Read Waiting for the One for Free Online Page B

Celtic knot tattoo that wraps his left bicep, his abs, his chest, his shoulders . . . I had my mouth on every delicious, muscular inch of him. It’s a good thing I have the pillow to my face to block out my moan.
    “He doesn’t even speak to you,” Josh says.
    I lift my head. “We’re speaking now.”
    This causes a bark of laughter from Josh. “I bet.”
    “No, seriously. He came to tell me he couldn’t play our game anymore and I will note that he did agree to declare me the winner, since I was, after all.” It’s an important fact, me winning, that shouldn’t be excluded in the telling of the tale.
    Gwen’s lips twitch. “Well, I suppose that’s something.”
    Josh reaches for his glass of wine. “So have you exchanged words beyond yes , please , don’t stop , faste r ?”
    I throw the pillow I’m holding at his head, and his catlike reflexes keep the wine from spilling on the floor.
    “There wasn’t really an opportunity for a heart-to-heart.”
    “But you said he didn’t leave until this morning, so what did you two do . . .” Gwen stops midthought as a smile curves her lips. “All night and this morning? The stamina. You are a naughty girl, Saffron.”
    “Yes, but a very satisfied one.”
    Josh chuckles. “So how did you leave it?”
    I just glare at Josh. What is he? An investigative reporter for the Boston Glob e ? I’m not really mad at Josh. No, I don’t want to answer his question—I still don’t know quite how I feel with the way things were left. When I awoke, I found a small bouquet of flowers he had cut from my garden resting on his pillow, but no Logan. As romantic as it was, I can’t determine if the gesture is just that, romantic, or if it’s Logan’s way of laying down some unspoken ground rules. As in—this is only sex, so don’t get attached. Does he generally love a woman blind before disappearing without a trace? He probably has hundreds of broken hearts out there, hence the disguise of the beard. It’s a thoroughly depressing thought.
    “So?”
    “It’s new, Josh, for both of us.”
    He clearly doesn’t like that answer, but he leaves it alone. “We’ve exhausted that topic. So what’s next?”
    I am only partly paying attention to my friends. My thoughts are still on Logan and the uncertainty I feel at seeing him again.

    I bought a new car, an old VW bug that will probably not last out the year, but it only cost me five hundred bucks. Even if it lasts only a few months, it’ll be worth the investment.
    Added bonus, I get to punch my friends every time I show up in it.
    After dinner with Frank on Wednesday, we retire to his room where he pulls out his chess set. He has been trying to teach me the art of chess for as long as I can remember. I’m a terrible student. Strategic thinking is not my forte.
    As he does every time he takes it out, he places the pieces on the board with love, even taking a few moments to hold a few as if lost in thought.
    “Do you believe it’s possible that an object can hold a piece of someone’s soul?”
    To say I’m surprised by the question is an understatement. Clearly he’s remembering someone, probably the same someone he never discusses. I won’t pry, but I do wish he’d unload his burden because he has been my rock and I’d like to be that for him.
    “If the object was significant in someone’s life, yes, I believe it can hold a piece of their energy. Will you consider sharing with me whoever it is you’re thinking about?”
    “It isn’t that I don’t want to share, it’s just reliving it is too difficult. But I want you to promise me something.”
    In his direct gaze, I see the intense young man he must have been. “Be happy. In your life, be happy, and if you aren’t, make the changes that will allow for it. If you learn nothing else from me, learn that life is short. In a blink of an eye it can be over. Find your happiness, and then hold on to it with both hands. Will you do that for me?”
    My heart