Alicia still could barely wrap her head around the fact that Gill had made love to her two more times after they’d cleaned up the mess and made it to her bed last evening. She smiled and shook her head.

As she made her way to the kitchen, she wondered what she was going to feed Gill for breakfast. Removing her jacket, she tossed it over the back of a chair before pushing up the sleeves of her sweater.

Coffee was the first order of the day. Grabbing the carafe, she filled it with water and poured it into the coffeemaker. She spooned coffee into the paper filter before flicking on the switch. The machine began to gurgle almost immediately.

Satisfied, she opened the refrigerator door and rummaged around, pulling out some vegetables. She dug out the chopping board, and then began to dice fresh green bell peppers and mushrooms for an omelet. As she worked, she could hear Gill in the bedroom getting dressed.

The knife she was using to chop vegetables came to rest against the cutting board as she stared out the window.

No doubt about it, Gill Baron was great for her sex drive. She’d had no idea that sex could be so intense or so fun until she’d met him. All her other relationships paled in comparison.

That was what scared her the most. Gill could hurt her. Not physically. Never that.

But emotionally was a whole other story. Oh, he wouldn’t mean to, but it was inevitable.

The fact that she’d slept with him last night proved that she was already emotionally involved with him. And that wasn’t good.

Gill wasn’t here permanently. He was just passing through, and whenever he was ready, he’d leave. In the meantime, Alicia had not only her heart to worry about, but also her reputation. It might seem foolish to someone from a big city, but the success of her business not only depended on her skill as a lawyer, but in keeping her reputation spotless as well. This was a conservative town where a lot of folks still weren’t comfortable with a female lawyer.

Whatever the reality of the situation, the underlying truth was she wanted to be with him, wanted to spend whatever time they could together, for however long he was in Jamesville. What a tangled state of affairs.

She sighed, watching a lone robin settle in the tree branches. Snow clung to the bark, but the little bird didn’t seem to mind as it pecked at the seeds in the birdfeeder.

Sometimes she wished she were like that little bird—free. But reality waited just outside the door and she couldn’t stay tucked away inside her home forever.

Strong arms slid around her waist and she leaned back against his chest.

“You’re deep in thought this morning.” His sleep-roughened voice was deeper than usual and it sent shivers all the way to her toes. His fingers absently traced the waistband of her pants.

“I was just watching the bird.” Determined to get through this, she stepped closer to the counter and began to chop the rest of the mushrooms.

Gill sighed and dropped a kiss on the top of her head before stepping away.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“You can pour the coffee if you’d like.” The pot she’d started had finished brewing.

She hadn’t slept much last night and was going to need the caffeine boost to get through the day. She tried not to think about why she’d hadn’t slept, but heated memories slipped into her brain, teasing her.

Gill opened the cupboard door and took down two mugs. The fact that he knew where to find them was almost startling. But he’d helped her with the dishes last night, drying them all and stacking them away while she’d mopped the remains of their dinner from the floor.

She broke eggs into a bowl and beat them as he poured coffee. He looked so strong, so masculine as he went about the mundane chore. His shirtsleeves were turned back several times, revealing his muscular forearms. His hair was still damp from the shower and a lone lock fell against his forehead.

He looked right at home in her kitchen, as if he belonged here. Alicia dumped the vegetables into the egg mixture, added some milk, and a dash of salt and pepper before stirring vigorously.

Gill took a sip of his coffee and she watched the thick column of his neck as he swallowed. Her inner muscles clenched. Boy, she had it bad if watching him drink coffee could turn her on.

“You want sugar or milk in yours?” He laid his mug aside and reached for the other one.

She nodded. “One sugar, please.” God, how awkward did she sound? She could feel the tension mounting inside her.

Still, Gill acted as if nothing was wrong. He added some sugar and stirred before handing her the mug of steaming coffee. She took it gingerly, making sure their fingers didn’t touch. Just having him this close to her was already making her sweat.

“Do you want me to make the toast?”

“Sure. That would be great.” Gulping a mouthful of coffee, Alicia almost choked on it. She coughed as Gill thumped her on the back several times. She held up her hands.

“I’m okay,” she managed to get out between coughs.

Totally mortified, Alicia turned back to the stove and began to cook the omelet. She poured the entire mixture in a large skillet and let it bubble and sizzle. When the edges were brown, she flipped it. Gill worked quietly in the background. She heard the pop of the toaster, the scrape of the knife across the bread as he buttered it, and the clink of glass as he put the plates on the table.

By the time she cut the omelet in half and scooped it up onto their plates, she had herself under control again. She had no idea why she was so nervous around Gill. No, that wasn’t quite true. He made her nervous because he knew her better than anyone else did in this town. He’d seen past the competent, business-like façade to the diehard romantic beneath.

She placed the pan back on the stove before sliding into her chair. Gill had everything else already there, including her mug of coffee and a small glass of orange juice.

“Thanks for breakfast. This is great.” Gill cut a piece of the omelet and popped it in his mouth.

“You’re welcome.” She busied herself with her own meal, making herself eat. She was sure it tasted good, but it felt like sawdust in her mouth.

Silence surrounded them, neither of them interested in polite chatter. Alicia ate as much as she could manage, and then pushed her plate away.

As if he’d been waiting for her signal, Gill laid his fork across his plate and leaned back in his chair. “Want to tell me what’s going on this morning?”

Alicia felt her hackles rising. “What do you mean?” Immediately, she felt foolish for all but jumping down his throat. He’d only asked her a simple question, and there was no doubt that she wasn’t herself this morning.

Gill sat forward, reached across the table and took her hand in his. Her smaller hand was almost lost in his, yet his grip wasn’t tight at all. The man was very aware of his own strength. “I know something is bothering you this morning, sugar. You want to tell me what it is?” His gaze searched her face as if hoping to find the answers there.

Normally, Alicia didn’t like it when a man called her by some pet name. But the way Gill called her “sugar” made her insides flutter. He made it sound sexy.

She forced herself to pull her hand away from his, clasping her fingers together at her waist. It was either that or she’d probably reach out to him whether she wanted to or not. Gill made a mockery of her self-control.

“I’m not sure last night was a good idea. But…” She continued when he started to interrupt. “It happened and I’m glad it did.” There was no way she could lie about that.

“The fact still remains that an affair could hurt my reputation. This isn’t the big city and the community’s faith has already been shaken by one lawyer.”

“What we’re doing isn’t criminal or illegal.” She could hear the tension in Gill’s voice. His steel-blue eyes were cold and forbidding.

“No, it’s not.” She picked up her mug and took a sip before carefully placing it back on the table. “However, that won’t matter to some folks.”

“So what are you suggesting?” Gill crossed his arms across his chest and glared.

“And don’t even think of telling me you don’t want to see me again, because I won’t believe it. Not after last night.”

“No,” she agreed. “That would be an insult to both of us.” Alicia licked her lips, her mouth dry. She resisted the urge to reach for her coffee mug again. “The only way this will work is if we keep it quiet.”

Gill uncrossed his arms and shifted in his chair, his eyes never leaving her face.

“What exactly do you mean?”

“We need to act professionally outside these walls. If we’re having an affair, we need to keep it quiet.”

“Do you really think that’s possible?”

She closed her eyes and shoved all her doubts aside. “I don’t know.” Her eyes flew open when she heard his chair being shoved back. Gill loomed over her, hands on his hips.

“I understand what you’re saying. Really, I do.” He shoved his fingers through his hair, leaving some of it sticking out to the sides. “But I think that you’re making too much of it. This isn’t the dark ages. Your personal life has nothing to do with your professional one.”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Alicia knew the gamble she was taking even if Gill didn’t. She was risking everything she’d spent years building by being with him. But it was worth the risk. Even though their relationship wouldn’t last long, it was worth it. Gill made her feel more alive inside than she’d felt in years. She hadn’t realized just how dead she’d felt until they’d spent that night together after leaving the wedding. With him, she was more herself than she’d ever been with any other man.