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from his head, it was carving out its own steadfast, abiding place in his heart. Quite simply, it couldn’t be undone.
    His face must have betrayed his thoughts in some part because she raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes as she placed his coffee back down on the counter.
    “Nils…,” she warned, reminding him she needed to know what had happened between them.
    Half naked. “Your, um, your jeans and socks were soaked. I didn’t want you to catch a cold or get your bed all wet and muddy, so I…”
    He could feel the heat in his cheeks as his words trailed off. He knew he was flushing as deeply as she. For as much as Maggie and Nils had been friends for several years, he certainly hadn’t spent any time in her bedroom, though his mind spent a good portion of every day wondering about it. Now that he knew it was decorated in white wicker and violets, his fantasies had a whole new reality to add to the mix.
    “So, you took off my pants and socks.” Her lips twitched and she couldn’t suppress a small grin. “Did you peek?”
    His fingers twitched as though remembering the soft, warm skin of her thighs as he dragged the denim down her legs, and he fisted them in protest. He bit down lightly on his bottom lip, looking down at the counter and shaking his head no. At the same time he mumbled, “I might’ve. Just a little bit.”
    When he looked up, her face was a mixture of surprise, censure and…what? Merriment? Teasing? She was suppressing a smile. Was she glad he had peeked? The very thought made him harder, made his arms flush with goose bumps under his flannel shirt.
    She turned her back to him, reaching to find two clean lids on the cluttered counter behind her. When she faced him again, her minxy little smile had faded. “I didn’t…I mean, did I—did I say anythin’? Anythin’ especially awkward?”
    That man needs to bed me or wed me… I wish I dinna like him so well… He looked up for a second then flicked his eyes back down on the counter. He didn’t trust himself to look at her. What was he supposed to say? Should he tell her what she’d said? No, he resolved, best not to open that can of worms. “You thought I was Paul.”
    “Oh.” She sounded worried.
    “It was just a whole lot of nonsense, Maggie. Couldn’t make out most of it.”
    “Oh.” Instead of sounding relieved, she sounded a little disappointed. She shrugged lightly. “Well, thanks. For your help. I know I can be a handful…when I drink.”
    “You don’t have to thank me,” he said as she jammed the lids down on the cups in front of him. His body was still on high alert, keeping all of the memories from last night pressurized inside. He needed to diffuse it before he did something stupid like touching her or telling her what she’d said. He’d promised himself long ago not to pursue Maggie and he wasn’t about to reverse that decision now, not after staying strong for years. Best to make sure their friends-only status was intact. “We’re friends, Maggie. I’d always help a friend.”
    She winced and her eyes clenched closed for a moment, which made him feel like a bastard. But, it was for the best. She didn’t know that anything beyond friendship was impossible. But, it was. He’d never risk it. Never.
    Still, he hated it that his words had hurt her. He tilted his head to the side and smiled at her gently. “That headache must be pretty bad. You have Advil?”
    Her eyes flashed and she looked frustrated, almost angry. “I have everything I need, Nils. Dinna worry about me.”
    “But, I do,” he blurted out. Shoot! Shut up! You’re going to confuse things!
    “What? You do?”
    “Of course.” Back track, back track! “We’re friends. I think you drink too much sometimes and it makes you reckless. And I’d hate to see any friend of mine—”
    Her lips, which had been soft a moment before, tightened. “I told you. You dinna need to worry about me.”
    She turned on her heel and headed to the end of the