Page 76 of Second Time Around

“Good.” He tightened his grip on her waist as if that would keep her there for the night. “If you stay, I’ll make us breakfast in the morning.”

She giggled. “You don’t have to keep bribing me with food.”

“Why not? If it works…”

She dug her fingers into his ribs and tickled him. “Maybe I should cook for you for a change.”

“Or we could go out to breakfast,” he teased.

“Brat!”

He smiled and gave her a squeeze. “It doesn’t matter what we eat tomorrow. I’m just glad you’re here with me tonight.”

“Me too,” she said softly, but not so softly that he didn’t hear it.

He must have drifted off after that, because the next thing he knew, his alarm had gone off. After he’d taken a shower and gotten dressed, he’d left his bedroom feeling dejected.

Now he understood why women complained about men slipping out after they’d had sex. This was the first time he’d been on the receiving end of it. He should have known that she’d never intended to stay, no matter how good the sex had been.

She’d seemed dead set on maintaining her distance despite the intimacies they’d shared last night. He’d never felt as close to her as when they’d been making love, but she hadn’t even wanted to call it that. No matter how close they’d been physically, there was still a part of her he hadn’t been able to reach. Correction—a part she wouldn’t let him reach.

It killed him that she’d erected that barrier because of something she’d assumed he’d done wrong. She’d held onto the hurt and anger all these years until it had created an impenetrable wall around her heart. Now more than ever, he was determined to knock the wall down.

He entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee maker. There, leaning against the empty coffee pot, was a note in Jenna’s scrawled handwriting.

I couldn’t sleep, but thanks for dinner and dessert. Talk to you later. Jenna.

No hearts, x’s and o’s, or anything referring to their lovemaking. Sighing, he crumpled the note in his hand and tossed it into the trash.

“Oh, no, you don’t, Jenna Young. If you thought you could love me and leave me, you’ve got it all wrong.”