Chapter 1

"Honey, one more time…"

Late into the night, I lay sprawled across the couch, breathless and glaring playfully at my husband, Kylan Beck.

Kylan, looking exhausted, held up his hands in surrender. "Darling, if you work me to death in one night, what are you going to do later?"

I pouted. "I don't care! I've been away on a business trip for days. You need to make up for it. If you really break, I'll just find a new one!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Kylan gave me a playful swat.

Just as we were flirting, a few knocks came from outside. Before I could react, a tall figure walked in.

I froze. Who was this stranger in our home?

What made it worse was that he was wearing nothing but a towel. His muscular arms were enough to hint at exactly how fit he was underneath.

The man's features were sharp and chiseled. Droplets of water traced the contours of his legs, glistening under the warm yellow light.

He stopped short when he saw me. "Sorry, Kylan. I didn't realize your wife was back."

Kylan finally spoke up, introducing him as Daniel Willis, a colleague from work. Apparently, he was staying with us for a few days due to some trouble at home.

Daniel apologized, but his gaze was shamelessly raking over me.

The room was still thick with the scent of our intimacy. My hair was a mess, and my clothes were barely hanging on.

The realization of what we'd been doing, combined with Daniel's burning gaze, made my face flush a deep crimson.

Daniel stared at me for a long moment before looking away and asking Kylan, "Kylan, I left in a rush and forgot my pajamas. Mind if I borrow a set?"

"Sure, I'll get it for you," Kylan said, leading Daniel away.

Once they left, my heart was hammering against my ribs.

Being watched like that by such a muscular man had left me more than a little rattled.

But the next second, I shook my head, trying to clear the intrusive thoughts. I was a married woman. I shouldn't be thinking about another man like that.

When Kylan finally returned, I snapped at him, "You should have told me we had company!"

"I didn't have a chance, darling. You jumped me the second you walked through the door."

After saying that, Kylan grinned, leaning in close. He asked if I wanted to know the real reason Daniel was crashing here.

I wasn't particularly interested, but what Kylan said next caught me completely off guard.

"He and his wife aren't compatible in bed. She's so frustrated that she kicked him out of the house."

Kylan looked genuinely sympathetic.

I was stunned. A man who looked so strong was a letdown in the bedroom?

Was he really all show and no go?

I felt a strange pang of pity for him.

I guess my friend, Katrina Craft, was right. We couldn't judge a man by his cover. We had to test the engine to see if it could actually run.

Kylan was clearly spent. He fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Covered in a light sweat, I grabbed my nightgown and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

As I was drying off in front of the mirror, I noticed Daniel's wet boxers sitting in the sink.

My mind drifted back to Kylan's comment about him being inadequate, but the sheer size of the underwear suggested otherwise.

Just as my thoughts began to wander, there was a knock on the door.

I jumped.

"Ashley? Could you pass me my boxers?"

It was Daniel. I looked at the boxers with a sense of unease. I had a husband. I shouldn't be handling another man's underwear.

But I hadn't put my clothes back on yet, and the nightgown I'd brought was incredibly revealing. The idea of facing Daniel while looking like I'd just stepped out of a steam room made my pulse race.

Outside the door, Daniel waited silently.

Reluctantly, I pinched the edge of the boxers with two fingers and cracked the door just enough to slide them through.