Just One Night by Caridad Piñeiro

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 1
    Nicole de Salvo stared out the train window
as every passing mile brought her closer to home . . . and to him.
    It had been a hectic day with a dash down to
the Philadelphia area for her brother's and Jase's graduation and then a rushed trip back to New York City for an interview for a
position she wanted for her summer break from medical school.   An interview that couldn't
be rescheduled no matter what.
    The nearly two hour train ride down to her
family's home on the Jersey Shore was long, but at least it would give her a
moment to catch her breath and prepare for seeing him again.
    For seeing Jase , possibly for the last time.
    He had looked amazing that morning in his
dress uniform, sword at his side and his second lieutenant's bars gleaming in
the morning sun.   The deep blue of the
uniform had made his green eyes seem aqua, like the ocean bathed with brilliant
light.   Tall and imposing, he had looked
every inch an officer and a warrior until he had fixed his gaze on her and
offered up the wicked little boy grin that did all kinds of things to her
insides.
    She pressed a hand to her stomach to quiet
the nervous flutters as she thought about seeing him again once she arrived at
home, where her younger brother Tommy's graduation party would be in full
swing.   It had been tough enough seeing Jase that morning, knowing that with every minute that
passed their time together was fading away.
    This night at the party and knowing it would
be the last one they'd share was going to be one of the hardest things she ever
did.
    Driving that thought from her mind, she
glanced out the train windows and caught glimpses of the shoreline and ocean
visible from the North Jersey Coast line.
    They'd all spent so much time in those
waters, her, Tommy, and his best friend Jason.   Jase to his friends.
    She was a friend, kind of.   After all, they'd grown up together and had
spent many a lazy summer along the shore.   But as they'd gotten older, something had changed.
    The typical teasing between kids, between her
and Jase , had become more flirty .   Definitely full of subtle
sexiness.   Or at least, it had
gotten that way on his part.
    She hadn't known how to handle it when an
eighteen year old Jase had settled that green-eyed
gaze on her, flashed her a not-so-innocent dimpled
grin, and heat had ignited inside her.   Four years later, she still didn't know how to handle him.
    He was like a little brother to her, although
the annoying voice in her head shouted a big, “Hell to the no” and reminded her
that they were only two years apart in age.
    Reluctantly she admitted to herself that Jase was definitely not like a little brother.   Not since she'd
come to understand that the weird little tingle she got whenever she saw him or
talked to him meant that there was way more to her feelings for him.
    More that she had yet to explore, only time
was running out for them.
    As the train chugged along on her way home,
she dragged up the memory of what he'd looked like as he'd sauntered up to her
this morning after graduation, looking every inch the hero.   His swimmer’s shoulders looking even broader
in his uniform. His green eyes bright and warming as they
settled on her.   His smile had
been inviting as he'd leaned in and kissed her.   Chastely, but she'd wanted to linger and have it be more.   She had wanted to savor those amazing lips
before she had reined herself in.   She
reminded herself that she never would give in to that desire because she was
too sensible and responsible and downright boring.
    She closed her eyes to hold in the
memories.   Allowed herself to imagine what it might be like to be with Jase .   To let go and explore the
temptation.
    In her mind's eye, she pulled his white dress
hat off his head and tossed it to the side.   Skimmed her fingers through the buzz cut sandy-colored hair at the sides
of his head and the longer strands up top before cradling his head and