“Shit, Rafe. You scared me.” Her face heated, knowing that he’d heard her talking to herself.

“I’m very sorry,” he said. “But can you talk yourself into stuff after I use the bathroom?”

She laughed, pulling the door open to see him leaning against the door frame. Shirtless. Her laughter dried up and she stared. God. The man was beautiful. Golden and sleek, broad shoulders and acres of muscle. And that treasure trail that made her want so much more.

His eyes warmed at her speechless scrutiny, but he broke the moment by clearing his throat. “As much as I appreciate you drooling over me, I really need to pee.”

That startled her into another laugh and she smacked his chest as she passed him. “I wasn’t drooling.” God, she hoped she wasn’t. She touched the corner of her mouth, spinning to glare at him when his laugh boomed loud and happy.

“Made you check,” he taunted, closing the door with a snap.

“You’re a child,” she called through the door primly, then, ignoring his deep chuckle, went to the little kitchenette in search of coffee.

“Oh, thank the good Lord,” she murmured at the sight of a Keurig machine. This she could do. She turned it on and started a cup, then found her phone, checking for any messages from the group.

The group. She paused a moment, letting it sink in. She was part of the group now, the family, and not just because she was Gideon’s sister. She was part of Farrah’s family too, and part of John’s and all her sibs’. She loved that she’d been folded into those families, but this felt different in a very good way.

You’re going to leave. And you’ll lose this.

She frowned. “If I do leave, I’ll still be a part of them. I won’t let Gideon go again.”

“Or me, I hope,” Rafe said, startling her again.

She glared up at him. “You need to wear a goddamn bell.”

He grinned, unrepentant. “I talk to myself, too. Sometimes I even answer. What’s for breakfast?”

“I don’t know,” she replied sweetly. “What were you planning to make?”

His grin softened to a smile and he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Pancakes.” He pointed to the counter. “Pull up a stool. I’ll get your coffee.”

She obeyed and watched contentedly as he held on to the counter for balance, bending over to pull a pan from the cabinet and showcasing a very nice butt in the sweats he’d slept in. He was still shirtless, which she thought he was doing on purpose, but she wasn’t about to complain. She touched the corner of her mouth again, just to make sure that she really wasn’t drooling.

“I left a new toothbrush on the counter in the bathroom,” he said as he poured pancake mix into a bowl. “And I found a hairbrush that Daisy left behind. I’d offer you her clothes, but you’re a little taller than she is.”