More than Distance

3

Dad’s eyebrows jumped up. “He hasn’t done that since Jennifer…”

We all strained to listen as my brother opened the front door and said hello to someone. Heavy boots stepped into the front hall, along with the sound of a deep, male voice. One I hadn’t heard in years, but recognized instantly.

No, it couldn’t be. Surely my brother would have mentioned he was coming?

I sank down into my chair, hoping I was wrong, wondering if I had time to escape. I was so not ready for this. I needed time to prepare first, to get my emotions under check, to figure out what I would say. I definitely wouldn’t have worn this outfit, for one thing. This old tank top and these beige shorts were not doing me any favors. I wasn’t even wearing any makeup.

Before I could plot my exit, Daniel walked in with a man who was nearly as tall as he was. My eyes locked on our guest and my breath caught in my throat as I took him in. Leather jacket over broad shoulders. Motorcycle helmet under one arm. Shiny black hair cut short, framing a chiseled face and strong jaw. And those eyes—the second they honed in on me with their dark gaze, I knew I was in trouble.

After six years, Ryan Evans, my brother’s best friend and my first love, had returned.

And all I wanted to do was run away as fast as I could.

Two

Carla

Daniel clasped Ryan on the shoulder and grinned at us. “Look who’s here!”

My heart seemed to have stopped working properly, judging from its erratic behavior. I couldn’t remember how to breathe either. What was Ryan doing here? He couldn’t just…just show up like this! In the middle of family dinner night!

Mom jumped to her feet. “Ryan! Daniel didn’t tell us you were in town!”

She swept him up in a big hug and he quietly laughed. That laugh. I remembered it so well. Deep and rich, like hot chocolate on a cold day. I wanted to drink it up. Or cover my ears to block it out.

Everyone was standing now, welcoming Ryan back to town, except me. I forced myself to my feet, but shuffled to the back of my chair and gripped it tightly, in case my knees gave out—and so I’d have a barrier between us. Getting too close to Ryan would be dangerous. Just being in the same room with him again was doing serious damage to my nervous system.

Dad gave Ryan a man-hug with a lot of back thumping. “Good to see you again, son.”

“I apologize for crashing your dinner,” Ryan said to my parents. “I wasn’t sure what time I’d make it to LA, and Daniel told me to stop by if it wasn’t too late.”

Mom had a slight moment of hesitation that was completely unlike her—she adored Ryan—and she glanced at Dad for a split second. But then her beaming smile returned and she dragged Ryan over to the table. “Of course! You’re part of the family too. Come, sit and tell us everything you’ve been doing. Here, let me take your helmet. Henry can get you a chair.”

“Thank you.” Ryan unzipped his black leather jacket and shrugged it off, while I tried not to notice how his muscular chest filled out his crisp white dress shirt all too well, or how the collar was open a little at his neck, like he’d hastily ripped off a tie. But I noticed. My entire body noticed.

His gaze returned to mine and a little shiver ran through me. “Carla.”

His voice was low and he said my name like only the two of us were in the room. A rush of heat washed through me as my eyes devoured every inch of him, from his intelligent brow to his all-too-familiar mouth to his strong, tall frame. He was really there, really standing in front of me after all these years.

He didn’t move to hug me and I didn’t move to hug him. We stared at each other for far too long, neither one of us speaking, and the invisible sparks between us were so explosive I was surprised the dining room furniture didn’t catch on fire.

Finally, Daniel broke the spell. “Ryan’s going to be staying with me for a while.”

I couldn’t find my voice. Thank goodness I was moving to New York in two weeks. “That’s great.”

It wasn’t great. After the way things had ended between us, I’d hoped to never see Ryan again. Ignoring his existence had been the only way I could forget what had happened and move on. Now he was here and all those feelings I’d spent the last six years burying were rushing to the surface again. The embarrassment and pang of rejection were still as sharp as ever, but so were the longing and desire. Unfortunately.

Dad pulled up a chair next to me for Ryan, which meant the man I’d once loved was only inches away when we sat down to eat. I tugged off my sweater, suddenly boiling up despite the frigid air conditioning. This was going to be the longest dinner ever.

Ryan surveyed the food spread across the table. “This looks incredible. My compliments to the chef.” Mom’s smile got even bigger. “Please dig in. I don’t want it to get cold.”

We passed around dishes and I was careful not to touch Ryan as I handed him the food. Every inch of my body was aware of him though, and it took everything in my power not to look at his face. It was bad enough feeling his magnetic presence beside me. Looking at him would surely do me in. As he reached for the soup, I couldn’t help but catch sight of his masculine wrist, and then my eyes naturally traveled along his tan forearm, where his sleeves had been rolled up, and then to his broad shoulders, and finally to his jaw and his mouth. Damn. That mouth.