Alejandro stuffed his arms into his coat before he de-planed. The local airport was so small that he could practically see the parking lot as soon as he walked into the terminal. He didn’t want to seem too eager rushing toward baggage claim, especially because he knew the ground crew was notoriously slow, so he took a detour to the bathroom. He dug the small bag of toiletries out of his carry-on bag and tried to make himself look presentable. He washed his hands, brushed his teeth, washed his face, put more deodorant under his arms, and then used the small rollerball of cologne on his wrists and neck. He never put in any effort when he met up with Mike, but Mike’s laughter didn’t make his balls ache, so the extra step was worth it as far as he was concerned.

By the time he made it to baggage claim, his suitcase was on the conveyor belt, and he jogged forward to grab it. He pulled the long handle up and wheeled it forward, only to stop. Deja was standing just a few feet away, smiling shyly at him. He didn’t realize just how much he’d missed her until this moment.

His gaze moved up and down her body. She was wearing a thick sweater dress under her winter coat and tall boots. Technically, her knees were the only parts of her legs exposed, but it was more than enough to make his muscles tense with desire. Her knees! He couldn’t believe how thirsty he was. When his eyes moved back to her face, she bit down on her bottom lip. He kept his eyes on her face as he walked toward her.

“I parked in the garage,” she said when he was close enough that she didn’t have to yell. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to meet on the curb, or…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked even more nervous than before. “I texted you,” she whispered.

Alejandro’s steps faltered, and he dug into his pants pocket. He’d forgotten that he’d turned his phone off before his first flight took off. “Shit, sorry. I forgot to turn it on.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said, shaking her head quickly and smiling at him in relief.

It couldn’t have been more than thirty degrees outside, but having Deja smile at him like that made his body hot. In his dreams — because he’d absolutely dreamt about seeing Deja again for the first time more than once while he’d been away — he’d imagined that she would rush into his arms, or he’d sweep her up and kiss the fuck out of her. Instead, they stood awkwardly in front of one another, neither of them certain what to do next.