for sure.”
“I just want to know why you can’t.” He smoothed her hair back off her flushed cheeks. “That’s all. Just tell me why. You got a man already?”
She paused, thinking about the string of bad dates she’d been on for the past two years. “No.”
“OK. You interested in someone else?”
She shook her head.
He asked the next question carefully. “Did you get hurt, babe? Did someone do something to scare you off men?”
Startled again, she met his intense gaze. “No. Luke, no. Where did you get that idea?”
“Griff. He said that you’ve been acting off since coming back from your six-week unexplained leave from work.” Luke hesitated. “He – he’s worried that something happened.”
Right away, he knew that he’d made a huge mistake. She was enraged now and she shoved against him, hard. He moved away this time, not wanting her to feel trapped. He sat up and offered her his hand.
Selena slapped it away, sat up on her own and glared at him. “You’re talking about me behind my back?” Her voice was almost a hiss. “Gossiping and speculating and talking shit about my personal fucking business?”
“Hey, no. We weren’t –”
“You were .”
“Griff’s worried about you,” he said, trying to not sound patronizing. “He cares about you, and –”
“ This is why I didn’t say anything!” she burst out suddenly, catching him by surprise. “This is exactly why I didn’t want anyone to know…” She broke off again.
He waited. “Know what?”
“Nothing.” She got to her feet now, moved farther away from him. She watched as he stood up, too, her face considering. “You know, Luke, Griff’s talked a bit about you , too. Not much, but he’s said one thing.”
“Yeah?” He was a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in topic, but he rolled with it. “What’s he said?”
“That you’re a man of your word.” She narrowed her eyes.”Are you?”
“Yeah.” He felt hope kick up in his chest that she was going to confide in him. “Of course I am.”
“OK, well. We had a deal and you lost.”
His heart sank as he realized what she was getting at. “Selena…”
“Nuh-uh. We had a deal and if you’re a man of your word, you’ll honor it. You’re going to leave me alone now, right?”
He was silent, thinking. Yeah, they’d had a deal and yeah, he’d lost. He’d given this his best damn shot and it had been one hell of a gamble – and he’d lost that too, from the looks of things. She wasn’t going to talk to him about her concerns and she wasn’t going to kiss him again. He’d played his last card and it hadn’t been the winning one… his chips were gone and he had nothing left. Time to fold, to call it a day. Time to go.
“I’ll leave you alone,” he said quietly. “A promise is a promise.”
“Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
She turned away from him, just turned and walked away. He watched her head in to the change rooms, watched that incredible woman move farther and farther away from him. His chest felt tight and his hand was clenched in to a fist.
Way to go, Rhodes. You just fucking completely blew that.
Selena stumbled in to the changing area, sat down in one of the private cubicles. Her whole body was shaking and she dropped her head in to her hands, trying to regain control.
God, that amazing kissing. His hard, heavy body pressed against hers. That feeling of safety and danger, all at the same time. His voice murmuring, low and husky. His eyes, his touch, his muscles. She wanted it, she wanted all of it. She wanted him .
But she wasn’t what he thought she was, not even close . So she was going to let him go.
Fuck. It hurt like hell.
Chapter Five
Two weeks later
Selena looked at Diana Keeler and sighed. Good God Almighty, now the woman was getting loaded by eight o’clock at night. Briefly, Selena considered just knocking her out for her own safety, but apparently she had some event to get to. Assuming that Selena and
“I just want to know why you can’t.” He smoothed her hair back off her flushed cheeks. “That’s all. Just tell me why. You got a man already?”
She paused, thinking about the string of bad dates she’d been on for the past two years. “No.”
“OK. You interested in someone else?”
She shook her head.
He asked the next question carefully. “Did you get hurt, babe? Did someone do something to scare you off men?”
Startled again, she met his intense gaze. “No. Luke, no. Where did you get that idea?”
“Griff. He said that you’ve been acting off since coming back from your six-week unexplained leave from work.” Luke hesitated. “He – he’s worried that something happened.”
Right away, he knew that he’d made a huge mistake. She was enraged now and she shoved against him, hard. He moved away this time, not wanting her to feel trapped. He sat up and offered her his hand.
Selena slapped it away, sat up on her own and glared at him. “You’re talking about me behind my back?” Her voice was almost a hiss. “Gossiping and speculating and talking shit about my personal fucking business?”
“Hey, no. We weren’t –”
“You were .”
“Griff’s worried about you,” he said, trying to not sound patronizing. “He cares about you, and –”
“ This is why I didn’t say anything!” she burst out suddenly, catching him by surprise. “This is exactly why I didn’t want anyone to know…” She broke off again.
He waited. “Know what?”
“Nothing.” She got to her feet now, moved farther away from him. She watched as he stood up, too, her face considering. “You know, Luke, Griff’s talked a bit about you , too. Not much, but he’s said one thing.”
“Yeah?” He was a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in topic, but he rolled with it. “What’s he said?”
“That you’re a man of your word.” She narrowed her eyes.”Are you?”
“Yeah.” He felt hope kick up in his chest that she was going to confide in him. “Of course I am.”
“OK, well. We had a deal and you lost.”
His heart sank as he realized what she was getting at. “Selena…”
“Nuh-uh. We had a deal and if you’re a man of your word, you’ll honor it. You’re going to leave me alone now, right?”
He was silent, thinking. Yeah, they’d had a deal and yeah, he’d lost. He’d given this his best damn shot and it had been one hell of a gamble – and he’d lost that too, from the looks of things. She wasn’t going to talk to him about her concerns and she wasn’t going to kiss him again. He’d played his last card and it hadn’t been the winning one… his chips were gone and he had nothing left. Time to fold, to call it a day. Time to go.
“I’ll leave you alone,” he said quietly. “A promise is a promise.”
“Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
She turned away from him, just turned and walked away. He watched her head in to the change rooms, watched that incredible woman move farther and farther away from him. His chest felt tight and his hand was clenched in to a fist.
Way to go, Rhodes. You just fucking completely blew that.
Selena stumbled in to the changing area, sat down in one of the private cubicles. Her whole body was shaking and she dropped her head in to her hands, trying to regain control.
God, that amazing kissing. His hard, heavy body pressed against hers. That feeling of safety and danger, all at the same time. His voice murmuring, low and husky. His eyes, his touch, his muscles. She wanted it, she wanted all of it. She wanted him .
But she wasn’t what he thought she was, not even close . So she was going to let him go.
Fuck. It hurt like hell.
Chapter Five
Two weeks later
Selena looked at Diana Keeler and sighed. Good God Almighty, now the woman was getting loaded by eight o’clock at night. Briefly, Selena considered just knocking her out for her own safety, but apparently she had some event to get to. Assuming that Selena and
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