“Well that must be hard on the women of Kraken Cove. I bet they find it hard not to get feelings for you.” I flush and look down into my bowl. I’ve revealed too much, but honestly, I can see him being really addictive. He’s bitter on the front of the palate like tonic, but beneath that, I think there’s depth and sweetness and maybe even a little vulnerability.

“That’s why I prefer seeing people from out of town if I can,” Noah says, continuing our conversation. “It’s easier that way. Simpler. Comes with a built-in expiry date.”

Huh. I mull over that a while, swirling the wine in my glass. Eventually I bite my lip and blurt out the thing I wanted to say all along. “You mean like me?” I dart a glance at him under my lashes, hoping. He’s going to say no. I know he will, but oh I could go for some hot rebound sex right now.

“Oh no.” He shakes his head, confirming my fear. “That would be a very bad idea, Zeston.”

I knew he would say that. I knew it and I’m still disappointed.

We eat the rest of our meal in silence. It’s so delicious I finish in record time and am tempted to lick the bowl to get the last of the oily sauce.

Noah takes the bowls and puts them in the sink. I can’t stop thinking about what he said about people from out of town. OK, I can’t stop thinking how hot rebound sex with Noah Wilson would be.

Finally, I move to the sofa and tuck my feet up under me while he cleans the last of the things in the kitchen. I’m going to miss my chance in a moment. He’ll change the subject or tell me it’s time for me to go home. I gather my courage. “Why? Why is it a bad idea? Like you said, I’m not from here. When it ends, I’ll fly back to the other side of the world and that’s it. No awkwardness. No loose ends. Plus, I’m on the rebound. I’m not exactly in a position to start anything serious. I don’t even know if I’ll ever have another serious relationship.”

He snorts, still bending over the sink.

“What?”

“Don’t kid yourself, Zeston. You’ll absolutely have another serious relationship. You won’t be able to help yourself.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah I do. Just look at you. You’re the wife type. The type who wants to settle down.”

I glance down at my beige twin set and slides. At the hair tie around my wrist and the tangled locks of my long hair falling across my breasts. I guess he’s right. I’m not exactly the seductive siren type. The sexiest pair of panties I own are white with tiny strawberries on them. I’m more flannel than Chanel.

I swallow down a tight feeling in my throat and keep my smile on my face. “What if this is my lightbulb moment, huh? What if this is when I learn how to fuck around and not get feelings?”

Noah chuckles again and I can’t help noticing how his light hazel eyes sparkle and the corners crinkle when he does. “I’d liketo, Zeston. Believe me. But I don’t think I can trust you not to get too involved.”

It’s reckless. I’ll probably regret it. I can tell by the way I want this too much already. And he’s right about me. I’m still hoping for something lasting. Something real. But I also want to be with him again—badly. So I tug my lower lip between my teeth and smile up at him. “What if I promise?”

His gaze drops to my lips, and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me right then. A spark of awareness sizzles through me and I press my legs tighter together to savor it. “Oh, you are dangerous.”

“Me?” I bat my lashes innocently, loving the feeling of tempting this gorgeous guy.

Noah curses and runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck it. You know what? Fine. I’ve never pretended to be a saint. You wanna do this, we do this, but there are rules.” He waves a finger in my face. “Rules we don’t break.”

“Of course. Like what?”

“No staying over.”

“OK.” That’s fine. I can handle crawling back into my bed at six in the morning after he’s rocked my world all night.

He narrows his eyes. “And no pet names or cutesy talk.”

I laugh. “Easy. Anything else?”

“No kissing.”

My mouth falls open. No kissing? The thing I’ve been dreaming of ever since that night.

“Don’t look at me like that, Zeston. Kissing you was a bad mistake last time. Look where it got us. Far too carried away, that’s where,” he says.

That seems like a mighty sacrifice, but since my choice is between that and nothing, I guess my hands are tied. “OK.”

He watches me for a moment more, arms folded across his chest as if waiting for me to break. I hold his gaze.