I had wondered, for the majority of the night, exactly what he was wearing in that guest bedroom. Then I’d wondered what he would be wearing if he weren’t in the guest bedroom. If he wasn’t so fucking honorable and had carried me to my bedroom as I had longed for him to do.

I replayed his words in my head over and over again. There were a lot to replay.

“You’re sexy by fuckin’ breathing.”

“This is me being greedy, wanting you to have all of your faculties… The first time we fuck, at least.”

“If I was the man who took advantage of the woman he’s been wanting for years.”

Years.

He said he’d been wanting me for years. That might’ve taken up more real estate in my head if I were thinking logically. But I wasn’t. I was overcome by desire. Maddened by it.

My need was almost uncontrollable. I was totally preoccupied. Incredibly turned on. I needed a release. Badly. But I didn’t reach into my bedside table for my vibrator, though it was extremely tempting.

I was too worried the gentle hum of the vibrator would carry, then he’d hear me. Which was impossible, really. The low hum would have to carry through my comforter, my closed door, down the hall and through his closed door. Every wall in this house had been reinsulated. I’d seen to it myself. Noise didn’t carry the way it used to in old houses.

I could quite easily have given myself the relief my body sorely needed, and Rowan would’ve been none the wiser.

Except I hadn’t. For whatever reason.

So, I had barely slept. And although I’d showered and put on clothes for the day, I was no less awake.

My goal was coffee. A lot of it.

Because I had a one-track mind, and I was pretty much a zombie when I descended the stairs, I didn’t notice that the kitchen lights were on, and the aroma of coffee beans was filtering through the air.

Not until I walked into the kitchen.

And saw Rowan.

Not asleep.

And unfortunately, not naked. He was dressed in the same clothes from last night, sans baseball cap. I’d never seen him without his baseball cap, except when he took it off at the counter, but I’d never let myself look then. And he always put it back on quickly.

Now it was impossible not to look at him. His hair was mussed from sleep in a way that was incredibly sexy… in a way that I knew men like Nathan spent far too long in front of the mirror trying to replicate. My hand twitched with the urge to brush away the midnight strand that had fallen across his dark eyebrow. The stubble on his chin was thicker than the five o’clock shadow that was normally there. It only made him more ruggedly handsome.

“Mornin’,” he said, voice thick and throaty.

“Good morning,” I replied reflexively. “You’re awake.”

“Figured you were gonna be up at the ass crack of dawn.” He squinted out to the windows, where it was still dark outside. “Well, not even the ass crack of dawn.” He looked back to me, and I lost my breath a little, overwhelmed by the force of his attention. He was definitely awake and aware but still somewhat sleepy, the corners of his eyes crinkled, and he was regarding me with a hooded gaze.