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“Do you want something?” My voice is suddenly hoarse. Me? My entire heart and soul, perhaps?

“A beer would be perfect.” He sets about fussing with the tongs and the pan, and I think my heart is suddenly about three times too big for my chest.

I grab each of us a drink and hand him one. As I do so, he hooks my pinky finger with his, not letting me step away.

“I was serious yesterday.” That rich, gritty voice rumbles through my senses. “I can’t stay away from you, sweetheart … but you say the word, and I’ll respect that. I’ll keep my distance, alright?”

“I just wish …” I swallow thickly. Not entirely sure what I want to say in this moment.

“Your friendship is more important, I get that. Brad means the world to both of us. I couldn’t live with myself if my selfishness ruined any aspect of what you have as friends.”

A heavy sigh gusts out of my lungs. I have to fight the urge to sink against his chest and wrap my arms around his broad torso.

Luke holds my chin, sweeping his thumb over my bottom lip. “In another life. In any other life, I’d track you down and wouldn’t let you go. You’re worth that and so much more, Skylar.”

I’m gaping up at him. Frozen in place at the sincerity in his words and tenderness in his usually chiseled, gruff exterior.

Goddamn this man for stealing my heart when I know that I can’t stay here beyond tomorrow.

Words aren’t forming, even though I’m trying, and failing, to find the right thing to say in reply. To articulate the increasingly complicated set of feelings I have for this cowboy.

But the outside world beats me to it. The front door bangs, and I hear Flinn come inside, midway through a conversation on the phone. His boots thud one by one as he kicks them off in the hallway, and that’s my cue to put some distance between us.

Luke sets his beer down and turns back to the pan on the stove, but not before sliding me one last look that will stay imprinted on my mind forever.

“Remember all that when the next guy comes along.”

“Sky, you’re gonna give me no choice but to revoke your technology privileges like you’re some sort of scowly teenager.” Brad nudges me with his elbow, and I almost drop my phone with a start. “You’re missing the party, too busy getting lost in your emails. Work can wait till after the holidays,” he scolds before turning back to pour drinks for some other friends.

Flames lick my cheeks, and I’m silently hoping it doesn’t give away my secrets immediately. There’s a reason I’ve been staring at my phone, zoned out, and it has nothing to do with work, my best friend, or the New Year’s Eve party flowing merrily around me.

It has absolutely everything to do with one particular cowboy who has occupied every shred of my attention.

Well … more to the point, his absence has preoccupied me to the point of distraction.

Luke has been MIA the entire evening as the house has filled up with laughter and music.

Thanks to overhearing Brad and Flinn chatting with some of the other guests here tonight, I’ve deduced that my cowboy crush is busy with the grill somewhere outside.

Which is possibly for the best. I don’t know how successful I might have been at keeping my composure around him tonight. Not when this lounge, the kitchen, even the guest room I’m staying in upstairs—every single room and almost every surface within—reminds me of how badly I want Lucas Rhodes.

We’ve thoroughly utilized every inch of this house in the time since our agreement began and ended. Now, I can’t look around without a replay of illicit memories, recollections of epically heated proportions, no matter where my eyes land.

A cluster of Brad’s friends are seated on the couch, swapping rodeo stories, and I have to take a hasty gulp of my soda, thinking back to all the ways Luke and I spent Christmas Day lost in each other on those very same cushions.

God.

I could seriously use some cold night air right now.

Except, I also don’t know how I might handle bumping into Luke, especially being in a situation where we’ll both be around all these people. Stuck knowing that I can’t do anything except smile politely and pretend to only be the girl who spent summers here hanging out with her best friend.

Not like I lost my heart to him years ago when I’m sure the man didn’t even know my full name.

My phone buzzes in my hand, and a flutter kicks up in my stomach. Hoping the name I’ll see on screen might be that of my best friend’s father.

Mom:

Happy ALMOST New Year.