Olivia unbuckled and hopped out of the truck. “I hope you didn’t put it like that to her,” she said, shutting the door. “I’d adopt him in a heartbeat if I had a place to keep him.” And a job. Don’t forget about that.

The hopeful mood that had begun to build deflated a touch. Determined not to let it ruin what was turning out to be a special night, she did her best to tamp down her fears.

“That’s what I meant. And she’s met you. She knows.”

“Are you saying my love for him is written all over my face?”

“That’s a hard yes,” he said, jiggling open the door with his key. He waved her in as he opened the door. “Extraordinary women first.”

She laughed and pressed a kiss onto his cheek as she stepped inside. When the short kiss wasn’t enough to satisfy her, she planted another on his lips but let it linger a touch longer. “Thank you for this.”

“You’d better watch it,” he said, pulling her close after he let the door fall shut behind him, “or you’ll get an entirely different hard yes.”

“Mmm…enticing, and we are alone.” She gave him another kiss, pressing his mouth open with hers and slipping her hands low around his hips.

He ground against her, his growing bulge pressing into her low belly. After drawing out the kiss enough to superheat her blood, he pulled away, closing both hands over the sides of her head. “And here I thought you were sad about something.”

She blinked and stepped back, trying to slip back into armor that had shed itself with that kiss.

“I see I wasn’t wrong. Want to tell me about it?”

She shook her head. “Not tonight. It’s such a good night for you. I just… I’m not ready to talk about it.”

His mouth clamped tight, the muscles along his jaw growing rigid and defined. “If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll honor that. But I’m here for you, Olivia. If there’s something I can do, then let me do it.”

“There’s one thing you can do.” Her lips found his again, and she kissed him harder than she’d ever kissed him before, that same need she’d experienced in his truck a few weeks ago waking like a long-slumbering giant when it hadn’t even been a full day since their bodies had joined together.

She made quick work of the button of his jeans and was slipping one hand into his pants when Trina hopped up onto the closest counter, meowing to get their attention and reminding Olivia they were in the main room of the very shelter where she volunteered.