Chapter 1
I heard the click of the front door locking as I walked out of the bathroom, wrapped only in a fluffy white towel. The steam from the shower poured out into the hallway of my apartment, along with the apple scent of the shampoo I’d just used. I turned toward the sound of the noise, my wet brown hair swinging behind me, as I stopped in surprise. My roommate Josh was deployed to Afghanistan, and although I’d been planning to meet him at the airport when he returned this afternoon, he’d somehow managed to sneak home early. His bags landed on the floor with a thud, and for a moment I wondered if I should rush in to see him or quickly throw some clothes on first. Thankfully, I’d grabbed a towel and not just wandered out of the bathroom wearing nothing at all. I’d gotten so used to living alone that I’d have to remember I had a roommate once again.
Before I could make a decision to dress first or not, the steam from the bathroom reached the oversensitive smoke detector that was installed right outside the bathroom door, and a shrill piercing sound filled the air. I jumped at the sudden noise, cringing, even though this exact same thing happened every time I forgot to turn the bathroom fan on.
“Jess?” Josh called out from the living room in his deep voice. “Jessica?”
“In here!” I shouted back as I stood up on my tiptoes, waving one arm back and forth as I attempted to fan the smoke detector. “Everything’s fine!”
Josh rounded the corner and paused for a moment, his blue eyes on me. I glanced over to see him standing there, still wearing the fatigues and black combat boots he’d likely worn on his entire trip home. His dark blond hair was cropped short, and he had a trace of golden stubble across his face and strong jaw. He was tan from all of his months spent outdoors and more muscular than I remembered. His six foot frame looked bulkier, built up with solid muscle, and he had a hardened look about him. But his mouth quirked up with a trace of a smile as he watched me, and I realized how ridiculous of a situation he had just walked into. “Geez, they still haven’t moved that thing?” he shouted above the noise, walking over to give me a hand. “There’s never a dull moment with you, Jess.”
“Right. Because this is exciting,” I shouted back, gesturing to the smoke alarm as Josh removed it from the wall. The piercing stopped as Josh hit the reset button, and he stood there holding it, his tall frame towering over mine, as he grinned back at me. “Much more interesting than, say, flying home from the other side of the world or living in the desert for six months….”
Josh laughed as I smiled up at him. “Anyway, what are you doing here so early?” I asked excitedly. “I was going to meet you at the airport, not in the hallway in my bath towel.”
He laughed easily, and his eyes lingered just a moment too long as he glanced down at my towel, which was showing off my cleavage to its full advantage. “I caught an earlier flight. Surprise!”
“God, I can’t believe you’re really back,” I said, embracing Josh in a hug. My arms slid around him, and I rested my head on his chest as I felt his strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close.
Despite the fact that I was wrapped in Josh’s arms, half-naked, this moment wasn’t nearly as romantic as anyone observing us might have imagined. Josh and I had been friends since we were kids. We’d gone from playmates to best friends throughout high school and college to roommates. He’d been there for me when I broke up with boyfriends or pined away for various guys all wrong for me over the years, and I’d been his shoulder to cry on when his high school girlfriend had broken his heart after they’d gone off to college. I’d eventually ended up at the same university as him, but since Josh was two years older than me, he’d left me to fend for myself during my
I heard the click of the front door locking as I walked out of the bathroom, wrapped only in a fluffy white towel. The steam from the shower poured out into the hallway of my apartment, along with the apple scent of the shampoo I’d just used. I turned toward the sound of the noise, my wet brown hair swinging behind me, as I stopped in surprise. My roommate Josh was deployed to Afghanistan, and although I’d been planning to meet him at the airport when he returned this afternoon, he’d somehow managed to sneak home early. His bags landed on the floor with a thud, and for a moment I wondered if I should rush in to see him or quickly throw some clothes on first. Thankfully, I’d grabbed a towel and not just wandered out of the bathroom wearing nothing at all. I’d gotten so used to living alone that I’d have to remember I had a roommate once again.
Before I could make a decision to dress first or not, the steam from the bathroom reached the oversensitive smoke detector that was installed right outside the bathroom door, and a shrill piercing sound filled the air. I jumped at the sudden noise, cringing, even though this exact same thing happened every time I forgot to turn the bathroom fan on.
“Jess?” Josh called out from the living room in his deep voice. “Jessica?”
“In here!” I shouted back as I stood up on my tiptoes, waving one arm back and forth as I attempted to fan the smoke detector. “Everything’s fine!”
Josh rounded the corner and paused for a moment, his blue eyes on me. I glanced over to see him standing there, still wearing the fatigues and black combat boots he’d likely worn on his entire trip home. His dark blond hair was cropped short, and he had a trace of golden stubble across his face and strong jaw. He was tan from all of his months spent outdoors and more muscular than I remembered. His six foot frame looked bulkier, built up with solid muscle, and he had a hardened look about him. But his mouth quirked up with a trace of a smile as he watched me, and I realized how ridiculous of a situation he had just walked into. “Geez, they still haven’t moved that thing?” he shouted above the noise, walking over to give me a hand. “There’s never a dull moment with you, Jess.”
“Right. Because this is exciting,” I shouted back, gesturing to the smoke alarm as Josh removed it from the wall. The piercing stopped as Josh hit the reset button, and he stood there holding it, his tall frame towering over mine, as he grinned back at me. “Much more interesting than, say, flying home from the other side of the world or living in the desert for six months….”
Josh laughed as I smiled up at him. “Anyway, what are you doing here so early?” I asked excitedly. “I was going to meet you at the airport, not in the hallway in my bath towel.”
He laughed easily, and his eyes lingered just a moment too long as he glanced down at my towel, which was showing off my cleavage to its full advantage. “I caught an earlier flight. Surprise!”
“God, I can’t believe you’re really back,” I said, embracing Josh in a hug. My arms slid around him, and I rested my head on his chest as I felt his strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close.
Despite the fact that I was wrapped in Josh’s arms, half-naked, this moment wasn’t nearly as romantic as anyone observing us might have imagined. Josh and I had been friends since we were kids. We’d gone from playmates to best friends throughout high school and college to roommates. He’d been there for me when I broke up with boyfriends or pined away for various guys all wrong for me over the years, and I’d been his shoulder to cry on when his high school girlfriend had broken his heart after they’d gone off to college. I’d eventually ended up at the same university as him, but since Josh was two years older than me, he’d left me to fend for myself during my
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