I wake, to find Tomasetti standing beside the bed, naked, his hair still wet from a shower. I have no idea how long I’ve been sleeping.

“What are you doing?” I ask, stretching.

“I’ve got to go,” he whispers. “Go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost five. I’m late.”

But he climbs into the bed beside me. I snuggle against his shoulder, reveling in the solid warmth of him, the feel of his arm around me, the smell of soap and aftershave and his own distinct scent.

“There’s never enough time,” he says.

“You’re always sneaking away in the middle of the night.”

“Not by choice. I’ve missed you.”

Surprised by the seriousness of his tone, I raise up on an elbow and look at him. “Same goes.”

“We could make this a little more permanent.”

Shock rattles through me with such force that for an instant I can’t speak. “What do you mean?”

He surprises me by laughing. “For God’s sake, Kate, don’t look so terrified.”

I feign punching his shoulder. “I’m not.”

He sobers, looks away, then finally meets my gaze. “I found a house,” he says. “In Wooster. It’s old and big, with four bedrooms and a barn. It’s set on a couple of acres with a pond and lots of trees.”

The statement hits me like ice water splashed in my face. “Wooster?” I repeat dumbly as my brain struggles to sift through the implications.

“It’s less than an hour from the Richfield office. An easy commute for me. And thirty minutes from Painters Mill.”

“You want to buy a house?”

“I want to live with you,” he says firmly, but he’s watching me carefully. “The house doesn’t matter, Kate. It doesn’t matter where we live. We can rent. What ever you want.”

“That’s a big step, Tomasetti.”

“It is. But we have something good.” His expression softens and he kisses my temple. “You look like you’re about to bolt.”

I try to laugh, but my throat is too tight. “I didn’t know you were thinking about . . . moving in together.”

“It would allow us to spend more time together.” He shrugs. “Less commuting for me.”

“More time for sex,” I say with a laugh.

“There is that.”

I stare at him, trying to digest everything he’s just laid on me. Admittedly, there’s a part of me that’s excited and flattered at the prospect of living with this man who is such a big part of my life, a man I admire and am wildly attracted to. But another part of me is terrified it would change things, bring something unwanted to a relationship that’s good the way it is.