Her chest rose and fell as if she might be trying to catch her breath.

“Tae—”

“I know who you are, for Pete’s sake. Can’t you just knock on the front door like a normal person?” She found her feet now and looked past him. Raised a hand. “Hey, Pip.”

“Everything okay over there, TaeBay?”

TaeBay?

“All good.” She turned to Colt. “He’s stoned most of the time. I don’t know why he calls me that.”

“I don’t care what he calls you. Is he going to call the police?”

She looked at Pip. Then shook her head, walked over to Colt, palmed his cheeks, and—

Kissed him?

What?

It wasn’t gentle, or particularly welcoming, but the kiss lasted long enough for him to catch up and wrap an arm around her. For his heartbeat to stop, for him to taste her, smell the freshness of her, for his hand to reach up and curl around her neck, tangle into her wet hair.

Well, okay—

She broke away. Pressed her hands on his shoulders. “That’s good.”

Yes, yes it was.

But just like that, she stepped back from him, leaving him a little reeling, his heart restarting, hard, against his chest.

What just happened?

“That should keep Pip from calling the cops.”

He was still scrambling, and his voice turned a little rough. “I don’t know. Do you normally kiss strange men on your deck?”

“Just shut up and come inside.” She picked up her towel, waved at Pip again, then walked to her stairway.

Colt scrambled after her.

She was already to the second level, opening the door.

He stepped inside. Oh, her bedroom. Big white bed, the fragrance of a recent shower heavy in that room, the same as her scent. All soapy and lavender-smelling and—

“Keep walking, tough guy.” She pointed to the door, but he turned and flipped the lock of the balcony door. “After you.”

She rolled her eyes, but she walked past the second-floor sitting room, with the glass wall, then took the stairs down to the main floor.

He followed in the semidarkness, the lights of the lake and surrounding boats gleaming into the room.

She flicked on a light that hung over a plush gray rug that anchored a couple blue sofas. Orange pillows, a few blue lamps. Okay, he hadn’t expected quite this much personality. But he didn’t hate it.

Felt like he saw a piece of her soul.

“This is a great place, Tae.”

“Research that can end global pandemics pays well.” She was standing in the middle of the room, her arms around her. Now, she turned. Met his gaze, her blue eyes in his. “You scared me.”

“You scared me.” He didn’t know where that came from. Maybe the thin edge of shock that remained after that kiss.