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Acaress of cold A/C air washed over my exposed legs, and I groaned, tucking them back under a plush blanket. When had I turned up the A/C so high? That was going to cost me a fortune. I ran my dry tongue over sandpaper lips and reluctantly forced one eye open. Bright sunlight stabbed my retina, and I immediately closed it again.

Wait, fuck. Am I hungover? I don’t remember going out with Gemma. When did I drink? Better yet,whywould I do that?

The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted under my nose, and that blipped on my “weird meter.” I didn’t live with anyone who made me coffee in the morning. I took stock of my body, and as a piercing headache beat against my temples, my memories suddenly caught up with my awareness.

I was not in my own house.

With a sharp intake of breath, I forced my eyes open and sat up. On a couch. Astranger’scouch because I didn’t recognize the nice, forest-green fabric. Or the rug. Or the wood slab coffee table. I looked around with sunlight poking holes in my brain and making my head slam in tune with my pulse. There were windows everywhere, and wherever I was, it looked like a nice, if slightly unused, living room.

“She’s alive,” a deep, male voice said from behind me.

I turned to my right, twisting around to look behind the couch. A familiar figure leaned against a wall two levels up and in front of what looked like a modern kitchen. Cal-the-angry-mismatched-doctor took a sip of his coffee from a black mug and watched me with quiet amusement over the rim. The morning light glinted off his dark hair, illuminating the copper strands that gave him a uniquely sun-kissed appearance.

I looked around the elegant living room, bewildered. “What…?”

Cal crossed the polished pine floors, stepping down two of the levels and coming toward me with another black mug in his hand. “How much do you remember, Shortstop?”

“Shortstop?” I echoed. I glanced down at myself and saw that I was still wearing the same clothing I’d put on last evening, belt and all. An ultra fluffy, soft blanket in shades of gray and white had been tucked around me, and there were definite drool spots on his fancy-looking couch cushions.

“Yeah, you were babbling about bases and home runs, and it earned you a stupid nickname.” Cal handed me thesteaming mug with his eyebrows raised a fraction.

I took the mug, my brain sprinting and tripping all over itself to catch up to what the hell was going on here. I let my eyes dance all over Cal’s tall, chiseled body. He was wearing a plain, white button-down shirt and dark blue tie with white specks that made it look like the night sky. He took another sip of his coffee, eyes watching me with quiet, expectant humor.

I dropped a look down to the coffee and then back to him. “Did you… did I make you so mad, that you kidnapped me?”

He choked on his coffee, spitting some of it back into the mug and coughing down the rest. “Ruth,” he laughed, still coughing.

“Because I know I goofed up, and I’m really sorry, but I really don’t think that’s a reason to break the la—”

“You think Ikidnapped you?” he clarified, coughing again and wiping his incredulous smile.

“Well, how else did I get here?” I demanded, glancing around, and this time with sharper eyes. My clothing was still intact, right down to my faded, fraying leather sandals. I did have a killer headache, though, and my mouth was impossibly dry. I sipped in a shocked breath. “Wait, did I… did we…?” I stared at him in wide-eyed horror.

He gestured with his free hand, holding his dripping coffee away from his white shirt. “Did we what?”

I couldn’t even say the words. There was no way.No. Think. Come on, Ruth, don’t be an idiot. The handsome—admittedly pissy—doctor didn’t kidnap you so he could give youa cup of coffee in the morning. And he definitely didn’t sleep with you, you radish-brain. Think, think. What happened?

Cal’s pine-green eyes shimmered with mirth. “I didn’t sleep with you, Dr. Coldwell. You really can’t remember anything from last night?”

Right, we definitely hadn’t slept together. Shame, that. I dared another head-to-toe, one-second perusal of Dr. Reed’s kissable lips, wide shoulders, and trim waistline where he wore a black belt over charcoal gray dress pants that accentuated his perfect ass. I shook myself out of those thoughts.Focus.I tried to remember what had happened the night before. I’d had that speed dating thing. I thought I remembered that going well. But… then what?

“Drink your coffee,” Cal suggested, and half his mouth pulled up in amusement again.

Why was this guy always looking at me like I was so fucking funny? He’d done that when he’d…Oh.Memories plunked across my brain like a sped-up game of Tiddlywinks.Ping, ping, ping. Every embarrassing thing I’d done, every stupid thing I’d said… all of it returned to me in a painful cascade of awkwardness. “Oh,” I breathed.

His smile widened, revealing straight, white teeth. “There it is.”

“Oh,” I groaned, closing my eyes.

“I’m not sure if you remember the part where I made you drink like half a gallon of electrolytes, but I did try. How’s your head?” Cal sat on the coffee table across from me, and his springgreen eyes took on an assessing look.

“Uhm,” I gusted out, looking down at my coffee and not daring to meet his gaze directly.I remember a lot. None of them are great. I’m pretty sure I told him the thing about bone dust in silverpoint paintings. And accused him of having a foot fetish.

“Hey,” his voice took on a breathy laugh. “Ruth, it’s fine. The only reason I took you home is because I was worried about your, er, state of being.”

I screwed up my features in a grimace. “Yeah. Appreciate it.”

“Look at me,” he ordered gently.