Everything about last night was different. The same fierce passion had burned between them, but Kade’s attention had been focused wholly on her. For the first time, he had made love to her, pleasured her in a deeper, almost reverent manner. He had worshipped her body with his and, in doing so, destroyed every barrier she had so carefully constructed between them.

She didn’t want to fall in love with Kade. Neither of them was interested in a long-term relationship. Kade had made that clear from the start.

That was the way she wanted it too. Or thought she did.

But last night confused and frightened her. Heartbreak lay ahead if she didn’t find a way to protect herself.

Slipping out of bed, she went in to shower and dress for the day. Kade was still asleep when she returned to the bedroom. Certain he wouldn’t want the hands to know where he’d spent the night, Ellie gently shook his shoulder.

“Wake up, Kade. I have to go to work, and you need to go back to your bedroom.”

He rolled onto his back and looked up at her, a lazy smile on his lips. “You tossing me out, darlin’?”

She would have smiled back, but it was time to start distancing herself. “I’ve got work to do, and you need to get dressed.”

Gloriously naked, he rolled out of bed. “Thanks for last night,” he said as he pulled on his jeans and zipped the fly.

Ellie felt the heat creeping into her face.

“The massage, darlin’, not the sex.” He grinned. “But I enjoyed that, too.”

Ellie glanced away, the endearment warming her as it always did. She was already half in love with him. After last night, it was time to rein in her emotions.

“I’ll see you at breakfast.” She pulled open the door and walked out into the hall.

Maria had the day off, but so did most of the men, which made the cooking light and on Sunday, the meal was served a little later. It wasn’t until breakfast was over and the kitchen cleaned up that she saw Kade again. He walked up behind her, slid his arms around her waist, and nuzzled the nape of her neck.

“I think it’s time we told the men the truth about who you are,” he said. Surprised, she turned in his arms to look up at him.

“You came here to find Heather’s killer,” Kade continued. “You need time to do that. That means you can’t spend your day in here cooking.”

Ellie didn’t disagree.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve already checked out all the hands,” Kade said. “Unless you found something that points to one of them as a suspect—”