Sabrina chose the empty bedroom that was across the hall from Brian’s, rather than the one that was next to his. She thought the view out that window was better. There was also a very small balcony that seemed to have been added as an afterthought. The room was decorated in soft shades of peach and sea foam green, on a background of off-white. It was just as lovely as the rest of the apartment.

She admitted, as she lay on the bed that first afternoon just three days after Brian’s agreeing to her idea, she was curious to see Brian’s bedroom. She wanted to see where he slept, and where he bathed and shaved each morning. There was a deep need inside of her to see if he was fastidious in his placement of his personal possessions, or if he laid them down haphazardly as she did most of the time.

Her biggest surprise, as she rolled to her side and curled into a ball, was that she was curious at all. Maybe it was more than just curiosity, which she was sure she could handle. What if these feelings were just the beginning of something deeper? She had avoided any emotional entanglements for so long, that she was unsure of her emotions in this area. So carefully had she separated her life into work and friendships, that she doubted her ability to handle a relationship with any man, let alone someone as dynamic as Brian.

Then there were all the other feelings of wanting a physical relationship with a man, but the man had to be Brian. As she stared out the window, tears slowly coursed down her cheeks onto the peach down comforter. Maybe she should just turn tail and run. Not just to California this time, but maybe all the way to Europe. She knew Philippa and Marcello would welcome her. The longer she lay there, the more she thought. Finally, even though she was scared, she knew that she couldn’t run anymore. It was time to face all of her demons, and decide what to do about them.

She drifted into a restless sleep from which Brian’s voice woke her several hours later. “So this is where you’ve been hiding? Mrs. Jennings thought you might have gone out when she wasn’t looking.” He walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. It was impossible not to notice the tear stains on her cheeks and the pillowcase. He reached out to gently rub at the dampness on her face. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked her.

Sabrina smiled and caught his hand in her own, which for once was not encased in a glove. She pressed his palm against the soft skin of her cheek. “I’m just fighting ghosts and goblins from the past. I’m fine now.”

Then she saw Brian’s eyes go to the rough, scarred skin on the back of the hand that held his. She had always been careful to conceal her scars, even from him, until now. She was unaware that she held her breath, until he raised her hand to his face and pressed his lips against the lightly puckered skin. As he heard her slowly release her pent up breath, he allowed his lips to open slightly, kissing the hand again. This time as her eyes met his, he let his tongue sample the taste and the textures of her skin.