Jenny immediately felt guilty for holding back when he’d shared so much of his story with her. But she’d seen it happen before. The minute she told him how and when she lost Toby, he would look at her differently. It would color the way he talked to her, the way he touched her, the way he thought of her.

Alex put his arm around her and snuggled her into his chest.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the appealing scent of soap and deodorant, trying to relax even as her mind raced with questions about why she’d had the dream—twice—recently. What did it mean? Would it happen again? Would she finally get to relive the final moments she’d spent with Toby? Did she need the answers to those questions before she could move forward with Alex?

“I can almost hear you thinking,” he said, his lips curving into a smile against her forehead.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“Stop being so nice to me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?”

“Because you’ve told me all about yourself, and I’ve shared very little of me with you.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that. I understand better than most people would.”

“It’s not fair, though.”

“I’m not keeping score. Are you?”

“No, but—”

He kissed her softly and gently. “No buts, no worries. We’re enjoying some time together. That doesn’t mean you have to tell me your deepest, darkest secrets.”

He’d said exactly what she needed to hear, and yet she still felt guilty for holding out on him. Maybe it was because she’d felt an honest, genuine connection to him that she hadn’t had with any of the other men she’d dated since Toby died. Her thoughts wandered to the first man she’d had sex with, years after she lost Toby, and how her overly emotional response had scared him off. That experience had taught her to be wary of how much she shared with potential partners.

Yes, she thought, it’s better if he doesn’t know. Then he wouldn’t feel like he had to be extra careful with her. Besides, he had enough on his plate without being burdened with her stuff, too.

While she was comfortable with her decision, she knew she’d bought herself only a little bit of time. When people learned they were seeing each other—if it came to that—there’d be a risk of him hearing her story from someone else.

No matter what, she couldn’t let that happen.

***

The alarm on Alex’s phone went off when it was still dark outside. For a moment, he couldn’t remember where he was. Then he breathed in the scent of Jenny’s hair, which calmed and settled him. Amazing… How did she do that simply by sleeping close to him?