He glanced over at Kincaid, wondering if she and Graham had carved out a secret place at the lake. He dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it came, though. Kincaid was a romantic, but she was also terrified of bugs. Outdoor sex would probably be a comedy of errors for her.

Annnnd…he should not be thinking about Kincaid and sex in the same thought. He’d already come close to saying something he shouldn’t have when she’d made a comment about how he looked. He didn’t need to know that Kincaid liked how he looked. That would lead his mind down a dangerous path. He turned the radio up a little louder, forced himself to focus on the song.

When the GPS indicated that he’d arrived at their destination, he turned into the curved driveway and blinked at the beautiful home that came into view. The well-manicured lawn was lit with soft lighting, highlighting a bed of flowers, and the tall windows reflected back the night. The house, made mostly of natural wood and stone, was like a picture out of a vacation magazine. Not too big but elegant and welcoming.

Ash’s heart clenched. This was where Kincaid lived now? Kincaid who’d grown up in a broken-down, almost always empty house that literally had holes in the floor. Emotions welled in him. He glanced over at her. God, KC, look what you’ve done for yourself. It made him ache inside and feel so fucking proud of her, but he shoved the feelings down. Not the time or place to get sentimental.

He pressed the button to shut off the engine and reached out to give Kincaid’s arm a squeeze. “KC, you’re home.”

She blinked her eyes open as if she’d just been resting and not sleeping, glanced up at her house, and then sent him a half smile. “Right. My home. Yay.”

Her tone gave him pause. “Why do you say it like that?”

She shook her head and unbuckled her seat belt. “Nothing. Sorry. Ignore me.”

“No,” he said. “Tell me. What’s up?”

She sighed and brushed her fingers through her hair, an old nervous habit. “Nothing. It’s just that this home won’t be mine for much longer. I can’t afford both this and the farmhouse. I have six months here, tops.” She gave him a tight smile. “Because I make stupid decisions before I think. Like sleeping with dumb-asses and buying things I can’t afford. That Kincaid, she’s so flighty, you know. Can’t trust her to act like an adult.”

He frowned. “Don’t say that. You’re chasing a dream. Sometimes that requires rash decisions.”

“Yeah, well, I’m good at being rash. I get an A-plus on that one.” She reached for the door handle and gave him a terse smile. “Thanks for the ride. And for punching out a cowboy for me. You can add bodyguard to your résumé now.” She leaned over and pecked his cheek. “Drive safe, okay?”

She started to open the door.

“KC.”

She glanced back. “Yeah.”