“You need to be in bed with your leg up.” I pulled my feet from his lap and sat up on the couch. “Or go to the hospital.”

“I’m not going to the hospital in the middle of the night. Hospitals are for emergencies.”

“Well, you need to do something,” I replied, gesturing at his leg. “You’re in pain.”

“It’s fine,” he said, brushing off my concern.

“Well, it needs to be fine in bed.”

“I could sleep in your bed,” he said with a sly smile.

“You haven’t even seen me naked,” I said drily. “You’re not sleeping in my bed.”

“Okay.” He grinned. “Strip.”

“Dream on, Casanova,” I said with a surprised laugh.

He smiled wide and gave an exaggerated wink, making me snicker.

“I had a really good time tonight,” Alex murmured, gingerly lowering his foot to the floor. He didn’t stand up, just sat there looking at me.

“So did I,” I replied. “Next time we’ll have to watch a movie or something.”

“I’d rather watch you.”

“Oh, brother,” I teased. “So smooth.”

“Tough crowd,” he said to the nonexistent audience in my living room. He pushed himself to his feet and let out a big sigh.

“Can you make it home okay?” I asked nervously. Now that I was kicking him out, I wasn’t so sure that it was a good idea to make him drive all the way home. He wasn’t putting any weight on his bad knee, and judging by the strain on his face, he was having a hard time standing.

“I’ll make it home fine,” he said. It wasn’t bravado. His tone was kind, like he didn’t want me to worry.

I walked him to the door slowly, and with every step, I questioned whether I should just ask him to stay the night. How would that play out, though? My couch was way too small for either of us to sleep on comfortably—not that he’d let me sleep on it anyway. So…he’d sleep next to me when we’d only kissed a couple of times, and we’d cuddle? I wouldn’t sleep. I’d be worried all night that he’d see me snoring with my mouth wide open or I’d accidentally kick his knee.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said as we got to my front door.

“Let me know what the doctor says about your knee,” I said.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He rested his hand on the doorknob but didn’t turn it. Instead, he used it to balance himself as he leaned down and kissed me.

It was a good kiss. One of the best I’d ever had.