“Will you pass me the shampoo?” A content smile graced her lips as warm water ran over her back, his arms wrapped around her. They’d come in from the dock and straight into the shower.

He shook his head, placing a soft kiss to her lips. “If you think you’re finally done with me, I’ll wash your hair.”

She kissed him back and giggled. “Hey, you’re the one that started things in the shower. I was minding my own business ‘til you showed up.”

He grinned at her wickedly. “Is that a complaint?”

He pecked her lips one final time and spun her around as he grabbed the shampoo off the counter. He poured some in his hand, inhaling the lemony fragrance that drifted in the steam as he began massaging it through her long locks.

She moaned her approval at his skilled fingers. “That feels so good.”

“Hmmm. I seem to hear that a lot from you.” He chuckled.

“You are pretty good with your hands.” She laughed lightly, humming in satisfaction as he continued rubbing her head.

When he was done with her hair, he piled it on top of her head and squirted some soap into his hand. He moved over the rest of her body, leaving a trail of suds as he gently washed each part of her. She watched under hooded lids as he treated her body to this luxurious care and adoration. She couldn’t remember the last time her body and soul had felt so at ease.

He finished and moved her under the water and again began massaging her hair and then her body until all the soap was rinsed away. “There you go. Clean as a whistle.” He placed a kiss on her shoulder and moved to stand under the water with her.

“Thank you, Mr. Clean. I feel like a new woman.”

“Good. Why don’t you go dry off and put something comfy on?”

She looked up at him through wet lashes and shook her head. “You think I’m giving up a chance to run my hands over those super-sexy abs? No way! It’s my turn.”

He threw his head back in laughter. “You and these abs! They’re just muscles, you know?”

She cocked her head at him, eyebrows arched, as she poured soap into her hand. “These are so much more than just muscles. These are planes of deliciousness that deserve to be worshipped. And I volunteer.”

A low chuckle rumbled through his chest as she ran her hands over him, bubbles foaming under her fingers as she worked. “They are all yours, Angel, especially if they make you smile like that.”

She beamed up at him, her face flushed from the heat of their passion. “I like when you call me Angel.”

“You rescued me from a night on the side of the road and seem to have delivered me to heaven’s gates. Definitely an angel.”

He kissed her lazily, backing into the water as he did, rinsing himself off as droplets slid down over both of them. When he was clean, he broke away and turned to shut the water off. “Let’s dry off.”

They both stepped out of the shower, taking towels off the rack and drying off. “If you go in Tommy’s room, you can wear anything in there you want. It’s the door down the hall on the left.”

“Okay, thanks.” He wrapped the towel snuggly around his waist, tucking the end into the middle. “Stop ogling, woman, and get dressed!”

Hope jolted and covered her eyes at being called out, yet again, for staring at his magnificent stomach, before turning and skittering out the door to her bedroom. “I’m going! I’m going!”

Several moments later, they met in the hallway, both dressed comfortably—he in sweats and a t-shirt, and she in a thigh-length night shirt, with white, wooly socks on her feet. He took her hand as they started down the stairs together. She turned and looked at him in thought.

“Do you think it’s weird that we’ve only known each other for twenty-four hours? I mean, doesn’t it seem like we’ve known each other for so much longer?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll admit, it’s a bit strange. But you’re right. This feels so easy.”

“Easy is a good word. Or natural. I have been more myself with you than I think I’ve ever been with anyone.” They had reached the kitchen and stopped in front of the center counter. She grinned broadly. “I’m going to guess you’re hungry again?”

“See how well you know me already?” He grinned back at her. “Let’s do something easy, though. Maybe some cheese, crackers, and fruit? I can start a fire, and we can relax and eat over there?” He nodded his head in the direction of the fireplace.

“That sounds divine. You start the fire and I’ll get the food together?”

He nodded his head. “Perfect.”

Gage headed over to the fire place and started building the makings of a fire, while she made her way to the fridge and started taking things out for their light meal.

“So, what did you mean when you said that you’ve been more yourself with me than anyone else? Why’s that?” He was bent down on one knee as he placed kindling over paper in the fireplace.

“I don’t know.” She frowned and leaned against the island. “I guess because I work at one of my father’s companies. Daddy’s little girl, everything handed to me on a silver platter, and all those preconceived notions that go along with that.”

“Not Daddy’s little girl?” he asked with a cocky smile.

She threw him a playful glare as she started slicing a block of cheese. “Ha-ha. No. I mean, obviously, my dad loves me and wants to take care of me. I’m his only daughter, and my mom is gone now. But I’ve worked really hard to be in the position I’m in. I went to college for six years and worked during the last three years of that.”

The fire was starting to crackle now, so he laid a few medium size logs over the lit kindle and placed the large screen over the opening. He made his way back over to her.

“And what is it that you do exactly? I don’t think you’ve actually told me.”

Her eyes crinkled, and her brow furrowed in thought as she tried to remember whether or not she had told him what she did. “Huh. I guess I didn’t even realize. I’m the senior VP at a publishing house. I handle all the U.S. publications.”

His jaw went slack and his eyes wide. “Wow. That’s impressive.”

She shrugged as her face turned a light shade of pink. “Yeah, I guess it is. I knew from a really young age that it’s what I wanted to do, so I worked hard to get there.”

“What do you publish?” He plucked a piece of cheese off the cutting board as she sliced some apples.

“Books mostly. Some periodicals. We published over ten thousand books last year.”

He swept his hand around the room. “Well, that explains all the books everywhere.”

She laughed. “Yeah, we read a lot around here. In fact, I should have been reading today, but someone has kept me very distracted!”

“I can take off tomorrow if you want,” he responded matter-of-factly.

She was surprised when she felt her heart drop into her stomach. She didn’t want that at all. Hope liked having him here with her. But, he seemed ready to leave without any hesitation, so instead of admitting she wanted him to stay, she played it cool.

“Do you want to leave? It’s totally up to you. I’m fine either way.” Instead of looking at him to gauge his response, she picked up the wooden board she had prepared their smorgasbord on and started walking to the living room.

Gage scratched his chin, not sure how he was supposed to respond. One second, she seemed to want him here, and then the next, it seemed like she was casually dismissing him. Why were women always so damn complicated? He watched as she placed the food on the coffee table and started fidgeting with everything else on the table.

Was she nervous? This was the first time since being with her that he’d seen her act twitchy like this. He walked back into the living room so he could confront her up close to see if he could figure out what was really going on in that mind of hers.

“Hope, I’ll---“

“Oh! I forgot the wine,” she interrupted him, jumping up and hurrying past him into the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of white wine out of the fridge and then two glasses out of a cabinet.

He stood by the fireplace and watched as she scurried back over to the table and placed the wine down. “I’ll do—”

“Shit!” She spun and darted back into the kitchen again. “I forgot the cork screw.”

He shook his head, a smirk sliding over his lips. Damn woman was so afraid he was going to say he wanted to leave that she wasn’t going to let him say anything. Just like this morning. When she returned to the coffee table, and finally seemed to stand still for more than thirty seconds, he cautiously approached her. He took the wine bottle and corkscrew from her hands and placed them on the table. She kept her gaze focused on the table instead of on him.

“Hope.” He reached out and curled a knuckle under her chin, pushing up. “Look at me.”

Her head came up slowly, her gaze reluctantly locking onto his, her teeth brutally clutching onto her lower lip. He reached up and pulled it from her teeth, swiping the pad of his thumb across the imprints her teeth left, before lowering his hand and placing it on her waist.

“I want to stay.” His nerves tingled in satisfaction when her eyes brightened before him. “Just for the record. But, if you need to work, I can go.”

She peered up at him through her dark lashes, her pouty lips turning upward. “So, you don’t want to go?”

He shook his head as a delightful smile lit up his face. “No.” He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. “Don’t want to go.”

A smile illuminated her face. “Good, because I don’t want you to go. Work can wait.” She stretched up on tip-toes and brought her lips to his in a triumphant kiss, arms wrapping around his neck to follow it up with a hug. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her so close he could feel the beat of her heart against his, dazed and confused at how perfect it felt.