But Adam didn’t dig into the food with everyone else. Instead, he told her, “I’ve made a few notes about the blueprints for the house we looked at last week. I know you love it as is, but there are a few things we should discuss. The blueprints are in the next room.”

He took her hand and led her through to another construction zone. Kerry thought it was fairly easy to make beauty out of things when they were already in order, but she’d always been amazed by anyone who could find order in a mess like this.

Adam Sullivan was clearly a magician, one who wasn’t scared off by a ton of work and a boatload of cleanup. Nor was he put off by digging through the rubble to find the beauty waiting many layers down.

He shoved a heavy door halfway closed, which was as far as it could go, and then they both moved into each other’s arms at the same time. His hunger, her need—they were both so strong that the building could have started to fall down around them and neither would have noticed or cared. Not when they simply couldn’t get enough of each other’s mouths. Not when their hands couldn’t touch enough skin. Not when she could have listened to him say her name over and over again for the rest of her life and never tire of hearing it.

And not when her week without him finally ended in the most perfect way—with his arms around her and her arms around him.

“I’d rip off all your clothes right now if I didn’t know that my guys would enjoy it way too much knowing what we’re up to in here.”

“Maybe I’m supposed to care, but right now I don’t. I just want you, Adam. That’s all I want. Just you.”

Heat flared in his eyes at her words, and his mouth came down on hers so hard it should have hurt, but all she could feel was pleasure. The pleasure of being with the only person she’d ever truly been free with—the man who had shown her how much beauty there was in that freedom.

Unfortunately, he dragged his mouth from hers a few moments later. “Forget my guys outside. Swear to God, if I didn’t think this room would actually cave in around us, I’d already be inside of you.”

Her breath caught in her throat at his wickedly hot words.

“That sound is going to fuel my fantasies for a hell of a long time. Especially,” he said as he bent his head to her neck, “if I can get you to make it again right now.”

The delicious feel of his stubble along the sensitive underside of her chin as he nipped and kissed her easily had her gasping with pleasure. But instead of pulling her closer, he put his hands on her shoulders and made both of them take a step back.

“I’ll never forgive myself if I get us both killed here tonight. Or if anyone walks in on us and sees you like this.” His eyes were impossibly dark and intense. “Your passion, your sensuality—they’re all mine, Kerry. Mine.”

She took a deep breath, and then another, knowing he was right and that they should behave more prudently. But after a lifetime of prudence, it was a lovely thing, frankly, to be risky every now and again.

Especially when it felt like he was hers, too.

“Besides,” he added while she tried to get a grip on herself, “I wasn’t kidding about my guys. I’d bet money on the fact that right now they’re all talking about how gorgeous you are and what a lucky sonofabitch I am to get to spend even five minutes alone with you.”

She would have blushed if her skin hadn’t already been so flushed from his kisses. “They’re just happy about the food.”

“You really don’t have the first clue, do you? No idea at all how beautiful or how sexy you are.”

He brushed the pad of one thumb over her lips, and it was the most natural thing in the world for her to lick out against it, making him growl low in his throat as he barely managed to hold himself back. She did it again, partly because she wanted him so bad, but also because a secret part inside of her thrilled at knowing she could turn a man like Adam inside out with nothing more than the flick of her tongue against his skin.

“Just so you know, I’m using up every ounce of my self-control right now. You’d better prepare yourself, because things are going to get crazy once I finally get you naked.”

She smiled so big her cheeks hurt. “I can’t wait.” And when he smiled back, just as big, she said, “I missed you this week.” Her week would have been perfect if only he’d been a part of it.

“I wanted to cancel all of my meetings this week,” he told her. “But I knew you didn’t want me to be sitting in on all of yours.”

She laughed, enjoying the picture of Adam crashing her client meetings, her weddings. He would be the very definition of a bull in a china shop. Despite that, she knew she would love every minute of having him there.

“Actually, it was really fun having you at the wedding on Sunday. Even if,” she added, “my mother wasn’t too pleased with me for kicking up my heels with one of the guests for a few minutes. I’m sorry if she made you feel at all uncomfortable. I’m sure she didn’t mean to be quite so...” Judgmental was the right word, but she hated even saying it out loud to Adam now that she knew the real man behind the gorgeous face and charming grin. “So protective of me. She’s always been like that with me and Colleen.”

“Trust me,” he said, “with a little sister and a zillion female cousins who are too pretty for their own good, if there’s one thing I get, it’s being overprotective. The only thing that would have upset me about my conversation with your mother would have been if she wasn’t worried about you. Of course she wants the best for you.”