"Jonah? Where are you going?" Jonah’s best friend, Sky, asked as he rushed past her to the door. He glanced at her, banged his shin against the coffee table, and then hopped the rest of the way to their front door even as another knock came.

"Triston and I are headed out to Polly's," Jonah Winters yelled back to his roommate as he swung the door open. He felt a grin spread across his face as he looked at the luscious man standing there.

Triston Gallant. Six feet of slim, hard-muscled perfection. Dark brown hair the same shade as Jonah's, minus the blond streaks and waves that were in his own hair. The bluest eyes Jonah had ever seen and a body that was a walking wet dream.

Jonah's heart pounded at the sight of him. Especially when Triston turned those gorgeous blue eyes on him. The hunger there took Jonah's breath away.

He looked back briefly at Sky. She was sick, but he'd made her as comfortable as possible. A wastebasket near her. Crackers and warm 7 Up on the coffee table along with some ibuprofen, a blanket wrapped around her, the TV remote by her hand. She'd be okay. She just had a touch of the flu, and nothing would stop Jonah from going on his date with Triston.

"Come on Jonah, we're going to be late." Triston, somewhat annoyed, reached with determination for Jonah's hand.


* * * *


Jonah was always fawning over Sky. She was a woman, which gave Triston an involuntary shudder. How Jonah managed to be such close friends with a girl, Triston couldn't understand. Women were what Triston called the four Cs. They were confusing, clingy, conniving, and cruel, and had the wrong equipment to interest Triston anyway. He had a few female acquaintances, sure, but he wasn't best friends with them. His best friend had been Carl Sand and that was back in high school. Now, he planned on making Jonah Winters his best friend... and lover.

Jonah was everything Triston had ever wanted in a man. Bright, generous, stunningly gorgeous, sweet, a wicked sense of humor. Triston didn't think the man could be any more perfect. Triston was surprised at himself though. He usually went for older men. Jonah was twenty-four, three years younger than Triston himself and nearly fifteen years younger than Triston's last boyfriend. But with the way Jonah was looking up at him, it just didn't seem to matter that he was younger nor that he had a girl for a best friend.

Triston wound his arm around Jonah's slim waist as they made their way to his car to go to Polly's. He couldn’t help feeling smug that he’d diverted Jonah’s attention from his clingy best friend. He knew he should feel ashamed at such selfishness, but their relationship was new and Triston wanted to see where it could go. He was so tired of being lonely, and Jonah fit so well with him, that he didn’t want to share him with Skylar. Not now anyway.


* * * *


Sky opened her mouth to say something else, when the door to their apartment slammed shut, and Jonah was gone. Skylar sighed. She should have known Jonah's attention would wander away from her eventually, but it still surprised her. And it hurt.

She'd never seen Jonah so enthralled with a guy before. Skylar should really be happy for him. Triston now had Jonah's undivided attention. And she was happy Triston kept Jonah occupied.

It had taken her some effort to convince Jonah she probably just had the flu. He'd wanted her to go to the doctor. Sky knew what was wrong and didn't need a doctor to tell her. The little test showing the tiny blue plus sign buried in her bathroom wastebasket had said it all. As she nibbled on a cracker, her mind slipped back two months, to the night of her twenty-third birthday.

The night that had put her in the position she found herself in now.