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“Why not?” he murmured. “Am I that much of an ogre?”
She opened her eyes and stared up at him. “No, you aren’t,” she whispered, “but I’m not sure I want the complications of a relationship right now.”
He let his hand move lower until he cupped her waist. “How about we start with a date, then?”
She stiffened. “I don’t want to be hurt, Jason. Casual flings aren’t my thing.”
“I don’
t just want a few hours between the sheets with a warm, willing woman. I want to get to know you. To spend time with you.”
Emma wiped a hand over her forehead. “I can’t do this. Please.”
“Why? It’s just a date. We can go real slow, I swear.”
Her lips twitched. “Are you always this persistent?”
He chuckled. “Mostly, yeah.”
The delicate skin over her cheekbones, the same skin he wanted to press his lips against, tautened, but Jason forced those thoughts out of his mind. God, with so little effort, Emma managed to wind him up tight. As she crossed her arms over her chest, Jason’s gaze shot to her plump breasts. Damn, he loved the curvy way she was built. He nearly groaned at the knowledge that he was so damn close to her, yet he might as well be miles across town with all the back-off signals she shot his way.
“How long was your last relationship?” she asked.
Emma’s question pulled him out of his frustrated thoughts. “What does that matter?”
She quirked a brow in a schoolteacher sort of way. “You strike me as the type of guy who plays it loose, that’s all I’m saying.”
“You’re right,” he replied, wanting nothing but total honesty with her. “I do sort of enjoy being single. But maybe that’s because I haven’t met the right person.” He leaned closer. “How long was your last relationship, Emma?”
To his surprise, she looked away. Uncomfortable with the conversation all of a sudden?
“I’ve been busy with work lately,” she said. “Dating has been the last thing on my mind.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. I was honest, sweetheart. Don’t you think you owe me the same courtesy?”
“Fine. I haven’t had a serious relationship since Damian and I broke up, and we dated for nearly two years.”
Damian? That sounded like something out of a teenage vampire movie. Jason hated the guy already. “Did you love him?”
“I thought so at the time.” She shrugged and looked away. “The thing is, I’m not a good judge when it comes to men.”
He shifted around so their gazes connected. “Maybe you haven’t met the right person either. Ever think of that?”
“You could be right,” she admitted. “But even so, I don’t have time for a personal life right now. I’m trying to run a shop, and that takes a lot of hard work and dedication.”
Jason tsked. “And maybe you’re afraid that you’ll make the wrong choice again. Better to turn me down now than get hurt later, right?
“No. Yes.” She cursed. “You’re making me crazy!”
He could see how frazzled she was getting and rushed to calm her down. “Shh. All I want you to do is think about my offer. A date, Emma, that’s all it is. Okay?”
“Fine, I’ll think about it.”
“Good. Now I have another proposition for you.”
She sighed. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“You look like you could use an extra hand around here. How about I come over tomorrow, and you can put me to work. Maybe we’ll get to know each other better. And you’ll see I’m not…Damian.”
