“It’s simple, Avery,” I tell myself. “Just be straight with him and ask him to stop advancing on you.”
Even I know that’s a lie. It’s not that simple. Not anymore, not with how charming he is and how much he makes my body light on fire and my heartbeat race so fast that I can’t catch my breath sometimes.
I head to the sink, wet my hands, and run them over my neck to cool down my skin. I look in the mirror as I do it, seeing the panic set in my expression. Every barrier I set up in place is trying to crumble down, and I feel like I’m holding it all up with off-brand tape that isn’t sticky enough.
I grip the sink and lean closer to myself. “You can do this. Just have dinner, go home, and crawl into bed.”
Easy.
With some courage in my spine, I head out of the bathroom, but as soon as I’m in the hallway, I come to an abrupt halt. Reid is there, leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for…me.
“You okay?” he murmurs.
“I’m fine.”
He rights himself from the wall and touches my cheek. “You look pale.”
A soft breath leaves my lips. I don’t mean to, but I lean ever so slightly into his touch. “You can’t touch me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like this,” I say, waving my hand at his still brushing my face. “And you certainly can’t look at me the way you’re looking at me tonight.”
He grins a little. “Like what?”
“Like you’ve seen me naked and want another round.”
His grin widens, and he turns me until my back is against the wall. He braces one hand beside my head and says, “But I have seen you naked.”
I sigh and look at his chest. “What do you want from me, Reid, really?”
“I think we should exchange numbers.”
I shake my head and laugh a little. “In your dreams.”
He’s quiet for so long that I look back up at him. His expression is serious as he whispers, “You don’t trust me, do you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t seem to be the commitment type,” I say even though I’m beginning to think I’m wrong about that. He’s sure committed to pursuing me.
“You barely know me, how would you know?”
I look away.
“That’s what I thought.”
He gets close to me and runs his nose across my jaw. My skin is lit on fire from the intimate touch, and my hands immediately land on his narrow hips to keep from swaying. “What do I want from you?” he whispers. “I don’t know, but I’m interested in you. I can’t get you off of my mind. You’re all I think about. Do I want to have sex with you again? Yes, because you’re hot, Avery. But I’m way more interested in the girl than I am about sex.”
I gulp and lie my ass off. “I’m not interested.”
“A lie,” he says, calling me out. “Tell me why you’re lying. Does this have to do with your last relationship?”
I freeze.
He pulls his nose away from my jaw and searches my eyes. “I don’t know the details, but I know you got hurt. I’m not him, Avery. Please believe me when I tell you that. I don’t sleep around, and I wouldn’t be coming onto you so hard if I didn’t believe we’d be good together.”
