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At least, she usually was.

Grady pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You planning to stay here tonight?”

She tipped her head back. “Are you inviting me?”

“I thought the naked-in-my-bed part made that obvious.”

She rolled her eyes. “Your romantic skills could use some work, Sheriff.”

“I cooked you dinner.”

“True.”

“And I let you insult my cooking while I did it.”

“You threatened to throw me out of your kitchen twice.”

“But did I?”

She thought about the stolen peppers, the kiss against the counter, and exactly how far the evening had progressed since then. “No.”

“Then I’m practically Prince Charming.”

She snorted as she tucked herself against him again. The thought of getting dressed, having him drive her back to Edith’s, and climbing into bed alone held absolutely no appeal.

“I’ll stay.”

She didn't even need to tell Edith. When Amanda had left earlier, her aunt had told her not to expect her to wait up and that she'd see her in the morning. Apparently, Edith had anticipated this possibility long before Amanda had.

“Good.”

He said it without hesitation. His arm remained around her, keeping her close, and a small rush of pleasure spread through her at knowing he wanted her there for more than what they'd already shared. She refused to examine that too closely either. After all, they’d just established the rules.

At five the next morning, Amanda sat in the passenger seat of Grady’s SUV, wearing the same clothes she’d worn the night before, and wondered when, exactly, she’d become a woman who requested a predawn ride home to avoid being spotted leaving the sheriff’s house. Probably sometime after she decided sleeping with him was a good idea.

An excellent idea.

As he turned onto Edith’s street, he seemed unfairly alert for a man who hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep, while Amanda was pretty sure she needed three more hours before she could form a coherent thought.

“You know this is ridiculous, right?” he asked.

“No, it’s practical.”

“It’s five o’clock on Sunday morning. Most of the town is still asleep.”

“Exactly. Which is why no one will see you dropping me off.”

He shook his head but didn't argue further. They'd already discussed it before leaving his house. Amanda wasn't ashamed that she’d spend the night with him, but Antelope Rock had shown how quickly gossip could spread. The last thing she needed was someone posting online about her Saturday night at Sheriff Minor's house, especially with the production crew arriving soon.

When he pulled into Edith’s driveway and parked, she unfastened her seat belt but made no move to open the door. Leaving him suddenly seemed far less appealing than it had when she’d insisted they get up before dawn.

“You going to fall asleep sitting there?”

She turned to face him. “I was thinking.”

“Dangerous hobby.”

“Don’t be a jackass.”