“Crystal!” Darryl grinned as he came into the conference room with a file folder. “I’ve got a lot of good info here.”

“Yay!” She could hardly wait to see what it was. He’d texted her yesterday saying he’d found some great stuff. She’d come here straight from the airport.

They sat at the table where Crystal had already dumped her coat and purse in one of the chairs.

Darryl set the folder down. “I found a lot of newspaper articles about KKK activity in the 1920s, including here in Yamhill County. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Hoyt Stowe—he’s Redmond’s oldest son—was the Grand Cyclops. Looks like he followed in Daddy’s footsteps, and not just as mayor.”

“He was mayor when the Bird’s Nest Ranch burned down, right?”

Darryl nodded. “Yep. He’s one of the people I focused in on. He died in 1923 from multiple stab wounds.” He paused as Crystal gasped. “He was out with his crew one night and was killed in some sort of altercation. His killer was never identified.”

“Wow. I suppose I should feel bad, but I don’t.”

“I don’t think you have to feel anything you don’t want to.” He slid the open folder over to her. Inside were a bunch of copies of articles. “I looked into all the Stowe kids, but he’s the only one that shows up with the KKK. In fact, Turner Stowe—he was the youngest—turns up in San Francisco around 1907. He was a lawyer. Did pretty well for himself.”

“He probably wanted to get away from his family.” Crystal understood that. Well, not her family per se, but where she’d come from. Escaping Blueville had been the best thing she’d ever done.

“This is all great. Thanks Darryl. Anything on Dorinda?”

“Not much. Her family was definitely from Syracuse, and I’m just about done tracing them to the present day. There are a few branches so it’s taking some time. Looks like one branch relocated to Minnesota and another to Vermont. Some stayed in Syracuse. If you want to try to talk to someone to see if they have records, it’s going to take some phone calling or emailing.”

Crystal’s job relied upon her to be fearless in making contacts. “I can do that, no problem.”

Darryl smiled. “I figured as much. Congratulations in person about the movie deal.”

She’d told him about it over the phone last week, and he’d been thrilled for her. “It isn’t a movie deal.”

“Yet. But it will be. This is a good story, and you’re going to tell the hell out of it.”

“Thanks, Darryl.” With so many people on her side, how could she not sense at least the possibility? Alaina had encouraged her to write something. Darryl had been a massive help and a huge cheerleader. Kim was eagerly awaiting her proposal. And Jamie had been thrilled with her news.

Why had they only texted a handful of times since FaceTiming a week and a half ago? In fact, she hadn’t heard from him at all in a few days, despite sending him a couple of texts.

She refused to worry about it. She’d see him soon anyway.

After finishing up with Darryl, she headed to the guesthouse at Alaina’s to drop her stuff off. She walked the seventy or so yards to Alaina’s house and let herself in with a “Helloooo!”

Alaina dashed into the entry and waved her hands as if she were directing air traffic. “Shhhh! Alexa just went down for a nap finally.”

Crystal flinched. “Ack, sorry. I should’ve known.” It was afternoon and naptime after all.

Alaina gestured for her to follow her into the kitchen. “Iced tea?”

“Sure.” Crystal leaned against the counter as Alaina opened the fridge and reached into the back for a bottle of Crystal’s favorite.

She handed the tea to Crystal. “I need to put some more in the fridge. I think there’s still a few bottles in the pantry.”

“No worries. I have some at the guesthouse. You overstock everything.”

Alaina grabbed a sparkling water for herself and flashed a smile. “I’m a good host. I suppose we should get to work?” They had some contracts to discuss as well as a few scripts that Alaina had reviewed.

“We should. First let me tell you what I just learned from Darryl.”

When she finished relaying the new information about the Stowes, Alaina looked at her intently. “Are you working on the story yet?”

Crystal hadn’t told her about meeting with Kim. She knew Alaina was interested in producing it, which would be a slam dunk, obviously. Crystal could be an executive producer, and she’d have full creative control. But it was too easy, like it was being handed to her.

Like her entire career had been.

At eighteen, she’d barely graduated high school. School had always been a struggle, but halfway through her senior year, she’d started going out with Tommy and things had gone downhill. She’d started doing drugs with him and having sex. Lots of sex.

Alaina had taken off for Hollywood two days after graduation—she’d been saving for years. Crystal had been saving too, but she’d blown through most of it with Tommy. So she’d stayed behind while Alaina had escaped.

“I haven’t started it,” Crystal answered. “I’m still trying to fill some holes. I’d really like to know why the KKK burned the brothel down.”

“You may just have to write something. Maybe one of the women was black.”

That made the most sense. “I haven’t decided what to do yet.” But she’d been thinking about it. She was excited to write the proposal. On her own—she didn’t want help.

“I’d be happy to brainstorm with you.”

“I appreciate the offer, really. But I’m not quite ready yet.” Crystal’s stomach twisted. She ought to tell Alaina the truth, that this was something she needed to own. But she didn’t want to get into a heavy discussion right now. They had work to do. She’d talk to her about it soon. “Let’s get busy, shall we?”

Alaina exhaled. “Fine. You’re such a task master.”

“And you love me for it.”

“I do. I really, really do.” She blew Crystal a kiss and led the way to her office.

Once inside, Alaina deposited herself in her favorite chair and propped up her feet on the footstool. “Before we get started, I wanted to ask you about something. And please don’t be mad at me.”

Uh-oh. “Why would I get mad at you?”

Alaina shrugged. “I don’t know. But it’s clear you’ve been keeping a secret, so maybe you’ll be mad that I’m asking you about it.”

Crystal sat on the sofa, exhaling. “Spit it out.”

Alaina stroked her hand over her expanding belly. “Thanks to junior here, I’m not sleeping great. When you were here at the beginning of the month, I noticed you came home in the middle of the night a couple of times. Anything you want to share?”

Suddenly, Crystal wondered why she hadn’t. She’d told Brooke and Kelsey. Wasn’t Alaina her best friend? “It’s not a huge deal. I got a little cozy with Jamie.”

“‘Cozy’?” Alaina looked a bit surprised. “Is this a good thing? I can’t tell if you’re happy about it.”

Crystal thought of the time she spent with Jamie, how she’d missed him while she’d been in LA—and yeah, she’d missed him—and how she couldn’t wait to see him. “It’s a good thing. It’s also a very casual thing. Which is why I didn’t say anything.” It had simply come up in conversation with Brooke and Kelsey, just like it had now with Alaina.

Crystal pushed her hair back and gave Alaina an apologetic look. “Although, I did sort of lie about New Year’s Eve. That was the first time we, uh, hooked up.”

Alaina laughed, her gaze alight with teasing admonishment. “You stinker. Now you have to dish. Then we’ll get to work.”

“Okay.” Crystal grinned and proceeded to give her the PG-13 version.

Later, Alaina invited her to stay for dinner, but Crystal was anxious to see Jamie. She drove into town and parked outside his loft. She hesitated, thinking she ought to have texted him, but a surprise was better, wasn’t it? Her blood heated when she thought of the welcome he’d give her…

She got out of the car, taking just her key fob and phone with her as she went to the door. Luck was on her side as someone else was just coming out. The woman, nearly old enough to be Crystal’s mother, held the door open, asking, “Visiting?”

Crystal nodded. “Jamie Westcott.”

“He’s a nice boy.” She smiled and let go of the door after Crystal moved inside. Boy. As if Crystal needed a reminder that she was kind of robbing the cradle here.

Oh come on, five years is not that bad!

Anticipation thrumming through her veins, she went up the elevator to his floor and quickly strode to his loft. She knocked, and a moment later, he opened the door.

Seeing him in person was so much better than FaceTime. He wore slouchy gray sweatpants and a long-sleeved Manchester United shirt. And he had some seriously sexy stubble going on.

“Hey,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “You growing a beard?”

He ran his hand over his jaw. “Nah, just lazy. You want to come in?”

“Duh, I’m here, aren’t I?” She looked at him quizzically. This was not the flirty guy she knew.

He opened the door wider and walked down the hallway.

She frowned. What had she expected? Him to sweep her up in a hug and kiss her senseless? Yeah, that would’ve been nice.

She closed the door and followed him into the kitchen. The TV was on in the other room, but he stood at the counter, his hand curled around a beer.

“You just get back today?” he asked.

“Earlier this afternoon. I met with Darryl and then had some work to do with Alaina. Then I came straight here.”

He nodded, somewhat distractedly, and sipped his beer. She noticed he didn’t offer her one.

“Is everything all right?” she asked, setting her phone and key fob on the counter.

“Yep. Just tired. I’ve been working a lot.”

“I see.” She’d never felt awkward around him before—except for after New Year’s Eve, which had been entirely her fault. He made her feel comfortable and good. “Is this a bad time? Maybe I should go.”

“Actually, that’s probably good. I have an early day tomorrow.”

It wasn’t even seven o’clock. Clearly something was wrong. Was he mad at her? “I’m getting the sense that you’re ticked at me or something.”

He sipped his beer, his gaze flicking from her to the TV. “Nope. I’m good.”

She frowned. “You don’t seem good.”

“Look, Crystal, I don’t owe you any explanations. I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, starting to feel annoyed. More than annoyed. “You invited me in. Do I need to set a date? I thought we weren’t dating.”

“We aren’t, which is exactly why this conversation is stupid. I’m tired. I want to zone out in front of the TV with a beer. I don’t want to stand here and explain myself to you. Nor do I expect you to explain your behavior to me.”

She unfolded her arms and narrowed her eyes briefly. “What behavior?”

He took a few steps away from the counter into the living room before turning back to face her. “I saw you on TV the other night with that actor. Looks like you’ve been seeing him awhile. I know our thing—whatever you want to call it—was casual, but I don’t do…that with more than one person at a time. My bad for not discussing that with you up front.”

He thought she’d been cheating on him? But wait, she couldn’t cheat on a guy she wasn’t having a relationship with.

“He’s not my boyfriend. We dated a few years ago. We’re just friends.”

“You didn’t look like you were just friends. I saw a picture of you snuggling at a restaurant like two months ago.”

She exhaled, but the tension in her shoulders remained. “From time to time, I go places with him if he wants to throw people off—the paparazzi, I mean. It’s a stupid game.”

He looked a bit bewildered, then closed his eyes and briefly shook his head. “I don’t want to play games. And like I said, you don’t have to explain anything to me.”

No, she didn’t. The apology she’d been forming died on her tongue. “You’re right.” She reached for her key fob, but her hands were shaking and she knocked it to the floor. Bending down, she plucked it up and turned toward the door in one fluid motion. “See you around, Jamie.”

She let herself out and hurried to the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. He didn’t come after her.

The fact that she noticed didn’t bother her nearly as much as the fact that she cared.

A lot.

---

He was a dick.

Jamie slammed the rest of his beer and set the empty on the counter amidst the usual detritus. He moved some of it aside and heard a thwack as something hit the floor. Classic.

He went around the counter to see what had fallen. It was Crystal’s phone.

Hell.

He dashed out the door to catch her, but she was long gone from the hallway. Maybe if he ran down the stairs, he’d find her in the lobby.

Empty.

He looked outside and saw her car disappearing down the street. Damn.

He retraced his steps thinking he’d just text her. He laughed out loud, filling the stairwell. “Genius idea, asshole.” If he wasn’t careful, he might have to forfeit his Mensa card.

Because he’d been a colossal moron. He should’ve asked her about the actor. Only he’d been trying to play it cool. Except there was nothing cool about behaving like a petulant teen whose girlfriend had hung out with a guy friend and done him a favor to make another girl jealous.

Well, there was only one thing to do.

He went back to his loft, grabbed his key fob—and put on a pair of shoes, geez, he really was an idiot—and his coat and went down to the parking garage. He drove out to Alaina and Evan’s sprawling property, which he’d only been to a couple of times. His familiarity was enough for him to find the guesthouse where Crystal “lived” when she was here.

The property was a few miles south of town, and the lack of light was never more evident than on a cold winter night in which a thick cloud cover completely masked the sky. The porch light at the guesthouse offered a tiny beacon to guide him. He drove up and parked in the driveway, hoping that her car was in the garage and that she was actually here.

He strode up to the door and stood for a second before knocking. What was he waiting for?

He lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles loudly. A moment later, the door opened. Crystal’s gaze flickered with surprise. “You aren’t Alaina or Evan.”

“No.” He stared at her, feasting on the sultry tilt of her eyes, the sculpt of her cheekbones, the lush curve of her lips. He’d missed her, and he’d worked hard to hide that fact back at his loft. Now he didn’t care.

She stared back, her features impassive. “Why are you here?”

He fished her phone out of his coat pocket. “You left this at my loft.”

“Oh.” Her gaze flicked to the phone in his hand. She seemed neither surprised nor grateful. Did she even know she’d left it behind? Pale pink spiked her cheeks. “I didn’t realize I didn’t have it.”

That answered that, then. And that surprised him. She was quite attached to her phone because of her job. “I probably pissed you off so much that you didn’t notice.”

Her eyes locked with his. “Not really. I’m sorry about Adam. I didn’t think about how that would look.”

“Nor should you have. We didn’t have any sort of commitment.”

“No, but you’re right about not doing this with multiple people—and I haven’t.”

“Me neither.” He couldn’t look away from her. He didn’t want to look away from her. “And here’s the thing, I don’t want to.” He knew his filter was about to fail, and he didn’t care. “I shouldn’t say this, but I need to. I love spending time with you. I missed you when you were gone. I… I could very easily develop feelings for you. If I haven’t already.”

He thought about what Sara had said to him last week, that he’d get married and have kids someday, and how he’d brushed her off. Suddenly that didn’t seem like such a ridiculous idea.

“Don’t say that,” she said, sounding scared. “There are a ton of reasons we shouldn’t be together.”

He fought the urge to smile. “Name one.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Our ages. I’m too old. Or you’re too young. Both.”

He went straight past merely smiling and laughed. “That’s absurd.”

“We have almost nothing in common.”

“Also absurd—I seem to recall both of us liking sex, particularly with each other.” He made a sound like a game show buzzer. “Next.”

She pouted and the set of her lips was so sexy, he had to try very hard not to kiss her. “I hate small towns. Jamie, I don’t even live here.”

He cocked his head to the side. “I know for a fact you keep a coat here, so that’s clearly up for debate.” The wind stirred, reminding him that he was standing outside in thirty-seven-degree weather. He shivered.

She unfolded her arms and grabbed him by the jacket, pulling him inside. He barely cleared the door before she slammed it closed and pushed him against it. Then she did what he’d been dying to—she kissed him.

Her mouth was warm and soft and so damned sweet. He clasped his arms around her and held her tight. Those feelings he was pretty sure he felt swirled inside him, sparking a desire that surpassed anything he’d experienced. He wanted her. He needed her.

She unzipped his coat and pushed it open. He came away from the door and shrugged the garment from his shoulders. Cupping her face, he kissed her again. Instead of their usual electric connection that seemed to set off a frenzy of lust, this was more controlled, more deliberate. He wanted to savor every moment.

He licked along her lips, slowly stroking his tongue into her mouth with measured precision. She met him, her movements steady and sure, mimicking his. Did she feel the same, that this was somehow different?

He didn’t want to know. If this was just an illusion, he wanted to bask in it, even if it was only for tonight.

She slipped her hands up under the hem of his shirt, her bare palms flattening against his lower back. Her hips came forward, seeking his. His cock was already hard and eager for her, but he meant to take his time. Yes, savor was the word he wanted tonight.

He pulled back, softly ending the kiss while running his thumbs along her jawline. “Bedroom?”

Her gaze was steady and clear, her pupils large in the dim light. He became peripherally aware of his surroundings—they stood in a small entry area that opened into a large great room. Directly behind her was a kitchen with an island and a cozy eating area.

“This way,” she murmured, taking his hand and leading him left down a short corridor. There were three doors—one on either side and one at the end that led to a darkened bathroom.

She veered right, and they walked into what had to be the master bedroom. It was furnished with a king-size bed, and there was a doorway into what was probably another bathroom.

She turned toward him and ran her hand up his chest to curl it around his neck. Leaning into him, she kissed him again. He was overwhelmed—in the best way—with the taste and smell of Crystal.

Her hands came down his back and burrowed under his shirt again. She found the hem on each side and pushed the garment up. He helped, tugging it off over his head.

She splayed her hands across his chest and sighed. “I will never get tired of this view.”

That inferred that she intended to look at it for quite some time. He liked that.

She kissed his neck, her lips and tongue gliding over his flesh, stirring his already intense desire to greater heights. He reached up under her sweater and unfastened her bra.

She pulled back to whip her sweater off and shake out of her bra. Her breasts swayed with her movements, tempting him. Incapable of resisting, he cupped them, his fingers and thumbs teasing her nipples.

A sexy gasp escaped her lips just before she kissed him again. Jamie found the button to her skinny jeans and quickly had them unfastened. As he started to push them down over her hips, she backed off again.

“Hang on,” she said, going to the bed where she perched on the edge and unzipped her booties. She gave him a seductive, hungry look. “Get your condom ready.”

He reached for his back pocket—where his wallet would be if he were wearing jeans. Only he wasn’t wearing jeans and he didn’t have his fucking wallet.

Son of a bitch.

“Uh. I left my wallet at home. I wasn’t thinking.” He’d been too intent on just getting to her.

She kicked her shoes aside and tossed her socks—which she’d just pulled off—nearby. “Well, that’s a problem. I have condoms at my house. And contrary to what you might think, this isn’t my house. I’ve also never had a guy here before.”

Something else he liked. A lot. He tried not to think about the condoms at her house. Jealously wasn’t very attractive. Nevertheless, he couldn’t shake that feeling when he thought of her with other men.

“I could drive home, I guess,” he offered, albeit half-heartedly.

“Just because I’ve never had a guy here doesn’t mean there hasn’t been one. Alaina and Evan have had other guests. Let’s check the bathrooms. I’ll take the master, you take the one in the hallway.”

He barely nodded before pivoting and dashing back to the corridor where he took a sharp right and went into the bathroom. Flipping the light switch, he blinked as the room was illuminated. He scanned the space—there was a single sink with a bank of drawers. He opened them in quick succession. Empty. Next, he checked the cabinet beneath the sink. Cleaning supplies, a blow dryer, and a toilet plunger.

Fuckity fuck fuck.

Circling back to the bedroom, he mentally crossed his fingers that Crystal had found a condom. Her furrowed brow and narrowed eyes as she exited the master bath gave him his answer: no.

He bent to retrieve his shirt. “I’ll drive home real quick.”

“Did you check the nightstands?” She was already at the closest one, opening the top of two drawers.

“No.” Hope bloomed in his chest as he stalked around the bed and checked the other nightstand. The top drawer had a USB cord and a penny. His anticipation began to fade again as he opened the bottom drawer and saw that it was empty. Before he could slam it shut, something dark stuck in the corner caught his eye. He reached in and grabbed it. “Ah-ha! Victory!” He danced back around the bed, grinning. “Stuck in the back of the drawer between the bottom and the side. Nearly missed it.”

She took it from him and studied the wrapper. “Does it have an expiration date?”

“I didn’t check.”

She nodded once. “Here it is. It’s still good.”

“Excellent.” He stepped toward her, relieved he didn’t have to go back out into the frigid winter night. “Expiration dates are very important.”

“They are.” She didn’t meet his gaze, and something about the way she said those two simple words made him take notice.

“Bad experience?” he asked, half kidding.

“Yes, actually.” She looked him in the eye then, almost daring him to question her further, but then she shimmied out of her jeans and underwear—he only got a glimpse but could tell this was another stunning new-to-him pair. She’d yet to repeat any, just like he’d asked.

Despite being distracted by her gorgeous nude body, he longed to know more about the bad experience. But then she climbed on the bed and crooked her finger, and he was lost to her seduction.

Jamie threw off his pants and briefs and followed her into the bed. She lay back, and he stretched out next to her, his mouth going directly to her breast. She arched up off the bed with a throaty moan. Whatever the bad experience was, he would banish it from her mind.

While he worked one breast with his mouth, he teased the other with his fingers, pulling and tweaking the nipple until it hardened. She moved with him, her body writhing, and she tangled her fingers into his hair. He slid his hand down her abdomen, tracing a slow and steady path past her navel until he found the heat at her center. She was already wet, but he’d make her wetter.

He thumbed her clit, gently at first, drawing soft cries from her mouth as she rotated her hips on the bed. He lifted his mouth from her breast and focused his attention between her legs. With one hand, he stroked her folds, teasing her with a light touch and barely penetrating her flesh.

To further torture her, he leaned down and licked her, gliding his tongue over her entrance. She bucked up, and he couldn’t help but smile as her hand pressed insistently on his head. Never one to disappoint, he sucked and tongued her, using his hands to massage her clit and press her thighs apart.

She opened for him, lifting her ass off the bed and fucking his mouth. It was the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced.

“Jamie, please. I need you now.”

She was so close. He could feel her muscles tensing around him. She tugged at his hair and dug her nails into his neck. “Jamie.”

He thrust his fingers into her, eliciting a sharp, pleasure-filled cry from her lips. He looked up at her. “What do you want?”

“You. Inside me.”

His lips spread into a lazy smile. “I am, sweetheart.”

She caressed his cheek as she looked at him, the storm in her eyes momentarily calm. “No, I want your cock.” She handed him the condom.

He climbed over her leg and knelt between her thighs. Opening the condom carefully, he unrolled it over his shaft. The entire time he looked at her, their gazes locked in some sort of silent communication. Except he wasn’t sure what she was saying beyond that she wanted him. He wanted her too. More than he’d ever wanted anyone.

He stroked her again, and her eyes briefly closed. Then he guided his cock to her entrance and slowly slid inside. They stared at each other once more until he was fully seated inside her.

He braced his hand beside her head and leaned down. “Better?”

“Perfect.”

He kissed her softly as he began to move. He went achingly slow, withdrawing by infinitesimal degrees and thrusting back in with measured deliberation. She stroked her hands along his back, her fingertips gently massaging from his shoulders to his ass. Her legs curled around his waist; her heels pressed against the tops of his thighs.

He brushed her hair back from her face and cupped the back of her head as he picked up the pace—but just a bit.

“You’re killing me here,” she said softly.

“Only one condom. I have to make this count.”

She smiled, and it lit up the room. “You’re doing a fine job of that.”

“Oh good.” He swooped his lips down over hers and explored her mouth with the same exacting purpose he was employing with his cock.

Suddenly his orgasm started to build—he went from zero, well not zero, to sixty in nothing flat. He began to move faster, his hips snapping into hers. She met him, thrust for thrust.

He ripped his mouth from hers. “Come with me, Crystal.”

She cried out as her muscles tightened around him. Her legs squeezed him, and she dug her nails into his back.

With a deep, final stroke, he yelled her name. Once, twice, more times than he could count. He came hard, closing his eyes and abandoning himself to the dark oblivion. An eternity later, he eased his weight to the side but didn’t leave her completely.

She kissed his cheek and ran her hand through his hair over and over. He could fall asleep so easily, but he forced himself up and went to the bathroom to get rid of the condom.

When he went back to the bed, she was under the covers and had folded them back for him in invitation. They often dozed together afterward, but not always. That she wanted him to stay filled him with joy.

He slipped beneath the comforter and pulled it up as he snuggled against her. She turned, pressing her back against his chest and nuzzling her ass into his groin.

He groaned. “Careful. There aren’t any more condoms.”

“That’s right, so you’re just going to have to check yourself.”

He heard the smile in her voice and kissed her temple. Sliding his arm over her, he found her hand and linked his fingers with hers.

“So, that bad experience,” she said, her voice soft and vulnerable. “I had this boyfriend in high school. Turns out his condom supply was completely expired. I ended up pregnant.”

There was pain in her tone, and something else. Self-recrimination maybe.

He wasn’t entirely sure what to say but didn’t want to bombard her with questions. That she trusted him to share this was incredibly humbling. “That must’ve been tough.”

“Yeah. I didn’t know what to do. Alaina had already left for LA when I found out. I was absolutely lost without her, panicked. But then I miscarried, and I was so relieved. I was also pretty upset. What a dichotomy, huh?” She paused for a moment. “My boyfriend liked drugs— coke, ecstasy, and later heroin. I tried the coke and the ecstasy.” Her fingers clutched his, squeezing as she recounted her story. “I would’ve done the heroin if Alaina hadn’t invited me to come stay with her in LA. My mom basically told me I had to go or she’d kick me out. So I went.” She lightened her grip on his hand and stroked her thumb over his. “Alaina saved my life.”

“Sounds like your mom had a hand in it too.”

“You’re right, she did.”

He kissed her cheek, his lips lingering against her satiny flesh. “I’m glad you told me.”

She rolled to her back and looked up at him. “I’ve never told anyone about the pregnancy—other than Alaina. And my worthless ex, of course.” She shook her head and averted her gaze. “I try really hard not to think about it. That stupid condom brought it back up.”

She blinked, and he wondered if she was about to cry. He kissed her cheek again. “Shh. I’m sorry. I hope you don’t regret sharing that with me. I’m quite humbled that you would.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.” She yawned. “I’m going to go turn out the lights.”

“No, I’ll take care of it. You still want me to stay?”

She nodded.

Later, after she was sound asleep in his arms he thought of when he’d first arrived, how he’d told her he could develop feelings for her. Too late—they were already there. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to fall head over heels in love.

So in love.