Page 36 of Between Now and Forever
His brows shoot to the ceiling. He quickly catches himself and smoothens his features.
I scramble, trying desperately to figure out how to sweep this under the rug.Do I say I was kidding?
Jay bites his lip and watches me.
Oh, what’s it matter? He’s just Jay, after all—the guy who won’t look twice at Della. He’s obviously not interested in me.
“So do you have any friends looking for a hookup?” I ask, smiling sweetly. I might as well lean all the way in at this point.
“No.”
The word is rough and raw, uttered with an unshakable confidence. It toys with my hormones. It ruffles my feathers. The single syllable, mixed with the severity in his tone, nearly has me panting.
Why do I always go for the unavailable ones?
He gets to his feet and takes the towel off his shoulders. He wipes his face again before tossing it on the arm of the chair.
I stand, too, and try not to stare at him. He’s a beautiful, handsome puzzle I can’t quite snap together.
“Thanks for letting me borrow your flannel,” I say. “And thanks for helping Carter tonight with his ball.”
“It’s no problem.”
I smile at him and then head for the door.
“I’ll tell the boys not to bother you,” I say. “And like I said, we are self-sufficient ... despite the events of the last two days. Don’t worry about us being needy and wanting to connect or anything.”
It’s a joke—mostly. At least, I mean it as one. But when he reaches in front of me to open the door and I look up into his eyes, I’m not sure he took it that way.
He peers down at me with his hand on the knob. A storm wages in those hazel orbs. The intensity of the golds and browns holds my attention, not letting me look away.
Each breath has his chest brushing against my arm. I’m frozen in place, held hostage by nothing but his silent demand not to move.
It’s a request I’m too happy to oblige.
“Gabrielle . . .”
“Yes?”
The storm picks up. So does his breathing. My heartbeat races in anticipation of what he’s going to say.
Or do.
He licks his lips. His tongue leaves a trail of wetness behind, making him that much more kissable. His gaze drops to my mouth.
My mind races, sorting through a million thoughts powering through my brain at warp speed.Is he going to kiss me?
He lowers his face toward mine. I lift my chin to meet him, my breath trembling. This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense since he’s not into connecting with people—and kissing me would definitely be a connection.But who am I to turn down a kiss from a sexy man?
My heart thunders in my ears. I’m barely able to stand. The pressure between my thighs is so heavy, so great, that I squeeze them together, or else I’ll moan.
“Thanks again for the shirt,” he says, pulling the door open and stepping away.
What the actual hell?
My stomach drops. My jaw goes right along with it.
He makes no move except to blink.
