“We should stay here.”
She sits up in bed. My disappointment is strong and immediate. I know she’s attracted to me, but she won’t give in to it.
“So you won’t sleep with me,” I say, a wave of dizziness hitting when I sit up.
“Accurate. I haven’t changed my mind in the last two and a half minutes.”
“But you’re okay being in bed with me for several hours? What’s the difference?”
She stands up, walks over to switch on the light, and puts her shoes on. “I think you know the difference between being side by side in bed fully clothed and full sex, Dane. And if not, I don’t get paid enough to explain it to you.”
I smile at her as I get out of bed, my headache duller than it was when I woke up but still there. Her sense of humor is one of my favorite things about her.
“I guess what I’m saying is, what’s the difference between everyone thinking we’re sleeping together and actually doing it?”
Her gaze locks onto mine. “The difference is here.” She puts a hand on her heart. “I can’t just sleep with someone and not have feelings for them. I couldn’t do my job anymore if we were involved. It would be too complicated. Not for you, for me.”
I nod, her admission sobering me all the way up. I want her so badly I can hardly stand it, but I don’t want to hurt her. She’sright—I’m not a relationship guy. She deserves much better than me.
She puts a hand on the doorknob, ready to leave. I walk over, putting a palm on the door to hold it closed. Her hair is rumpled from lying down and it looks sexy as hell. I realize it’s not any one quality about her that drives me crazy with desire; it’s everything.
“I’m still not letting Lucas lay a hand on you,” I say.
A smile plays on her lips. “Maybe I should decide who puts their hands on me.”
I shake my head, my jaw flexing with annoyance. “Not if it’s him.”
“Why not?”
I sigh heavily, aggravated. “Why are you pushing this? If it would be unprofessional to sleep with me, wouldn’t it be unprofessional to sleep with one of my teammates?”
She shrugs. “I’m only doing this job for a couple more months at the most.”
I scoff, narrowing my eyes. “Lucas will have to walk over my cold, rotting corpse to get to you, no matter when it is.”
I’ve had nightmares about walking in on the two of them going at it, Josie screaming his name. Every time I wake up covered in sweat, my heart racing.
“Why do you hate him so much?”
I lean in so close I can smell the light floral perfume she wears on her neck. It’s all I can do not to grab her and kiss her. I know I don’t deserve her, but my body doesn’t care.
“I don’t hate him at all. The same goes for any of my other teammates.”
Her brows shoot up in surprise and she swallows hard.
“Why?”
“Because if I can’t have you, they sure as fuck can’t.”
I lean back, moving my hand away from the door. Her hand looks shaky as she turns the handle.
I won’t cross the line with her, but I can’t help myself from getting close enough to make us both wonder if I will.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Josie
“I can cancel,”Dane says.