He’d been forced to look for another way to pay the bills. And his only option had been the family company he’d grown up hating. Even in these few short days he needed to set up their future, he’d missed his little girl, missed her forgiving love, her innocent laughter. Very soon, he’d have her with him again.

Darci walked into the room, ruffling her tousled hair and yawning widely. Scruffy trailed in her steps, looking equally sleepy. Darci stopped when she saw him, blinking owlishly. “I thought I smelled coffee.”

“You did.” With a flourish, he presented her with his cup and set another under the coffeemaker’s slow stream. Scruffy settled at his feet, looking hopeful, and Cole almost asked if the dog drank coffee, too.

Darci hugged the cup closer, looking as if she was afraid he would snatch it away from her. Sitting down, she took several sips of coffee in quick succession, closing her eyes in pleasure. “I’m worthless until I’ve had my first cup. Can’t even manage a shower without a shot of caffeine.”

She dragged a hand through her hair and peeked up at him. He almost grinned at the thoughts he knew were tripping through her head. She’d let him see her with her guard down, let him view her at her worst. But he thought she looked adorable and resisted a haunting urge to sweep her into his arms and show her another very effective way to wake up.

Her eyes slowly focused on the man standing in her kitchen, and she fought against the flush warming her cheeks. Heavens, this was almost as bad as the morning after, she thought as she shoved a tangle of hair away from her eyes. She always had her first cup of coffee before getting dressed, but it seemed horribly intimate to be sitting here with Cole, neither of them ready to meet the day.

And it seemed unfair that she was experiencing the awkwardness of morning without knowing the pleasures of the night.

Cole had slipped on his jeans, but had left his shirt off, and she had a sudden picture of him sleeping on her couch, nothing covering his skin but the moonlight. Her fingers itched to trace the muscles on his chest, to tangle in the scattering of hair shadowing his skin.

A shaft of fear darted through her as she realized she teetered on the edge of a danger that was all too real. In just two days, she’d let her fantasy love grow and develop until it was becoming a very tangible part of her life.

She squirmed, burying her thoughts in another sip of coffee.

“Darci, we need to talk.”

Her head jerked up at the tone in his voice. This wasn’t business, of that she was certain. A mixture of warmth and dread curled through her stomach.