Dare raised up to look at her, drawing in a shuddering breath, feeling so connected to her and caring so much about her.

Fuck, but it scared him.

Shaken, he watched her as the sensations faded and she went utterly limp, and very silent.

Did she expect him to move over her now, to take her on a damn dock in the cold of the night? Or was she dreading the possibility?

Trying to find the right words, Dare gathered her close and held her to his chest. She sighed against him, her pants still down, her shirt still up.

What the hell was he doing?

Stroking her hair back from her face, he kissed her forehead and hugged her again.

Somewhere behind them, a light came on. Molly flinched in reaction, and Dare, going on the alert, moved to shield her with his body.

He waited, poised to react.

From the front door of his cabin, sounding chagrined, Chris called out, “The dogs are barking.” He cleared his throat loud enough for even the fish to hear. “I guess they heard something.”

With no threat imminent, Dare relaxed, cursed and then muttered, “I’ll kill him.”

Chris laughed at that. “Voices do carry.”

“Shut up, Chris.”

“Just letting you know that the girls refused to stay inside.”

Just then, Tai and Sargie came charging across the yard and onto the dock. Dare groaned, looked down at Molly and saw she was snickering.

And that made him grin, too.

He pulled her T-shirt down and closed the hoodie around her. “Britches up, woman. We need to go to the house.”

He stood and then moved in front of her to ward off the enthusiastic dogs. They were thrilled to see Dare, and doubly thrilled to think it wasn’t yet time for bed.

Aware of Molly moving behind him, of her silence, Dare petted the dogs and waited.

She touched his shoulder. “Dare?” She sounded horribly uncertain and more than a little embarrassed.

Dare faced her, bent to kiss the bridge of her nose and asked, “Ready to go?”

She held the quilt in her arms. “Yes, but…what about you?”

He put an arm around her. No reason to tell her that he’d intended to suffer in silence. Not now. “I’m fine. Tired, actually.” He urged her along the dock toward the house. “Time to call it a night.”

“But I wouldn’t mind—”

He had to interrupt her. If she offered herself again, no way in hell would he be able to resist. “My girls aren’t used to overnight guests.” Circling them with every third step, the dogs showed their excitement. Dare laughed. “Definitely not used to women sharing my bed. And they have no respect for privacy.”

Molly went silent, and it bothered Dare. What did she think? Was she feeling rejected?

Bending to her ear, he said, “The lake amplifies everything, even a whisper, remember? Whatever we say, Chris will hear.”

“Oh, my God.” She stopped dead in her tracks. “That’s what he meant…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Dare’s arm around her back propelled her along the path. “But we might want to hold all conversation until we’re inside, okay?”

She looked toward Chris’s cabin. He’d turned the lights back out, but Dare was willing to bet that Chris was inside laughing his ass off.

Molly put her palms to her cheeks. “Was I…loud?”

She spoke so low that Dare barely heard the question. He hugged her into his side. “You were, are, beautiful, and Chris is just a dumbass. Don’t give him another thought.”

He opened the back door to the house, and they both stepped inside. Dark except for a low light over the sink, it was even more difficult to see in here. Dare drew her up against his body and put his chin to the top of her head. “Are you hungry?”

She shook her head.

“Still cold?”

“I’m fine.”

Of course. She was always fine. “Then let’s turn in, okay? Together.”

She perked up, until Dare shook his head. “To sleep, Molly. I like having you next to me, but we’re not going to have sex tonight.” He used the side of his fist under her chin to lift her face. “Not because I don’t want you. You know I do.” He nudged his erection against her and saw her lips part.

So damned sweet and honest.

Dare opened his hand on her face and cradled her cheek. He couldn’t resist kissing her one more time. She leaned into him, languid and warm and ready.

When he lifted his head, her eyes slowly opened, and as she refocused she looked down at Tai and Sargie sitting beside him. The dogs started thumping their tails.

“No,” Dare said, reading her thoughts. “Not because of the dogs, either.” He loved his girls, but if they were the only thing keeping him from her, he’d put them on the other side of his bedroom door for an hour or so and not feel even a smidge of guilt about it.

Her exasperation sounded in a small huff. “Okay, then why?”

Might as well be honest with her—to a degree. “Because I think we need to go slow. I think you need to go slow.”

She licked her lips, bit them and cleared her throat. “You told me to tell you when I was ready.”

Yeah, he had, but he hadn’t expected her to be ready so quickly.

“Soon,” he promised her. He led her out of the kitchen and toward his room. “There are a few more things we need to clear up first.”

He could feel her consternation—and maybe a little annoyance.