Page 62 of Please, Stay

“You can’t know that, Juliana. I’ll be on the other side of the planet for at least six months. Phone calls would be rare, and I’m shit for a pen-pal. I hate texting. I’m not going to have you and me turn into some booty call in between films. Being with you feels too real. You deserve more.”

It was real for her. She was really in love and about to have her heart broken into a million pieces when he left. “I guess let me get dressed then. I need to finish this article, so it can go to the editor.”

A wicked look snapped into his eyes. “You could always write like this. You won’t get any complaints out of me.”

She patted him on the shoulder, and he let her up. “I would throw a similar dare at you, reading your script without any pants on, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t bat an eyelash.”

“Nope.”

She picked up her bra and shirt, angry that she didn’t have more confidence or wasn’t so irresistible that he couldn’t think about the consequences.

“Juliana…”

She turned. He stood beside the bed, hands linked behind his neck, his arms tense, and a pained expression on his face. Her heart tripped. His body was amazing. He’d no doubt been with beautiful women before, not someone normal like her.

His hands dropped to his side, and he took a step closer. “Don’t leave mad. I don’t want you hurt. Please understand that.”

“I can take care of myself, Grayson.” She gripped her shirt in front of her chest, feeling exposed.

He leaned down until he was almost nose-to-nose. “If even a small part of that—” he tapped her breastbone “—is mine, then I’m going to protect it the best way I can.” His hand skimmed over her skin to her shoulder and down her arm. The blue of his eyes darkened as he followed the movement.

Risking it, she dropped her shirt. Her finger traced the lion’s head, focusing on that instead of the intensity of his eyes. “If you don’t want to hurt me, then don’t reject me.”

“I’m not rejecting you.”

“Yes.” Her voice sounded stronger. More confident. “You are. I know what I want.” She stepped to him, pressing their bodies together, taking a deep breath. He still smelled like the beach. The heat and ocean. “I want you.” She tapped the lion tattoo. “You shared this with me. I know that was hard. If you won’t regret that, then you can’t possibly think I’d regret sleeping with you.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “Damn, that hits deep.” He sighed and looked up. “Jules,” he began before cutting off his next thought with a kiss. He pushed her backward to the bed. “You promise me, this is what you want.”

She rose on her toes, pulling him as close as possible. “I promise.”

* * *

Mindless sexin the dark was easy.

Facing Juliana, the trust in her eyes, giving him complete control, damn near killed him. But he wanted it that way. He needed that edge of pain that this might be the one time in his life to face down that raw emotion of wanting something so much it physically hurt. He’d take the pain to have the memory of this woman.

The one woman in the world that shattered his soul.

He kissed her. Long deep kisses that overrode his desire to take his time. He unzipped her jeans, pushing them down her hips along with her underwear until she laid naked under him.

“You’re having all the fun.” She reached for his belt, but he stopped her hands.

Fun? This wasn’t fun.

The full daylight in his room made every inch of her perfection visible. He skimmed his fingertips along the side of her body, down to her hip and back up.Funwas driving his motorcycle fast.

He pressed his lips to the column of her throat before kissing her along the trail his fingertips had just traced down the curve of her body, inch-by-inch, and back up, breathing in the sweet smell of vanilla that clung to her skin.Funwas hanging out with her friends.

Gently, slowly, he slipped his hand between her thighs.

“Grayson,” she whispered, her back arching slightly.

No, this wasn’tfun.Touching her body, hearing his name on her lips, finding her ready for him, couldn’t be described with one, simple, overused word.

He stood, quickly taking off his jeans and grabbing the condom from his toiletry bag. Again, a flash of him having children with Juliana made his heart skip. But the fact that itdidn’tscare him was enough to scare the shit out of him.

“Why are you frowning?” Juliana propped up on her elbows. “I swear if you are having second thoughts after getting this far—”

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