One minute I’m having crazy, hot sex and the next I’ve got a cold, wet nose shoved into my cheek.

My eyes fly open, and I find myself face to face with Milo. Smiling, I reach for her. She grunts when I tuck her under my chest.

“Where did you come from?” I ask.

Trevor plops down on the bed. “You were snoring again.”

“I don’t snore.”

“You do. Loudly.” Milo climbs out of my arms and onto Trevor’s lap. “I couldn’t fall asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you up because then you’d leave, so I snuck out and drove to your house to get Milo. I used the key on your key ring. Coop also helped me get your car here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Thank you for doing that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Where did Milo sleep?”

Trevor peers down at my fluffy pal, who is licking his abs. “On my chest.” He pushes her face away, but Milo keeps licking. “Why does she lick this much? It can’t be normal.”

I giggle. “She likes you.”

“It’s not just me. She licks everyone and everything.”

“I don’t know. I just assumed it’s her thing. She’s a licker.”

“Kinda like her mama,” Trevor suggests.

My lips part. My cheeks grow hot as I think about the dirty things Trevor and I did last night, especially the things I did with my tongue. I drop my eyes to the comforter.

“Oh, come on. I’ve kissed every inch of your naked body. I’ve had my cock and other parts of my body inside of you, and you’re embarrassed to think about sucking my dick?”

Heat spreads throughout my body, and if I looked in a mirror, my face would probably resemble a tomato. “Not embarrassed exactly… It’s just not something I’ve ever openly talked about with a man.”

Trevor sets Milo on the floor next to the bed and crawls toward me. He tugs on the sheet, leaving me naked as the day I was born. My nipples pucker under his heated gaze as he lowers himself on top of me.

“Good. Because I don’t ever want you to be embarrassed about anything we do.”

Milo barks. I can hear her running around the bed, probably trying to get the courage to jump up.

“Last night was…amazing.” I run my fingers along Trevor’s spine. He grinds his pelvis against mine, but his boxers are in the way, which is probably a good thing because Milo finally makes it onto the bed.

She barks excitedly, probably proud that she made that horrifying jump, only to be set back on the floor.

“Where were we?” Trevor says, cradling my head between his arms.

“I was just telling you how wonderful last night was. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.”

Trevor frowns. “You’ve had sex before.”

“Yes, but that wasn’t sex. That was…so much more.”

“It’s because we care for each other, Claire. We were making love. Every time I look at you, kiss you, or touch you, it’s my body loving yours.”

If hearts can hand themselves over to another human being, mine just threw itself at Trevor.

“I feel the same way. It was so intense. And not just what we were doing, but your words and—”

Trevor grins. “You like the dirty talk?”

“I do. It’s never worked for me before, but with you, I expect it. I crave it.”

“Because you’re comfortable with me in a way you haven’t been with anyone else.” Trevor smiles down at me and runs his thumb along my lip. “It’s called love,” he says, kissing me.

“How do you know? You’ve never been in love.”

“I just know. I can’t explain it, but I can feel it. There is no other explanation. We’ve both been with other people, and neither one of us has felt this way before.” Trevor lifts himself up so he can get a good look at me. “Why? Are you having second thoughts?”

“God, no.” I shake my head and pull him back to me. “That’s not it at all.”

“Because it’s okay if you are. It’s okay if we need to take a step back. I told you I want to do things right with you, and I meant it. If we’re moving too fast, say the word and we’ll slow down.”

I think about his words. While I agree that we have moved fast, I know in my heart that I love Trevor and I want the connection we have to keep growing.

“We’re not moving too fast. I’m just trying to wrap my head around it all, and you seem to have a better understanding of it than I do,” I admit.

“Claire, I’m as clueless as you are. I’m just telling you what’s in here.” Trevor puts my hand over his heart.

“I love what’s in there,” I say, rubbing my palm over his chest. “Who knew Trevor Allen would be such a romantic?”

“I’ll show you romantic.” He playfully attacks my neck, and I laugh, thrashing around when he tickles me.

Milo manages to make it back on the bed and is enthusiastic about joining whatever game we’re playing. She jumps around us, barking at Trevor, and next thing I know she’s rooting her nose between our faces.

“Awww…” I giggle. “She wants in on the lovin’.”

Trevor sits up and glares at Milo. “You’re a little cockblocker. That’s what you are.” He ruffles Milo’s fur and she barks, jumping around the bed. She gets too close to the edge and tumbles off before we can catch her.

“Whoa there.” Trevor lifts her up and hands her to me. “Careful.”

“Arf!”

I nuzzle my nose into her soft fur. “What she’s trying to say is thank you.”

Trevor looks at his watch and slides off the bed. “I better get going.”

I reach for him but he takes a step back.

“Come back to bed.”

“No.” He grabs a pair of jeans from his drawer and pulls them on. “If I get back in that bed with you, neither one of us will get a damn thing done today.”

“I don’t have anything to do today.”

“Wrong,” he says, tugging a white T-shirt over his head. “You promised Mo you’d meet her at Animal Haven.”

“Oh, right.” I wrap the sheet around my chest and sit up. “Will I see you later?”

“Of course.” Trevor leans in and kisses me. “Stay as long as you’d like. Explore. I put a key to the house on your key ring. Lock up before you go.”

I put a key to the house on your key ring.

I blink and then blink again.

He gave me a key to his house.

I fly out of bed, pull the sheet tight around my chest, and run down the hallway, skidding to a stop when I see Trevor with a hip propped against the island in his kitchen. He’s grinning from ear to ear with his hat in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

“You’re not going to freak out, are you?” he asks.

Am I? I take stock of my body. Pulse, steady. Palms, dry. Legs, still. I think I’m good.

I did have a minor freak-out, which is why I darted after him, but once I saw him again, the fear faded away.

I shake my head. In three strides, I’m in front of him. “No, I’m not going to freak out.”

“Good.” He sets his coffee down and reaches for me. “I wasn’t sure how you’d handle that little bombshell. When I heard you come barreling down the hall, I figured you were seconds away from an anxiety attack.”

“I don’t have anxiety,” I say, giving him a pointed look. “And it was a pretty big bombshell.”

“It’s just a key.”

Really? Is he crazy? “Just a key? It is not just a key. You just gave me permission to enter your home at any time for any reason. Do you realize the magnitude of that? I could scrounge through all of your drawers and the deepest parts of your closet.”

“Are you going to do that? Because I can already tell you there’s nothing there.”

“No, I’m not going to do that, but I could, and you’re allowing it, which means you have nothing to hide and you trust me and—”

“You’re freaking out.”

“No.” I swallow and take a tiny step back—not too far though, because damn he smells good. “It’s just we’ve only been together…” I try to calculate the days in my head, but they all run together. “I don’t know the number, but it hasn’t been long.”

“Do I have to keep reminding you that we’ve known each other for years? Years, Claire. I trust you as much as my own family. And I want you here. Milo too. I want you both here. I want to make love to you in my bed—and yours too from time to time—and I want to cook for you and curl up on the couch and watch movies with you.”

Well, damn. That’s super sweet.

“Are you crying?” he asks.

“No, I’m not crying.” I sniff. “That was just really sweet.”

“Are you sure you don’t have anxiety?”

“Would you stop with the anxiety crap?”

“Okay. You think too much.”

He’s probably right about the anxiety, but I’ll never tell him that. And I do think too much. I’m tired of thinking and overanalyzing every freaking thing in my life.

“Not about this.” I push up on my toes and kiss Trevor. “I want all of those things you mentioned too.”

“So we’re good?”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Yeah, we’re good.”

“Can I give you a goodbye kiss now?”

“I’d like that.”

Trevor grabs the sheet and yanks me in. The first brush of his lips is soft and tender, as if he’s reiterating everything he just said to me. Then he settles in and the kiss deepens, hot and intense—the kind of kiss that would normally end with my clothes falling off. Oh, look, my clothes are already off. Perfect.

I release my hold on the sheet, but Trevor catches it before it falls to the ground. Wrapping it around my shoulders, he pulls it taut in front of me.

“You didn’t do that on purpose, did you?”

“No, not at all,” I say, feigning innocence. “It must’ve slipped while you were kissing me.”

Trevor grabs his coffee and turns for the door. Then he looks over his shoulder. “You realize you’re a terrible liar, right?”

“Yes, I know. Goodbye, Trevor.”