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“I just need to get some water and settle down.” Finally she gave him eye contact. “It’s me, not you.”
Bewildered, Jaden sat back in his seat, “Really?”
Claudia understood how she sounded. “I mean, it must have been the ride and all my crazy thoughts. I just need to get some water.”
Jaden knew Claudia was holding back from him. Relaxing a bit, he put the car in reverse and pulled off the gravel to the road.
They rode in silence back to the Palazzo hotel. Standing in front of her suite Jaden spoke.
“Claudia whatever it is that you’re feeling, don’t hold it back from me. We’re getting to know one another, right? No holding back.”
That was easy for him to say, she thought. He wasn’t the one falling in love when they were friends with benefits. But since they’d left Puerto Rico, the benefits portion of this friendship had become obsolete, since every time Claudia thought they would have sex, Jaden withdrew. She didn’t know what to think, but she did know she wanted and needed to connect with him.
“Would you like to come in?”
“If you’ll have me.”
She turned to insert her key card. The pad on the door struck green, and they walked inside. Housekeeping had obviously made their rounds since the bed Claudia left ruffled was now just as sharp as it was when they checked in.
Going straight to the bar, Claudia pulled a short glass from the counter and added two cubes of ice.
“Would you like something to drink?” Claudia asked.
“What do you have?”
“Well let’s see.”
Claudia bent to eye the display of liquors calling them out one at a time and giving Jaden a full view of her round, voluptuous backside.
“Let me help you with that,” he said appearing behind her like he’d been conjured.
Claudia stood slowly, indulging in the warmth of his body heat. Her pulse spiked, and she chugged the glass of water. It did nothing to calm her raging libido. Jaden reached for a glass and poured brown liquor on top of two cubes.
“Feeling refreshed?” He asked glancing to her empty glass of water.
“Hardly,” she chuckled.
“More?”
“I don’t think the water is going to suffice.”
“You have wine, or perhaps…” he offered her the liquor pointing the bottle at her glass.
It was probably the last thing she needed, but she went for it anyway.
“Just a shot.”
That one shot turned into two.
“Can you handle it?” Jaden asked.
“Can you?”
Jaden’s brows rose. Somehow, he knew they were no longer speaking in terms of the liquor.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Can you handle it?” Claudia took a step forward.