She did as he asked, taking a sip at first, then downing most of the bottle before letting out a deep sigh. She looked around.

“Am I in your house?”

She started to stand up, and he moved to stop her. She wobbled on her feet and sat back down, bringing him to the sofa with her. “Damn,” she muttered. “What’s wrong with me?”

Somehow she’d ended up in his arms, leaning against his chest as if he was the sofa. She didn’t seem to have noticed, resting her head against his shoulder. His arm tightened around her, holding her close. She was warm. And soft. She smelled like flowers, with a hint of sawdust from the shop. He knew that because he’d buried his nose in her hair.

“Gotta go... Hudson...” Her voice was low.

“Go to sleep. Hudson is at Mary’s. She knows where you are. So does Zoey.”

“Hmm...” She burrowed closer, as if seeking more of his warmth. Right now he had plenty of heat to spare. “Gotta upload software...”

“You did that already. Go to sleep.” He shifted his weight. If he was going to be stuck here, he could at least stretch out and get some sleep himself.

“S’okay. Just need to finish student files...”

“It’ll wait,” he whispered against her skin.

He thought she’d finally gone to sleep, but she had one last worry on her mind.

“The corn maze...” she breathed. “Need a plan B...”

“No, you don’t. Go to sleep, girl.”

He stayed as still as possible until he knew she was actually sleeping. Then he slowly worked himself under her so she was stretched out on top of him. He pulled the blanket up over her shoulders and closed his eyes.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been with women through the years—he did okay for himself. Women loved being with a bad boy, although they rarely wanted to spend time cuddling.

But this woman was different. This woman was clinging to him as if she needed him. Wanted him. Trusted him. That was a new sensation.

He liked it.

A lot.

CHAPTER SIX

ANDREA USUALLY WOKE up with a jolt, even without an alarm. She’d always been the sort to just go from sleep to fully awake. Out of bed. Start the day. But right now she was in a delicious half-awake state, and she wanted to stay in this soft, hazy place for as long as possible. She must be dreaming, because she was surrounded by warmth. A blanket over her. A warm body breathing deeply beneath her. Something strong around her waist, making her feel safe. What a nice dream.