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Jensen eventually had thrown his arm around the back of my chair, his fingertips playing with the skin on my shoulder, making me crazy. Making me want him again.
You're going to get hurt. Stop getting too attached.
Eventually I needed to get up and find some space. Because if he kept touching me like that, I was going to jump him. And that probably wouldn't end well for either of us.
Who are you kidding?Jumping is greatuntil the sex is over and he realizes he doesn't want to be with you.
And that was going to hurt. "I've got to use the ladies room." I pushed my chair back, and Jensen and his uncle and cousins all stood. And then they sat when I sashayed out of the room.
After splashing cold water on my face, I found Jensen in the hallway, leaning against the wall.
"I didn't need an escort."
He shrugged. "Part of me was afraid you wouldn't come back just now, or maybe you were making your escape."
Hell. He was upset. I could see it in his face and in the set of his lips. He was still smiling, but the emotion didn't quite reach his eyes. I should've known better. I ducked my head. "I'm sorry about this morning, Jensen. I needed some time to process. I did send a text so you wouldn't worry."
"Yeah, unfortunately I didn't see your text until after I worried about you for an hour."
I flushed. "Sorry about that." And then I saw the sadness in his eyes. He thought I didn't want to be there.Damn."Jensen, last night was better than anything I could've ever imagined."
His lips lifted into a smirk. "So you imagined us together, then?"
I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. "I plead the Fifth."
Jensen laughed. He strolled over to me, took my hand, and tugged me forward about half a foot. Then before I could gather my thoughts or catch my breath from having him so close, he dipped his head and kissed me.
It was a sweet kiss, his lips sliding over mine, giving me a taste of the heat between us. A taste of what we'd had last night. But then, as quickly as he started, he stopped again. "Come on, let's get back to dinner."
"A guy who kisses like that has no intention of taking me to dinner."
He barked a laugh. "Okay, so you might be right about that. We'll make a pit stop, then go back to the family celebration.”
As he dragged me down the hallway, I pulled back a little. "Jensen, wait. We crossed a line last night.Icrossed a line. We can't just pretend it didn't happen."
He ran a thumb over my cheek as his fingers played with the ends of my hair.
"You are the most important person in the world to me. And I don't know what happened last night or what I hope is going to happen in the next couple of minutes, but I know that whatever happens here will not ruin what we have. We are forever going to be friends. I know that because when I thought I'd blown it this morning, all I wanted was to have you back.”
"Friends." I said it slowly and deliberately to make sure I’d heard it right. He wanted to be friends. After everything that had happened?
He nodded. "Yeah. I'm not using you. I'm not going to hurt you. I would rather die. We were the best of friends before we ever did this. And maybe we weren't supposed to sleep together, but it happened. And now that I've had a taste, it's pretty impossible not to touch you." He ran a hand through his hair. "We depend on each other, and I know that I'm horrible at relationships. Last night, for me, was…" He shook his head. "It was incredible. We go back to the real world in a couple of days, and when we do, I promise I won’t touch you. But maybe while we're here, we should enjoy the time together. Enjoy us."
Something deep inside of me screamed. I wanted more than this. I wantedallof him. But I knew he was right. He was horrible at relationships. And at the core of it, he didn't think that anyone would love him long enough to stick around, so he dropped women first. And I never wanted to become one of his women. The ones that he never called again. The ones that he never saw again.
"Okay, we'll go back to being friends when we get home. What happens in Catalina stays in Catalina." It was going to kill me, but I knew he wasn't the type to settle down. And I was grown up enough to know I couldn't change him. We were better off as friends. But I was selfish too. I was going to enjoy this time with him. And even though I never let myself care about anyone, I was going to hold onto this and cherish these few days. Forever.
* * *
Jensen
Still holdingmy mug of mulled wine, I pulled her into the library. After locking the door behind us, I dragged her to the couch and placed my mug on the coffee table. When she placed a soft kiss on my lips, my whole body tensed. The scent of her perfume intoxicated me. The way her soft fingers brushed against my bare chest made my whole body tingle.
I couldn't wait any longer. My hands moved to her hips, and I pulled her closer to me, feeling the heat of her body against mine. Our mouths collided in a frenzy of lust, and I slid my tongue inside her mouth, exploring every inch of her. She moaned softly, and I knew she was just as turned on as I was.
Years of frustration and need boiled out in the kiss. Last night hadn’t been enough. I wanted so much more from her.
I hiked her dress up and demanded that her tongue meet mine. I tasted and teased and sucked on her tongue in a sensual rhythm that spoke of how I was going to ride her. Soft hands caressed my back and clung to my shoulders as her hips rose and descended involuntarily.
