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But slowly his face hardened again. ‘I’m not one of the men you can toy with and discard when it
suits you.’
Needles of hurt stung deep. I pushed the sensations away, telling myself it was better this way.
Better that he thought he knew enough about me to believe the lies and make judgements for himself.
That meant he was interesteddespitehis better judgement. That meant neither of us would be seriously invested.
‘The last thing I want to do with you is play, believe me.’
His fingers tightened around his bowl, the last bite forgotten. A second later, his jaw gritted. ‘My bedpost-notching days are behind me. Sorry.’
‘Are we talking about my bed or yours?’
‘Yours is purportedly far more interesting than mine.’
This time the grating lingered longer, sharp disappointment lancing me as I stared at his averted
profile. ‘I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have pegged you for a tabloid chaser.’
‘I’m not,’ he said tightly.
‘Really? Because I could’ve sworn you just judged me by the contents spewed out on a regular
basis in gossip rags.’
His gaze returned to mine, digging, attempting to see far more than I was willing to show him. ‘I’m an experienced adventurist and can easily prove that there can be the smoke without fire. Is that what you’re asking me to believe?’
I could’ve responded in a great many ways, batted him away with sarcasm and flippancy. But when
I opened my mouth, only one raw, unguarded word emerged. ‘Yes.’
His gaze was sceptical and probing, but it wavered for a moment to reveal another expression.
He wanted to believe me.
My heart leapt, a foolish action that I immediately condemned.
There was nothing to be excited about here. Bitter experience insisted that, regardless of how it
started, inevitably every relationship ended with acrimony and pain. Trust wasn’t a commodity I gave away freely; lately, I wasn’t sure I possessed it any more.
That bracing reminder cooled some of the heat rampaging through my blood. It drove me to my feet,
and I glanced around for somewhere to put the bowl.
Jensen rose too, once again towering over me as he reached for it. With quick, efficient movements, he rinsed the bowls out and tucked them away.
Within a minute he was back, tall and mouth-watering, in front of me. But the past remained a hard
reminder, a harsh voice that said I couldn’t even explore, out here in the middle of nowhere, without further risking the last of my emotional reserves.
But does it have to be that heavy? You could just no-strings fuck him.
Temptation slithered inside, quickening as my gaze dropped to his sensual lips, slowly parted as he stared at me. The air thickened between us, his eyes darkening with every second that ticked away.
‘Careful there, Jensen,’ I murmured. ‘Or I’ll think you want me to truly savour you.’