Three days seemed like an eternity to her—and that had her warning bells ringing. She’d made it three years without his help. So why did three days make the pit of her stomach churn?

Because you’ve gotten comfortable having him around.

And comfort was one step closer to dependence. Maybe this weekend would help her regain some much-needed perspective.

“Have fun,” she said lightly. “As for the date, you’re going to have to try harder than co-babysitting to sweet-talk your way into my bedroom.”

“No sweet-talking necessary when it’s the real deal. And this ...” he said, reaching for her hand when she was about to walk away, “this is the real deal.”

Oh, he was the real deal all right. So impressive that the air whooshed out of her lungs on first contact. Mackenzie had to cling tothose biceps to remain upright, getting a hands-on inspection of each and every ripple and curve. The man redefinedchiseled, and all that swagger somehow redefined where the line was. Moving it right past no-kissing and dangerously into sharing more than just personal space, making it easy for Mackenzie to get that much closer without actually crossing it.

“I’m going to prove it to you,” he said, sculpting his hands around her sides, his fingers splaying low on her backside. “And, Trouble, when it comes to creative, I’m world-class, so be careful what you ask for.”