TerranI wasn’t sure how long to wait before I called Hailey. I wanted to see her again. I didn’t want to appear overeager and call her too soon, but I didn’t want to wait much longer. This was not a game I enjoyed playing. Most of the time, I never called a woman back for a second date, so I never had to worry about the right time to call. I just didn’t.Last night had been amazing. I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed her company. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d truly had fun doing nothing with a woman. There was a moment when I had thought I could broach the subject of the fake engagement, but I couldn’t. Something held me back. I wasn’t sure why, but when she touched me, it changed everything. I didn’t want to break the moment. I didn’t know what I felt for her, but there was something happening. I wasn’t quite ready to blow that up. Not yet. I wanted to see how it played out. Her refusal to let me kiss her was interesting. I didn’t think it was a game with her. There

HaileyI was still a little giddy after my date with Terran. I couldn’t wait to tell Mandy all about it. When she called this morning to tell me she had gotten the day off, I immediately decided we were going to have a girls’ day. It had been too long since the last time we had gotten to hang out and do nothing but pamper ourselves.I pulled into the parking lot of the spa where we were going to be spending our day.“Hey!” I said, walking in and finding her already sitting in the lobby.“There you are. I thought you were going to stand me up.”“I’m sorry. I want to have some really good excuse for my tardiness, but we both know it would be a lie. I’m late because that’s the kind of person I am. I’m working on it.”She giggled. “Yes, I know, and it’s okay because I still love you.”I walked up to the receptionist, giving her my name. I had booked the day in my name and had it charged to my credit card. It was my treat. Mandy would put up a fuss, but I wanted to do this for her. She did

TerranUnlike the first date with Hailey, I wasn’t nervous about this one. Those first-date jitters were gone. I was looking forward to a casual evening, spending time with a woman who was fun to be around. I couldn’t even remember the last time I could say that. I couldn’t wait to tell her about my hang-gliding adventure. I was anxious and had checked the clock several times, willing the time to pass faster.I was going to go out of mind if I didn’t find a way to pass the time. I quickly changed into swim trunks and headed to the indoor pool. It had been a while since I’d visited the pool area. When I walked in, there were a few mothers with their kids occupying the pool and deck. I found a lounge chair, put my stuff down, and dove into the water. I spent the next hour doing laps and even played with a few of the older kids who wanted to challenge me to a swim-off, whatever the hell that was.“I’ve got to get going,” I told one of the boys who had just beat me in the race across the

HaileyHe leaned down, hovering above my face as his green eyes bored into mine. It was a silent question. My eyes fluttered closed, giving him the answer he sought. His lips barely touched mine at first. It was a brush against my lips before he pressed closer, his body touching mine.I pushed against him, wanting more of him. His lips were as soft as I suspected. I opened my mouth just a fraction, giving him the go-ahead to take more. His tongue lazily swooped in, sending a spiral of heat throughout my body. I felt myself pushing against him, my hand still on his chest, gripping his shirt as the kiss intensified.He pulled back, his forehead resting against mine. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. Neither of us spoke for several long seconds. My heart was beating so hard against my chest I was sure he could hear it.“Want to take a walk down to the beach?” he asked in a soft voice.I nodded, his forehead rubbing against mine with the movement. “Can we ditch our fuzzy companions?”

TerranTwo Weeks LaterI glanced at the little clock on the corner of my laptop screen. It was almost five. I could pack it up. I hit send on the email, happy to be done with work. I wasn’t usually one to walk out the door right at five, but lately, work had taken a back seat to my personal life. I didn’t want to put in the extra hours. I preferred spending my time with Hailey doing absolutely nothing. I wasn’t jumping out of planes or surfing every day like Zach, but I had found a different way to feel alive and excited about each new day.I heard my phone ringing and smiled. It was probably Hailey, wanting to know if we could hang out tonight. I had been expecting her call. I picked up the phone and was slightly disappointed to see it was my attorney’s number on the screen.“This is Terran,” I answered in my standard business voice.“Terran, it’s Jim. Do you have a minute?”“I do. What’s going on? Did you find the loophole I needed to void those demands?”He sighed. “No, unfortunate