The gasp that erupted from me was totally involuntary. How could this man, who had tried so hard to paint himself so unworthy, offer up such sweet comfort when I least expected it?

“Come on,” Tucker demanded as his hand slid down our bodies to find my own. “Let’s turn this night around so that if you do decide to walk away, we can do it as friends.” We took three steps before he turned back to look at me. “I hope that’s not what happens though.”

We ended up in his bedroom and he laughed when he saw the suspicion written all over my face. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to use my dick to convince you to stay.” He hit a button on a remote control and a TV popped up out of the footboard of his bed. I had grown up in a family who was very well off, but my father refused to spoil us with ridiculous things. This, he would have considered ridiculous.

Tucker tossed me a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts that would have swamped me, despite the strings that could be tightened. The t-shirt was long enough to come down to my knees when I put it on, so I just opted to not bother with the shorts. Once I was ready, I ended up in Tucker’s bed with him. He yanked me close, so that we were both side by side in the middle of the giant extra-large, king-sized bed. Then he turned on the TV, pulled up Netflix, and handed the remote to me.

“My pick?” he nodded in answer as he grinned at me. “That’s very brave of you, sir. What if we end up binge-watching Bridgerton?”

“I hear there are some hot and sexy scenes in that one, so I’m down.”

I rolled my eyes, but then ended up picking a movie that I thought we would both enjoy. It had a whole lot of action and only a sliver of romance, which was just fine for me. The tease about Bridgerton had been just that. I didn’t want to see someone else’s happily ever after. It usually came with a side of hope that left me wondering if it would ever happen for me. I didn’t want that. That’s why, even though I loved romance, I always picked the darker stuff. If someone had to get their happy, then I at least wanted them to go through some shit before it happened – kind of like I had gone through some shit. That was probably something I should talk to my new therapist about.

I don’t know exactly when I conked out, but at some point, I fell asleep in Tucker’s bed – a place I honestly never thought I’d be. How do I know I fell asleep there? Well, that’s the funny thing. See, I might not remember the falling asleep part, but I certainly would never forget waking up. Especially since a man’s arm was draped over me and his wandering hands were doing incredible things to my body. Things that had me heating up and becoming achy in the best of ways.