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“You mind if we crack the window open?” she asked, stuffing another bite of cake into her mouth.

Come on, sugar. Work.

Matthew nodded, standing to push one side of the window open a few inches, the cool breeze brushing past Winnie’s face at once.

The minute he moved, Winnie shifted her legs to no longer sit beneath the table, allowing no further chance of touch between them. As much as she wanted to feel that heat for the rest of all time, she needed to calm down. She was spending the night with the guy, for heaven’s sake. She shouldn’t be thinking about kissing him.

“Better?” Matthew asked, sitting down again, his chair creaking in protest.

“Yep,” she lied. “Thank you.”

She shoveled another bite into her mouth. It was a delicious cake. Just not as delicious as Matthew in his pajamas. Nothing could ever compare to that.

Except maybe Matthew in his pajamas on a horse.

A phone buzzed, and Winnie forced the ridiculous image away from her mind as he pulled out his phone from his pocket.

“Oops. It’s Char. I forgot to call her back.” He looked up at Winnie. “Do you mind if I…?”

She waved a dismissive hand, unable to speak due to her mouthful of cake. The food was working now, right? It had to be working now.

“Hey, Char,” he answered. “Sorry. We made it to the inn and got a room.”

“Oh, good. All right, I was just checking.”

Her voice was perfectly clear to Winnie, despite Matthew not putting it on the speaker phone this time.

To avoid imposing without his knowledge, Winnie looked down at the street below, the orange lamp in front of the bed and breakfast casting a perfect halo beneath it. A couple walked past, their gentle whispers drifting up toward her as they walked beneath a single black umbrella together.

“Wait,” Char said. “Did you say a room?”

Winnie took another bite, focusing outside all the harder.

“Yeah, there was only one available.” Matthew leaned back in his chair, running his free hand through his wild hair that became even more unruly as it dried from the rain.

Would he let her touch it, smooth away one of the curls from his brow?

Pull yourself together, Winnie.

“Wow,” Char said. “That escalated quickly. Didn’t you guys hate each other, like, yesterday?”

“Hate’s a strong word.”

Winnie couldn’t help herself. She glanced to Matthew, his eyes on her with a deep, lingering look.

“So…you like her, then?”

Matthew’s smile faded, an unreadable expression stretching across his features. His eyes narrowed slightly, and she knew he was wondering if Winnie had heard Char’s question. Still, Winnie couldn’t look away.

“That,” he began, “is a question for another day.”

“Aww,” came Char’s disappointed response.

“Enjoy your date, Char,” Matthew said.

“And you enjoy your night, Matty.”

He hung up then, though their eyes remained locked.