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“I’m good,” she said with a smile. “I love hanging out with you guys. You’re a ton of fun.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s a chance you need to get out more.”
They had no idea. “Fair enough.”
“Hey, I’m shit loads of fun.” JP stretched his arm across the back of the couch then tucked her into his side. No one seemed to find the move surprising.
Well, no one but her. She had no idea how to react to such a touchy-feely person. As she sat there, stiff as a board, she peeked at each of the Benson’s faces. None of them paid her any attention. They all continued to rib each other and joke as though it was normal to see JP snuggling on the couch with a woman.
Maybe it was.
God, she hadn’t even considered that. Clearly, he left her in the dust when it came to experience with the opposite sex. Was she sitting there analyzing his every touch, every thought, every smile when this was just another Saturday night for him?
And she’d started to think she was special.
“You good?” he whispered as Jagger walked into the room and claimed the last chair.
Hannah smiled and forced herself to relax against him. “Perfect.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “Great.” Then he called to Ronnie. “We gonna watch this shit or what?”
“Keep your pants on, I’m getting it,” Ronnie shot back as she scrolled through the streaming channel. They argued back and forth, finally settling on a popular slasher movie.
Concentrating on the cheesy movie was almost impossible, though she seemed to be the only one struggling. The rest of the group laughed, commented on the dialogue, and asked Mickie questions about the actors. Hannah couldn’t focus on anything beyond the feel of JP’s body against hers.
Once she’d let her tension bleed away, she practically melted into him. His lean muscles made the perfect cushion. Warm, cozy, and supportive. Her eyes grew heavy, and her head began to droop from the ultimate comfort. The combination of an attractive man and two glasses of wine had her fighting to stay awake. If she were smart, she’d make her excuses and leave before she embarrassed herself by passing out on him.
But he felt so good. Too good. She found it physically impossible to move away.
“Rest your head on me if you’re tired,” JP whispered about halfway through the movie. He gently pressed her head to his chest.
She went willingly, nearly purring when she settled against him.
She’d leave soon. And she’d tell him who she was. This madness had to stop.
Tomorrow. She’d tell him tomorrow.
For now, she’d enjoy a few more minutes of being close to this man. At least she’d have this sweet memory to call upon once she was back in her apartment in Colorado.
All alone.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE LOW SOUND of Kayla’s fussing pulled JP from a deep, restorative sleep. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. In a matter of seconds, those frustrated grunts and occasional whimpers would turn into full-on screaming as his little piggy of a daughter demanded her midnight meal.
But, damn, he didn’t want to get up. This was the most comfortable he’d been in ages, and he owed it all to—
JP’s eyes popped open.
Shit.
He was in the living room slouched on the couch with his bare feet on the coffee table. Someone had killed the overhead lights but left a nightlight glowing near the entrance to the kitchen. After tripping over Jagger’s shoes on her way in from work late one night, Ronnie had purchased the nightlight.
Based on Kayla being awake, he guessed it was somewhere around two in the morning, which meant the movie ended hours ago.
He glanced down at the reason he felt so much more cozy than usual. Hannah lay with her feet curled under her and her head on his chest, snoozing away. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have a crick in her neck from hours of napping in an awkward position.
Kayla’s cries grew in volume, indicating she was reaching her limit. Thankfully his siblings never gave him grief for her nocturnal singing routine. He’d read that babies her age could sleep through the night without eating, but she attacked the bottle with almost ravenous hunger, so cutting it out might have to wait a bit.
“Hannah, honey, I need you to wake up,” he said as he gently shook her shoulder. If she felt this good draped all over him on the couch, he could only imagine how amazing she’d feel naked and under him in bed.
“Hannah?”
“Hmm?” She shifted then blinked a few times.
JP knew the second she realized where she was because she shot up and gasped.
“Oh, my God. I fell asleep.” She rubbed a hand over her face. “I’m so sorry. How embarrassing.” She scrambled to her feet and began searching around the dark floor. “Where the heck is my purse?” she mumbled.
