And suddenly I could remember every single one of them with painful clarity.
The way his hands had felt on my skin. The sound of his laugh against my neck. The way he always looked at me like I was the only person in the world worth seeing.
I shook my head hard, trying to banish the memory. “You’re on thin ice, Benedict.”
“Wouldn’t dream of testing it,” he said, voice still full of laughter. “I’ll be a good boy. Promise.”
“Uh-huh,” I muttered, grabbing my Santa-print pajama pants and matching long-sleeve top. “Good boy, my foot.”
“Did you say foot?” he asked innocently.
I groaned. “You’re the worst.”
He chuckled. “Still sounds like a compliment.”
I turned my back to him and started changing as quickly as possible, muttering under my breath about men and their egos. My sweater and jeans came off easily enough, but when I stepped into the pajama pants, my left foot decided to rebel.
The hem bunched. My toes caught.
And in the span of two seconds, gravity betrayed me completely.
“Mel?” Drew called.
“Fine!” I said automatically. “I’m—ow!”
I’d tried to steady myself by grabbing the back of the couch. Unfortunately, it was approximately two inches farther than I thought. My hand slipped, my chin connected with the cushion, and I collapsed in a very ungraceful heap, half on the couch, half on the floor.
There was a stunned pause. Then…
“Do I turn around?”
“No!” I yelped.
“Are you sure? Because it sounds like—”
“I saidno!”
He started laughing. That deep, rough laugh that made my stomach twist even as my chin throbbed.
“Melanie,” he said between chuckles, “what the hell are you doing back there?”
“Dying of embarrassment!” I snapped, trying to pull myself upright without exposing anything.
“Need a hand?”
“Don’t you dare!”
He was laughing so hard now I could practically feel it vibrating through the couch. “You okay?”
“Perfect,” I said, adjusting my pajamas and finally managing to stand. “Just bruised in every way possible.”
“Physically or emotionally?”
“Both.”
“I’m impressed,” he said. “Didn’t even peek once.”
“Congratulations,” I said, glaring even though he couldn’t see it. “You win a medal for basic human decency.”
