I chuckled. Men were so easy. I dragged my fingernails softly down his muscled back. “Let’s not make you any later. We gotta shower.”

The hot water poured down over us and we took time exploring each other as we cleaned ourselves up. I asked tentatively, “Should I see about going on the pill?”

“Definitely,” Killian said.

I hated to broach it but a smart woman always should . . .”I hate to, um, mention it . . . but well, I took those tests when I got that health check and I got my all-clear—”

“I’ll get checked,” he cut me off and then kissed me softly.

“Okay, good.”

Afterward, I slipped into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, following Killian out into the living room where he’d left his phone. “You sure you can’t stay for a quick breakfast?”

He looked up from his cell. “Wish I could but I have three missed calls and a bunch of emails to look at.”

“Okay. Let me walk you out.”

When we got to the door, I had just taken off the chain when he pulled me into his arms. “I’ll call you later,” he promised.

Realizing he was worried I was worried, I smiled. “I know you leaving for work doesn’t mean anything.”

“So, we’re okay?”

“We’re more than okay.”

“And you’re all right with us keeping this a secret for now? Even from my sister?”

I slid my hands around his shoulders. “I think it’s kind of hot.”

“Don’t get me started again, you insatiable wench.”

I laughed, loving this side of him more than I thought possible. “No promises.”

We were smiling when we reached for a kiss and that made us laugh. I can’t explain how amazing a feeling it was to be laughing between kisses with Killian O’Dea.

“I have to go,” he groaned, reaching for the door handle.

“Uh-uh, one more.” I drew him back to my mouth as he opened the door and licked my tongue against his.

Just like that, the kiss got out of control as we fell against the hallway wall and hungrily devoured each other.

It was only the sound of a throat clearing that stopped us.

We tensed against each other.

Oh, fuck.

Breaking the kiss, we turned to face the intruder.

Autumn stood in the open doorway with two Starbucks cups in her hands, grinning at us with more than a hint of triumphant happiness.

* * *

“WELL,” KILLIAN LOOKED BETWEEN ME and his sister and then ducked by her, “I have to get to work.”

My hands flew to my hips in amused indignation. “That’s right, you leave when it gets hard.”

Mischief curved his mouth into a grin. He started to respond with something I knew was going to be dirty.

“Don’t say it!” I cut him off before he could.

He gave a huff of laughter and leaned back in to give me a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll be back tonight.”

And then he was gone.

Leaving me to deal with telling his sister. I slammed the door and she smiled at me like the cat who got the cream. “It’s not fair.” I marched down the hall, reaching in to shut my bedroom door because the room smelled of sex.

“What’s not fair?” Autumn followed me into the living area.

“All he has to do is smile at me.” I threw a hand up in exasperation. “And I’m ready to sacrifice my firstborn for him. Do you think he might actually be the devil?”

“Uh . . . I think I want to know what happened—but spare me too much detail. He is my brother.”

But I wasn’t really listening. I was musing over the addiction I had for him. “I think it’s because he doesn’t smile a lot. It gets me off that I make him smile and laugh. Is that sick?”

Autumn gave a sympathetic smile. “I think it’s love.”

My heart jolted at the very idea of it. “Autumn, it’s not like that, it’s—”

“If you’re about to tell me that you’re fuck buddies, I don’t want to know.”

I felt the urge to screw with her a little like she did with us last night, but it would break her sentimental heart too much so I quelled the impulse. “No, we’re definitely more than that. The truth is we don’t know what we are. We care about each other. We’re attracted to each other. That’s what we do know.”

She shook her head, chuckling as she slid onto a stool to sip her coffee. She pushed the other cup toward me. “I came over here ready to face your wrath for setting you up like that last night.” She shimmied giddily on her stool. “But it worked.”

I sat beside her. “Yes, it did work. But you need to gloat on the inside because we’re keeping what’s happening between us a secret. And it’s imperative that you don’t tell anyone about us.”

I felt the air chill and all the joy fled from Killian’s sister’s face. “You’re kidding me?”

Confused by her reaction, I hesitantly shook my head.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Her eyes widened. She looked at me like I was a moron. “Because Killian needs to realize that you’re more important than anything else or your relationship will never work.”

My stomach dropped at the cold splash of reality she was delivering. Was it necessary? I didn’t think so! “Autumn—”

“No. This is a bad idea, Skylar. Tell him you can’t keep your relationship in the dark. Fuck his career!”

I blinked, taken aback by such vehemence, and I felt a mix of sadness and anger as I stared into her disappointment. “It’s not just about his career.” I found myself getting defensive. “What do you think the tabloids will do when they find out I’m sleeping with the nephew of the head of my new label? They’ll have a goddamned field day with that information. Skylar Finch returns after her mysterious disappearance and she brings a new romantic drama with her. The fans are going to be pissed as it is that I disappeared on them without any updates on my well-being—do you think they’ll forgive me for doing that if I return to the limelight with someone who isn’t Micah on my arm?”

“Screw your fans,” she huffed. “Screw my uncle. Screw Killian’s ambition! What does any of that nonsense matter in the long run?”

Her blowing off my concerns as if they weren’t valid hurt. “You can say that . . . not knowing what it’s like to have the whole world judging you for every life choice you make. Do you know how exhausting it is to not only have to think about how you feel about something or someone, but to have to factor in your band, your manager, your label, and millions of fans? To have to think about how a newspaper might spin a single decision? To have to plan it this way and that in the hopes that you spoon-feed it to them in a way that reflects best upon you? It was making me crazy. It made me into someone I no longer recognized.”

She reached for my arm in comfort and then leveled me with her next words. “Which is exactly why Killian needs to realize now, rather than later, that you are more important. You know what I’m talking about, Skylar.”

I pulled away, clenching my jaw to stop myself from railing in fury at her for bringing it up. I didn’t want to hear it. Struggling for calm, I finally replied, “Don’t. Autumn . . . please don’t.” I looked at her. Pleaded with her. “We aren’t there yet. And I woke up happy this morning. Actually happy. Not numb. Not surviving. Not healing. Not moving on. Just happy. I can’t remember the last time I felt truly happy.”

Autumn studied me a second. Then she slumped in defeat. “Well, I can’t argue with that, can I?”

“I’m hoping not.”

“Fine.” She sighed. “I . . . Killian isn’t the only one who cares about you. I want you to be happy. I want my brother to be happy and I’ve never seen him behave this way with a woman. You do make him smile more, you know.”

Relieved, I grinned. “I know.”

We were silent a moment as I enjoyed our truce and sipped at my coffee.

And then Autumn said, “Killian told me you need a laptop. If you’re not too exhausted by whatever happened last night—you’ve still to tell me, FYI—do you want to go buy one today? Because I was thinking that if you’re getting a laptop, you may as well upgrade that brick you call a phone.”