“Whatever you find that looks cozy.” I hugged my knees to my chest, feeling twenty years younger as this man took care of me instead of taking advantage of me.

He rummaged through my bag, said something under his breath when he stumbled upon a red, lacy bra, then quickly moved on. He picked out a long-sleeved pink cotton top and cracked a smile before reading out loud the expression printed on it: “Yes, I’m a nurse. No, I don’t want to look at it.”

“It happens more often than you can imagine.” I took the pajamas from him, returning his smile as he stepped off to the side of the bed.

“I have a lot to learn about you, don’t I?” His gaze slowly drifted over my body. “And I want to know everything. All of it.”

“Not because you have to, but because you want to,” I said firmly, needing the reminder one more time—not for him, but for myself. “Not because of obligation.”

“If it were anyone else this happened with, then yes, I’d feel a sense of obligation.” He dragged his eyes up to my face. “If it were anyone else, I’d think being together would be the right and responsible thing to do.”

“Same,” I admitted. “But I’m not just anyone to you, the way you’re not just anyone to me.”

“You’re not just anyone to me, no.”

I loosened my hold of the PJs. “Is this crazy? Three hours seventeen years ago.”

I knew it was all I needed to say if he was on the same page as me.

He bent forward and gently took hold of my chin. “If it was anyone else,” he echoed back with conviction.

Liquid truth serum, not liquid lies.

A deep exhalation fell from his mouth before he released me to stand tall. “I’ll get the food. Stay put. Don’t fall off the bed while you change, please. I’d help you, but we both know how bad of an idea it’d be for me to remove your clothes.”

“Horrible idea.” That devil of an L, lust, sent my eyes to his crotch, and I couldn’t help but clock his reaction in his jeans as a response to my gaze.

“On that note,” he said with an adorable fake cough, “I’ll reheat our food and be back soon.” He started for the door, only to turn back toward me again. “My family is coming on Monday to meet you both. I forgot to tell you.”

We really were moving fast, weren’t we? Even if the meet and greet was for Colin’s sake, I still felt the weight of pressure from the meet-the-parents moment, too. “I can’t wait.”

He nodded and started to go, only to stop. He parked a palm on the doorframe and glanced back at me. “Juliette?”

“Yeah?” I mouthed.

“Tomorrow, I plan to tell you everything.”