“Whoa, wait.” I stand and snag her wrist before she can make a move to actually leave. “I need to sober up a little before I can drive you back.” I don’t want to take her back to that shitty cabin at all, but I also don’t want to make her more uncomfortable than she already is.

Her eyes are fixed on my chin, cheeks flaming. “It’s okay—you don’t need to do that. I can just walk.”

“It’s midnight, Lainey—there’s no way you’re walking anywhere.”

Her eyes flip up to mine, and her lips flatten into a line. She looks like she’s about to fight me on that, so I release her wrist and barrel on.

“It’s dangerous this time of night. I know it’s not dark, but bears will be out, and you’ve had a few drinks.”

“I’m not—”

“Sober or not, the walk down the beach is rocky, plus the temperature drops and it’s cold out. Just stay the night.”

“Stay here? With you?” She twists her hands together.

“There are four bedrooms—you can pick whichever one you want.” But you’re more than welcome to sleep in my bed—with me. “Oh, and for the record, you can totally throw yourself at me whenever you want. I won’t mind in the least.”

She ducks her head and huffs a laugh.

“If you really want to go back to your place, I can call you a cab, but I’d like you to stay.”

She tips her chin up, wide eyes meeting mine. “You would?”

“Yeah, Lainey—in case you couldn’t tell, I’m way into you. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, though, so it’s totally up to you, but there’s plenty of space here.”

Her cheeks flush yet again. “You really won’t mind if I spend the night?”

“I’d love more time with you, talking or kissing. I’m good with either—or both.”

She looks away, a shy smile flirting on her lips. “Okay. I’ll stay.”

I try not to get too excited as I lead her upstairs to the second floor where all the bedrooms are. I’m pretty positive I’m not getting laid tonight. And I’m okay with that, but my dick seems to have missed the memo, considering how hard I still am.

I pause at the first door. “This is my room.”

Lainey peeks inside. “It’s so big.”

I bite back a dirty reply. “Yeah, lots of space, which is nice. Come on, I’ll show you the other rooms.” She follows me down the hall to the next bedroom. I push the door open and flick on the light. “It has a private bath and everything.”

“Oh wow!” She slips past me and beelines it to the bed. Throwing herself on the plaid comforter, she rolls onto her back and spreads her arms out, making her shirt pull up, exposing an inch of smooth skin. “This is amazing.”

I lean against the jamb and cross my arms over my chest, smiling, and bite the inside of my cheek to keep from saying things that will embarrass her or me. Such as, Imagine how amazing it would be if you were naked under me. “You want to see the other rooms before you make a decision?”

“I don’t think I need to. This is perfect.” She props herself up on her elbows, stifling a yawn.

“Why don’t I grab you something to sleep in? There should be a brand-new toothbrush in the bathroom—and anything else you might need.”

“Okay. That would be great. Thank you, RJ.”

“It’s no problem.”

She slides off the bed and pads over to the bathroom. I head back to my room, unsurprised that she’ll be sleeping in the room next to mine instead of with me. And if I’m totally honest with myself, I’m actually kind of glad, even if other parts of my body aren’t in agreement. Now that I think about it, it’s nice to get to know someone before jumping into bed with them. Make a connection in more than just the physical sense.

I think that’s probably what I’ve missed the most since I started playing professional hockey. Don’t get me wrong—I had my fair share of fun. And I tried to date a few women, but most of them thought they already knew me, so dates started on uneven footing. When I didn’t match the idea they had of me, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Much like the lie I told her about my job. I should’ve just been straight with her, but then maybe she would look at me differently. I decide I’ll tell her the truth . . . when she’s a little more comfortable around me and the time feels right.

Once I’m in my room, I rearrange my hard-on into a more comfortable position and give it a pat. “Patience, little man. This one will be worth the wait.” I roll my eyes at myself, feeling like an idiot for talking to my dick.

I open my dresser, riffling through my T-shirts until I find a plain white one. I also grab a pair of boxer shorts for her, although I have a feeling they’ll be way too big. She’s still in the bathroom, so I leave the shirt and boxers on the bed and go back downstairs so I can get us each a glass of water, set up the coffee maker for the morning, and turn off all the lights.

By the time I come back upstairs, she’s already changed into my T-shirt. Her back is to me, so I have a moment to observe her. The hem hits her mid-thigh, showing off her lean legs. She bends over and pulls the comforter back, exposing the flannel sheets.

I clear my throat, and she jumps.