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Her eyebrows raised to the ceiling. “So? I could get fired. Not to mention the ridicule and gossip that would ensue.”

Tilting his head and eyeing her closely, he said, “I’m curious which of those would bother you more.”

It felt like a jab, even if he hadn’t meant it as such. “I’m leaving now.” She waited for him to stand up, but he didn’t budge.

“What if Fran wasn’t your boss? Would it make a difference?”

She felt trapped in more ways than one. She couldn’t push him off the bed; that would just be rude. Besides, he was stronger than her, and she probably wouldn’t be able to budge him anyway. Her other option was to roll off the bed on the opposite side, but she was afraid she might get dizzy again and flop onto the floor. She opted for the most reasonable solution. “Please move so I can stand up.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Where was Kelsey when she needed her? She kept glancing at the door, expecting her friend to bound in and rescue her, but it hadn’t happened.

She decided to turn the focus back to him. “Why are you asking me this?”

He was quiet for a few beats. “Because I’m attracted to you, and I wonder if you’re attracted to me too.”

She suddenly felt dizzy again, but instead of reaching for him, she shot out her hand and gripped the edge of the nightstand. Then the door opened, and Kelsey poked her head in. Thank God!

Kelsey looked at the two of them and said, “Everything okay in here?”

NO! “Yes. I was just getting ready to leave.”

Nick rose and moved away from the bed. Stacy slowly stood up, and thankfully, she didn’t sway. She didn’t want to give either of them a reason to detain her any longer.

“I’ll walk you out,” Kelsey offered.

“That’s okay. I’ll do it,” Nick said.

“I’m not an invalid!” Stacy snapped.

Kelsey and Nick exchanged looks, and she realized she’d sounded a bit harsh. After all, they were just being concerned friends. “Sorry. I just need to get home and go to bed.”

Kelsey nodded, and then the three of them filed out of the room, Nick bringing up the rear with the remains of her food and drink. When they returned to the living room, she noticed that many of the guests had left. Those who remained were conversing just like they’d been before, and none paid her much attention.

Nick went into the kitchen to take care of her plate while she went to say goodbye to Jared and Hudson.

“Are you leaving too?” Jared asked when Nick rejoined them.

“Yeah. Thanks for inviting me. I enjoyed meeting everyone.”

“We’ll see you around the complex,” Hudson said, smiling congenially.

Kelsey followed Stacy and Nick to the door. “Thanks for coming. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Stace,” she added pointedly.

After Kelsey shut the door behind them, Stacy and Nick walked out to the parking lot in silence. She noticed his car was parked a few spaces away from hers, and she planned to say a quick goodbye. However, when they reached the end of the walkway, he placed a hand on her arm to prevent her from leaving.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there. It’s just that I thought I sensed something…between us, and I wanted to know if you felt it too.”

Glancing around, she saw that they were alone—again—and if she were braver, she could have confessed her attraction to him without fear of anyone overhearing. However…

“I appreciate the compliment, but—”

He shook his head. “Say no more. I understand.”

But how could he when she didn’t understand herself? “Nick…”

“Be careful driving home. I’ll see you on Monday.” He turned and went down the sidewalk to his car.