It was one of a thousand reasons he adored her.

  “This morning, let’s pretend we’re two people with no job and no worries.” He brushed his lips down the narrow length of her nose. “Nothing but each other.”

  She chuckled. “Hollywood dreams.”

  “The dreams of a man in love.”

  He felt her stiffen at his words. “Oh,” she breathed.

  He lifted his head, frowning down at her flushed face. “Does that frighten you?”

  “It astonishes me.” She shook her head “I’m so . . . ordinary.”

  Kaden snorted. As far as he was concerned, no one was ordinary. Everyone had a story that made them unique and interesting. And this woman was more unique than most.

  “Never ordinary. You’re gloriously down-to-earth,” he corrected in stern tones. “I’ve spent too many years in Hollywood surrounded by fake and shallow people who are willing to play whatever role will give them an advantage.” He nipped the lush curve of her lower lip. “You might have your secrets, Lia Porter, but you are who you are.”

  She arched her naked body against him, tugging on his hair. “I suppose that’s true. I don’t know how to play games. I never did.”

  “Thank God.” A shiver of anticipation raced through Kaden. It didn’t matter that he’d spent hours sating his ravenous hunger the night before. He was already eager to continue exploring the various ways to please this woman. “I’ve never feared you wanted anything from me.”

  She tugged his head down so she could press a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “That’s not entirely true.”

  He nuzzled the corner of her mouth, pressing his aching erection against her hip. “Anything I wasn’t ready and eager to give,” he growled. “And just as importantly, I never feared you were going to use me to gain some sort of advantage. You didn’t need an advantage. Instead, you treated me like I was an annoying intruder you were forced to allow into your home to help solve the mystery of who jumped from the railroad bridge.”

  She clicked her tongue. “Not exactly annoying.”

  “Pushy?”

  “Dangerous.” Her eyes shimmered like emeralds in the morning sunlight. “I still think you’re dangerous. But only in the best way.”

  He swept his lips over her cheek to discover the sensitive spot just below her ear. “That sounds like a challenge.”

  Lia wrapped her arms around his neck, melting against him in blatant invitation. “Not everything has to be a challenge.”

  He nipped the lobe of her ear. “Do you know me at all?”

  In answer, she lifted her leg to drape it over his hip. “Not as well as I intend to.”

  Kaden groaned in approval, tugging her so close, nothing could get between them.

  “A challenge,” he insisted.

  Lia kissed a path along the stubborn line of his jaw. “A promise.”

  “Yes.” He slid his hand down the curve of her spine, his touch boldly possessive. “You were never getting rid of me. The moment I walked into Porter’s Grocery Store, my fate was sealed.”

  She shivered, but she tilted back her head to send him a worried glance. “You know, we haven’t discussed what we’re going to do.”

  He allowed the tip of his erection to penetrate the entrance to her body. They both shuddered in pleasure. “I prefer action to words. That’s why I was a stuntman and not an actor.”

  “I’m talking about our future.”

  Kaden captured her lips in a demanding kiss. There was no doubt their lives together would be complicated. And not only because they lived two thousand miles apart. But he refused to accept they couldn’t find a way to be together.

  “We’ll figure it out,” he murmured against her lips.

  “But—”

  “It won’t be easy,” he interrupted her protest. “But we’ll work together to share each other’s burdens, which includes you revamping my accounting system and me renovating your store into the twenty-first century.” He narrowed his gaze with determination. “Plus, we’ll scale back our businesses, we’ll hire more staff, we’ll learn to delegate, and we’ll make a vow that nothing is more important than our happiness.”

  Lia studied him in surprise. As if she hadn’t expected him to have spent so much time contemplating their future.

  “That all sounds . . .” She appeared lost for words.

  “Yes?” he prompted.

  She smiled as she pressed herself onto the hard length of his arousal. “Like paradise.”

  * * *

  Lia was floating in a delicious haze of bliss when a vibrating sound jerked her awake. At first she thought it was a fly buzzing around. Then she grimaced, remembering that it was the dead of winter. There were no flies.

  Forcing open her eyes, she glanced around the bedroom in confusion. It wasn’t until her gaze swept over the nearby nightstand that she realized the sound had come from her phone.

  With a low groan, she pulled herself out of Kaden’s arms and wiggled into a sitting position so she could grab it. Her muscles were stiff, but she savored each ache and pang. She’d loved every second of making love to the man snoozing next to her. And she had every intention of repeating the experience.

  At the moment, however, her attention was focused on the text message that flashed across the screen.

  “Kaden.” She reached out to grasp his shoulder and give him a small shake. “Kaden.”

  “Yes, please,” he muttered, flopping over to wrap his arm around her waist.

  She gave him another shake. “Wake up.”

  Her sharp tone managed to penetrate the sleep fogging his mind, and with shocking speed, he was shoving himself to a sitting position to study her with a clear-eyed concern.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, for once it’s good news,” she assured him. “I sent an email to Professor Sanderson, asking if we could meet. She just sent a text that says she’ll be available at one this afternoon.”

  “Where?”

  “She has an office in her home.” Lia hit the address to plug it into her map app. “It’s only a few blocks from here.”

  Kaden nodded. “Let her know we’ll be there.” He tossed aside the covers and slid off the bed. Then, lifting his hands over his head, he stretched, emphasizing the lean perfection of his body. Lia openly ogled his raw male beauty, her hands twitching with the desire to reach out and touch him. Easily sensing her awareness, he sent her a wicked smile. “Shower?”

  She pulled the covers up to her chin. “You go first.”

  He arched a brow. “We could save water if we shared.”

  “No way. We’ll never get to talk to the professor,” she said, her stomach abruptly rumbling in protest. “Plus, I’m starving.”

  Kaden laughed. “Rejected for a bowl of soup.”

  Lia heaved a sigh at the memory of the delicious chicken and noodles, unreasonably happy they had some left over. “It’s really good soup.”

  Kaden chuckled on his way into the attached bathroom and Lia felt a momentary pang of regret as he shut the door, but she resisted temptation. Instead, she headed for the spare bedroom to take a quick shower and change into clean clothes. Then, entering the kitchen, she warmed up the soup and sliced the last of the bread.

  Less than an hour later, they were out of the condo and driving the short distance to Dr. Sanderson’s house, arriving exactly at one o’clock.

  “This is it.” Kaden parked the Jeep next to the curb and they both studied the red-brick bungalow that was surrounded by neatly trimmed bushes that were laced with Christmas lights. On one side, a small brick building was attached to the house by a covered breezeway. Presumably, the professor’s office. Kaden reached out to squeeze her hand. “Ready?”

  “I’m not sure,” Lia admitted, her mouth dry and her stomach churning with nerves. When she’d decided to reach out to the professor, she hadn’t considered how she was going to approach the woman. Or exactly what she hoped to learn. Now she felt incredibly awkward. “This is kind of a long shot,” she muttered.

  Kaden shrugged. “It’s the only shot we have.”

  “True.”

  Squaring her shoulders, Lia grabbed her purse and pushed open her door. Climbing out, she grimaced at the frigid breeze that whipped through the quiet suburban street. Kaden was swiftly at her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked up the driveway to the attached building. They sidestepped the plastic Santa Claus that waved toward the street and halted in front of the glass door.

  Before they could knock, it was pulled open to reveal a woman in her early sixties. Lia’s lips twitched, silently acknowledging the woman looked exactly like a college professor should look. She had fading red hair that was pulled into a knot at the nape of her neck and a pale face that was more handsome than pretty. Her eyes were dark and snapped with a restless intelligence behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. She was reed thin and wore a red sweater and casual black slacks.

  “Hello.” She smiled, holding out her hand. “You must be Lia Porter.”

  “Yes.” Lia shook the offered hand. “And I assume you are Professor Sanderson?”

  “Please, call me Mary.” The woman turned her attention to Kaden. “And of course I recognize you.” She stepped back. “Please come in.”

  Lia entered the building, closely followed by Kaden. They paused to slip off their jackets and left them on the coatrack before following Mary into a large office. Glancing around, Lia felt a pang of envy. The room was at least twice the size of her own office, with built-in bookcases that reached halfway up the walls, leaving ample room for the towering windows that allowed the afternoon sunlight to spill across a Persian carpet.

  “Can I get you anything?” the professor asked. “Coffee? Tea?”

  “Nothing for me,” Lia said as Kaden shook his head.

  “Have a seat.” Mary pointed toward the high-backed leather chairs that were arranged in front of the desk. Waiting until they were obediently settled, the older woman took her place behind the desk and studied them with a stern expression. Suddenly Lia felt like she was sitting in a principal’s office, waiting for her punishment. Was it deliberate? Or had the woman been a teacher for so long she instinctively took command of any encounter?

  Lia cleared the lump from her throat. She wasn’t a misbehaving teenager. She was there with a purpose, and the sooner she got to the point the better.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” she said.

  Mary placed her palms flat on the desk. “You said you wanted information about Vanna Zimmerman?”

  “Yes,” Lia agreed. “Her foster mother mentioned the two of you were close when Vanna was in college.”

  “I’m not sure what I can tell you. I haven’t heard from Vanna since she disappeared fifteen years ago.”

  “No one has,” Kaden told her. “And now we believe we know why.”

  The woman stiffened in shock. “You found her?”

  Kaden held up a hand. “Nothing’s confirmed, but we suspect the skeleton that was discovered near Pike, Wisconsin, is Vanna.”

  Something that might have been hope died in Mary’s eyes. “I remember the headlines in the newspaper about a body being discovered. I didn’t bother to read the story.” She shook her head. “How tragic. I’d always hoped . . .”

  “So did my brother,” Kaden murmured as her words trailed away.

  “Yes.” She squared her shoulders, as if trying to gather her composure. She was clearly disturbed at the thought of Vanna’s death. “I spoke to him several times over the years. I was so devastated when I read his obituary in the newspaper.”

  Kaden grimaced. “He never stopped looking for Vanna. Or loving her.”

  Mary leaned forward, her stern expression softening as she sent Kaden a sympathetic smile.

  “Vanna was a different woman after she met your brother. A better woman.”

  Kaden nodded. “Darren was a rock for a lot of people. Including me.”

  There was a brief silence before Mary pushed herself back in her seat, tapping a finger on the arm of her chair.

  “Where did you say the skeleton was discovered?”

  “Pike,” Lia answered. “It’s a tiny town—”

  “I know where it is,” Mary interrupted. “I used to visit the college’s extension office just outside of town. I was responsible for the interns who worked there.”

  Lia and Kaden shared a quick glance. Perhaps this meeting wouldn’t be a waste of time.

  Lia returned her attention to the older woman. “So, you knew Vanna spent a summer in Pike?”

  Mary pinched her lips. “Unfortunately.”

  “Why unfortunately?” Lia demanded.

  The older woman glanced away, as if considering her words. Or maybe she was deciding whether or not she wanted to talk to them at all. The old-fashioned clock on the wall ticked off the seconds, the wind rattling the windows. At last she heaved a faint sigh and turned back to meet Lia’s curious gaze.

  “Let me start at the beginning,” she said.

  “Please,” Lia murmured. She was desperate to discover any information about Vanna’s time in Pike.

  Mary slowly leaned forward, placing her forearms on the desk as if she was preparing to share a long story.

  “I met Vanna when she took my freshman botany class. It was obvious from the beginning that she was there on fellowship and that she had a chip on her shoulder that annoyed her classmates. She sat by herself in a corner, and even though she could have answered every question I asked, she refused to respond.” Mary clicked her tongue. “It was almost as if she was daring me to kick her out.”

  “I’m sure as a professor that bothered you,” Lia said.

  “More than that, she reminded me of myself at that age,” Mary surprisingly confessed. “Sullen. Defiant. Too smart for my own good.”

  Lia arched a brow, suddenly understanding why Vanna might have felt a connection to this woman.

  “You knew how to reach out to Vanna,” she said.

  “As much as she would allow.”

  “Including an internship in Pike?” Kaden abruptly asked.

  Mary sent him a startled glance. As if surprised he knew about Vanna’s time in Pike.

  “Yes. Vanna was ambitious and she was genuinely interested in protecting the environment. But I’d discovered over the years that for many students, the desire to save the world was one thing and spending your days testing landfills and spill off from sewers is another.” A rueful smile curved her lips. “I wanted her to understand what fieldwork would entail before she committed to a career in the EPA.”

  “Smart,” Lia said. She’d gotten her degree with no genuine knowledge of what she wanted to do when she graduated. Luckily, she managed to discover a career that was perfect for her.

  Mary made a sound of disgust at the compliment. “As I said, I’m sometimes too smart for my own good.”

  Chapter 25

  Kaden sensed the edge of bitterness in the older woman’s tone. Along with a heavy sense of guilt. Emotions that were all too familiar. He’d carried them since his brother’s death.

  But while he sympathized with her regrets, he was more interested in just how close she’d been to Vanna. And whether she could reveal any conflicts Vanna might have had during her time with the extension office.

  “Did something go wrong during her internship?” he asked.

  Mary grimaced. “At first she complained about the town, the locals, the endless boredom.”

  “Anything specific?”

  “No. Just the tedium of a young, attractive woman being buried in the middle of nowhere.”

  Lia smiled wryly. “She wasn’t the only young woman to complain.”

  Mary nodded, as if she agreed it wasn’t easy to be stuck in a small town with no entertainment.

  “It’s what I expected, but surprisingly, she didn’t lose her interest in her career. In fact, she was more determined than ever to join the EPA.”

  Kaden absorbed her words. Vanna was a weirdly complex woman. Ambitious and greedy and immoral. Yet devoted to his brother and worried about the environment.

  “That seems like a good thing,” Lia said.

  “It was.”

  Lia frowned in confusion. “What happened?”

  “After the first month, she stopped coming back to Madison so often. She said she was busy, and I let it go for several weeks. Then I became worried and decided to travel to Pike to check on her.”

  “Why would you be worried?” Kaden demanded, genuinely interested. “I would have assumed she’d made some friends and preferred to stay in Pike rather than make the two-hour drive every Friday.”

  The professor looked away, as if she didn’t want him to see her reaction to his question.

  “I was concerned she might have bailed on the internship and was too embarrassed to tell me that she quit,” Mary grudgingly shared her fear. “Vanna was ambitious, but she also battled a self-destructive impulse.”

  Ah. Kaden belatedly understood the woman’s unease. He didn’t have any trouble believing Vanna would walk away from a commitment she’d decided wasn’t going to be beneficial to her career. Or her bank balance.

  “But she hadn’t quit?”

  “No.”

  “Did she tell you why she stopped coming home?” Lia asked.

  Mary paused, heaving a harsh sigh. “She didn’t have to. When I arrived at the extension office I discovered it was already closed for the day, so I went to Vanna’s private apartment in the back and knocked on the door.” She grimaced. “There was no answer, but I could hear voices inside. I knocked again, and Vanna finally pulled open the door far enough to tell me to go away. She was wrapped in a sheet and her hair was a mess. It didn’t take a genius to know there was a man in there with her.”