I lay on a deserted beach, the sun beating down on me and the fruity cocktail on the table at my side. One of those multi-coloured ones with a little umbrella and a swizzle stick. The bikini I wore showed off smooth, tanned skin as I stretched my arms above my head and snuggled back into Linc. One of his arms snaked over my belly, his fingers splayed out, claiming me as his, not that I ever wanted to be anybody else's.

I wiggled my ass again, feeling the evidence of his happiness in the small of my back. A lot of evidence. I sighed, wondering if it was too early to head inside or whether we should stay and enjoy the sun for a few minutes longer.

"Mmm, Linc."

"Morning, sweetheart. It's baking in here. Do you always leave the heating on so high?"

My eyes popped open, and I lamented my disappearing dream. I wanted to reach into my mind and pluck it back, to turn it into a reality. Okay, so some parts of it were already real if what I felt pressing between my butt cheeks was anything to go by. I moved an inch. Yes, it was real all right.

"I like things hot in here."

Wrong thing to say. Or the right thing, depending on how you looked at it. I squealed as Linc flipped me over and lowered his lips onto mine.

"Lucky for you, I know how to do hot."

And Hisashi knew how to do bucket of cold water. My shriek must have woken him because his cries came through on the baby monitor seconds later. Although Sofia had one as well, I should be the one to comfort my son.

"I need to go to him."

"I know."

Linc gave my ass one final squeeze as I rolled out of bed. At least I didn't have to bother putting a robe on seeing as I'd fallen asleep fully clothed.

The animal mobile Bradley brought last time he came soon quieted Hisashi, although it took me almost a minute to convince him to let go of the glittery pink unicorn. By the time I did that, then changed and dressed him, Linc and Sofia were already at the breakfast bar.

"I'm making eggs," Sofia announced. "Do you want yours fried or scrambled?"

"Scrambled, please. I'll do the toast."

We'd got the teamwork thing sorted.

Linc got up and walked to the fridge. "Guess that leaves me on juice."

"What time are you working today?"

"Ten till seven. Which means if Jansen gives you shit, I'll kick him down the stairs."

"Has he been causing problems again?" Sofia asked.

Over breakfast, I told her about the events of the previous evening, leaving out the details of Linc's panic attack.

"That little son of a bitch!" She addressed Linc. "Stairs are too good for him. Drop him down the elevator shaft."

"Stairs are easier."

She smiled sweetly. "I'm sure we could make it look like an accident."

"No, no accidents," I told her. "We've got another recital next week, and I need to get a good grade. Linc, you might have a late start, but I've got the joys of a piano lesson at nine, so I need to go. Are you staying here for a while?"

He took a sip of orange juice. "If you don't mind?"

I leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, too self-conscious to do anything more in front of Sofia.

"Of course I don't. I'll see you this evening."

Except by evening, my cold had got worse, and the best I could manage was a few mouthfuls of pizza at Linc's apartment before he made me call my driver to take me home again.

By Thursday, I felt no better, but Jansen's empty seat in the afternoon music theory class filled me with hope.

"Where is he?" I hissed at Jude, keeping an eye out for Dr. Birch. She was a tiny old lady of at least seventy, but there was nothing wrong with her hearing. Even a whisper wouldn't go unnoticed.

Jude waved his phone. "He texted. Apparently, he's caught your cold."

"Bet that's my fault as well. Does that mean he's not coming to practice?"

"He is—and I quote—practically unable to move."

I wanted to grab whoever passed their germs on to me and kiss them. Hurrah!

"That's the best news I've had all semester."

Jude grinned back at me. "Thought you'd be happy."

"Shhh, everyone." Dr. Birch marched to the front of the class, her cane tapping out a staccato rhythm on the wooden floor. "We'll start with the compositions you should all have completed for today."

"Does this mean we get to open a bottle of champagne?" Sofia asked after I'd given her the joyous news about Jansen.

"Definitely. If I'd known a cold would keep him down, I'd have hung around in the doctor's office ages ago, waiting for someone to sneeze on me."

"Cold? Man flu, more like. And why stop there? I'm sure we could do something with food poisoning. Salmonella maybe? Or botulism? Campylobacter's always a good one."

I giggled as I popped the cork on one of the bottles of bubbly Bradley had left in the fridge. If anyone had taken a good look around my kitchen, they'd have thought I was an alcoholic thanks to all the wine he'd bought.

"Sofia! I want to slow him down a bit, not kill him."

"How about norovirus?"

"What if he threw up on his violin?"

"Then he'd have to clean it, wouldn't he?"

We hooted with laughter as we clinked glasses, a toast to the joy a runny nose could bring.

"What's for dinner?" I asked. "Is that something in the oven? My sense of smell is shot to pieces."

"Pork chops stuffed with sundried tomatoes and spinach. Plus I've made mint choc chip ice cream for afterwards from the recipe Bradley sent."

"How do you find the time to do all that?"

She shrugged. "It's not that difficult, really, and I've always loved to experiment in the kitchen."

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

I missed Linc, but Sofia's company was a good substitute, as was the bottle of red we cracked open to go with the main course. Although strangely, it turned out she hated ice cream. Like, really hated it. She shuddered as she set my bowl on the table.

"You shouldn't have made it just for me."

"Don't sweat it. I've got waffles." She dumped a generous dollop of whipped cream in her own dish.

"We can try a different dessert next time. How about brownies?"

"Brownies work."

Although I could think of something far more delicious than ice cream, waffles, or brownies. I sent Linc a few messages through the evening, hoping he hadn't got my cold as well, but he reported he'd gone to the gym and felt fine. And the virtual kisses he sent right before I went to sleep helped me to feel better as well.