When she opened the door to him, Rio noted that she’d changed into a flowing caftan in greens and yellows that deepened the green in her eyes. He stepped inside, and she drew him into her arms and kissed him. His return kiss lacked passion. It was the kiss of a friend, not a lover.
She stepped away and studied him for a moment, and he thought she’d noticed the difference in the kiss. “What’ll you have…beer, wine, a liqueur?
“Nothing, thanks. We need to talk.” He took her hand and drew her toward a couch in the living room.
They sat, and her face sobered. “This is going to be bad, isn’t it? I’m going to lose a friend.”
“Not a friend. Never a friend. A never-again s*x partner.”
She released his hand and sat with hers folded in her lap. When she finally looked up, the wash of tears in th
