His mouth lowered, his lips buzzing her ear and the side of her neck before dropping a light kiss on her nape. Della had no clue how she managed to stay upright with everything inside her melting like a roasted marshmallow. “I haven’t seen the finished product.”

Trembling ridiculously, Della made a valiant effort to pull herself together. Tucker was a grown man, not a horny teenager—of course he wasn’t going to jump on her as soon as he got inside. No matter how much she wanted him to.

“Okay, well…” She cleared the huskiness from her voice. “This…” She gestured around the room they were standing in. “Is the living room.”

The house was hardly big, so the tour didn’t take long, although Tucker dragged it out as long as he could, lingering over her bookshelves, opening all her kitchen cupboards, connecting her washing machine hose for her, and practically reciting all the Latin names for the plants in the back garden.

Up until this point in her life, Della would never have thought a house tour could make her all hot and bothered, but then, she’d never been on one with Tucker Daniels. He was super attentive, sticking close, his hand always at her elbow or the small of her back, his eyes constantly wandering over her face and mouth and neck. He asked questions and listened intently to the answers, and he smelled amazing—beer and citrus.

She was seriously considering ditching the whole nursing idea and becoming a realtor.

By the time they got to her bedroom, she was so turned on she was about ready to burst Incredible Hulk–style out of her clothes. “And this,” Della said, taking a step inside, “is my room.”

The main event. Finally, finally, finally.

Tucker, just behind her, leaned into the doorframe, as he’d done earlier. “Rosemary’s curtains look great.”

“Yeah.” Della admired them for a moment or two. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

A finger trailed down her nape. “You’re amazing.” Goose bumps stippled the flesh of her arms.

Della glanced over her shoulder at Tucker, who was smiling at her gently. Her heart swelled, her ribs suddenly tight bands around her chest. She smiled, too, turning to face him, sliding her hand into his and tugging as she walked backward into the room.

“You want to check out the comfort level of the mattress?”

Their arms stretched as Tucker stayed put. “Not tonight.”

“Tucker…” Della let go of his hand. “You’re killing me now.”

A slight smile curved his lips. “If we’re going to do this—”

“Oh, we’re doing it.” There was no if about it.

“Okay then.” His smiled broadened. “Let’s go over the rules.”

“Rules?”

He nodded. “Four rules. Number one—we take this slowly.”