“My mind always in the gutter?” she replied in a teasing tone.

“Yep. You’re pretty much perfect.”

She gave a short laugh. “Hardly. But I’m glad you think so. Just keep taking whatever drug you’re on and we’ll be set.”

He almost said something stupid and cheesy like “you’re my drug.”

She’d already taken a big leap by suggesting she wanted what they had to continue. He wasn’t about to ruin that by getting too touchy-feely mushy. Although for the first time, he understood why poets wrote about romance and their fascination with the objects of their desire. He could fill a book talking about Devon.

Then he noticed she’d gone still against him. She murmured, “I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head. What are you thinking?”

“That this is good.”

He felt her smile on his skin, and the center of his chest warmed with hope. She nodded, and they drifted off into sleep.

Only to be awoken what seemed like minutes later by Peanut’s piercing yap.

What seemed like a few seconds later, Trey woke with a jerk. Peanut’s piercing yap was the most annoying alarm clock.

“Peanut, hush!” she hissed, scrambling from the bed to let him out of his cage, before hotel personnel noticed the unwelcomed overnight guest.

Trey sat up and scrubbed a hand down his face, noticing the rough scrape of beard growth against his palm. His gaze shot to the side of Devon’s neck, where patches of red marked her pristine skin.

A rush of primal satisfaction lit his veins. He’d left his mark on her. She was his.

The leftover caveman part of his brain didn’t care how that sounded. She’s mine.

Sliding from the bed, he grabbed his formerly discarded towel, slung it around his waist, and lumbered over to the coffee maker on the kitchenette counter. When it finished brewing, he handed her a cup.

Dressed in a fuzzy robe from the hotel bathroom, Devon somehow made terrycloth sexy. Marveling, he shook his head. “So what’s on tap for today?”

Her dark eyes shuttered and looked away.

A flash of frustration ignited in his chest. What the hell? They’d spent an amazing night together in and out of the sheets, and she wanted to push him back at arm’s length?

With a heavy sigh, he told himself to be patient. But honestly, why didn’t she see he was all in? Wherever this ride took them?

Instead of letting his frustration show, he took a sip of fresh coffee, scalding the roof of his mouth. Still, he appreciated when the caffeine kicked in and his brain began functioning on all four cylinders. He reminded himself just because he wanted to dive into this great thing he’d found with her, she still had barriers that had been in place long before they met.

One amazing night—no matter how perfect—wasn’t going to fix or change her cautious nature like a car turning the corner. And he needed to stay steady, to build on this good thing, until she was as sure as he was that this type of chemistry came along only once in a lifetime.

After taking a minute to think things through, he realized how intense he could’ve come across if he’d pressed his point.

One more instance where he was glad he was the rational one in the family. If he’d gone into Adam-mode, he and Devon would’ve been over before they started. Though the temptation was there—his Viking blood demanded he storm and conquer her guarded heart—he wanted to do this right. Pushing her to make plans or leaving her to think he had to be glued to her side twenty-four/seven, wouldn’t accomplish anything. And he wasn’t the desperate type. Far from it. Even though he was secure enough in his manhood to admit he craved her presence until he saw her again.

Attempting to strike a balance between what he needed and what he wanted, he said, “I actually have a lot on my plate today.”

“Oh?” Her face softened with interest, and she moved closer to him.

“I have to review the plans I got back from my contractor this week. I’m gutting half my house to put on an addition.”

She arched her eyebrows. “Sounds like a big endeavor.”

He rolled his eyes. “You have no idea. I bought the place for a song, because most people who looked at it had no vision. When I scouted the edge of the property line, I knew I’d struck gold. I saw the promise waiting in the rafters. Back in April, I had the overgrown brush and trees cleared, and now I have a killer view of the Denver skyline surrounded by mountains.”

“That sounds stunning.” Her expression took on a dreamy look, and he wondered what she pictured in her mind. Whatever she imagined, he intended to show her his vision personally.

“Believe me, it is. Knowing I’ve got just the right plans to make my dreams a reality is well worth living with a rotting roof, leaking sunroom and seventies shag carpeting.”

She grinned. “Let me guess. Avocado green countertops, too?”

“Oh, yeah. And they carried the color scheme into the bathrooms.”

She made a sour face and laughed.

“Oh,” he added, “and they must’ve gotten a steal on crappy harvest gold flower wallpaper. The stuff is everywhere.”

“My God, how awful. No wonder you got it on the cheap. How have you lived with it this long?”

“The plans went through four revisions before I signed off on them.” He poured himself another cup of coffee and topped off her mug. “As long as, in the end, the result is exactly what I want, I can be a very patient man.”

The double meaning behind his words—which applied to all aspects of his life, including her—must’ve shown in his gaze. Because her eyes widened a fraction, followed by a subtle glow that settled in their brown-gold depths. “I’m sure it’ll be worth it in the end, when you have a beautiful home you’re proud to live in and share with your family.”

“That’s the plan.”

For some reason, when she said the word “family,” he saw acute sadness fill her eyes. She glanced away and blinked a few times, then abandoned her coffee cup on the counter, heading toward her fluffball pooch.

“Hi, baby boy.” She kissed the dog’s wet nose, and he licked insatiably. “Let mama get dressed and I’ll take you out to pee. You were such a good boy last night. Thank you.” She tossed Trey an apologetic look and shrugged. “Gotta take care of my boy.”

“Sure.” Trey nodded. “He’s been really good. Does he always hold it this long?” Were they really talking about her dog’s pissing habits? He snorted to himself.