I didn’t answer right away because I really hadn’t thought this far, not in detail. Sure, it had occurred to me we’d be living together and sharing everything, but as I looked at her now, standing only a couple of feet away from me, her chest rising and falling with every breath and my attention getting caught up on it, I couldn’t help thinking about how it’d felt to kiss her.

Sharing a bed could be uncomfortable at first, no two ways about it. But it wasn’t like she was a complete stranger or someone I didn’t hold a great deal of affection for. “We used to have sleepovers when we were kids all the time,” I finally said. “Remember when we got in trouble for scaring the crap out of Hayden by making creepy noises outside of her window?”

Chloe let out a half-hearted laugh. “There’s a big difference between eight-year-old friends and”—she bit her lower lip—“us. Now.” She waved a hand toward me and then to herself, drawing my attention to the soft-looking skin that peeked out above the modest neckline of her shirt.

It was different, I had to admit. Eight-year-old Chloe had been a little kid, not a woman with a body that, not going to lie, I had definitely taken notice of in the last week thanks to our new situation.

“You’re not sleeping on the couch for a year,” I said. “What would Loretta think?”

“Screw Loretta.”

I’d rather screw you, in the best possible way.

The thought filled my mind before I could rein it in, and then, naturally, I couldn’t not imagine Chloe in my arms, in my bed, naked…

There was the truth, staring me in the face: I wouldn’t mind a physical relationship with Chloe for the duration of our marriage.

Could I go for a year without getting laid? I probably could if I had to. When I was married to Chloe, though, I wasn’t going to sleep with somebody else.

There was no denying that a friends-with-benefits relationship, or rather a marriage-with-benefits relationship, was appealing. But what would that do to our friendship when it was time for us to go our separate ways?

I didn’t even want to think about that right now. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to bring up the possibility of sex. Chloe was on edge enough as it was. It was more important to put her at ease and convince her that she was welcome to share the master bedroom with me. Without benefits.

“We’ll get used to it,” I said. “I have a king-sized bed. I’ll stay on my side. I promise.”

She let out a nervous half laugh. “I trust you. Of course I trust you. It’s just awkward.”

“It’ll only be awkward for a minute,” I said, hoping I was right.