The Friendship Barrier

the long version

Could they ever be more than friends? Jake was Stephanie's employer... her best friend ... and if he hadn't had to rescue her from a gang of youths two years ago, he could have been so much more.... Now there was an invisible barrier between them, which--until recently--Jake had patiently respected. He alone knew why Stephanie shied away from men, understood why she had to confront her fear before putting the past behind them both. But Stephanie couldn't cross the line separating friend from lover without first facing a greater fear--the fear of losing the man who meant everything to her.