‘So... Tonight? Why not stay over again?’
I put the cup down and forced myself to look at him. ‘And then what?’
His gaze narrowed on me. ‘And then... Maybe we hang out for a bit.’
‘Until when exactly?’
Now he looked uncomfortable. My insides sank. I saved him. ‘Until this chemistry burns out?’
He looked relieved. My insides sank even more. ‘Would that be so bad?’ he asked.
Yes.I nodded my head. ‘Yes it would.’
‘Why?’
‘I shouldn’t have agreed to come back here with you yesterday. It was weak of me.’
‘Jess... What are you talking about?’
‘I’ve fallen for you, Brodie. It’s not just sex for me. And if we have sex again... I want to, but I can’t, because I want more. And you’re not willing to give more. Are you?’
He shook his head but not in answer, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘How can you have fallen for me? How? When?’
I felt angry with myself. ‘I don’t know! It’s not something I could have controlled. Believe me, I really wish I didn’t have these feelings. I had no intention of ever allowing myself to get hurt again.’
He looked at me. ‘I told you I didn’t do relationships.’ He sounded almost accusing.
‘Yes, I know. It’s not your fault, Brodie.’ I went on. ‘But this ends here, now. Please don’t contact me again.’
‘I didn’t contact you,’ he pointed out.
‘So you just took advantage of seeing me yesterday?’
He flushed. ‘I didn’t mean it like that?—’
I put up my hand. It was a good reminder. ‘If you hadn’t seen me yesterday, we wouldn’t be having this conversation because you wouldn’t have sought me out. It was a place-and-time opportunity. Good to know. But you know what? I got to scratch an itch too, so you can consider this closure on this...’ I gestured between us. ‘Whatever this was.’
‘Jess,’ he said, but I wasn’t listening. I hunted out my sandals and bag, and picked them up. He was still talking. ‘I regretted not asking you to stay, after the Cotswolds. I told you I was going to contact you.’
Yes he had but it meant nothing now that I knew this was all he wanted. ‘That still doesn’t really change anything. Goodbye, Brodie. Good luck with your new company, I hope it goes really well for you.’
Chapter 38
Brodie
Brodie sat in the window of a bar in central London, but he didn’t see the people spilling out of pubs nearby, having after-work drinks. It had been a beautiful day. Not that he cared. Everything had been flat since the morning Jess had walked out, after dropping a bomb at his feet.
A flash of something bright caught his eye and he saw her across the road. She was meeting him here. His chest expanded as he watched her come towards the pub. She was probably the only person he could tolerate seeing right now.
He stood up to greet her as she came into the pub and walked right into his arms. ‘Hi, sis.’
Skye pulled back and looked up at him, frowning. ‘Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with you? Are you ill?’ She put a hand up to touch his forehead, but he brought it down.
‘No, it’s much worse than that.’
She looked at him for a long moment with the same blue eyes as his, and then she put down her bag and sat on the stool. ‘I think I recognise that look and I think I’m going to need a drink for this.’
Fuck. She could see it because she’d been through the same thing. He went to get his sister a drink. He was so screwed.
