“You kissed me last night, Andy.”

I leaned forward and to the side, away from him. “First off, stop calling me that and finally—most importantly—you’re so full of shit. I did not kiss you.”

Even as I said those words, I knew there could be a horrifyingly embarrassing possibility that what he said was true, since I didn’t remember everything.

His eyes took on that heavy hooded look that always made me want to squirm. “First off, I can’t help myself. I have to call you Andy, because I know you secretly enjoy it and finally—most importantly—”

I was so going to hit him.

“You did kiss me.” He leaned back, tossing an arm along the couch as he eyed me. “You stretched up, put your hands on my shoulders, and you kissed me.”

“No. No way.”

He nodded. “You also sort of used me as a pole at the bar. That was nice.”

I shot up, swaying as a rush of dizziness came over me. I ignored it. “I did not!”

“Yeah, you did.” One side of his lips kicked up. “You tasted of sugar and liquor. Not a bad mix.”

“Shut up,” I warned. “You’re messing with me.”

“Why would I mess with you over that?”

Good question. “Because you’re evil. That sounds legit.”

He arched a brow at that. “You also sort of invited me back to your bed.”

“What?” I nearly shrieked. “How does one ‘sort of’ invite someone to their bed?”

“Oh, trust me, you can sort of do it. You did.” He leaned forward, looking up at me. “Honestly, if you’d been able to walk a straight line and knew what you were doing, I’d have been all kinds of down for that.”

For a second, my brain got hung up on him being down with hooking up with me. So much so, all I could do was stare at him. Over the last couple of years, I honestly hadn’t believed Tanner thought about me in any way that would fall under the warm-and-fuzzy umbrella, let alone the sexy-andfun umbrella.

“You also sang ‘Story of My Life’ over and over again,” he added. “And I do mean, the entire drive to your apartment.”

I folded my arms. “So what? It’s a great song. One Direction is awesome.” I paused. “Wait. How do you even know that song? You listening to One Direction when no one is around?”

He shrugged. “I’m man enough to admit it’s a decent song.”

Shaking my head, I bit back a grin. Then I realized he wasn’t messing with me and that I really must’ve thrown myself at him. While drunk. While so drunk I couldn’t remember doing it. My face was on fire as I backed up, nearly knocking into the coffee table. More denials formed on the tip of my tongue, but as I stared down at him—down at that wonderfully formed mouth of his—an odd memory surfaced. Me, standing in the hall, walking toward him and doing exactly what he claimed, stretching up and kissing him.

Oh. My. God.

Fuck my life.

He cocked his head to the side. “You seriously don’t remember any of that?”

Without answering, I smacked my hands over my face and groaned. I let out a muffled, “Nooo.”

There was silence, and I lowered my hands, peeking above my fingers. Tanner was staring at the floor, his jaw set hard and he looked kind of angry. I folded my hands under my chin. “I’m…I’m sorry?”

His gaze lifted. “You’re sorry?”

“For…um, kissing you? And treating you like…a pole?”

A small grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “Andy, you never have to apologize for using me as a pole. Anytime you want to climb on, you let me know.”

“Oh geez.”

He chuckled. “Look, it’s not a big deal.”

“Sure it isn’t.” I plopped down beside him, suddenly exhausted.

“I didn’t mind,” he said, his tone light, but when I glanced at him, something was off about his expression. I couldn’t put a finger on it. “It could’ve been worse.”

“I’m having a hard time believing that,” I muttered, feeling like I needed to hide my face for the next year. “I’m never going to drink again.”

Tanner opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut, and I thought that might’ve been a wise decision. Another moment passed. “Well, I need to be getting out of here. You mind if I use your bathroom first?”

“Have at it.” I raised a noodle-like arm and pointed toward the bathroom.

He hesitated as he started to rise, concern pinching his mouth. “Are you okay, Andrea?”

“Yeah,” I laughed. “I took a sleeping pill, so I’m just tired.”

His blue eyes sharpened and latched onto mine. “You take them often?”

I shrugged one shoulder. “Sometimes.”

“You don’t take them when you’re drinking, right?”

A surprised laugh shook me. “Of course not,” I said, and dammit, if that wasn’t somewhat of a lie. Sometimes I did, but I was always careful. Always. “It’s just sometimes I can’t sleep. They’re prescribed.”

Tanner nodded, then stood after a moment and he started to turn, but twisted back to me. “Just an FYI, if you were dressed like that more often, I wouldn’t argue with you as much. I’d be way too damn distracted.”

My eyes widened in shock as a pleasant trill hummed through me. Maybe he needed glasses, but I was…I was thrilled nonetheless at what I thought was a compliment, especially after I’d apparently thrown myself at him last night. I struggled to keep it cool when all I wanted to do was giggle. “You perv.”

He grinned. “And I’m a hundred percent behind you dressing like that more often, just so you know.”

Something stupid in my chest fluttered. Wasn’t my heart. Had to be indigestion. “Duly noted.”

Tanner chuckled as he rounded the couch and headed toward the bathroom. When I heard the door shut, I let myself topple onto my side, smacking my hands over my face once more. Maybe…just maybe I had caught Tanner Hammond’s attention.

Just two years later than when I’d tried.

Tanner

Okay. My mind was fully in a place it shouldn’t be, but I couldn’t help it.

Holy shit, Andrea had a body that went on for fucking days—the kind of body that knocked a guy flat on his ass and made him want to do stupid shit to get all up in that. How in the world I hadn’t noticed that before was beyond me.

Actually, I had noticed she had curves in all the right places before, but I had no idea it was that…yeah, that. None whatsoever. Sweet Jesus, those shorts? That shirt? My sweats suddenly felt tighter as the image of her formed in my mind, the thin material barely holding her breasts back.

And those breasts…sweet Jesus, God had blessed her in that department.

As I closed the bathroom door behind me, I realized I was a lucky man, because there was a pool at that damn cabin and that meant Andrea would be in a bathing suit. A smile pulled at my lips. Hopefully, a two-piece.

Though she’d seemed a little self-conscious when I first arrived, which blew my mind. Never would I have ever thought she lacked in the confidence department, not with that fiery attitude. But there had been that sadness I’d seen in her last night and that had haunted me most of the day, but I knew that sometimes when people drank, they could be happy or sad.

Glancing around her bathroom, I had to grin. Her personality was everywhere. The hot-pink-and-purple plaid shower curtain, a blue bath rug, and as I ended up at the sink, I noted a yellow toothbrush holder. Not a damn thing in there matched. I washed my hands and then dipped my head, splashing the cool water over my face.

Straightening, I turned off the water and let out a pent-up breath. She’d been right. I could’ve called or texted her, but I’d wanted to make sure she was okay after last night. I also needed to apologize for the shit I’d said at Kyler’s place and I’d needed to do that to her face. And I also wanted to dig in a little, figure out what the hell she had against me. Except the moment I saw those little shorts, I fucking forgot what the hell I was doing there. It was like being fifteen all over again. Damn.