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I make the mistake of looking at them, wondering how those arms felt around me last night. What they looked like when he moved on top of me. If he was on top of me. Or was I on top? Or was he behind me? Or something different? Something a bit more adventurous?

I quickly suppress the images flashing through my mind.

“I wasn’t in the right frame of mind last night. I may have said and done things I shouldn’t have. In fact, I know I said and did things I shouldn’t have.”

“You didn’t say or do anything wrong.”

I push out a disbelieving laugh. “Maybe not technically. Not now that Wyatt and I aren’t together anymore. But what we did last night shouldn’t have happened. And it won’t happen again. I’m sorry if I led you on. It wasn’t my intention. But last night was a one-time thing. A giant mistake.”

His arms drop to his sides, and he takes a small step toward me. “What was a mistake?”

“This.” I gesture between our bodies again. “Us. Sex. Like I said, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind last night and⁠—”

“You think we had sex?”

“I— You— Didn’t we?” I stammer.

“Trust me, Wynter…” He steps closer, and my pulse immediately skyrockets.

I can no longer smell the bacon he’s been cooking. Now all I can smell is him. Cedar and leather and something I can’t quite put my finger on, but it has my mouth watering all the same.

He leans down, his lips close enough to my ear that I can feel the warmth of his breath against my skin.

“If we slept together, you’d know.”

Every muscle in my body goes rigid. For one infuriatingly long moment, I forget how to breathe. How to move. How to speak.

All I can do is remain completely still and imagine what might happen if Joshua erased the final space between us.

But he doesn’t.

He lingers a beat longer before pulling back, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.

“So we didn’t…you know?” I ask, averting my gaze.

“No.”

“Oh. Okay.” I let out a breath. “I just thought since I woke up wearing your clothes⁠—”

“I don’t take advantage of women.” His voice turns rough. Almost stern, with an edge of annoyance. “You were locked out of your house, so I offered you a place to stay. And something more comfortable to sleep in.”

I squeeze my eyes shut again, more pieces of last night snapping back into place.

“Right. Of course. I… I’m sorry. I just… I’m going to leave now.” I move toward the door once more.

“The invitation for breakfast still stands. You’re welcome to stay.”

I force a nervous smile. “I appreciate it, but I should get home.”

“My door’s always open if you need to get away or talk. Or get locked out.”

“Thanks,” I say with a wave, then hurry out of the house, feeling even more embarrassed than when I thought I’d slept with him.

Because now I know I didn’t.

And for some reason that makes no sense at all, I can’t stop thinking about what it would have been like if I had.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN