All Those Years Ago...

Claire felt her heart skip a beat as she caught sight of him across the crowded room. Even after all these years, the mere glimpse of Ethan's kind green eyes and warm smile made her weak in the knees. She watched him politely excuse himself from the circle of chatting party-goers and begin to weave his way towards her.

"Hey you," he said softly when he finally reached her side. "I was hoping I'd run into you tonight."

Though his words were casual, the intensity of his gaze made Claire shiver with longing. She had tried her best over the years to get over Ethan, her first and only real love, but she had never quite managed to extinguish the flame she still carried for him. They had grown apart after high school when their paths had diverged for college and travel, but every glimpse of him refreshed her memory of just how right it had felt curled up in his strong arms.

"Hi Ethan," she managed, willing her voice not to tremble. "It's nice to see you too..."

She trailed off as he reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The slightest touch from him awakened a burning need deep inside her core. She saw her own breathless desire reflected in his eyes as his fingers lingered for a heartbeat too long against her flushed cheek. Though years had passed, in this electric moment she felt that no time had passed at all since those nights under the stars where he had first whispered words of love and devotion. Their chemistry still crackled, palpable and insistent between them, daring her to take the leap she had been too afraid to make all those years ago...