I expect nothing but this stubbornness from her, but she’s met her match with me. “Fine, I’m riding with you.”
She skids to a stop. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You can’t just leave your vehicle here, Beck. Just give me a little space, please,” she pleads.
The words feel like knives to my chest, and I take a small step back. I can see the fear written all over her face and it drags the knife in my heart down through my stomach.
What the hell am I doing?
Giving her space won’t change anything about our conversation. If anything, she’s right—we both need a little time alone to cool down and really think about this.
I know what I want to do, who I want to do it to, and do it multiple times, but this isn’t going to be that simple. Whether Jensen wants to or not, we have to talk about this, but it doesn’t have to be here on the sidewalk or on the drive home.
“Fine, I’ll walk you to your car, then I’ll walk back to mine, but you have to promise me we’ll talk about this when we get home.”
Jensen scoffs. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
I can’t help it…the step I took back is immediately met again. My hands find either side of her face. “Oh, baby, you know that’s not true.”
Chapter 17
Beck
Getting back to the house, I let out a sigh of relief at the porch light turned on. I knew she’d beat me here, but a small part of me worried she’d sneak off to Lucie’s.
By the time I park and get to my stoop, I see Dottie wiggling away. “Hey, Dot, miss me?” I start to pet her head, but Jensen tugs back on her leash with a small scream.
“Christ, Beck, you scared me!”
Stepping closer, I pet Dottie properly this time. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you guys going in or out?”
“Back in,” Jensen whispers. “I took her out as soon as I got here.”
“I could have done that for you.” Straightening back up, I lock in on those eyes of hers.
Us living together is a ticking time bomb. We’ve got to do something. She could tell me to completely fuck off tonight, and not a single part of me would judge her for that. I just hope she hears me out.
Jensen bites at her lower lip and holds out Dottie’s leash. “She probably would have preferred that.”
“That’s not true, right, Dot?”
When Dottie lets out a small bark, Jensen breathes out a laugh.
“See?” I look at her hoping to hold on to this calm-before-the-storm feeling. Jensen’s cheeks blush before spinning on her heels to head inside.
With a deep breath, I squat down in front of Dottie to take off her leash. “Wish me luck,” I whisper before we head inside.
No part of me knows how this conversation is about to go, and with the way Jensen’s on edge, even less so. Hanging Dottie’s leash by the door, I hit the lock, then turn to her ready to get this over with, but to my surprise, she speaks first.
“Okay, I know you want to talk about whatever”—she gestures between us—“this is, and I think we just need to get it all out.”
I take a cautious step to her. “Agreed. Do you want me to go first?”
Jensen swallows hard then nods.
“Okay, laying it all out there—I don’t want a relationship. I don’t want love or promises of forever. But I can’t say that one time will be enough. I think it’s safe to put it out there for both of us that there’s this mutual attraction. I can’t get you out of my head. I haven’t entertained the idea of anyone but you since the night we met.”
