When they enter the kitchen, Marta excuses herself, immediately going upstairs to change, leaving Colton and I all alone. Bliss. I’ve been waiting for this moment all damn day, and I don’t feel like I can wait a minute longer.

He stalks over to me, looking delectable in his suit. I might have exercised restraint this morning when I barely avoided tearing it off of him, but I will show no such patience tonight.

Without saying a single word, his hands cup my cheeks and he pulls my face to his, pressing his lips to mine and giving me a long kiss. When he pulls away, I’m dizzy and filled with longing.

"How was your day?" I ask.

"Way too fucking long. I missed you," he says.

I feel the exact same way. "Would it be rude if we skipped dinner and went straight to bed?" I think about the plates in the warming tray that Beth has left for all three of us. Apparently the household staff knew Marta was staying here. Of course, as his personal assistant, Marta probably told them.

Colton runs his hands down my body, stopping at my hips and securing my body to his. "Dinner is the last thing on my mind." He’s looking at me like he’s already picturing me naked.

A warm shiver runs through me. I'd wondered if it was going to bother me that Marta was here in the house for our first time, but now, I don’t care if she hears me screaming down the house. She can stuff it.

"I’ve been hard all fucking day," Colton groans, bringing my hand down below his belt and pressing it into the gigantic bulge there. I close my hand around him and hear him grunt.

It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to drop to my knees and take him into my mouth. Even if I don’t care about Marta hearing our sounds of pleasure behind closed doors, I don’t want her to see my man’s package. That is not something I plan on sharing. Now or ever.

His hips rock forward as my palm moves up and down over him. "I can’t wait to be inside you," he whispers low near my ear.

My panties flood with moisture.

"Let’s go upstairs. I’ll help you change out of your suit." I give him a playful look.

Footsteps round the corner and I know we’re no longer alone. I turn to face Marta, making sure I remain in front of Colton to block the view of his raging erection. Apparently we’re on the same page, because his hands circle my waist, silently communicating that I need to stay put.

My eyes wander behind her to the suitcases stacked together on the floor.

"My landlord says the mouse infestation is all cleared up, so I’m going back home," she says.

"I thought it was rats?" I ask.

"Oh, right. Mice, rats. Same thing." She smiles, but her cheeks flush slightly, knowing she’s been caught in a lie.

I get the sense that she’d only been staying here in my absence to make a move on Colton, and now that I’m back, she knows she’s missed her chance.

She tows her suitcases behind her, stopping to stretch up on her tiptoes and to give Colton a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for your hospitality. And I’m totally on board with what we talked about in the car."

He nods silently, his mouth drawn into a firm line.

A few minutes later the door closes behind her and we hear her little red sports car drive away, the noise fading into the distance until the only sounds are our heartbeats and ragged breathing.

I spin to face Colton again. He’s watching me with an intense expression. "That was rude of me not to help her take her suitcases out, but I couldn’t very well do that with my cock hard. What are you doing to me, baby?" he groans in frustration.

I giggle and lift up on my toes to kiss him. "I’m sure it’s okay. She looked like she had them handled."

He shrugs. "I suppose she did."

"What did you guys talk about in the car?" I ask, remembering what Marta said just before she left.

"Huh?" he asks.

"She said she was totally on board with it…" I try to jog his memory.

He runs a hand through his hair. "Come on, we need to talk."

He leads me to the den and motions for me to sit on the sofa next to him.

My belly churns with nerves. Colton’s entire mood has changed. I think whatever he’s going to tell me has something to do with him and Marta. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the worst. I might have told him just yesterday that I was his and that no matter what I trusted him. Now I want to swallow all those words and curl up in a ball with the hurt that is already threatening to overtake me.

"Take a deep breath, Sophie," Colton murmurs. I’m sure he can see the hurt and worry written all over my face. "After Stella left, I had a short rebound fling with Marta," he says.

My stomach drops to my toes as my worst suspicions are confirmed. I pull another deep breath into my lungs at Colton’s urging and fight to remain in control by reminding myself that it was in the past.

"I was destroyed after my divorce," he explains. "She was there and available and I regret it now, but we messed around a couple of times."

"Oh." I’m speechless and gutted and feel like crying. I've been jealous of Marta and her good looks and close relationship with Colton from day one. And now all my hunches are confirmed.

"We never had sex," he adds.

This news makes me feel marginally better. "What did she mean earlier? What did you guys talk about in the car that she was on board with?"

"I told her that I’m fucking crazy about you. And while she’s known for a long time that I’m not interested in her, I let her know that I wouldn’t tolerate anything getting in the way of you and I. Good employees are hard to find, but if she tried to interfere in any way…"