She turned to me and crossed her arms over her mouthwatering breasts. “If you really want to know, that’s what I was thinking about, Wyatt. I was trying to decide if I could hop into bed with a guy who still has feelings for another woman. It would be an idiotic thing to do, but I’m still tempted. I’m thirty-five years old, and I have absolutely no clue what sex would be like with a man who is really physically attracted to me. And I know you are attracted to me.”

“And exactly who do you think I still have feelings for?” I asked as I searched her face to try to figure out what the hell she was thinking.

“Your ex,” she said emphatically. “You said you didn’t have a heart to give away. I think part of it still belongs to her. I’m not asking for you to be crazy about me or anything, but it might be uncomfortable to sleep with you if you still care about her.”

Simone?

Oh, hell no.

But as I looked into Shelby’s hesitant gaze, I knew that was truly what she thought.

“Do you really think I’m that much of an idiot?” I grumbled, offended that she thought I’d be hanging onto any feelings for a woman who had never given a shit about me in the first place.

She shook her head slowly. “No. You’re probably the most intelligent person I know, but sometimes feelings last—”

“Mine didn’t,” I growled as I moved closer to her and slapped a hand on each side of the counter, essentially penning her in until I had a chance to explainexactlyhow I felt. “She burned me, Shelby. I’ll admit that the relationship made me wary, but I’d have to be a total idiot to still be pining for a female who probably didn’t care whether or not I ever came back from a deployment alive. Justin was your one big mistake. She was mine. End of story. The only female I even think about right now is you, and Iamcrazy about you, whether you want that or not. Do you understand that?”

I waited long enough to see her nod that she understood, and then I forced myself to turn away and started to walk back toward the stairs.

If I didn’t leave, I knew I’d probably do something shedefinitelywasn’t ready for right now.

Shelby

Istood there for several minutes after Wyatt’s departure, my heart hammering against my chest wall because of his firm denial about having any feelings left for Simone.

He doesn’t love her. He doesn’t feel anything for her anymore.

Not only had he made it clear that he didn’t have feelings for Simone, but he’d let me know that hewascrazy about…me.

I finally moved to take the cookies out of the oven and to finish cleaning up.

I hadn’t realized until those words had left Wyatt’s lips that he’d said exactly what I wanted to hear. What I’dneededto hear because I felt exactly the same way, and feeling that damn vulnerable alone was terrifying.

I started the dishwasher after I’d cleaned the kitchen, wondering if he was angry or if I’d hurt him by assuming that he still had feelings for a woman who didn’t deserve them.

I smiled a little as I heard Xena snoring comfortably on her bed in the corner of the living room. At some point, she’d obviously gotten bored watching me bake cookies.

I climbed the stairs, my heart aching because I’d jumped to a conclusion due to my damn insecurities.

Wyatt had never been anything but honest with me, and I’d screwed up by thinking he still cared about another woman.

Wyatt was attracted to me.

He liked me, and we were friends.

He felt the same crazy chemistry I did.

Did I really want to toss the opportunity away to explore this relationship because I was still a little insecure after my nightmare marriage to a jerk?

I’d told him we came from different worlds, but that had really never mattered, either.

It was just another excuse to avoid getting hurt in the future.

I stopped at Wyatt’s bedroom door, but I couldn’t hear anything but silence.

He’s probably asleep.

It was after two in the morning.