Page 28 of Just for Tonight

"I really don't care," I said. "It's not that important to me. I wouldn't offer it so easily if it was. I only thought of showing it to you because we were talking about stamping." I paused and shrugged. "Really, I was just looking for an excuse." I had not planned on adding that, and I felt a gut-clenching wave of nerves as a result of my big mouth.

"An excuse for what?" he asked.

"Nothing. I don't know what I'm even saying. I'm tired."

"I'll let you get some sleep," he said. "But I will take this to Japan with me."

I watched in awe as he put it in his pocket. Everything Beau did was appealing to me. Every move he made was attractive.

"Are you going to hang out with Rose and AJ?" I asked.

"Yeah, why, do you want to come in there with us?"

"No, I need to turn in."

"Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep," I agreed, slowly.

A few seconds of silence passed.

"What?" I asked, since he was looking at me.

"You're acting weird," he said.

"No, I'm not. You are."

"I’m not acting weird at all. I knew this would happen."

"You knew what would happen?"

"Whatever happened in Chicago," he said. "I knew it would cause weirdness."

"Nobody's being weird," I said, smiling at him with wide eyes.

Chapter 10

"Okay then, goodnight," Beau said.

I had told him nobody was being weird, and I really regretted it. I was being weird. I wanted him to be weird, too. Whatever that meant. I desperately wanted him to kiss me. He had given up too easily. He was waiting for me to return the farewell, and instead, I just shook my head a little.

"No?" he said, seeing me shake my head.

"If neither of us wants to be with anyone, and we know it's not going to lead to anything, what's the harm in …" a nauseating wave of nerves hit me as I realized how desperate I was being. He was trying to walk away, and there I was, begging him to kiss me.

"What are you saying?" Beau asked, pulling back to look at me.

"Nothing," I said, feeling mortified. "I told you I was tired. I'm blabbering."

Beau reached out for me and I went to him. I didn't know what we were doing, but he pulled me into a hug. I had hugged a few of the Camerons and Morgans since I had been here, but nothing like this. Beau held me like I was something precious. I didn't realize how much I had been missing this type of human contact. I finally pulled back, looking at him.

"I was glad when you called me back here," he said. "And I didn't want to leave without checking in as your fake boyfriend."

"Then why were you leaving without doing it?"

"I don't know. I didn't know where you stood or what you wanted."

"What do you want?" I asked, staring at him. His gaze roamed to my mouth, and I knew what he wanted. He moved quickly, invading my space, finding my mouth with his. I leaned upward, kissing him back. My mouth was dry and I licked my lips before kissing him again.

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