Muse - Fighting Fate #1 by Maree Green Page B

didn’t want to do it again, that was fine, but regret doing it completely? That was like a knife to my heart.
    There must’ve been something in my expression because his eyes widened a little and he immediately started back-tracking. “I mean, I’m not sorry it happened, I just wanted you to know that wasn’t the reason I came to your room. I just didn’t want you to think I only came to have sex with you.”
    He was flustered, and it was cute. He really was worried I thought he was using me. I narrowed my eyes playfully and cocked my head to the side. “Do you remember anything from last night?”
    His expression turned sheepish. Damn I loved that expression. “I remember the gist of it,” he said quietly.
    “Well, you don’t have to worry. I was kind of the one who initiated it.”
    He watched me as my words sunk in. “ You initiated it?”
    I nodded, clutching the sheet against me.
    He looked a little shocked to say the least. “Uh…Okaaaay.” His eyes narrowed questioningly. “Can I ask why? I mean, I know I don’t really know you that well, but I’m pretty sure you’re not normally like this. I mean…you were a virgin in Aspen, right?”
    I bit my lip. I wasn’t comfortable with this kind of conversation, but I knew it w as one we needed to have. After the night before, I kind of had an idea, and I wanted to find out if he’d go for it or not. I nodded, wringing my hands in the sheets. “Yeah, I was. It’s just…I don’t know. I like the way you make me feel, and I know you don’t do relationships so…”
    He frowned, looking even more confused than ever. “So…?”
    “I can’t do relationships either, so I thought…maybe…we could like…hook up sometimes…” I almost groaned out loud. Oh my god. Hook up? That sounded so much better inside my head.
    He stared at me like I had two heads. “Wait, wait, wait…” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Let me get this straight. Are you asking me if I want to have a no strings attached relationship with you?”
    That sounded awful, didn’t it? He probably thought I’d turned into some sort of slut now. I gave him a tiny shrug.
    “Like a fuck buddy?” he asked, slightly incredulous.
    I groaned and pulled the sheet up to cover my face.
    He tugged it down again. “I’m not judging you , Mia. I’m just trying to understand, and somehow fit you and the concept of fuck buddy into the same category. I’m just having a hard time with it. Give me a second to process.”
    I looked at him meekly. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to. I won’t be offended. I know I’m not very experienced, and I’m probably not very good. I just-”
    “Shoosh,” he barked out harshly. “I’m thinking.”
    I snapped my mouth shut, watching him wearily.
    “I’m sorry. I need to get this straight. Why don’t you want a relationship?”
    There was no way I was going to lay it out for him . Shrugging, I said, “I can’t do crowds.” He nodded, knowing this already from our trip to Aspen. But I also knew everyone just assumed it was shyness. I shrugged again. “Relationships and crowds kind of go together.” Lame, lame, lame.
    He frowned. “Not necessarily.”
    “And the thought of people staring at me makes me nervous.”
    He still look confused, but he seemed to accept my lame ass answer. At least a little. “So you thought a no strings attached set up would work for you?”
    God, this was so n ot going as I thought it would. “Not really. It wasn’t until last night that I thought maybe it was something that might work. I mean, I like you, and I trust you, and I know you’re not about to go telling everyone we’ve been together, so…”
    “What makes you think I won’t tell anyone?”
    I gave him a pointed look. “Yeah, I can see you telling Aiden we’ve been sleeping together.”
    He smirked. “I’m not afraid of Aiden.”
    I shifted onto my knees on the bed like I was about to get up. “I’ll just go tell him now then,