His hand settled on my shoulder, halting my pacing. “And there’s nothing wrong with Tyler,” he added.
I turned to face him, not bothering to hide my exasperation. “Then what happened?”
“Sometimes,” he said calmly, “two people just don’t click. And that’s all there is to it.”
I stayed quiet, processing his words.
When I didn’t respond, he continued. “One day, Tyler is going to find someone who finds that gentle, careful approach incredibly attractive.”
There was a brief pause.
“But that was never going to be you.”
I wasn’t expecting those words, and I felt something shift in the air between us.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I whispered.
Jay stepped closer, close enough that I could feel his warmth. His hand lifted to my neck, the action all too confident, like he knew I wasn’t about to pull away.
“You don’t want sweet,” he said softly. “You don’t want careful.”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
“You want someone who doesn’t ask every five seconds if you’re okay.” His thumb brushed beneath my jaw, tilting my chin up just slightly. “You want someone who already knows you are.”
My body betrayed me, goosebumps racing down my spine.
“You sound very sure of yourself.”
“I am,” he said easily.
His gaze dropped to my mouth, then lifted back to my eyes. “You want someone who takes control just enough that you don’t have to think. Someone who knows, without saying anything, that you’re asking for more.”
His fingers slid down the length of my neck, causing all my coherent thoughts to disappear.
My breath hitched. I looked up at him, suddenly very aware that I’d lost control of the conversation. His otherhand left my shoulder and threaded into my hair at the base of my neck.
“Jay—” I started, but then he leaned in.
His lips brushed the skin just below my ear, lightly teasing, causing me to forget what I’d been saying. I shivered, more goosebumps racing over my skin as the warm, pine scent of his cologne wrapped around me. My eyes fluttered closed, and I found myself reaching up to grasp his shirt to steady myself.
His stubble grazed my skin as his mouth traced down the curve of my neck. My head tipped to the side, betraying me completely, and a sound slipped from my lips—a sigh coalesced with a faint whimper.
“Is this—” His fingers gently fisted the strands of my hair at the base of my neck. “—too much for you?” he asked, and I could feel his smile against my skin.
My breath stuttered. And for a moment, I felt myself on the precipice of doing something reckless. The urge to pull him closer and live out the dream I’d had only a few nights ago.
But then reality came crashing down.
I couldn’t do this.
This would destroy everything.
I pressed both palms flat against Jay’s chest and pushed him away just enough to create a few inches of space between us.
Jay stilled, his hands lifting away from me immediately.
“I can’t do this,” I said quickly, breathless and flustered.
