Halloween.

Boston, Massachusetts

"Thanks for tonight, Tash." I slide out of the car and step quickly around the rear passenger door to open the door. Her warm hand grips mine as I help her step free of the vehicle in her stilettos and tight sheath of a dress. She reaches back in for the gilded half-butterfly mask she'd worn tonight.

"The pleasure was entirely yours, love, I assure you." She turns to face me, letting the hem of her dress fall to the ground from her hand. She tosses her luxurious blonde hair over one shoulder, aiming that killer pout ad execs, brands, magazines, and catwalks pay the big bucks for in my direction. "Do your really have to cut our evening short? I'm not sure when I'll be able to visit next."

Just like her sexy, sequined, gold disco ball of a dress twinkles under the streetlights that surround us, so do her eyes. In her honey-hazel-brown gaze, all I see is the glint of barely suppressed laughter, despite her gorgeous pout, so I roll my eyes at her.

"I'm sure. I'd consider saying that I'm sorry, but I'm not. I'll make it up to you another time, I promise."

In all the years since Belle and I had called it quits, Tash was the only female I'd let into my life. It helped that she made it abundantly clear when we'd met that she had no interest in being a notch on my bedpost, so it was friends or nothing. As it turned out, she's a great friend. She's probably my only real friend, aside from Drew. But Drew was thousands of miles away on the west coast, living his version of our shared dream from high school.

Tash had swirled into my life the night after the draft. I'd been out with Drew and some other guys from the team as we'd celebrated the best news of our lives while simultaneously recognizing we'd likely never spend time together like this again. It hadn't only been the beer and G&Ts leaving a bitter taste in our mouths that night; those goodbyes had as well.

After too many drinks and too many hours of partying, I'd been on my way out after dodging and fending girls off most of the evening—as had my friends. But there was one particularly keen jersey chaser who just wouldn't take the hint.

This particular tenacious girl followed me all the way to the taxi, insisting we share the ride home until Tash sauntered straight up to me and kissed me, confidently declaring she was ready for bed before sliding into my cab ahead of me.

What had started as her self-declared rescue mission has turned into a deep but rather distant friendship—distant in the sense that neither of us is rarely in the same place for long, and it's as damn close to a miracle when we end up in the same place for more than a few hours.

The girl in question dances her fingers up my arm playfully, then pushes me back a step. "And you really won't tell me why you're cutting our night short?"

Biting back my savage smile, I shake my head. She'd already asked in the car; her attempt to play twenty-questions backfired though since I'd chosen not to respond to any of her digs. Serves her right.

I lean in to kiss her cheek, squeezing her shoulders affectionately as I tug her in for a hug. "Night, Tash."

"Good night, Griff. Call me tomorrow once you're done with, well, with whatever it is you're off to do, or whoever it is. If we're both free, I'll let you buy me a late lunch before I'm off to London."

She stretches up to drop a quick kiss to the tip of my nose in her odd but charming way, then steps towards her exclusive condo building, where the doorman immediately rushes to greet her and usher her into the building.

Keeping an eye on her until she reaches the elevator, I offer a final quick wave, then settle back into the car heading to the Beacon— my temporary home while I hunt for a new place. A place where I'll be more careful about who I give the address to and about who I bring into my personal space in the first place.

I shake my head at that thought, reminding myself I'd rather play it safe and live in a hotel for now. I'm not overly eager for a repeat of the madness after my personal contact information was leaked online. From fan mail to used panties, to love letters, and death threats—I'd received it all. But I'd finally drawn the line when one woman showed up wearing nothing but a trench coat and a slightly manic look in her eyes.

My next purchase will definitely be a condo, with security, or at least somewhere much more remote.

The taxi pulls up outside the hotel, and I pay the driver, tipping generously before heading into the building. The doormen scramble to greet me, a receptionist hurries towards the elevators with me, peppering me with questions incessantly whether there is anything they can get me or anything I need.

When the elevator doors close, I relax again, fishing in my jacket pocket for my key. I glance at my watch, then decide to call down to reception after all to order some wine.

Tossing my mask aside, I drop into the large wingback chair. I flick the fireplace on, settling in to wait while flicking mindlessly through the TV channels.

* * *

What was I thinking? What was I thinking? What was I thinking?

Pacing outside the door of Griff's hotel room, I work up the courage to use the key he'd left for me at the desk.

The buzz of champagne still sings through my system— thanks to the half bottle I'd finished on the car ride here. What else was I to have done surrounded only by the stony silence of Carl, and the tidal wave of questions, doubt, and longing swirling through me?

I shake my head and take a deep breath, nearly gasping again as my dress's tight fabric constricts painfully. Well, if everything goes well, at least I'll ditch the dress soon, at any rate.

Sliding the key into the door, I push it open, then step through.

The large, two-room suite is gorgeous and surprisingly homey. Inviting, even. But I freeze in the hallway when the door snicks shut behind me.

Dim lighting and soft music float through the otherwise silent room. The only other sound I can hear is my pulse pounding in my ears.

Barely a moment later, Griff steps into the hall from around the corner, his crisp white tuxedo shirt unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up. My heart thuds heavily in my chest, and my breath catches in my throat when he stalks silently towards me.

"I'm glad you came. Let me take your coat."

I turn, feeling the heat radiate from his body when he steps up behind me to slide my wool jacket from my shoulders. His thumbs trail across my skin, and I shiver— a mixture of nerves and anticipation.

"Do I get the grand tour?"

The hangers rattle lightly in the closet before he steps back, sliding one large hand down my arm to link his fingers with mine. He tugs me into the sitting room, gesturing for me to look around.

"Not much to it, there's another bathroom down the hall, then the bedroom beyond that. Wine?"

"Please." Not much to it? His hotel room is bigger than my whole place.

I wrap my arms around my middle, hugging myself for comfort and courage. I've never felt so at odds with him before. It always used to be so easy.

"So—"

"How—"

We both speak at the same time, and I laugh a little nervously.

Griff hands me a glass of deep red wine, and I take a slow sip, watching him over the rim. The full-bodied red steels my nerves, so I take another sip.

He clears his throat, sipping his own wine before speaking again, "How did the rest of the night go? Was your event a success?"

I take another small sip, nodding, relieved to be back on a familiar, safe topic. "It was, thanks in part to you, as well. Thank you for the donation you made and for participating in the silent auction. I'm pleased to tell you you're the lucky winner of a week-long stay in Vail, Colorado, in February next year."

"What's a southern-raised guy like me going to do with a winter vacation in a skiing town like Vail?" He deliberately exaggerates the soft southern accent from his youth. As far as I can tell, he does his best to downplay it when he's in public, but nostalgia swirls in me, making my knees weak and my heart race.

Unlike me, he has to try to suppress it. I'd been transplanted into Savannah from Fort Lauderdale at the age of thirteen when Gran moved there. I didn't even have one iota of southern charm in my voice. But oh, how I loved it. It never mattered what he said; once upon a time, I was happy just to listen to him ramble.

I chuckle softly, sipping at my wine again. "Why did you bid on it, then?"

A shrug is my only answer. "I had to bid on something, I'm not even sure I read the paper it belonged to. I guess I'll have to find someone to take who is interested in pursuing other... indoor activities with me."

His careless wink unsettles me, and I watch him for a moment, wondering if he means one of his other female companions or me.

From the look that flashes over his face, it seems he's also realized his misstep. "In case it wasn't clear, I was hinting that you could be that someone."

"Griff—"

"Look, Belle—"

I close my eyes against the mounting stress. Maybe this was a mistake.

"You go first." His voice is softer now, but his gaze is hot.

I wander to the fireplace, staring down at the gas-fueled flames. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

When his warm, rough hands settle on my bare shoulders, I lean back a little into his touch. His shirt brushes the skin of my back as each deep, steady breath expands his broad chest. This, at least, I recognize my body's response to. At least this hasn't changed, even if we are out of practice opening up to one another.

"When I saw you tonight, you took my breath away. It hit me like a fucking truck how much I've missed you. All I knew is that I needed to see you, to hold you, to just be near you without all the noise, without all the people."

He takes my nearly empty wineglass from my hand, setting it down on the small table beside the fire. As he reaches past me, his lips press against the bare skin of my shoulder before he stands to his full height again.

I stare at him in the reflection of the mirror above the mantle, watching him as he slides my hair to one side, letting the soft curls bounce heavily over one shoulder, baring my neck as he continues his slow seduction.

The scruff of his beard scrapes my skin seductively, and that is a new sensation. Until now, he'd always been clean-shaven, but there is no denying the appeal of his beard— even if it does cover the sexy, subtle dimple in his chin, and the more mischievous one on his cheek.

I shake my head, forcing myself to focus, rather than fantasize. "What does this mean—tonight, us?"

"I don't know. It can mean whatever you want it to."

I step away from him, trying to clear my head. What do I want this to mean? I can hardly think straight. I'm a little drunk from the champagne and high from his touch.

He doesn't let me retreat, though. Instead, he follows me forward, gripping my hip with one hand, sliding his other around the back of my neck as he backs me into the wall.

His eyes don't leave mine as he closes the gap between us. His fingers tighten around the nape of my neck. When his eyes drop to my lips, I place my hand against his chest, feeling the heat of his body seeping through his shirt. Was it to push him away or pull him closer?

"I want this. I want you. If you don't, then tell me to stop now, Belle."

I don't even know what this is beyond the physical, but in his arms, surrounded by his heat, by his scent, I find I don't care. For once in my life, I don't want to worry about tomorrow. All I want is to feel something. Anything. It's just been so long.

So, instead of pushing him away, I fist my hand in the soft fabric and rise further up onto my toes—even though my five-inch stilettos already raise me up to nearly his chin. I close that final gap between us, feeling his satisfied groan rumble against my lips.

Heat consumes me as his tongue strokes mine. His hand grips my neck tightly, then twists into my hair before tugging my head back farther, so he can take more from the kiss.

"God, I've missed you, Belle."

I scrape my teeth over his bottom lip, nipping sharply, then soothe the small sting with my tongue.

"Talk later, take me to bed now."

He immediately shifts his hands down to my butt, gripping hard, then lifting me to wrap my legs around him. He shoves at the snug hem of my dress, shoving it up and out of the way as he walks down the hallway so he can pull me closer to him.

In only seconds, we reach the bedroom, and he tosses me on the bed, grabbing my hips and flipping me over onto my stomach. The feather comforter and pillows let out a whoosh of air as we tumble down. His knee rests between my thighs, tipping the mattress as he leans over me to unzip my dress.

A mixture of relief and pleasure flood through me as the tight, stiff fabric is released, his lips following the path of the zipper down, down, down, until he reaches the lace hip-band of my panties.

"Fast, or slow?" Griff's rough whisper makes my pulse spike, and I squirm out of the dress as he slides it over my hips, then yanks my hips against his.

I kick my stilettos off quickly, my chest pressing down into the soft feather duvet and mattress He leans over me from behind, grazing his teeth against my ear as his fingers hook in the lace band of my panties before he tugs them down my legs.

"Fast. Now. There's time for slow, later."

The words barely leave my lips when I hear first the sound of a shorter zipper, then the sound of foil tearing. Before I can take a breath, he plunges two fingers into me. "Fuck, Belle."

In the next instant, his hand is replaced by the hot, thick tip of his erection, and he plunges deep. I bite back the scream of pleasure, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip and pressing my face into the crook of his strong forearm he's braced above my head.

There's nothing gentle about the way he moves, nothing soft or slow. I arch back against him, meeting him need for need, thrust for thrust, until I feel myself spiraling towards that glorious edge.

Just as I think he's going to send me over, he pulls away suddenly, flipping me over, then tossing my legs over his shoulders and driving into me again. His hands clench around my hips, pulling me close.

"After three damn years, there's no fucking way I'm not watching you come."

This time, I can't hold back my scream of pure, intoxicating pleasure as he grinds against me, one hand coming between us to tease me. The combination of being at his total mercy, the fullness of him inside me, and the deep pounding rhythm drive me to the brink of sanity.

I grip his forearms, digging my nails into the skin as he pushes me harder, faster, closer to that edge, only this time doesn't stop. I fly over it, exploding as the pleasure bursts inside me. His lips crush down on mine, swallowing my gasps and moans as he continues his devastating rhythm. His teeth sink into the soft skin between my neck and shoulder as he follows me into oblivion.

After several moments, I wind my arms around his neck as he settles his weight beside me, shifting, so he doesn't crush me under his weight. I let him pull me above him and tuck my head under his chin. I don't speak, I don't know what to say.

Blinking back the sudden, surprising sting of tears behind my eyelids, I distract myself by running my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. His satisfied, sleepy moan vibrates through to my heart, sending the traitorous organ beating wildly. I take a few calming breaths, fully aware that if I can feel his heart beating under my breast, then he can feel mine too.

As his hands stroke absently over my bare back and into my hair, I close my eyes tighter. The three years that passed us by might as well have been a million, but at the same time, lying here in his arms, reality crashes into me, and it might as well have been yesterday.

Here in his arms, I'm reminded that no one else has ever made me feel even a fraction of what I do when I'm with him. I'm not cold or frigid, as some of my past boyfriends have complained. It's so much worse than that.

It turns out I'm just a little broken, and Griff is my missing piece.

- - -

So sorry for the late update again! I'm learning that weekday updates might not be possible with the busy period I have at work! I will adjust my update schedule to Saturdays and Sundays from now on!

As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter and that you'll let me know what you think by voting or commenting!

We'll have one, maybe two more chapters in this time frame, then jump ahead once more. Stay tuned!

Xx Toria