She saved the letter and response in the file she was compiling for her next column and sat back to reread what she’d written. It was probably time to take her own advice and apply it to her relationship with Slim.

The sound of the toilet flushing upstairs let her know he was up. Erin went into the kitchen to put on more coffee and start breakfast. He was always starving in the morning, and she loved cooking for him. She loved everything about having him around. Her small living space should’ve felt cramped with him underfoot, but it didn’t. He was a courteous, easy guest, and she wished he could stay far beyond New Year’s Day.

They had another week until then, and she planned to fully enjoy every minute while trying to decide her next move. When she wasn’t wrapped up in his arms, she thought obsessively about his invitation to come to Florida.

Honestly, she thought as she cracked a half-dozen eggs, you’re a disaster over this guy, Erin, and it’s getting worse with every passing day. Take yesterday, for example. They’d gone into town to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, had lunch at Stephanie’s Bistro, which was open for the holiday week, and were back home in bed by two. They hadn’t left her bed again except to eat soup at midnight.

She didn’t spend sixteen hours in bed with a man. Or she hadn’t before he came along.

He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, dropping his head to her shoulder. “Morning, sexiest lighthouse keeper ever.”

Her face flushed with heat that she assigned only partially to the burner she stood watch over. “Jenny might take issue with that.”

“Jenny is beautiful, but she’s got nothing on you.” He rubbed his hard cock against her backside.

“I can’t believe you’ve got any gas left in your tank after yesterday.”

“My tank is fully recharged and ready for more of the same.”

Erin cracked up laughing. “You’re incorrigible.”

“You love that about me.”

Her heart staggered at his use of the word love. “And you suffer from a terrible lack of self-esteem. I worry about that.”

“I know. It’s a problem I’m trying to overcome.” He nudged her hair out of his way and placed hot, openmouthed kisses on her neck that made her legs feel wobbly under her.

“Keep that up, and I’ll burn your breakfast.”

“We can’t have that. I need all the fuel I can get to keep up with you.”

“Keep up with me?”

“Aw, yeah, sweetheart. You’re a wild woman. I had no idea.”

“I’m going to punch you when you let me go.”

Chuckling, he tightened his hold on her. “This is already the best Christmas I’ve had since I believed in Santa.”

“Really?” she asked, ridiculously pleased to hear that.