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Sam leaned back, eyeing her with amusement. “Ah, you’re one of those people.”

“What people?”

“Let me guess: You head to your gate to make sure it exists, then buy enough food and magazines to last for twenty-four hours, just in case.”

“I also use the bathroom three or four times before the flight leaves. Just in case.”

They both laughed, and Arden felt a mini-explosion in her heart. Why did she have to meet this man thousands of miles away from home?

“What about you?” Arden nudged Sam’s shoe with hers.

“I would drive you crazy.” Sam wiped his mouth with a napkin and shot her a mischievous grin. “I prefer to arrive at the airport with as little time to spare as possible, then get my cardio for the day sprinting to my gate.”

“No way.”

He nodded solemnly. “I do. Never missed a flight yet.”

“Oh my gosh.” Arden covered her face with one hand, shaking her head. “I can’t even imagine. That sounds so stressful.”

Sam shrugged. “Guess I like to live on the edge.”

The gentle ribbing seemed to have removed the tension of the more serious conversation. So neither of them wanted to move. At least they knew that now, before they sank any time into a doomed relationship. And they could enjoy one final morning together.

“Tell me what other unhinged things you do.” Arden leaned toward Sam and elbowed him. “Do you shower twice a day? Or are you one of those people who wears new clothes right away without washing them first?”

“Oh, so my thing is unhinged? I’m not the one wasting half a day at the airport.” He tipped his head back and laughed. “Okay, but I have been known to shower twice a day. Only if I work out.”

After they paid their bill, they walked hand in hand back to Phoebe’s apartment.

“Can I help you pack?” Sam stopped in front of the building.

“I’m all packed, but I do need to tidy up a bit.” Arden wondered if she should be letting Sam in—literally and emotionally—right before she was meant to leave. They had already settled that neither of them was interested in a long-distance relationship or in moving across the country. What was left to say?

As soon as they closed Phoebe’s front door behind them, all thought of tidying up left Arden’s mind. She realized that there might not be much left to say, but there were a lot of things she would like to do.

Quickly, both of them feeling the time crunch—and the urgent need to experience each other one last time—they kissed and undressed, leaving their clothes strewn across the living room, landing clumsily on the bed.

Despite the heady, hurried way they’d sprung together, Sam suddenly pulled back, gazing down at Arden.

“What is it?” Arden asked.

“I’m going to savor this.” And instead of the frenzied lovemaking Arden had been expecting, Sam took his time. He kissed her deeply, then trailed his lips and fingers across every inch of her body until her nerve endings were on fire. When he finally gave her what she was almost begging for, he did it slowly—so slowly that Arden could tell it was taking all of his self-control. He kissed her neck and whispered her name in her ear until finally, Arden couldn’t take it anymore.

“Please,” she gasped, and that was all it took to set him loose. They came together, fast and hard, and spent the next five minutes catching their breath, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“I’m going to miss that,” Arden said. It was a big declaration, but she didn’t feel self-conscious saying it. Right now, she felt like she could tell Sam anything.

“Me too.” Sam paused. “It’s a shame to have to give it up.”

“I know. But there’s nothing we can do about that.”

“Unless…”

Arden held very still, not even breathing as she waited for Sam’s next words. Was it possible that he had changed his mind?

“Unless we travel back and forth. Every month or two. We could try and see how it goes.”

“We could, but if we both know we don’t want to move, then…” Arden tried to phrase her thoughts carefully. She didn’t want to sound as though she were getting carried away, having just met Sam a few days ago. But they were talking about a potential future together, and she still couldn’t see it. “If things went really well, and we stayed together—long distance—for a while, then what? Would we have to just accept that it wasn’t going anywhere?”