He sat down on the armrest of the couch and pulled her onto his lap. “Are you willing to take a chance on an overworked, relationship-challenged, still-grieving guy?”

She already had and it paid off big-time. “Is he hot?”

He wasn’t the only one who was done running from their problems. She was ready to be in one place, plant roots. Not be looking over her shoulder.

He shrugged. “I heard someone call him McHottiePants.”

Now that was embarrassing. It still fit. Probably even better now, but still.

“He does sound hot.” She dragged her finger along the neckline of his shirt. He had the sexiest collarbone and sometimes it took all the self-control she had not to lick it. “He also sounds like he’s pretty self-aware.”

“He likes to pretend he is, but he’s a work in progress. Good thing is, he’s willing to learn.” Some of the amusement left his tone. “He’s also falling for you.”

Her stomach flipped over. She fought to keep the giant smile from spreading across her face. Not just yet. “That’s big news.”

“He’s terrified of that part.”

He’d gone from being a no-commitment guy who didn’t understand love to circling close to using the L word. That was a big leap. He might be scared but he wasn’t letting it slow him down.

“He’s not alone.” He’d been honest, so she returned the same. “I had no interest in love before I met you and now . . .”

“I’m getting there, too.” He dipped his head and rubbed his cheek against hers. “The love thing. It’s right there. Really close.”

“A few more weeks and I won’t be able to let you go.” She doubted she could do it now but she didn’t want to scare him.

“I’m counting on that.” That smile came roaring back. “Ever been to D.C.?”

“Oh, yeah. About that.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“If this—us—happens, and it’s going to, by the way. Count on that.”

He nodded. “Agreed.”

“No more being on magazine covers that highlight your inability to leave your desk. This whole work-twenty-hours-a-day thing isn’t happening.” She refused to spend her days tracking him down at the office and dragging him home. It was time for a new work ethic that included downtime. “The word to learn is balance.”

He pretended to think about her proposal. “First love, then balance. I think I can handle both.”

“You’ve never been hotter.”

“Now you’re just trying for extra credit.”

She let that smile show now. “Is it working?”

“Definitely.”

They finally ventured outside the next night. Connor was against the idea but Maddie thought they should let Whitaker know they were still alive. He doubted they cared until people cheered when they walked into the Lodge’s dining room.

Nothing weird about that. On another island, maybe. Not on Whitaker.