Page 9 of Never Let Me Go

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but it was the middle of the day. Even if the adrenaline surge had left her exhausted, her mind raced. Should she suggest a second chance for the two of them? Did she even want that?

Of course not. Jeff Grainger wasn’t the man for her. She needed someone placid. Maybe a little boring. A guy who would love her but not swallow her up in his personality.

Sexual overwhelm was all well and good for one amazing night, but not for a steady diet.

The heartbreak she had experienced and later suppressed washed over her, leaving her wistful and depressed. Shedidwant Jeff. But she didn’t know how to make that happen.

Finally, he sat down with a sigh. Marisa kept her eyes closed.

In this small room, she could almostfeelthe invisible cord that drew them together. Was he fighting it as much as she was?

She might never have this time with him again. The two of them alone. This was her chance to rewrite the ending.

But she was petrified.

Jeff was a guy. A guy who’d had far more sex than Marisa ever had. He was confident and kind and competent and sexy and a dozen other adjectives she could name.

Would it be worth it to be with him not knowing how their story might unfold?

She opened her eyes and found him watching her, his intense gaze guarded. “What are you thinking?” she asked.

“Were you afraid of me?” he asked. “That night?”

“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “I might have been afraid I was doing the wrong thing, but I was never afraid of you. Never.”

His body language relaxed. “I’m glad. When I found out you were a—”

She held out her hand, stopping him. “Iknowwhat you found out,” she said impatiently. “You’re making way too big a deal about that. My sexual state was situational, not some kind of declaration. I wasn’t waiting for Mr. Right. You needn’t have panicked.”

“I didn’t panic,” he protested.

Marisa heard his words, but she didn’t believe them. Why else would he have rushed her home so fast?

“I think maybe you did,” she said slowly. “I had visions of spending the night with you.Allnight. But you couldn’t get me out of your house fast enough. That was a crappy thing to do.”

He stared at her, his jaw working. “You’re right, Marisa. I handled the situation poorly. I’m sorry.” He paused. “Would you consider giving me another chance?”

Chapter 3

Jeff recognized the irony in their situation. They hadn’t spoken in a year and a half. Now, amid a natural disaster, they were finally having a long overdue conversation.

Never mind that they might be here for hours or even days. All else paled beside the fact that the flame between them still burned.

Marisa was pale, her expression hunted. “That’s a big ask,” she said.

“I know. But I let you get away once, and I try not to repeat my mistakes. I wouldn’t have chosen a century-old metal box for our heart-to-heart, but I’m not stupid enough to ignore this opportunity. You’re worth it.”

“Am I?” she asked. “To you, I mean? I’m completely useless when it comes to knowing what men like.”

“I don’t know about other men,” he said. “But you know whatIlike. We’ve proven that already.”

“It might have been a fluke.”

“No.” He smiled at her. “Not a fluke.”

“Would there be ground rules?” she asked, her expression pensive.

He frowned. “Like what?”

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