MISCHA FLEXED HIS FINGERS, rather than reaching for Ash a second time as she walked inside. Physically he wanted to finish what they’d started twice.

He had to remember this wasn’t a real relationship, but it was going to last more than the night. Blurring that line would be complicated if things went south.

Or led to the desire for something more.

He shook the random thought aside. Might as well get cleaned up.

In his room, he stripped down, and stepped in the shower. Near-scalding water seared over his neck and back, beating out muscles he hadn’t used that intensively in a long time. Who knew teaching could be as much work as the actual sport?

As his aches faded in the heat, images of Ash rushed back. His fantasy from the other night mingled with reality, adding her voice and scent and taste to thoughts of fucking her in the rain.

He dragged the tempting daydream away from the front of his mind, and boxed it up as best he could. If he was going to keep his composure around Ash, imagining her naked and writhing under him every chance he got wouldn’t help.

When he was done bathing, he dried off and pulled on a pair of sweat shorts. A T-shirt might be a good idea, too. He’d have to remember he wasn’t the only person in the house anymore. Not that he thought shirtless would be a problem, but he needed to figure out what set off Ash’s over-protective alarms.

Someone knocked, and he opened his bedroom door to Ash.

“Can we talk?” she asked.

“That’s never a good phrase to hear.” He kept his tone light and teasing.

She looked puzzled, then a smile slipped in. “I mean like actual talk. As in, we’re supposed to have known each other for months. The most private thing I know about you is that you like mushrooms and olives on your pizza.”

“Come on in.” He could do talking, and ignore the part of him that hoped it would lead to more. He sat on the edge of the bed. It would leave the chair free for her, if she was more comfortable there.

He couldn’t help a faint smile when she took the spot next to him, arm resting against his. “Thank you for the gifts. Again. I hope Kelly’s board wasn’t expensive.”

“It didn’t cost me anything. I guess parts, but I keep those around anyway.”

She looked up at him, eyes wide. “You made it? What about the artwork?”

“Airbrushed. By me.”

“You never fail to impress.” Awe lined her words. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Thanks.” Most of the time he didn’t think about it. It was just something he did. Her admiration warmed him in a way he didn’t expect. “What kind of things do we want to know about each other?”

She screwed her face up in thought. “I already know you have good taste in classic music.”

“Classic?”

“Guns and Roses, Iron Maiden... Classic rock.”

“Come on. I grew up with that. CCR, Black Sabbath. But not GnR. Soundgarden. Greenday.”

“Nirvana. Mud Honey.”

He shifted on the mattress so he could see her. “So sexy.”

“What is?” She looked up at him through her lashes, pink spreading over her cheeks.

“Your appreciation for good music.” Intellect warred with libido. He wanted to kiss her blush toward flaming, but he shouldn’t. The inches between them were both too much and not enough.

“How long have you been boarding?” she asked.

“Forever. Since I was in junior high.”

“Did you train hard? Probably. If you won medals.”

It was a sterile line of questions. Not a lot of emotion or teasing behind them. That was good, right? “Not until I met Tristan. He pushed hard, I wanted to keep up.”

“The two of you are close.”

“He might as well be my brother. We’ve seen each other through a lot.” Okay, Tristan was definitely not a sexy topic. Better than baseball or a cold shower.

“It’s the same for me and Kelly. I guess, not quite, since she’s literally my sister, but... This’ll sound silly.”

Mischa was surprised she was offering any personal information, given how she’d steered away from it before, but he wasn’t going to stop her. “Tell me.”

She rubbed the inside of her left wrist against her thigh. “In a way she saved my life. That sounds bad, but... she gave me a reason until I found one of my own.” She drew in a shaky breath. “That’s super depressing. I’m sorry.”

“Never apologize for that.”

“I’m just, it’s not that I’m suicidal or anything, so nothing to worry about there.” Her words ran together.

That shifted to dark fast. Delving into depression reminded him of Victoria, which tugged another layer over his lust. Ash wasn’t anything like his ex, though. “Never apologize for thinking or feeling.”

A spike of discomfort rolled through him, and he winced and stretched his neck.

“Let me.” She crawled on the bed until she was behind him.

When she dug her fingers into his shoulder he let out a long groan. “Don’t stop.”

She giggled, and it was enough to obliterate any of the clouds settling in. “It’s probably not as good one-handed.”

“Eh. Some of my favorite things happen one-handed.”

She rested her forehead against his neck, her breath when she laughed heating him. “You mean that exactly like it sounds.”

“I do.”

“Is it going to be a problem?” she asked. “Hiring me and marrying me?” She stopped kneading his muscles, but didn’t pull her hand away.

The way she hopped topics sang to the part of his brain that appreciated a good tangent. It also made him wonder if she was trying to keep the topic away from anything intimate.

“Not really. I’m the boss. If I say you can do the job, I’m allowed to hire you. We don’t really answer to anyone.” Until it came to making bigger purchases or selling them. But that was a different story for a time when it wouldn’t ruin the pleasant bubble that surrounded them.

Mischa stood. This closeness was too tempting to ignore. He took a few steps back. When he looked at Ash, a shadow of hurt crossed her face, but it vanished quickly.

The impulse drove through him to sit again. Or lock the door, kneel in front of her, and finish what two kisses promised but never led to. The way she studied him, eyes sincere, lips shining from the way she flicked her tongue over them, flowed through his veins and ignited his lust.

He’d promised no obligation. If she were anyone else, he wouldn’t hesitate to nudge the boundaries of that statement. So why was he holding back with Ash?