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“I’ve been known to be ruthless.”

“No, you haven’t.” She pressed her forehead to his. “It’s one of the reasons I ... like you so much.” She’d nearly said love.

No harm, no foul. Remember?

“Thanks for helping with this. You’re a good man, Cas. I admire that about you.”

“Since we’re comfortable here, why don’t we admire each other a bit more?” He nuzzled behind her ear.

“What do you have in mind?”

He flipped open a button, then slipped a hand inside her shirt and under her bra. “I thought I’d start here.”

“Yes, please.”

Making love to him was easy. Loving him was even easier. Just dangerous.

* * *

Cas stepped out ofMo’s office the following afternoon and texted Beatriz:

On my way.

Her reply pinged back almost instantly.

All good.

He wasn’t used to letting anyone know he was on his way home. Yet, it was his first instinct after farewelling Mo. Liking that she responded was another new experience. Flatmates. Was it just politeness? Her turn to cook dinner, so he let her know his movements?

It’s more than that.

I’m going home.

You idiot.

It’s not your home.

But, it was the kind of home he’d like to have. Shared chores, sexy companion, someone who believed in his dreams.

Walking up the stairs to the apartment, the smell of Thai curry wafted under the front door, sharpening his appetite. Beatriz in the kitchen wearing his apronReal men cooksharpened another appetite, and they were both pretty happy about how that was working out.

Honey, I’m home.

“Hi.”

She turned toward him, her mouth spreading into a smile. Delight, welcome—he could walk into that smile every day and die a happy man. She stepped closer to kiss him. His hands automatically reached for her hips to draw her closer.

She eased back. “Meet you in the dining room. I’ll bring the beers.”

He wanted to stay, to sweep her into his arms, and just hold her. Living with her, he appreciated her on a different level to the professional. Despite the challenges she was currently dealing with, like her sisters and Jackson Smithers, she was content. He remembered Monique had never been content, and knew a moment’s sympathy for a woman who’d never be happy. Bea found happiness in small moments, and Cas found that side of her personality irresistible.

“I’ll change.”

Cas’s patterns had started to change before he and Beatriz had become lovers. On nights when he was home first, he’d started listening for her arrival. Like a kid waiting for a treat. He’d started leaving work earlier since moving in with Beatriz. A holiday from his real world. Better now they were lovers.

If it was his night to cook, she’d pop her head into the kitchen and sniff the air, wanting to guess what he was making before he told her. He played the same game when she cooked. Harmless, friendly, the sort of thing flatmates comfortable with each other would do. They’d fallen into a comfortable living routine. That had never been a feature of his previous relationships.

It can’t last.