“Have I mentioned how I adore your directness? I’m thinking it’s a family trait. For the record, I want to make love with you. It’s hard to think about anything else. But it’s too soon, and I’m leaving in the morning. I don’t want to put you in that position. It’s not fair.”

Nothing about this conversation was normal, but then nothing about Micah was normal, either. He was larger than life and existed in a world she knew nothing about. Her body told her to say yes, that just spending the night being held by him would be magical. Her head warned her that he was dangerous and that even without “anything happening,” she could be at serious risk of losing her heart to him. And if that happened, how would she ever get it back?

I can’t. She thought the words, knew they were right and really, totally planned to say them. But when she opened her mouth, what came out was, “I would like that.”

His smile dazzled her. “Thank you. Let’s take care of the dishes, and then you can tell me what time to be at your place. If that’s all right.”

Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it might take flight. “That would be fine.”

Fine. What a silly word for such a consequential moment. Yes, the man was going to break her heart, but she refused to regret the night. Not even for a second.

After the kitchen was clean, Dena hurried back to her apartment, then stood in the middle of the living room, not sure what to do. Clean sheets weren’t a problem—she’d changed them yesterday. As for the rest of it, well, she had absolutely no frame of reference to help her make her decision. Assuming he was right and this was just a sleepover, a sexy nightie would be too much. Not that she had a wide selection of sexy lingerie from which she could choose.

If she was going to be by herself, she would put on her regular winter pj’s and call it a night. Literally. But she wasn’t going to be by herself, so cats in Santa hats might not be appropriate. And while she was on the topic of what was or wasn’t going to happen, should she shower? Shave her legs? Wish she’d gotten a bikini wax, although she never had and she wasn’t sure she should start while she was pregnant. She kept things tidy, but it wasn’t as if he was going to see anything, so...