I wake up in a bed I’ve woken up in a thousand times before. More than that, actually. My parents swapped out a double for this queen when I was ten. The blue walls and white curtains have decorated the room for over a decade. The scratch of Skye’s paws as she tries to claw her way through the door is also familiar.

But something’s different. The covers feel warmer. The mattress seems smaller.

I roll over, and the answer is staring me in the face. In the form of a very bare, very muscular, very male back.

Yeah, that’s new.

There’s nothing stopping me from staring at him, so I do. At the tan line just above the edge of the tangled sheets that cover him from the waist down. At the strong lines of muscle leading to his bunched shoulders. At the brown hair peeking out from underneath the pillow concealing the rest of his head.

Gray Phillips is in my bed. With me.

Gray Phillips is in my bed.

With me.

Holy.

Shit.

Even if I woke up to men in my bed on a regular basis, this would be a shock. Since I don’t, this feels like a pinch me moment. I squeeze the skin inside my elbow. The flare of pain disappears in seconds. The guy beside me doesn’t.

What do I do? Pretend to be asleep? Brush my teeth? Get dressed?

I hadn’t expected last night to end the way it did. I definitely hadn’t expected for him to spend the night. I would have faced this dilemma the first time we slept together, but certain events had happened.

Before I can decide what to do—much less do it—Skye lets out a loud howl. I glance at the alarm clock—7:02. It’s her patented why haven’t you already fed me yowl.

When I look back over, I’m staring at Gray’s face, not his impressively formed back.

One green eye blinks at me. The other is still hidden in the folds of the pillow. “Morning.” His voice is scratchy with sleep.

“Morning.” Mine is quiet. Shy. “You’re still here.” Words that could be interpreted as rude, I guess. I’m just confused. Surprised. I don’t think this is proper one-night stand etiquette.

“Yep.” There’s another yowl, and he props himself up on his elbows. “What the hell is that noise?”

“It’s Skye’s way of saying good morning.”

“That little cat is making that sound?”

I laugh. “Yeah. I’ll go feed her.” I slide out of bed, trying to ignore the fact that I can feel his eyes on me. I pick up the towel that spent the night on the floor, wrap it around myself, and walk into the bathroom.