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Prologue
Hope Logan had done some pretty stupid things over the years. Some flat-out embarrassing. Others indisputably more foolish and irresponsible. A few even perilously close to the danger zone. But in almost every instance, stupidity was the root cause with regret as the repercussion.
And if the man taking up a large portion of her bed was any indication, last night's total lapse in judgment was certainly no different.
What had she been thinking?
Of course, that question was the easiest to answer since it was clear she obviously hadn’t been thinking at all. If she had, her head wouldn't be relentlessly pounding out a Patron-induced staccato against her skull, she wouldn't feel like something the cat dragged in, and more importantly, there wouldn't be a man sprawled in all his masculine glory on the other side of her bed.
And not just any man either. Because if her screwed-up life wasn't complicated enough, the man she'd slept with was none other than Drew Blackwood, one of the chief veterinarians on staff at Wakefield Equine Associates, where, as luck would have it, Hope was also employed. A place where she'd purposely and successfully kept her professional and personal lives separate.
Well, until last night anyway.
Jeesh Louise. If it wasn't bad enough she'd broken her own hard and fast rule to never get involved with someone she worked with, it was a million times worse when the person wasn't just another coworker but the lead vet on the team she was assigned. Ergo, her boss.
Only now, after last night's ill-fated turn of events, it also made him her lover. Or, at the very least, her one-night stand. Because not only was their sleeping together a colossal mistake in general, it would inevitably put a strain on their working relationship. Which was unfortunate, since they made one hell of a veterinary team.
But hey, with everything else in her life going to shit, why not ruin that too?
Oh well, not much she could do about it now.
Still, Hope lay motionless and pondered her options, hardly daring to breathe for fear of waking Drew. Since they’d ended up at her place, there was no way to make a quick getaway. But, maybe, if she carefully eased herself out of the bed and streaked straight to the bathroom, Drew would seize the opportunity to escape from what promised to be a terribly awkward morning after.
Mentally, Hope shook her head. That was purely wishful thinking on her part because if Drew had wanted to escape, he'd had ample opportunity to do so after they’d done the deed. But he didn't. Nope. Instead of bolting for the door when he had the chance, he'd stayed to tempt, tantalize, and quite effectively seduce her into rounds two, three, and four of mind-blowing, toe-curling sex before they both collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
And a few too many tequila shots.
As the morning sun streamed through the slats in the plantation blinds she hadn't given any thought to closing the night before, Hope grew increasingly more anxious. Things would definitely be uncomfortable when Drew finally awakened. How could they not when last night had been nothing more than the culmination of an emotionally charged day fueled significantly by a healthy dose of liquid courage?
God, she really was an idiot. In the span of one night, Hope had not only irrevocably jeopardized a successful working relationship, she'd likely also lost a damn good friend in the process.
Before she could berate herself further, Drew’s eyes fluttered open. "Mornin'," he murmured, his voice thick and raspy with sleep. A slow smile eased into his whisker-stubbled cheeks as he reached out to pull her closer.
Yikes!
A shiver that had nothing to do with being cold zipped through Hope's entire body, reawakening every inch of flesh Drew had brought to life multiple times during the night. If her own physical reaction to his touch wasn't enough to contend with, the burgeoning effect of Drew's desire pressed rigidly against her hip.
Oh. My. Goodness.
For a hot second, Hope wished they could forget who they were for a little while longer. Keep the real world at bay while she lost herself in the infinite depths of his lake-blue eyes. Trail her fingers over the rippling cords of his hard-muscled physique while they rode the waves of passion to the height of paradise and beyond.
But that would be pure craziness, right? Last night Hope had wanted to escape. To block out the devastating news about her father and dull the excruciating pain in her heart. To lose herself in Drew's arms this morning would only serve to complicate matters between them more than they already were.
Right now, they both needed to man up and deal with the repercussions of their impulsive but oh-so-spectacular night together. Shifting, Hope disengaged herself from Drew's hold. She scooted to a sitting position, covered her nakedness with the canary yellow bed sheet, and sent up a prayer for strength.
And forgiveness.
Facing her, Drew propped himself on his elbow and narrowed his gaze. Even with his dark hair all sleep rumpled and the scruff of his beard shadowing his usually clean-shaven jaw, he still looked good enough to eat.
Damn him.
"Why do I get the feeling that if I'd woken up in my bed this morning, you wouldn't be in it?"
Hope hugged her knees to her chest. "Probably because I wouldn't." And that was the honest-to-God truth.
Sighing, Drew thrust his long, skilled fingers through his dark hair, disheveling it even more. "I was afraid of that."
Hope suppressed the urge to reach out. To assure him her compulsion to flee had nothing to do with him personally. That under entirely different circumstances, everything might be different. Like if they didn't work together. Or if he wasn't her supervisor.
