Her eyes lifted to mine. "Yes."
"Daphne."
"I'm sure." She stepped onto the first stair. "I'm done with the hours. I'm not here because I owe the court. I'm not here because of Fletcher. I'm here because I want you."
The words hit me hard enough that I had to put one hand on the porch rail.
"Not just for this afternoon," I said.
Her smile changed. "I know."
"I'm asking you into more than my bed."
She stepped onto the porch with me. "Good. I want more than your bed."
"Say that inside," I said.
Her mouth curved. "Bossy."
"Practical."
"Liar."
I pulled her up the last step and kissed her before I opened the door.
Daphne stepped into me like she'd been waiting since the lake, both hands grabbing my shirt, her mouth open under mine. Heat slammed through me. She was here in my hands with nothing left to sign, no crew waiting for her return, no court sheet between her and my bed.
I backed her against the door after it shut behind us.
She gasped, then kissed me harder.
My house smelled like pine, clean laundry I hadn't folded, and the coffee I'd made too early. Sunlight came through the front windows in bright squares on the floor. Somewhere outside, the lake moved against the rocks.
Inside, Daphne's fingers were already under the hem of my shirt.
I caught her wrists gently. "Slow."
Her eyes flashed. "You brought me here to go slow?"
"I brought you here because if I touched you at the P-Patch, Birdie would've charged admission."
Daphne laughed against my mouth.
I kissed the laugh out of her, then pulled back just enough to see her. Her brown hair was loose around her face, her green eyes were bright, dirt marked one knee, and her mouth was swollen from mine.
I wanted her right there against the door. I wanted her in my bed more.
I let go of her wrists and pulled my shirt over my head.
Daphne's gaze dropped to my chest, my shoulders, the tattoos across my skin. Her hands followed, sliding over ink, muscle, and the place my breath had already gone rough.
"You've been hiding this under work shirts," she said.
"They're not hiding much."
"They're hiding enough."
Her palm moved lower, over my ribs, then stopped at my belt.
