“Here. Give me your bag,” he said, taking the handle out of her hand. “I’ll walk you downstairs.” It was the least he could do.

And it would give him another few precious minutes in her presence.

She treated him to a tremulous smile and followed him to the door, then into the hall and to the elevator.

“I hope you enjoyed New York. I am sorry you’re leaning toward not coming to school here,” he said as the doors opened and they entered the enclosed space.

She tipped her head to one side as if judging the sincerity of his statement. “If I can find something hands-on at home, I think I’ll be better off. I just wish I knew what kind of job would be best for me.” She shrugged. “I’ll figure it out.”

“You never wanted to do hotel management?” he asked, knowing her father, Robert Dare, was a hotel magnate.

She shook her head. “That part of the family business isn’t for me.”

The elevator came to a stop and they stepped into the lobby. He strode past the doorman and led her outside. It was late in the day, almost early evening. The sun had begun dipping behind the buildings, putting a lighter chill in the air.

Ethan caught sight of Mason waiting at the curb, and he paused, not wanting an audience when he said goodbye.

He turned to Sienna to find her waiting, her face turned up to his. “Take care, Sienna. Have a good life.”

Dramatic but true. He wouldn’t be seeing her again.

Her smile was forced, but he gave her credit, she didn’t hesitate. “Bye, Ethan. Be happy.”

He wondered if she knew how difficult that emotion was for him to accomplish. Yet in the short time he’d spent with her, he’d been happy. Go figure. A twenty-three-year-old woman had come close to changing his perspective on life after over a year of banging his head against the same brick wall of misery.

She looked up at him expectantly, but he knew better than to kiss her, implying an intimacy that meant something more than what he’d promised or intended.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then walked her to the car, unexpected feelings of regret and disappointment tugging at him as he watched the limo take her away.

Chapter Four

Not far from the old Thunder Football Stadium sat the new Thunder Stadium, a glorious, state-of-the-art ode to a team Miami loved. Sienna drove into the old place, where the offices still were, checked in with security, and made her way to Ian’s office. She hadn’t been summoned, not exactly, but he had called and informed her he’d cleared his morning schedule for an hour so he could hear all about her weekend in Manhattan.

Not all about her weekend, she thought, unable to hold back the blush that arose at inopportune moments any time she even thought about Ethan and the hours they’d shared. Her body certainly remembered. She was sore in places she normally never thought about, and she couldn’t say she had an ounce of remorse. Except maybe for that lame goodbye.