here I am! And if you accept my offer to room with me, you'll get to see even more of me." He grinned and gave his eyebrows a suggestive wiggle.

She laughed and socked him in the shoulder. It felt so good to be with him again and maybe she could accept his offer, just until she could get back on her feet. Hey, she was an adult. She could put aside her jumbled feelings for a few weeks and he'd never know otherwise.

"All right, fine. I'll live with you." She pointed a finger at his nose to stall his hoot of joy. "But only until I save enough to find another place to live."

He gave her a solemn nod and then swept her into a hug. They were both laughing and smiling when he set her back on her feet.

"Meg, you'll never want to leave once you see my place."

Meg snorted. "We'll just see about that."

"This place is fantastic, Zane!"

Zane grinned, feeling inordinately pleased that she was so impressed with his house. It wouldn't have mattered to her if he lived in a one-bedroom bachelor pad but her opinion was one of very few that mattered to him.

"Yeah, it's a good place to lay my head."

Meg rolled her eyes and shoved him. Zane had to resist the urge to pull her into his arms. He was so happy to have her in New Jersey and now she was going to be staying under the same roof. Christmas was still a few months away but he felt like he didn't have anything else to ask for.

Except for maybe this feeling he'd been carrying around to be reflected in her eyes. He watched her looking around with interest and felt his heart give a wicked thud against his ribs and had to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her.

In all his life he'd never denied himself anything.

"So where's the couch you're going to make me sleep on?"

Zane laughed and waved a hand. "The bedrooms are up here."

He led the way to the second floor and pointed out his room, the office and the guest room.

"Holy shit! I even get my own bathroom?"

Zane grinned. "Damn straight. I don't want any of your girlie crap getting in my way."

"As if! Your hair products take up way more space!" Meg tossed her purse on the bed and wandered around the room, checking everything out. "This is great, Z. Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me. I expect you to do all the cooking and cleaning and laundry."

"You can just try that, mister, and we'll see how long it lasts."

Zane laughed and gave in to one of his urges. He scooped her up in his arms and swung her in a tight circle. Meg laughed and hugged him back.

"I can't tell you how glad I am that you're here, Meg."

"What? In your house? I didn't plan this, you know."

Zane turned his head and pressed his nose to her brown hair. He'd always loved the way she smelled, like fresh rain and fabric softener. "I know. I'm just so glad you're in Jersey."

"Zane, you've been here how many years?" She pulled back to look into his eyes, still dangling in his grasp. "You've never needed me around."

He gave her a solemn nod. "Sure I have. I've just never admitted it."

She blushed a pretty pink. "When did you get into the flattery?"

He grinned. "Is it working? Does this mean you will do all the cooking, cleaning and laundry?"

"Throw in a 'you're the most beautiful woman in the world,' and you've got yourself a deal, pal."

Zane laughed and hugged her close again. He didn't even need to lie for that. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Meg."

"Oh, now you're asking for it." She drew back her foot and tried to kick him but he dodged the blow.

They squirmed and flailed around until Zane dropped her and she tumbled onto her backside with a shriek.

"You did that on purpose!"

He started laughing and kept laughing until Meg lunged to her feet. Then he spun around and raced from the room, Meg close on his heels. He darted into his bedroom and Meg caught him around the waist, taking them both to the floor.

"What are you doing?!"

"Payback!" And she started to tickle him.

He howled with laughter and caught her wrists in his hands. Using his heavier body weight, he rolled her over onto his back. "You're twenty-seven years old! Isn't that too old for wrestling on the floor?"

"Never!" She laughed and tried to buck him off. He was too heavy and had her hands in too firm a grasp. "Aren't you too old to be trapping women on your bedroom floor?"

He lifted his eyebrows and smirked. "I'm a year younger than you, Meg."

"Ugh. Don't remind me." She smiled up at him, her chest heaving from the exertion. "Are you going to let me up?"

Zane narrowed his gaze and swept his eyes over her flushed face and the open V of her top. He was sitting across her thighs and had her trapped with her hands over her head. His mind went right away to all the things he could be doing with her trapped beneath him like this.

"I could let you up..."

"Don't be a jackass, Zane."

"You were the one chasing me like a four-year old."

"I was just following your example."

Zane grinned. "God, this is going to be so awesome having you here."

"Let me up!"

He laughed but didn't let her go. She struggled, whining and cajoling in turns but he wouldn't relent. He liked having her at his mercy. In the early years of their friendship, she'd been bigger than him and older and had enjoyed tormenting him. Now, he was the bigger, stronger one and it had been what felt like ages since they'd horsed around like this.

Its probably been ten years, not since we were teenagers, at least. The memory made him smile. Their parents had caught them rolling around together on his basement floor and they'd both been grounded for a month. Apparently they'd been too old for that sort of fun. Or rather, the sort of fun their parents assumed they'd been having.

Meg caught him off-guard with a sudden move and he toppled sideways. So he did the only thing he knew that would weaken her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and blew his breath out as hard as he could.

The sound and sensation made Meg shriek and squirm beneath him. He ignored the push of her thighs against his and let his weight settle over her. Her breasts connected with his chest at every breath and Zane blew against her skin again.

He wanted to stop and kiss her instead, the sudden overwhelming urge almost erasing his decision not to give in to his urges. All he could do was keep his head down, the raspberry keeping her in the dark about what he really wanted.

"S-stop!" Meg's cry was halfway between a cry and a laugh.

Zane could have stayed there for days, breathing her in and feeling her body under his, but the doorbell rang.

At last he lifted his head and gave Meg a wry smile.

"Are you...expecting...someone?" Her words came in between quick breaths.

Zane shook his head, his eyes sliding over her flushed cheeks and brilliant blue eyes. He hadn't been lying earlier when he'd said she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Next to her, most other woman paled in comparison.

But we're just friends.

The doorbell rang again and he sighed. He got up and helped Meg to her feet. They walked downstairs and he opened the front door to the curious faces of Adam and Mike.

Mike took one look at their matching rosy cheeks and burst out laughing. Adam rolled his eyes and gave Mike a shove.

Adam was the first to speak. "We came by to meet your lady."

Zane glanced at Meg and shrugged. "Here she is. Now see you guys later." He started to shut the door but Meg stopped him with a laugh.

"I'm Meg and I doubt very much Zane called me his lady."

"You're right about that." Adam held his hand out for her to shake. "But we knew the truth without him saying it."

Meg shook his hand and glanced sideways at Zane who ignored the looks his teammates were giving him.

"I'm Adam and this is Mike."

"Nice to meet you." Mike recovered from his initial outburst and extended his hand to Meg as well. Mike turned his knowing smile on Zane. "Are you going to invite us in?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Zane, don't be an ass. Come in." Meg punched Zane in the shoulder as she turned around and he reluctantly let his teammates into the house.

Zane rolled his eyes as the guys followed Meg and he was left to shut the door. This wasn't what he thought would follow their wrestling match on his bedroom floor. But then, he hadn't exactly planned that either.

Don't be an idiot, Z.

Shaking his head, Zane went into the living room with the rest of them. The three of them were sprawled across his couch and chairs like they'd all been living there for years. Meg sat in his favourite chair, pulling all her dark hair into a ponytail.

"I'm really looking forward to the new season." She looked up at Zane and winked as she spoke.

"Yeah, so are we." Mike slumped down on the couch with a groan that made it sound like he wasn't looking forward to any of it.

"I think you guys have a great shot this year."

Zane took a seat on the couch beside Mike. "Yeah, all it takes is some name-calling on your part."

Meg laughed and smoothed her hands over her hair. "I like to contribute however I can."

Mike and Adam exchanged a look and Zane glared at them.

"Have you settled into your place then, Meg?" Mike asked, throwing a smirking glance at Zane.

"Uh, not exactly."

Zane shook his head, hoping she'd take the signal and not say anything about their situation. She frowned at him and shrugged.

"Turns out I paid my first month's rent and security deposit to a scam artist."

"Are you kidding?" Adam sat forward in his chair, a look of shock on his face.

Meg shook her head. "I got to the apartment building in Newark and the manager told me they had no vacancies."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I stood there like an idiot for a while until Zane showed up."

Mike and Adam's eyes swivelled around to stare at Zane.

He shrugged. "I was there to help her move in."

"I get it!" Adam laughed and slapped a hand on his knee. "He offered for you to stay here when he found out about your apartment?"

Meg nodded. "But I'm only staying until I can find a new place."

"You're staying as long as you need to, Meg." Zane turned his narrow look on his best friend. "I don't want you picking another dump like that one."

She made a face. "It wasn't that bad. And it was close to work. God, do you know how long it'll take me from here to get to the school?"

"Public transit's not bad," Mike added with a grin.

"She's not taking the bus through Newark!" Zane had to struggle to keep his voice low. He didn't know why he was so agitated anyway.

Meg raised her eyebrows at him. "I think I can figure things out for myself, thank you."

Mike and Adam exchanged another look and Zane wanted to tell them both to give it up.

With a sigh, Zane stood up. "Does anyone want a beer?"

Meg followed him to the kitchen. "Why are you in such a foul mood all of a sudden?"

He wanted to say that it was because he'd just had an amazing woman underneath him and his friends had interrupted. Somehow, he didn't think that answer would work.

"The guys have been razzing me about you moving here for weeks."

Meg grinned. "Oh yeah? The 'if-she's-hot-why-haven't-you-tapped-that' argument?"

"Something like that." Zane opened the fridge. "It gets old fast."

"Why do you let it bother you?" Meg took the two bottles he handed her. "It's nothing we haven't dealt with before."

Zane popped the cap on one of the bottles and took a generous swig. He couldn't tell himself for sure why he was bothered by it so much more now, so how could he explain it to Meg?

She gave him a wink and cuffed him on the arm with one hand. "Come on. I want to get to know your teammates."

"Why?"

"Because you're the only hockey player I know and whatever you may think about it, I'm a little starstruck here."

Zane didn't like the sound of that but he followed Meg back to the living room. An hour later, he still didn't like it. Meg laughed and chatted and answered Mike and Adam's questions like they'd been friends for years. She also grilled them about their skills and their chances for the season.

Later, as the sun was setting, Mike suggested they order pizza for dinner.

"We can go on a beer run and help you move all your stuff in," he added with a grin for Meg.

Meg responded with a smile that had Zane clenching his teeth. "Thanks for the offer, Mike. I hadn't even thought about that."

"Well, you've got that car packed to the teeth." Mike jerked his chin towards the front of the house. "And I bet Zane hasn't mentioned it once."

Zane scowled at his friend and Mike laughed.

"Come on, Meg." Mike jumped to his feet. "Let's go unload your car and Zane and Adam can go get the beer."

"How late are you planning on staying?" Zane didn't move as everyone else got to their feet. This was definitely not how he'd imagined spending the first night with Meg in New Jersey.

Mike tipped his head towards Meg. "As long as the hostess lets us stay."

Zane opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself from saying something stupid when he saw the look Meg was giving him. Fine. He could be friendly and congenial for tonight. But there weren't going to be many more 'drop-ins' once this was over.

Zane followed Adam out to his truck and stewed for the first couple blocks as Adam drove. He didn't even realize he was doing it until Adam made a disgusted noise and reached over to punch him in the shoulder.

"What the hell was that for?" Zane frowned and rubbed the spot Adam had hit.

"Why are you being such a douche?"

"What are you talking about?"

Adam scoffed. "Come on."

Zane wanted to protest but he knew there was no point. He had been acting like a jerk. "I was kind of hoping to have Meg to myself for the night and then you guys showed up."

Adam arched a dark eyebrow at him and grinned. "All to yourself, huh? I thought you guys were just friends."

"We are! I wanted my friend all to myself. I'm not going to see her a lot, even though we're living together, and we haven't seen each other since July anyway! So yeah, I wanted her all to myself before she started getting hit on by my teammates."

Adam didn't say anything for a moment, giving Zane a moment to replay his own words in his head. He'd sounded like an obsessive boyfriend.

"Well, she's a big girl, Z. I'm sure she's capable of telling Mike to piss off if she wants to."

That's the problem. Zane scowled as he stared out the windshield. She may not want to.

"You teach biology?"

Mike sounded so amazed that Meg couldn't help but laugh. "And history. Don't forget that."

"Jeez. I barely made it through high school and now you're spending the rest of your life there?" He shook his head and set down the box he was carrying. As he straightened, he stretched his arms over his head and smiled at Meg. "I don't know how you can deal with a bunch of adolescents."

Meg shot him an amused look. "Isn't that what you do every day, too?"

Mike laughed and nodded. He moved around to perch next to Meg on the bed. "This bed isn't yours, right?"

"No. I couldn't bring my bed with me. I was going to buy one when I got here." Meg blew out her breath. "Now that's something else that'll have to wait."

"Chin up, darlin'. Zane won't let you live in a slum."

"Oh, well, thank heaven for my big, strong man-friend then!"

Mike blinked, taken aback by her tone. "That's not what I meant."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "I know. And I also know that Zane wouldn't let me do that. I just don't want to be a burden."

"A burden?" Mike chuckled. "He'd never think of you as a burden."

Meg shrugged, focusing her attention on arranging her clothes in the closet. "He might not, but I would."

They fell silent then and Meg continued to shake wrinkles out of her clothes and hang them. Her thoughts drifted to Zane and his offer to have her stay with him. She hadn't wanted to but not because she didn't want to be a burden. It was because they'd never been able to spend more than a night or two in each other's company. No matter the situation or how many other people were around, a certain tension would creep between them and they'd start to fight.

They'd never talked about it and Meg had her suspicions on why she was bothered after spending so much time alone with Zane. She didn't think he suffered from the same problem and she was content to let things be. Even if it meant she stared at him when he wasn't looking and fought to control inexplicable butterflies in her stomach when he thought everything was fine.

"Well, I think he's thrilled to have you here." Mike's voice brought Meg back to the present.

"I'm pretty thrilled to be here." Meg glanced over her shoulder in time to see Mike flash her a dazzling smile. Her stomach flipped and she looked away.

Oh, there was no denying that Mike was a handsome guy. He had smooth, dark skin and brown eyes that sparkled when he grinned at her. His body was athletic and he was a few inches taller than Zane. From their conversation so far that afternoon, he seemed intelligent and had a great sense of humor. Meg would be lying if she said she didn't find him attractive.

She just didn't know how to react to his flirting. She hadn't dated in a couple years, other than a few casual outings and she felt woefully out of practice. For the most part, she wanted to focus on her new job and Mike would be a distraction. Mike and his flirting and the way Zane reacted to it.

Very distracting.

To distract herself from her aimless thoughts, she turned from the closet. "I think I hear the guys. You hungry?"

Mike lifted his dark eyebrows and shrugged. With an ease that seemed out of place with his large frame, he stood up and crossed the room towards her. "After you, Meg."

She flushed and hurried from the room ahead of him.

Zane and Adam were just coming in from the garage when they hit the main floor. Meg caught the scent of pizza and her stomach gave a resonant growl. She stopped short across the kitchen from Zane who gave her a knowing look. They burst into laughter a second later and Meg moved forward to take the big pizza box from him.
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