He was pretty sure she was referring to what had happened on the couch. He was afraid that if they stayed at his place, they’d simply wind up in a similar situation—and might not be interrupted the next time. “Let’s get out of here. Drive over to the coast.”

She carried the sheets and blankets into the bedroom.

“Harper?” he called when she made no comment.

“Yes?”

He’d dragged out a frying pan, then put it on the stove and went to peer into the bedroom. “What do you think? Do you want to go over to the coast? Santa Barbara’s only about forty-five minutes away.”

The expression on her face was thoughtful. He got the feeling she was about to ask him about something—likely their kiss. He could tell by her reluctance.

Fortunately, she must’ve changed her mind at the last second. “Sure.”

He breathed a sigh of relief as he returned to the kitchen. She was going to let it go. Good. Now they could pretend it never happened.

8

She’d kissed another man—for the first time in almost a decade! Harper couldn’t believe it. Something she couldn’t have conceived of doing just a few days ago had happened so easily and naturally. And at no point during the encounter had she considered pushing him away.

Why? How had she been able to enjoy that kind of contact with Tobias when she’d thought it would be months, or possibly years, before she could even think of touching—or being touched by—another man?

Was she trying to prove that she was desirable? Rebuild her self-esteem on the heels of the rejection she’d suffered? Get some sort of misguided revenge on Axel?

Or was she acting on even baser impulses—a craving for physical pleasure after going without sex for six months?

She didn’t have any answers, but she knew she had to be careful. She couldn’t get into another relationship this soon. Everly and Piper were still struggling to adjust to life without their daddy living in the house. She had to be sensitive to that, especially because something that flared up so quickly was bound to be a mistake.

Taking her phone with her, she stepped out of Tobias’s house to call her girls while he cleaned up after breakfast. Since neither of her children was old enough to have a cell phone, she couldn’t call them directly, so she dialed Karoline’s number.

“Hey,” her sister said.

“Hey,” she responded.

“You’re up, huh?”

“Yeah. Have been for a while.”

“I didn’t want to wake you, which is why you haven’t heard from me, but I’ve been worried about you. You okay?”

Guilt bit deeply, making Harper pause. Karoline would be surprised to learn she wasn’t alone—or even at home.