the bed above her, then lay beside her, slipping his arm under her head and pulling her closer so she could snuggle against him. He kissed the top of her head and just held her. The way she tightened in his arms, he could feel that she was thinking, and sometimes thinking was the worst thing a person could do—especially in moments like this. At least there was no awkward silence. He should say something to her, something like Stop thinking too much. Just be here with me now.
“Jake, what is this?” She didn’t look at him, but he could feel her breath whisper across the skin on his chest. She licked her lips, and he could feel himself stirring again. “Jake?” She prodded him, sliding her hand over his chest, the question hanging in the silence between them.
“I don’t know. Does it have to be anything? Can’t we just be here together? I want you, you want me. Can’t that be enough?”
She breathed out a little hard, rough. “I suppose. I just don’t want to be confused that something is what it isn’t. I want all the cards on the table. I need to know. I need to be clear on your expectations. Is this just sex?”
The question of the day, was this just sex? Yes and no. She wasn’t some stranger. He liked her. She was amazing. He liked being with her. He’d never done the friends with benefits thing, and he wondered whether that was what she wanted. Even though he didn’t know her well, he sensed that she just wasn’t that way. Some woman and men could pull it off, remain emotionally detached, but he couldn’t, and he was pretty sure she was the same.
“Is that what you want it to be?” he asked. He had to, because for the first time in his life, he didn’t have a clue how to react. If he said the wrong thing, he could hurt her, and he realized he didn’t want to hurt Chris. She was important to him.
He could tell she was disappointed, as he could feel her head turn away as she looked up at the ceiling.
“I don’t want to confuse this for something it’s not, Jake. I get attached, I have feelings. I need you to be clear. Please be upfront with me right from the start. That’s all I ask.”
Clear, how could he be clear when he had no idea what he wanted? He was in love with another woman, and yet here he was in bed with Chris. If that wasn’t screwed up, he didn’t know what was.
“Yeah, um…” There was a light knock on the door.
Chris lifted her head and started to sit up, glancing at the door. “You expecting someone?”
“No. Didn’t order anything, either.” He was about to ignore it when whoever it was knocked again. Maybe it was the maid. Maybe they had forgotten to put towels in the room or something. “Just a minute. I better put the ‘Do not disturb’ sign out.” He climbed off the bed, and Chris slipped off right behind him and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Jake reached for his jeans and slid them on before striding to the door and opening it.
In that moment, as he stared into those amazing brown eyes and the dark hair that was now longer and pinned back at the sides, he couldn’t for the life of him believe that Jill was standing in the hallway outside his door.
“Jake, I’m so sorry!” She threw her arms around him and cried.
He didn’t have to turn around when he heard the bathroom door open to know that Chris was standing there, watching.
Chapter 12
“I’ll be out of here in just a minute,” she muttered. It was all she could think to say in that dreadfully awkward moment when she stumbled out of the bathroom wearing one of the white terrycloth hotel robes. Her hair was a mess, and she could still feel the effects of having Jake inside her. Of course, their clothes were strewn all over the floor by the bed. It wasn’t a large room, so he couldn’t hide anything. She grabbed her clothes off the floor and raced back into the bathroom. She couldn’t get the image of Jake hugging another woman out of her head: her arms looped
“Jake, what is this?” She didn’t look at him, but he could feel her breath whisper across the skin on his chest. She licked her lips, and he could feel himself stirring again. “Jake?” She prodded him, sliding her hand over his chest, the question hanging in the silence between them.
“I don’t know. Does it have to be anything? Can’t we just be here together? I want you, you want me. Can’t that be enough?”
She breathed out a little hard, rough. “I suppose. I just don’t want to be confused that something is what it isn’t. I want all the cards on the table. I need to know. I need to be clear on your expectations. Is this just sex?”
The question of the day, was this just sex? Yes and no. She wasn’t some stranger. He liked her. She was amazing. He liked being with her. He’d never done the friends with benefits thing, and he wondered whether that was what she wanted. Even though he didn’t know her well, he sensed that she just wasn’t that way. Some woman and men could pull it off, remain emotionally detached, but he couldn’t, and he was pretty sure she was the same.
“Is that what you want it to be?” he asked. He had to, because for the first time in his life, he didn’t have a clue how to react. If he said the wrong thing, he could hurt her, and he realized he didn’t want to hurt Chris. She was important to him.
He could tell she was disappointed, as he could feel her head turn away as she looked up at the ceiling.
“I don’t want to confuse this for something it’s not, Jake. I get attached, I have feelings. I need you to be clear. Please be upfront with me right from the start. That’s all I ask.”
Clear, how could he be clear when he had no idea what he wanted? He was in love with another woman, and yet here he was in bed with Chris. If that wasn’t screwed up, he didn’t know what was.
“Yeah, um…” There was a light knock on the door.
Chris lifted her head and started to sit up, glancing at the door. “You expecting someone?”
“No. Didn’t order anything, either.” He was about to ignore it when whoever it was knocked again. Maybe it was the maid. Maybe they had forgotten to put towels in the room or something. “Just a minute. I better put the ‘Do not disturb’ sign out.” He climbed off the bed, and Chris slipped off right behind him and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Jake reached for his jeans and slid them on before striding to the door and opening it.
In that moment, as he stared into those amazing brown eyes and the dark hair that was now longer and pinned back at the sides, he couldn’t for the life of him believe that Jill was standing in the hallway outside his door.
“Jake, I’m so sorry!” She threw her arms around him and cried.
He didn’t have to turn around when he heard the bathroom door open to know that Chris was standing there, watching.
Chapter 12
“I’ll be out of here in just a minute,” she muttered. It was all she could think to say in that dreadfully awkward moment when she stumbled out of the bathroom wearing one of the white terrycloth hotel robes. Her hair was a mess, and she could still feel the effects of having Jake inside her. Of course, their clothes were strewn all over the floor by the bed. It wasn’t a large room, so he couldn’t hide anything. She grabbed her clothes off the floor and raced back into the bathroom. She couldn’t get the image of Jake hugging another woman out of her head: her arms looped
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