Page 40 of Billionaire Unexplained: Kaleb

Dammit!

I wanted to find a way back to where we’d been before. I didn’t want things to stay this awkward between the two of us.

“Kaleb,” I said hesitantly, not sure how to fix things.

“Just let it go, Anna,” Kaleb said hoarsely. “I made an idiotic mistake.”

There was that word again.

Of course he knew exactly what I was going to ask. Mentally, we were usually in tune with each other, even if we couldn’t seem to talk like we did before.

I had no doubt he felt the same tension that had been brewing between the two of us since that stupid kiss.

My temper suddenly got the best of me. Or maybe it wasn’t my temper. I was genuinely…hurt. “I really hate being called a mistake,” I said irritably.

“I didn’t call you a mistake,” he said in an equally annoyed tone. “What happened between us at the river was a mistake.”

“You kissed me! Me, Kaleb, which makes me the mistake.”

“You could never be a mistake to me. I care about you, and it was a selfish dick kind of thing to do,” he said harshly. “You didn’t ask for it. You’re not even attracted to me. You’re vulnerable right now. You’ve also been through hell. What kind of man takes advantage of that?”

Yes, I was a little vulnerable, and sometimes I felt alone and lonely, but that hadn’t been my primary motivation when I’d wanted him to kiss me. I hadn’t wanted someone. I’d wanted him, and I’d known exactly who I wanted to touch me.

“Oh, for God’s sake, Kaleb, I did want it,” I told him, exasperated that he was blaming himself for what happened. Had the infuriating man forgotten that I’d kissed him back very enthusiastically? “Are you really trying to tell me that you couldn’t tell that my eyes were begging you to kiss me? Maybe it was a mistake for you, but I will never, ever, regret that moment. No guy has ever kissed me like that. I can stop talking about it after tonight if that’s what you want because you regret every moment of that interlude. But I wanted it, and you can stop feeling guilty about it. If you hadn’t stopped so abruptly, I probably would have pleaded with you to take me up against that tree and put me out of my misery. I’ve always been attracted to you. And while we’re at it, yes, I am a little vulnerable, but I’m a grown woman, and you’re still the hottest man I’ve ever seen.”

I took a deep breath because I’d run out of air.

Holy shit! Had I really just vomited all those words to him without a second thought?

I was a pretty even-tempered and patient person most of the time, but…

As much as I adored Kaleb, he could be the most stubborn, irritating man on the planet at times.

While I loved his protectiveness, he needed to realize that I was a big girl, and I was perfectly capable of pushing away anything I didn’t want.

And that included…him.

It was crazy that he couldn’t see how much I’d wanted that kiss. How much I wanted him.

Maybe because he was too busy regretting it and feeling guilty about it.

Kaleb looked at me like he hadn’t totally comprehended my rant, his green eyes filled with an emotion I didn’t understand. “Are you finished?” he asked huskily.

Obviously, my lust was screwing with my brain. I just couldn’t read him as well as I could at the cabin.

“Yeah, I’m done,” I said quietly as I tossed my beer bottle in the trash. “I just needed to tell you how I felt. It’s utterly ridiculous that you’re blaming yourself for something I desperately wanted.”

He moved closer until he’d backed me up against the counter. “I’ll never forget it, either, and I’ve been attracted to you since day one, Anna,” he growled as he stared down at me, his expression unreadable. “I thought it was a mistake because I was under the impression that I’d crossed a boundary with you that I shouldn’t have crossed. You’d also never have to beg me to fuck you. I’d be a sure thing if I thought that was what you wanted, too. But I also respect you and your mental health. You’re grieving and emotionally exhausted.”

My breath hitched as our eyes met and I saw the sexual desire burning in those beautiful green eyes of his.

“And if I told you that I think you’re exactly what I need right now?” I asked softly. “I’m not asking for some kind of commitment or relationship, Kaleb. All I want is you for as long as we can be together. For once, I’d really like to live in the moment and forget that I’m Annelise Kendrick.”

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Then I’d say that when you feel whole and healthy again, all you have to do is tell me you still want the same thing. Fuck knows I could never turn down the chance to touch you again, even though I probably shouldn’t. My life is here, and yours is in Los Angeles. But I’m willing to take whatever time together that we can get, too, even if you decide you just want to stay friends.”

My heart ached, and I wanted to tell him that I was ready right now.

But I honestly couldn’t do that.

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