Walking into the small kitchen, Anna dumped her mammoth bag onto the floor with a sigh. She was wearing tight pants and an even tighter top, and even though it was early, she looked like she’d just come from a salon. Anna was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but with her it seemed…manufactured. Everything she did, everything she wore, every swipe of her makeup was intentional and direct. While that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, I preferred Kiera’s form of relaxed, natural beauty. She didn’t need to accent anything—she was already perfect.

“Yeah,” she said. “Went to Pete’s. Ran into the guys.”

From the smile on her face, I knew what that meant—she’d spent the night entertaining Griffin. Having had to listen to Anna and Griffin before, I could only imagine that they’d both had quite a night. I was glad I’d missed the verbal play-by-play.

Anna and I shared a knowing laugh, then she told me, “I heard you guys did great at your big show.” She paused to sigh. “I’m sorry I had to miss it.”

Thinking about the performance energized me. That had been…truly incredible. I loved being on stage. So much that sometimes it kind of freaked me out. It was the one place I felt completely…free. Aside from being in Kiera’s arms, of course. But at times both things seemed so tenuous—a slippery slope that I could easily fall from. What would I do if I lost music? What would I do if I lost Kiera? Squelching the sudden burst of panic, I nonchalantly told her, “It was just a show, nothing you haven’t seen before. Don’t worry about it.”

Leaning back on the counter, I asked about her Hooters calendar photoshoot, the reason she’d missed the concert. Anna grinned, then told me all about the process. Kiera entered as I was, once again, congratulating Anna on being chosen for the 12-month honor. Kiera was dressed for comfort in lounge pants and a worn T-shirt. Her ever-changing eyes were a deep shade of green this morning, and her smile was radiant as she stared at me. She was stunning. Absolutely stunning.

My grin was wide and happy when she slung her arms around my waist—I loved being held by her. “Mornin’, Sleepy,” I said, kissing her head.

With a sigh of contentment, she buried her head in my neck. “Good morning.”

Anna let out a soft sigh. “God, you two are adorable.” She smacked Kiera’s arm and rolled her eyes. “It’s annoying.” From the look on her face, it was clear she didn’t actually feel that way.

Kiera laughed. “Good morning, Anna. Late night?”

Anna’s lips twisted into a devious smile. Biting her lip, she cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, yes. And I can guarantee you it wasn’t as cutesy as your night.”