“I don’t want a person tied to my bed,” she said, stepping close, so that only inches separated their bodies. “Just you. And I’d rather not have to resort to restraining you. I prefer you free.”

He preferred that as well. Even if it proved a very slow process to free him of the bonds that held him back, he was ready to be untied.

Kellen wrapped his arms around Dawn and drew her against him, claiming her mouth in a slow, deep kiss. A part of him still struggled with finding intimacy with a woman who wasn’t Sara. Another part of him was shouting that kissing Dawn O’Reilly, adoring her, was wrong. But the best part of him told those other two parts to f**k off.

When they separated, he cupped her lovely face in both hands and just stared. He was so glad she’d had the courage to fight for this because he’d needed that little push to help see what was right in front of him.

“Say, Rockstar,” she asked, “what are you doing after the show?”

“Hopefully just one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I could go for that. And what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Going to New Orleans.”

“Are you planning to run away from me again?”

“No. I thought maybe you’d like to come with me.”

She smiled and kissed his lips gently. “Yeah, I could go for that too, Kellen.”

“You can call me Kelly.”

She tilted her head and stared straight into his soul, which always seemed to warm under her attention. “Yeah, you do look like a Kelly.”

Good, because he felt like one.