He smiled. “The time feels right to me.”

She laughed a little, embarrassed, and then she snuggled into his chest, hoping he’d say the words in return, but not wanting to pressure him.

“I have this strange idea about love,” he said against her hair. “I think a man can love many women in his life, until he finds his one and only. Then it’s game over. He’s stuck loving her, and no one else, for the rest of his life.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t known my one and only long enough to know what fifty or sixty years with the same person feels like, but the first week has been pretty f**king spectacular. Well, except for the part where I thought she was in love with someone else. That pretty much sucked.”

“She isn’t,” she whispered. “She’s only in love with you.”

“That’s a relief.”

Melanie lifted her face to look at him, and he claimed her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He drew away much too soon.

“Will you tell me one thing?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you anything.”

“Is she a better kisser than I am?”

Melanie swatted him on the butt. “What kind of a question is that?”

“A competitive one.”

She pursed her lips, considering. “I’m not sure. I think you’d better show me your best game so I can decide.”

She grabbed the back of his neck and surged up on her tiptoes so she could kiss him more thoroughly.

“Mel?” he whispered against her lips.

“Gabe?”

“Would you consider becoming my personal traveling accountant for the summer?”

Her heart skipped a beat as a world of possibilities opened wide before her. “I don’t know if you can afford me,” she teased.

“The job has a great benefits package,” he said. “I promise to wake you every morning with an orgasm and a smile.”

“Hmm,” she murmured, snuggling closer to his chest again. She could never seem get close enough to the man. She doubted she would ever feel he was close enough unless they were naked—skin on skin—and he was buried deep inside her. And if she spent the summer on the road with him, being woken each morning with his promised orgasm and smile, there would be plenty of opportunity to experience the closeness she craved. “Not bad perks.” She slid her hand down his belly and cupped his cock. It jerked against her palm, and her pu**y clenched in response. “Is this package included as a benefit?”

He laughed. “That’s up for negotiation.”

She grinned up at him, her heart near bursting with the love she felt for this man. “I’ll put in my two weeks’ notice tomorrow.”

“I promise you won’t regret it,” he murmured before claiming her mouth in a deep, toe-curling kiss.

Melanie couldn’t regret anything that kept her in Gabe’s arms.

When he drew away, she stared up into his eyes—rimmed with dark bruises that made her heart ache—and whispered, “Tell me.”

“Tell you, what?”

She toyed with his shirt, too embarrassed to flatly request the words she wanted to hear. “You know.”

He touched her cheek and her hair, searching her eyes for clues. “I love you. Is that what you want me to tell you?”

She smiled brightly and nodded, happiness giving her heart buoyancy.

“Then I’ll tell you again. I tell you as often as you need to hear it. I love you, Melanie.”

“I love you too,” she gushed.

“Now let’s go find a nice private location so I can show you.”

“Oh yes,” she said. “Let’s.” She did adore the way the man’s mind worked.