His husky voice made the answer to that question incredibly clear. I leaned forward, putting my hands on either side of his handsome face. His dark gaze burned with the heat growing between us, and I wanted that heat everywhere.

"I want this," I said, pressing my mouth against his. "I want you."

He responded immediately, our hot kisses freeing me from whatever lingering doubts I might have. I wasn't going to think tonight. I wasn't going to judge myself or anyone else. I was just going to feel. I wanted to live wildly, recklessly, passionately. Thankfully, Kade was on the same page.

Within minutes, we were tearing off each other's clothes. The bedrooms were too far away. The need was too great. I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but I had tonight, and I wanted to make it count.

I threw caution to the wind when I threw myself into his arms, and Kade made me feel alive in a way I'd never felt before. I was going to savor every last second of it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I was disappointed to wake up alone in bed in the guest room on Monday morning. At some point, we'd wanted a bed and making love to Kade in my mother's bed had seemed wrong, so we'd gone into the guest room. I thought I'd wake up in Kade's arms. Now, only the delicious smell of coffee made me feel better.

Kade was gone, but he'd once again been nice enough to make coffee. Although maybe he'd just made it for himself. Maybe I kept giving him credit when he was just taking care of himself. I frowned at that thought.

Wrapping a throw blanket around my naked body, regrets and doubts crept into my mind. I forcibly pushed them out of my head. I wouldn't regret the night we'd had, the passion we'd shared. I'd never felt so free, so very much like the woman inside my head, not the woman I often pretended to be. Kade had opened something up inside of me that I'd been suppressing my whole life. I would always be grateful for that.

I got out of bed and walked down the hall, hoping to find Kade in the kitchen, but while the coffeepot was full, there was no sign of him. I gathered my clothes from the floor in the family room, heat burning my cheeks as I remembered all that had gone on between us. I'd had sex before, but not sex like that. I'd never felt so wild or so brave. Nor had I ever felt so well-loved.

But it wasn't love; it was sex. And I shouldn't confuse the two. With that reminder, I went upstairs to shower and dress.

When I came back down thirty minutes later, Kade was in the kitchen, looking incredibly sexy, and a wave of heat ran through me when he gave me a very intimate smile.

"Morning," he said huskily.