Page 6 of The Friend

“Same here.”

Judd waited until Tom left before eyeballing her. “So, have we?”

Her baby-blues widened as she registered what he meant but chose to play dumb. “Have we what?”

“Been more than friends?”

“You tell me,” she fired straight back at him with a toss of her gorgeous hair.

He laughed, at ease with the way they slipped back into their banter, feeling increasingly stupid by how he’d reacted to Tom’s light flirtation with her.

“I guess you don’t ever think about that sensational kiss on graduation night, huh?”

“You guessed right,” she said, her fingers plucking at the edge of her skirt before she stilled them when she caught him looking. “And it wasn’t that great.”

“Liar,” he murmured, placing his hand over hers, vindicated by the slight tremor of her hand beneath his, all too aware of her bare leg mere millimetres from his curious fingertips.

Would it feel as smooth as it looked?

Would her skin be warm and soft or cool and firm?

Would touching her leg be a prelude to more?

“Okay, you got me. You’re the best damn kisser I’ve ever had. There. Does that satisfy your humungous ego?”

She squirmed away and he lifted his hand, shaken by how close he’d come to caressing her, by how much he wanted to.

“It would if I thought you meant it,” he said, forcing a chuckle as he tried not to stare at her breasts and the evidence of how she’d responded to his touch despite acting immune.

Damn, what was wrong with him?

They’d gotten past that kiddie kiss, had been best buddies for eight years. Why had he turned into a walking hormone the minute he laid eyes on her?

She drained her drink, slamming the soda glass on the bar before sliding off her stool. “As much as I’d like to stay and flatter you, I’ve got work to do. See you on the beach shortly.”

“You got it, boss.”

“And don’t you forget it.” She wiggled her fingers in a saucy wave over her shoulder as she sashayed out of the bar, leaving him with a spectacular view of her lovely legs and the way her short skirt flipped around her thighs, as if teasing the observer to discover the hidden delights beneath.

And boy, did he have a sudden hankering to go exploring.

He swiped a hand across his eyes in a futile effort to wipe her sexy image from his mind and picked up his camera bag.

He didn’t need this.

He didn’t need any complications in his life.

Was the new, flirtatious Abby a complication?

Damned if he knew.

Chapter Three

Abby sorted through bikinis and sarongs, matching style and colour. The latest animal prints, from leopard spots to zebra stripes, were everywhere following the catwalk craze in Paris and Milan a few months earlier and she loved the funky twists on an old favourite.

Holding up a flirty bikini bra with matching boy-leg knickers, she smiled. She thrived on this, the freedom to combine her artistic eye with practical savvy for each season. And if the feedback fromFinesse’sreaders was any indication they appreciated her keen eye for fashion as much as Mark did. Why else would her boss hint at a major deal?

She wondered what Judd thought about how far she’d come. He’d always teased her about her obsession clothes, and she’d reacted every time, their arguments as much a part of their friendship as sharing their hopes and dreams.

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