Page 23 of Imagine Me and You

“I don’t know what I just said. I think I’m crazy. Don’t listen to me.”

“You said we should have sex and you think I’m going to just...not listen to that?”

“Well, I hope you’ll write it off as temporary insanity.”

“Like last night?”

“Yes.”

“If we’re still having insanity from last night, is it really all that temporary?”

“We’re within a forty-eight-hour window. I think it is.”

Jace looked at Sam, who was looking back at him with huge eyes, chewing on her thumbnail. A gentleman might let her takeback what she’d said. A gentleman might get up and go to his room instead, take the offer off the table completely by removing himself from the situation.

But he’d proved yesterday that he wasn’t a gentleman, and she was offering sex so he sure as hell wasn’t about to start pretending he was one.

“It’s not temporary for me, Sam. I wanted you before last night. I want you now. I don’t know what that tells you, except maybe that, for me at least, it’s not just going to go away.”

“But what does that mean?” she asked. “Does it change things?”

He closed the distance between them and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, drawing her to him and kissing her hard on the mouth. She was even sweeter than he remembered. “I don’t know,” he whispered, his voice husky. “Does it?”

She bit her lip, looking at him, so close it would be easy to taste her again. “I don’t...I can’t think when you do things like that but I...I thought...I mean, wouldn’t it be better to let things go back to normal? I thought we were being normal.”

“Closing the gate when the horse already got out?” he asked.

“Maybe that’s what it is,” she said, looking down at his lips. Then she leaned in and kissed him, lightly at first, then deepening it, slowly, thoroughly. She slid her tongue against his. Her mouth fit perfectly against his, the rhythm and flow seamless.

It was nothing like other kisses he’d had. Nothing like kissing a woman he picked up in a bar who didn’t know him. Who didn’t know the steps to what he liked or the shape of his mouth. Nothing, even, like kissing a woman he was in a relationship with.

This was different. This was Samantha, and he was so acutely aware of that fact. Because she pouredherinto her kisses, and he knew her better than he knew anyone else on the planet. Herkisses were sweet, sensual, with bright spots and little points of quirkiness. Nips, licks, the way she sucked his lip between her teeth, things no one else would do.

Nobody kissed like Sam. Because no one else was Sam.

And it was Sam he craved. Had craved since he was sixteen years old and learning just how strong physical desire could be. Had wanted her every day, every hour, every moment since then, no matter how hard he’d tried to pretend he hadn’t.

The freedom now, to kiss her, just kiss her, was like balm on a wound he hadn’t known he’d had.

When she pulled away they were both breathing hard and her eyes were glistening, the confusion in her expression causing a wrenching his stomach. “I...Jace.” She closed her eyes and leaned in, kissing him again. “I need you to promise me something,” she said when she pulled away.

“What?”

“This won’t ruin us.”

“How could it?” he asked, even as he thought of a million different ways. But for him, their relationship was already changed. Because when her lips had touched his a moment ago he’d realized how much feeling he’d been holding back. And now that he’d seen it, now that he felt it, he couldn’t go back to pretending it wasn’t there.

It was too late for things to be unspoiled for him. And maybe it was selfish of him to want to push on through the feelings. If their friendship wasn’t changed forever for her, then maybe he should keep it that way.

But he felt selfish. Completely and totally ungentlemanly. And he was okay with that. Right now, he was very okay with it.

“Sam,” he said, “I care for you. I’m attracted to you. We’ll follow through and see what happens. It can’t ruin things. What we have is too strong.”

“Just sex?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. And he hated the answer. Because he wished he could give her more. He wished he could have more. But he couldn’t make those promises. And he knew Sam didn’t want them.

Sex was one thing, but bringing emotions in—that was one gamble too far. Friendship and sex, a change to excise the wanting that was starting to take over his body, his life.

---