With a sigh, he shut off that train of thought and sat on a wooden bench. Digging his phone out of his pocket, he didn’t give himself any time to think as he pulled up the phone list and stabbed at Nik’s face with his finger.

When the phone started to ring, he actually felt his stomach roll.

Once, twice, three times. Damn it, he wasn’t going to pick up again. Four. Five—

“Hey.”

Baz drew in a sharp breath at the wary tone of Nik’s voice but got out a “Hey” in response.

Then they fell silent.

Off to a great start.

“How’s it going?” he asked because he literally couldn’t think of anything else to say at that moment.

Nik laughed, though there wasn’t much humor in the sound. “Ya know, things are going. You?”

Might as well just rip the bandage off. “I’ve got some new music I want you to hear.”

The silence was deafening and Baz’s heart started to pound out a faster beat.

Had Nik finally moved on and found someone else to write with? Was their relationship shattered to the point of no return? Was Nik still pissed at him because of their last fight?

He’d answered the phone. He knew who’d been on the other end. Nik must’ve wanted to talk to him, too.

“Nik?”

“Yeah, I’m still here.”

“So?”

“So, what?”

Okay, it was gonna go like this. Well, fuck him. Goddamn it, if Nik was gonna be a prick about this—

No. Just no.

Deep breath.

“So I want you to listen to it.”

More silence.

“Shit, Nik.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Baz. Of course I’m gonna listen to it. I’m just not sure I’ll be able to write anything for it.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I might be too fucking pissed off at you still.”

Baz felt like he’d taken a hit to the gut. He sucked in air, trying to ease the tightness in his chest. “Fair enough. But let me send it to you anyway.”

Through the phone, he heard Nik sigh. “Yeah, sure. Fine. Send it.”

And now what? Jesus, should he apologize again? Had he ever apologized the first time?

He couldn’t honestly remember. When Nik had shown up at Haven earlier this year, they’d both still been so angry they hadn’t been seeing straight.

“Look,” Baz paused. “Maybe we can catch a meal next week. Would you be up for that? Where are you anyway? Are you at home?”

Home for them meant a little town named Dallas outside of Wilkes-Barre that no one had ever heard of.

“No.”

Damn him. “Are you close to Philly?”

Nik sighed. “Close enough, yeah. I’m staying with Phil in Downingtown right now.”

“So you wanna come down to the city or do you want me to come up?”

“Honestly . . . I don’t know. Send me the music and I’ll get back to you.”

Damn, Baz wasn’t sure he could answer without sounding like he was gonna keel over. Fuck. After a deep breath, he nodded, even though he knew Nik couldn’t see him. “Sure. Let me know that you got the file. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah. Later.”

The line went dead and Baz sat there for several more minutes before he could get up the energy to leave.

*   *   *

“You look flushed. You’re not coming down with something, are you?”

“Good morning to you, too.” Tru gave Greg one of her mom’s tried-and-true looks, guaranteed to make most people flinch and slink away with their tail between their legs.

Greg just raised his eyebrows and continued to stare at her.

Fine. They’d hit a standoff. She didn’t need to talk to him this morning anyway.

“I’ve got work to do, so unless you need me for something pressing, I need to run along.”

Greg crossed his arms over his chest. “Heard you and Baz had more alone time last night.”

Damn her fair skin. She felt the heat flushing her cheeks but refused to act like she had anything to be ashamed of. She was a grown-ass adult. She had a job and an apartment and everything.

So how could Greg make her feel like a teenager out past her curfew?

“He had new music he needed to get out of his head. I had my tablet. Match made in heaven.”

At least, the sex had been heavenly. And, oh my god, she went wet just thinking about it.

Turning her back on Greg, she headed for her office. But Greg took two steps and caught up to her, pacing her down the hall.

“So, what’s going on between you two?”

“Who says there’s anything going on?”

“Ah. Answering a question with a question. Good tactic. And my response would be: I’ve got two eyes and I’m damn good at reading people.”

“What you are is damn good at sticking your nose into other people’s business. Stop it or you’re gonna get that nose broken.”

He laughed and stopped in the doorway to her office as she made her way to her desk. “It’ll heal. Has before. So Baz is working on new music. Glad to hear it.”

She set her tablet on her desk and booted up her computer. “What I heard sounds great. I mean, I’m not exactly a metal expert but I liked what I heard.”

And how he made me feel when I was naked and fucking him on the piano bench.

Her whole body went hot and she wanted to fan her cheeks. Or dunk her head in ice water.

Greg leaned against the doorjamb, a deceptively nonthreatening gaze lasered her way.

“So you two are getting along better than you were.”

“We seem to have worked out our differences.”

“Uh-huh.” Those two little sounds held a challenge she refused to rise to. “And how’d you two manage that? You were at each other’s throats more often than not. What changed?”

She so wanted to stick her tongue out at him but that would just make him even more suspicious.

“Nothing. We just don’t care enough about each other to want to fight anymore, I guess.”

“Hmm.” Greg turned his head toward the hall. “Same go for you, Baz?”

Her flush faded as Baz appeared in the doorway next to Greg. His expression had defaulted to sarcastic asshole. Which told her he’d heard exactly what she’d said.

Damn Greg for needling her about Baz. And damn her mouth for spouting such bullshit about him. Christ, if he’d said the same thing about her, she would’ve wanted to cry.

Fuck. She needed to get Greg the hell out of here so she could talk to Baz.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” He shrugged. “So, you wanna hear what I’ve got?”

Greg nodded. “Yeah, I do. I got a few minutes before I need to be anywhere. Let’s give it a listen. Tru, you wanna—”

“She heard it last night.” Baz turned away as if she didn’t mean a thing. “I’m sure she’s got better things to do with her time.”

Okay, she probably deserved that. She grimaced. No, she definitely deserved that, but she didn’t have to like it.

Baz moved out of sight but she heard him say, “I’ll meet you in the studio,” before she heard his footsteps heading away.

Damn, damn, damn. She wanted to rip Greg a new one for putting her in this position but she knew it was no one’s fault but her own.

Greg pushed away from the doorjamb, his gaze narrowed at her as she tried to stop the rush of tears that wanted to flood her eyes.

Stupid tears. No call for them.

“We’ll talk later.” Not a question. A definite promise. “Is the new receptionist coming in later today?”

She pulled herself together with an indrawn breath. “No. She’ll be here Monday. And I have to leave by six tonight. I’ve got a . . . a date.”

Greg looked shocked. Actually physically shocked. But he covered it quickly. “I know it’s none of my business but . . . with who?”

She scowled at him. “You don’t have to look so damn surprised.”

“I’m not.” He raised his hands in the air. “Okay, maybe I’m a little surprised. Sue me. It’s just . . .”

She raised defensive eyebrows at him. “Just, what? Surprised someone would want to ask me out?”

He looked genuinely nonplussed at that. “No! Of course not. I’m just surprised you said yes.”

“Well, I did. And you can just leave now.”