Page 34 of Mr. February

“I’m not sure. There were several glasses on the table, but I don’t know who drank them. I’m sorry I left you on your own for so long. It wasn’t my intention.”

His self-recrimination was clear in his tone, but he wasn’t her keeper.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a big girl,” she said. “And it’s not like we’re really dating anyway.”

She wasn’t sure which of the two statements were more depressing.

“Do you remember anything after the reception?” Wade asked.

“There’s more?”

“I’ll take that as a no. You got sleepy, but I wanted to make sure you ate something more than hors d’oeuvres to soak up the alcohol. We came back here to order room service, but it was going to take two hours, so we ordered pizza.”

Jenny giggled.

“Did we really order pizza to a fancy suite?”

“We still have some leftovers if you want them.”

She heard the smile in his voice, and it made her feel a little better. The air conditioner chose that moment to kick on, and she shivered against the cold air.

“You’re cold. Lean back, and I’ll pull the blanket back over us,” he suggested.

Jenny was too tired to argue, and she didn’t know if she’d ever have the chance to snuggle up with this yummy, gentlemanly guy again. She sniffed him as he settled the blanket back over them. It felt wonderful to cuddle with someone. No, that wasn’t right. It felt wonderful to cuddle with Wade specifically.

Instead of enjoying the moment for what it was, melancholy settled over her. Here she was mooning over him, and he was taking care of her like she was a child. Could she be any more pathetic?

“What are you thinking about?” Wade asked.

His low voice, spoken softly near her ear, curled around her. Wrapped in his arms and sharing a blanket, she could almost pretend they were more than work friends who bonded during some unusual circumstances. But she needed to nip that thought in the bud.

“Nothing,” she lied.

“Jenny.” A shiver ran through her at how he said her name. “I can see your face. What made you so upset?”

“I’m just mad at myself for how I acted. I got drunk at a work event on the first day and embarrassed myself. Since we’re curled up together on the couch, I’m guessing I either threw myself at you, and you were too nice to let me make a total fool of myself, or else I got sick, and you were worried about me.”

His chuckle reverberated through her skin.

“Neither. We ate pizza, talked, and found out we’re both suckers for nineties movies. We fell asleep in front of the TV.”

Maybe she wouldn’t have to explore witness protection after all.

“You did tell me you wanted to kiss me, though.”

She let out a groan of mortification, and he laughed again.

“That’s so embarrassing,” she said with a moan. “I’m so sorry. God, you must be regretting this whole trip. Speaking of which, what time is it? I need a shower and at least a gallon of coffee before I—”

“Stop,” he said. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. I was flattered, but you were not yourself.”

“Oh, sure. Who wouldn’t be flattered by a sloppy drunk hitting on them?”

“You were extremely attractive, but you were a little worse for the wine, and there are rules about that.”

“Why does that sound so familiar?”

This time, it was Wade’s turn to sound embarrassed. He tensed behind her, but she didn’t know why.

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