A hot bath, a glass of wine...all sounded a million times better if he’d join her.

“Damn, I wish I could, but I can’t. It’s my night at the station. Marcus is sick, so I’m filling in for him,” he said.

She blinked. Had she accidentally voiced the thought? “Can’t what?”

“You just asked me to join you.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I...uh...”

He cupped her face with both hands and every coherent thought vanished. “Believe me, I want to.”

She couldn’t breathe. Air. Where was air when you needed it?

His burning gaze had her body aching for him as his hands tucked her hair behind her ears. Such a simple, smooth gesture, yet it made her feel safe. Vulnerable yet completely in control of her desires. “Hey, how about dinner instead? Nothing fancy, just takeout at the station. You could keep me company.”

She should let the day end. Let him get to work. She’d had fun for the first time in forever and she’d felt things for a man she’d forgotten she could feel, but that was why she needed to put the brakes on. Despite liking him, despite wanting him, despite the temptation of spending more time with him, she couldn’t. She was only there for a break, then she was returning to reality and she didn’t want to make that harder. She’d barely thought about work all day and she would have expected to be feeling guilty or anxious.

She felt neither. Still, “I should probably call it a night...”

“I like you, Erika.”

Again. No air.

“I mean, when you first got here, man, were you annoying.”

She glared at him but couldn’t argue the point.

He grinned. “But I was still attracted to you...and the last few days, that attraction is growing. I know you’re only here for another week, but I’d really like to spend more time getting to know you again... Or, I guess for the first time.”

She looked down at her hands clenched on her lap.

To what end? She couldn’t make things work with a man who lived in the same condo complex...miles away would be next to impossible.

But admittedly, she was getting ahead of herself. Reed hadn’t said anything about what happened when the week was up. Just that he liked her and wanted to get to know her and damn, if those feelings weren’t mutual.

“Dinner. Just dinner.”

Oh, he made that sound so promisingly simple, but she knew in her gut it wouldn’t be. It was already so much more than just dinner. His touch was more than just a touch. His long stare held so many questions and revelations. And she knew the deeper she got, the closer she got, nothing at all about Reed would be simple.