Page 28 of Best Mistake Ever
When he looks back at me, to my surprise, the corner of his mouth lifts in a grin, amusement dancing in his eyes.
My stomach does a strange, slow flip at the sight of it.
I think that’s the first time I’ve seen him smile.
‘Impossible,’ he says, with real warmth in his voice.
And I love the way it makes me feel.
My entire body is rushing with a prickly, excited heat now.
Oh, my goodness, I’m deep in the danger zone here.
I’m aware of my heart beginning to race as adrenaline and need surge through me.
What have I got myself into? This is such a fine line I’m treading. I know I need to be a little bit flirtatious with Jonah – to act more like Dee – but not betooflirtatious so I don’t move things on past where he and Dee were before her accident.
I absolutely can’t allow anything to develop between us. I mustn’t. It would put everyone in a really difficult position.
But perhaps I’m getting beyond myself here. So far, he’s been nothing but professional towards me.
Apart from mentioning an attempted kiss by Dee that one time.
I wish she’d warned me that she’d tried it on with him. But then I know why she didn’t: she was embarrassed about Jonah rejecting her advances. That doesn’t tend to happen to her.
Perhaps it had something to do with him not being over his ex-girlfriend. There’s always been a brittleness about him that speaks to him being in emotional pain. It makes my heart ache for him.
I realise I desperately want to make him smile at me again.
I’ve started to feel very differently about him, now I understand the extraordinary pressure of public interest, expectation and criticism he’s had to live with all his life, thanks to his dad’s success.
That would make anyone grumpy.
I lean my hip against the worktop and he mirrors me by doing the same, his gaze not leaving mine.
He opens his mouth, as if to speak, then shuts it again, a small frown crossing his face.
I can’t tear my eyes away from him. He’s so mesmerising to look at, with his dark, brooding gaze. So intensely sexy.
‘What is it?’ I ask, my voice shaky with nervous energy. I feel my heart pounding like mad in my chest now.
‘I was just thinking…’
There’s a long pause where he openly assesses me with his eyes and my entire body rushes with tingly heat again.
It’s anticipation. Sweet, sexy anticipation.
‘Yes?’ I prompt softly, urging him to complete his sentence.
What’s he going to tell me? Something good, I hope. Something positive.
‘I—’ He laughs softly to himself then shakes his head, his gaze flicking away from mine, as if he’s afraid his thoughts are too wild, too crazy.
‘What?’ I ask again, desperate to know what’s going on in his head.
He snaps his gaze back to mine, as if making a decision. ‘I was thinking how differently I’d react now if you tried to kiss me again.’
My heart seems to leap into my throat and I feel it pounding away there. Lust urges me forwards. To go for it. To do it. To see what would happen. But my brain tells me,No, you mustn’t. You can’t.
