“Yes, you do.” He knew challenging her was the only way to make headway.
“Make me want to tear their clothes off.” She bit her lip, letting her gaze travel over his chest. “Is that what you wanted me to say?”
“All I want from you is the truth.” He leaned forward, linking his hand loosely with hers. “You were always real with me. I loved that about you. Don’t stop being real with me.” He kissed her fingertips, turning her hand over to press his lips to her palm when she shuddered. “Tell me what you’re thinking right now. The truth.”
“That I need to make a phone call when I get home,” she said, sounding breathless.
“To who?” Like he didn’t know.
“Jeff.”
He nodded. “What are you going to tell him?”Tell him I’m the only man you’ll ever want.
“That I need time to sort some things out.”
“What things?” He knew it was stupid to push when he was finally getting somewhere with her, but subtlety had never gotten him what he wanted.
“You and me… I’m confused.”
At least she was finally willing to admit it wasn’t as cut and dried and she’d pretended.
He moved to the seat next to her, draping his arm loosely around her shoulders as he pulled her back against his chest. She didn’t resist, which felt like a gold medal victory to him after so many months of dealing with her anger and resistance.
“It’s okay to be confused,” he said, brushing his lips against her temple. “It took me a while to sort my feelings out too. But now I’m clear about what I want, Bella. Clear enough for both of us. And if it takes you a while to get there, that’s okay too.” Now that they were living in the same city he could afford to be magnanimous.
“I thought I was clear,” she said, sounding frustrated. “Before I walked into that bar tonight I knew I didn’t want you.”
“And now?” He held his breath, waiting for the only answer his heart would allow him to believe.
“I just told you I’m confused, didn’t I?”
“There’s one thing you’re not confused about.” He trailed his hand over her bare leg while his lips traced her neck. “You want me as much as I want you.”
“I can’t sleep with you,” she said, sounding panicked.
“I’m not asking you to.” Having her back in his arms was enough, for now.
She tipped her head back. “You mean you don’t want to sleep with me?”
He chuckled. “Of course I want to, sweetheart. But I’m willing to wait until you’re ready.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why wouldn’t you be willing to wait, right? It’s not like you’d be waiting it out all alone.”
“You want me to tell you I won’t sleep with anyone else while you’re making up your mind? Done.” She didn’t need to know it had been months since he’d been with someone else. Let her think he was making a supreme sacrifice for her.
“Yeah right.” She laughed. “Like I believe you’d take a vow of celibacy for me.”
“I’d do anything for you.” He let those words seep in, not only to her brain, but to her heart. “Anything.”
She swallowed as her eyes glistened with emotion. “You can’t say things like that.”
“Why?”
“Because I might be tempted to believe it.”
He smiled, leaning in to brush his lips against hers. It was barely a kiss, yet it shook him to his core because it was Bella. The one woman he never thought he’d have the right to kiss again.
“Believe it.” He cradled her beautiful face in his palm. “Believe in me. Forget about the past. Let’s start over.” It might be too much to ask for, but he hadn’t gotten where he was without putting himself out there and risking rejection.
