“I had a sort of relationship. Not serious, but steady. When I decided to come back, she supported that, she got it. And we both decided to break off the sex.”

“Nine or ten months?” Darby made a pffft sound. “That’s nothing. I’ve got more than double that.”

“Why?”

“Psychotic ex, time spent questioning my own choices, time to focus on self and business, losing my mother, deciding to uproot and replant. All of it.”

“That could do it.”

“Anyway, I think that worked out, too. We hit the-time-is-now button in sync.”

He shifted, looked down at her. “Any thoughts about hitting it again?”

“Well, it worked the first time. But I absolutely want that shower. It’s a really big shower, as I recall. Plenty of room for two healthy individuals.”

“And plenty of hot water.”

“Excellent. But I’m not putting those dirty clothes back on after a shower. I’ve got spare clothes in the truck, because you never know.”

Russet, he thought, at the moment he’d call her hair russet. “If you’re going to have sex?”

“If you’re going to get covered with mud, or rip something.” She rolled out of bed. “I’ll run out and get them. Be right back.”

“Wait. You’re going outside like that?”

She shoved a hand through her hair. “Like what?”

“Naked. And by the way, you’re ripped.”

“The truck’s right out front, and there’s nobody around but you, who’s already seen me naked. Two minutes.”

As she dashed out, Zane pushed himself up. He didn’t consider himself overly modest, but she was going outside naked.

The woman he’d left behind in Raleigh wouldn’t have walked out of the bathroom naked.

She also wouldn’t have stepped out of the house without doing her makeup, styling her hair. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Darby wear makeup.

If anyone had asked, he’d have said she wasn’t really his type. And yet, he was looking forward to getting her in the shower.

Rising, he walked to his terrace doors, opened them, stepped out to watch naked Darby pull a gym bag out of her truck. She looked up, laughed, spread her arms.

“I’d have gotten arrested for doing this in Baltimore.”

He’d have sworn something shifted in his chest. “You look like a sylph, wearing nothing but moonlight.”

“A sith?”

“No.” Now he laughed. “Not one of the Dark Jedi. A sylph—mythological fairy type.”

“I like that better. Is it okay if I stop off in the kitchen? I can bring up some water.”

“I’ve got a minifridge in the dressing room up here.”

“Of course you do. Coming up.”

* * *

The alarm clock in her head woke Darby just before dawn. She lay still, thought about the fact that she woke in Zane’s bed.

She hadn’t meant to stay, and she didn’t think he’d meant her to stay. Sex between healthy, willing individuals equaled one thing. Sleeping together added another layer of intimacy.

But shower sex had led to a craving for more Swiss Rolls, then the snack cakes had somehow led to yet more sex. And that round—call it the slow dance round—had enervated both of them.

So when he’d mumbled, “You should just stay,” she’d managed an “Okay,” before she’d dropped straight into sleep.

Now the problem. She had to get up, get dressed probably a full hour or more before he did. It had been a long time since she’d slept with someone, and she hoped she hadn’t lost her ninja skills.

While her eyes adjusted to the dark, she put the room, the furniture placement in her head. Terrace doors to the right, master bath, walk-in closet, and dressing room to the left. That put the chest of drawers at about four o’clock, the love seat and coffee table at about eight.

And the bench at the foot of the bed—where she’d dumped her gym bag. She couldn’t remember where yesterday’s clothes had ended up, but she’d find them.

She eased out of bed, inched her way toward the bench, feeling with her foot for any stray clothes. She found yesterday’s bra, T-shirt, rounded to her gym bag.

“Why are you sneaking around in the dark?”

She didn’t jump, exactly, but her breath hitched at the mumbling coming out of the dark. “Damn it. Ninja failure. I’m sorry I woke you. The point of sneaking was not to wake you.”

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“Obviously. Go back to sleeping light. I’m going to get dressed in the bathroom. But since you’re at least awake, you don’t happen to have an extra toothbrush, do you?”

“Second shelf, linen closet. What Emily calls a hospitality basket. It’s got spare everything. It’s still dark.”

“Actually, day’s just breaking. Shh. Sleep.”

She closed herself in the bathroom, opted for another quick spin in the shower. Following routine, she slathered herself with sunscreen from her gym bag. Once dressed, she found the toothbrush just where he’d said.

Now she needed to find yesterday’s pants, which included her belt, her phone, her multi-tool, and loose change.

She’d intended to sneak out, but she opened the door to light, and to Zane standing in his boxers at the open terrace doors.

“It is a break between night and day,” he said. “I never really thought about it before.”

“I love how the birds wake at first light, get so excited.” She crossed over, kissed him on the back of the shoulder. “But I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“There was a woman in my shower, so I started thinking about the wet, naked woman. Who could sleep?”

“Since you can’t, do you trust me to make coffee?”

He turned, studied her. “You’ll make coffee?”

“I’ll make coffee, especially if you have any kind of cereal. Not that a Little Debbie isn’t perfectly acceptable breakfast food, but I try to save that for weekends.”

“I have Cheerios.”

“Excellent. Any fruit?”

“I think I have bananas.”

“Then I’ll even fix breakfast.” She gave him another light kiss, started out, scooping up the rest of her clothes on the way.

By the time he came downstairs, she’d opened his great room doors to the morning. She’d set his outdoor table again, unearthing place mats he never used, actual napkins, even a small vase now filled with what he assumed were colorful weeds. She’d put out bowls, a sugar bowl and creamer, a pitcher of juice, glasses.

If you took away the box of Cheerios, the table looked like the setup for a casual yet sophisticated breakfast alfresco. He noted her boots now stood by the open back door, and she walked in barefoot.

“Hey. I wasn’t sure how long you’d be so I held off on the coffee. I also needed a couple minutes to figure out your fancy machine.”

She walked to the fancy machine as she spoke, placed one of his oversize mugs. “Go ahead and sit down. I’ll bring it out.”

Still blurry, he did as he was told while the machine whirred and finally that life-giving scent hit the air.