A door slammed downstairs and I jolted awake, my first instincts to jump out of bed and check on Nathan. But as I threw back the covers, I noticed Jamison’s muscled arm, slung over my abdomen, and the fact that I wasn’t at home came rushing back. My eyes widened. Holy shit. I’d had a one-night stand.

The room was still that deep kind of black that let me know morning wasn’t close yet, but streetlights let in some light, and my eyes adjusted quickly. I took in Jamison’s bare skin and fought the urge to wake him and beg for round two. I was very aware of how naked we both still were, and round one had been amazing. A few awkward moments, but I hadn’t had to fake that orgasm. I couldn’t remember the last time Rick had bothered to make sure I enjoyed it as much as he did. And afterwards, Jamison hadn’t just jumped up or made me feel like I should leave. He’d pulled me to him, resting my head on his bicep, and trailed his fingertips along my arm. And that was how I’d fallen asleep. Like a total one-night stand amateur. Which of course, is exactly what I was. Shit.

I lifted Jamison’s outstretched arm and rolled away as slowly as humanly possible. My breath caught in my lungs, as I prayed he wouldn’t wake up and make awkward small talk while I tried to find my underwear. I felt my cheeks burn at how horrifying that would be. How did people do this all the time?

Jamison stirred, and I froze as his arm snaked around my waist. “You don’t have to go, you know.” His lips pressed against my bare back in a move so tender my insides quivered.

I didn’t know what to say. So I just went with the truth. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I don’t want this to be awkward.”

“Then don’t leave. ’Cos if I have to chase you out of here, begging for your phone number, that would be awkward. Especially because that was Mark coming in from work. He’s seen me naked, but he doesn’t particularly enjoy it.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I rolled over to face him.

“Come on, stay. It’s three a.m. Where do you need to be at this time?”

I bit my lip. “You sure?”

He pulled me closer, so my ear rested on his chest. “Yeah. I am.”

The next time I woke up, sunlight was streaming through the windows and I was completely alone in the bed. I rolled off the mattress and scooted around the floor looking for my clothes and underwear. I threw them on and stuck my head out into the hallway, checking left then right—coast clear. Barefoot, I padded downstairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. My high heels from last night still sat over by the front door, and for a second, I contemplated grabbing them and hightailing it out of there. But then I remembered the feel of Jamison’s lips pressed to my shoulder, his chest against my back, skin touching skin. And I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.

I poked my head around the corner of the empty living room, where a tiny dining room led to the equally small kitchen. My mouth dried at the sight of him sitting at the breakfast bar in only a pair of black fitted pants. His broad shoulders narrowed into a trim waist and he paused with a spoonful of cereal halfway to his lips. A slow smile spread across his face, lighting up his eyes.

“Hey! You’re up,” he slid off his stool and crossed the kitchen to pull the pantry door open. “Do you want some breakfast? We have Weet-bix? Or toast? There’s probably bread in here somewhere.”

He seemed genuinely pleased to see me. I tried not to read too much into that, though, pushing away the part of me that was thrilled with his reaction. He was a nice guy. Just because he was being nice to me this morning didn’t mean he wanted anything more than what we’d had last night. It’s not like I wanted anything more anyway. My life was too complicated right now to add anything more to it, even if his attention had come at exactly the right time.

Rick had kicked me when I was down, cheating with Bree, then marrying her so quickly after we’d divorced. I’d already picked myself up, but meeting Jamison last night had brushed off a little of the dirt that stubbornly clung to me.

I peered over at the bowl of half-eaten cereal he’d left on the bench. The milk was a chocolate swirl. “What are you having?”

He poked his head around the cupboard door. “Coco Pops. I know they’re for kids, but I swear I eat like a grownup the rest of the day.” A slight blush rose on his cheeks and he shrugged. “I like them.”

He was adorable. And I was having trouble keeping my eyes off his abs. I internally high-fived myself for not leaving and missing out on the eye candy. I really had to go get Nathan, but he’d be fine with my mum until I got there. Nathan loved playing with the old Duplo blocks she’d kept from my childhood, and he’d be building castles while she fed him rubbish she would have never let me eat as a kid. Just a few more minutes to bask in my after-sex glow, then I’d go put on my mum face and pick him up.

I hooked one foot onto the footrest of the stool next to his and pushed myself up onto the seat. “You think I only buy Coco Pops for Nathan?” I raised an eyebrow and he grinned.

“Coco Pops it is then.” He brought the box over to the bench and pulled a ceramic bowl and a spoon from the drawer beneath before pouring an unhealthy amount of the sugary goodness.

He slid back in the seat next to me, our arms brushing, as we ate in silence. From the corner of my eye, I saw him glance over at me a couple of times, and when I dared to do the same to him, our eyes met. Jamison smiled sheepishly, and a giggle escaped me. There was an awkwardness between us that hadn’t been there last night, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was actually kind of…sweet?

“I have to go to work, but I can drop you home on my way if you like?”

I found myself nodding, not wanting to leave him just yet. Memories of last night kept circling through my head on a never-ending loop—his jokes and laughing so hard my stomach hurt, the way he listened with his full attention to even the most mundane things I’d had to say. He’d rescued me from being the pathetic pushover who still showed up to her cheating husband’s wedding. He’d turned a night I’d been dreading into a night I’d remember long after we said goodbye.

After he dumped his bowl in the kitchen sink, he pulled an ugly lavender shirt off the back of a dining room chair and pushed his arms through the holes, buttoning the shirt from the bottom up. I had to force myself not to voice my disappointment as his abs disappeared behind the buttons.

I shovelled the last few bites of cereal into my mouth, and when he’d finished tying his shoes, he held his hand out to me. “You ready?”

Nodding, I took his hand, unable to ignore the way my skin tingled as our fingers touched. I liked the way my hand felt in his. I liked the way my body tingled as he stood next to me. And I liked the memory of him touching me with care and longing all night. But I barely knew the man, beyond his name, and I knew I needed to stop romanticising everything. I was failing one-night stand 101 spectacularly.

He opened the car door for me and my insides went mushy. Again. Dammit. Did he always open doors for women? Was that part of who he was, or was he just on his best behaviour with me? In the confines of the car, his fresh, clean smell permeated the air, making me wish I’d asked if I could use his shower. My teeth felt furry and I probably reeked of smoke and alcohol and sex. Not a great combination.

It only took him a few minutes to drive to my place, his car pulling to a stop when I pointed out my two-storey modern brick house. The flowerbeds were all neatly tended, without a weed in sight, but my gaze narrowed in on a brown patch of grass near the letterbox. I made a mental note to make sure that spot got some extra water and maybe some fertilizer this week.

Jamison’s forearm rested on the steering wheel, his other hand clutching the back of my seat as he gazed up at the brick monstrosity Rick and I had shared our entire married life. Rick had moved in with Bree when he’d left and hadn’t fought me on it when I’d asked for it in the divorce. I planned to sell it and find something more “me”—something smaller and cosier. But Nathan had had enough upheaval in his life lately. A new house would have to wait until everything had settled down.

“So, thank you for last night.” I unclicked my seatbelt, but my hand hovered over the door handle. “Not just the…uh, sex.” Heat bloomed on my cheeks and I knew I was the one blushing now. “But for just hanging out and making the wedding bearable. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would enjoy it. But I did.”

Jamison’s eyes raked over my face, but he didn’t say anything, and I shifted in the silence. “Well, I guess I’ll—”

“Go out with me, Elodie.”

My stomach flipped, but I faltered in answering him. It was one thing to spend the night with him, and for us to pretend this hadn’t been a one-night stand as we’d sat eating breakfast together, but in the cold hard light of day, sitting outside the house I lived in with my child, I wasn’t sure I should pretend any longer. Carrying this on any further would be such a bad idea. He was younger than me and unburdened by real-world problems. He still lived in the land of Uni assessments and a part-time job, while I felt years older than twenty-five and had a pile of baggage so high I could climb it like a ladder. I glanced up at the house again and tried to ignore the chant in my brain that screamed, “Say yes, you fool!”

“It’s okay if you need to think about it.” He pulled his phone out. “What if I just asked for your phone number instead?”

He looked so sweet and hopeful, and he’d been nothing but a gentleman from the minute we’d laid eyes on each other. He’d treated me with kindness and respect, and my hesitations were growing dimmer with every moment we sat here. With the memory of strong arms pulling me close in his bed, and whispered words of how sexy I was in the forefront of my mind, the last of my reserves crumbled. I nodded and held my hand out for his phone.

“I’d like that.”