So yeah. Years. Seven long years where it was normal for Heather to gush about how awesome her brother was, talk to him on the phone with me in the background, listening to his gravelly laughter through the speakerphone.

And when he got divorced? When Ava left him? I thought Heather was going to burn the world down, she was so mad until Kane told her it was okay. It was his fault. Ava did nothing wrong except want to be happy.

That was Kane Andrews. Even when his wife left him, he thought of her first.

But if my libido could seriously catch up to the fact that this guy didn’t want me, wouldn’t want me, and was only doing me a favor, it’d really help me out.

Needless to say, as soon as he left the kitchen earlier, I’d considered following him, dipping into my room and doing a little bit of self-love when he couldn’t hear me so I could take care of the pulsing at the tops of my thighs whenever he walked into my vicinity.

Kane Andrews was one of the sexiest men I’d ever seen. One of the nicest guys I’d ever met.

Even Lincoln, on days when I thought he was handsome and good-looking and so damn nice and kind-hearted, never held a flame to Kane.

Probably due to the difference between the two. Lincoln acted like a good guy. Had spent his lifetime perfecting the mask he’d so quickly discarded along with me and probably the prostitute after he paid her.

Kane just was a good guy. Down to his core.

And I was the idiot who was now staying here, with nothing else to do with my life except hang out and cook a mediocre meal for him.

The dishes were done.

I’d switch from my gin and tonic to a glass of red wine after dinner, and I had my feet tucked up on the couch next to me, blanket I found in the guest room draped over my lap when Kane came into the living room after, insisting I sit down and he’d clean up the kitchen.

Which was now spotless. The faint scent of lemon-scented cleaning supplies in the air.

His phone rang and he looked up at me. “It’s Heather. Again.”

Probably wondering if we’d set a wedding date yet. “Great,” I muttered, and rolled my eyes.

He caught it, chuckled, and said, “Prepare yourself.”

Heather’s blurry face cleared on the screen and Kane moved the phone so we could both see her.

“What’s up, chica?” Perhaps if I pretended she hadn’t thrown me out to sea the other night, she’d forget as well.

She clasped her hands together and laughed. “So… when’s the wedding?”

Or maybe not.

Kane leaned in. His cheek brushed my shoulder, and I inhaled the crisp scent of his body wash. Clean, fresh.

All man. Goose bumps burst on my arms and I crossed them over my stomach so he didn’t see.