But if she didn’t take this second chance with Jay, would she end up regretting it the rest of her life? Could she live with that?
“No, we don’t,” she said at last. “I’m willing to try again. Third time’s a charm, right?”
“So they say,” he said with a wry grin. “I know I wasn’t the best when we met up with your friends so maybe we can do it again?”
“Sure. Why don’t we invite them over next weekend? We can be the hosts so you’ll feel more at ease and we’ll have had another entire week to get to know each other. Oh my goodness, a week is hardly any time,” she said.
“I’m sorry, I can’t offer you more until I know if I’m going to reenlist,” he said.
“It’s fine. We do better on the fast track,” she said. It was as if when she didn’t have time to think, she trusted her instincts. She knew that she had something worth fighting for with Jay, but she was afraid to fight for him. Afraid to let him into her heart lest he hurt her again. And no matter how hard she tried to keep from falling for him, she knew she was.
“I don’t know how we do better, but I do know that without you by my side...I’m missing something. And I’ve never had anyone mean that much to me before. I’m a little unsure of how to proceed. I don’t want to take a chance on screwing this up,” Jay said.
That was probably one of the most honest things he’d ever said to her. She wrapped her broken, fragile heart in those words he’d given her. She was touched by them more than she wanted to be. She understood this man far more now than she had in Vegas. She got that he had demons that she’d never expected and that he needed more from her than she’d been able to offer him.
“Lucien invited me to join him for drinks tomorrow night. Do you want to come along and meet him?” Jay asked.
It was the first time he’d invited her to be a part of his life. He’d gone to her things and talked to her about Sweet Dreams, but he’d never reciprocated much.
“Yes. That sounds nice,” she said. “I’ve been dying to meet some of your friends. I thought maybe you were embarrassed by me.”
“I never could be embarrassed by you. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said.
“Really?” she asked. “Don’t answer that. I meant to say thank you.”
“You’re welcome. So how about I pick you up in the morning very early for that balloon ride and then after lunch I will drop you back off...?”
“Okay,” she said.
“We can have drinks with Lucien and then I’ll take you out. What do you want to do?”
“Anything?”
“Sure,” he said. “What’s your dream date?”
“Dinner and dancing,” she said without hesitating.
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” he said. “I’ll be back at six to pick you up.”
He walked through her house to the front door and she followed him. She had a reluctant hope that this time maybe things were going to be better for them.
ALYSSE SLEPT RESTLESSLYwithout Jay by her side, but a part of her knew that she was better off this way. He wasn’t ready to make a decision about his career or her. And she needed to be able to protect her heart.
She was awake at five so they could drive up to Temecula. It was very chilly, something she didn’t realize until she was on the back of Jay’s bike holding on to him. She started shivering and he pulled off on the highway.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked.
“Because you’re freezing,” he said. He took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her. He wore a black sweatshirt bearing the Marine Corps emblem under his jacket.
“Will you be warm enough?” she asked.
“I’ll be fine as long as you aren’t shivering,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said. “I like your sweatshirt. I notice youdon’t often wear something with the Corps logo on it. Why is that?”
“People want to buy me coffee and stuff and it makes me uncomfortable,” he said.
“They’re just saying thanks for doing your job.”
