Page 25 of Everything In Between

My lower lip juts out in a pout when he pulls himself away from me, and I watch him shuffle around his bedroom, sliding his sweats off and trading them for a pair of gym shorts.

He pulls a sweat-wicking shirt over his head, which hugs his muscled chest perfectly.

My belly clenches with desire as I take in the muscled greatness that is this man.

Hayes’s lips pull into a one-sided smirk. He braces his hands on the mattress and leans over me until his face hovers above mine.

“If you keep looking at me like that, there’s no way I’m going to get to work.”

“Oh darn,” I whisper, leaning up and pressing my lips to his. Those questions from earlier return. Why doesn’t he come back to bed and fuck me?

He makes a low sound in his throat, and I waste no time wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him onto me again, hoping he’ll give in this time. He kisses me back for another minute before regretfully untangling himself, and I can’t hold back any longer.

“Hayes . . .” I begin, feeling embarrassed. He tilts his head, questioning. My cheeks flame and I turn my eyes away from him. “Why don’t you want to have sex with me?”

Time stands still for a moment and then Hayes reaches for me again, cupping both of my cheeks and drawing my attention back to him.

“There is nothing I want more than to be buried deep inside of you and hear you screaming for me.” My lower body heats.

I like the sound of that. “But this isn’t just about me, and I want you to know that you mean more to me than sex and physical intimacy.

I want to make sure you’re taken care of and comfortable and fully mine before I fuck you.

We don’t have to rush into anything, but don’t think for a moment it’s because I don’t want you.

I want you more than anything, and when we do cross that line, it will be mind-blowing. ”

My lower abdomen tightens, and I gasp right as Hayes leans forward and claims my lips, kissing me with a ferocity that reassures me of everything he shared.

When he pulls away, his lips are as swollen as I suspect mine are, his eyes gleaming with arousal.

Meanwhile, I’m falling deeper than I ever thought possible, plummeting head over heels into my infatuation with him.

Kissing my nose one last time, he straightens and takes a heavy breath. “You’ve got me under your spell, Jersey Matthews.” His eyes trace over my figure one last time, and then he takes another reluctant step back. “Okay, I actually have to leave now.”

“If you insist.” I bite my lip as I stretch my arms out over my head, jutting my chest out in a way I know will drive him crazy.

Hayes groans and turns around before he can give in to my temptation. I laugh to myself, loving the way this man makes me feel so powerful. I watch him walk out of the room, straining my ears to hear whatever he’s muttering to himself on the way out.

I lay on the bed for a few minutes, considering what he confessed to me. I can’t help but think I’ve found one of the good ones in him.

Reaching for my phone on the side table, I dial Bethany’s number, clicking the option for FaceTime.

“Hey!” Her smiling face greets me. “How’s it going?”

I can’t fight the matching smile off my face, and Bethany laughs. “Wow, that good, huh? I can’t remember the last time I saw you smile like that.” She pauses her lips twist into a sly position. “Oh wait, it was exactly three weeks and one day ago, when Hayes was here. Surely that’s a coincidence.”

“Absolutely a coincidence.” I play along, sinking into the pillows again. “Everything going okay there?”

She shrugs. “As well as you can imagine. Cal keeps emailing me with revisions for your new—compromised—schedule once you get back. I’m doing my best to keep it as manageable as possible. He’s relentless.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate you fielding him right now.”

“You needed a little break. I’m guessing things with Hayes are going well.”

“He’s been great. It’s weird, but in some ways, it’s like he’s known me all his life. He’s so in tune to everything about me.”

Bethany’s expression morphs into something soft and hopeful. “I love that for you, Jersey. You really deserve a relationship like that. You deserve a chance to let go and have fun.”

Out of all the people in my life, Bethany is the only one who knows the level of struggle I dealt with in my last relationship.

She had been on the receiving end of one too many tearful phone calls.

I was forever grateful for her friendship during that time, even if there was nothing she could do but listen and be there for me when it felt like I had no one else.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “Being here with him feels like a dream I’m going to wake up from at any moment.”

“I think Hayes is exactly the kind of man you’ve been needing,” Bethany muses. “Let him be your escape from the craziness of your world.”

“I know. He already has become that, I’m afraid.” I give her a wary glance. “It almost feels too good to be true.”

Bethany shakes her head. “You deserve to have somewhere safe to land. And to be honest, I think Hayes is the best guy for the job. Just live a little. At the very least, you’ll get good press for it and some incredible orgasms.”

I bite my lip, hoping Bethany doesn’t notice the way my cheeks heat up. But it’s no use.

“Oh my god.” She gasps. “Okay, I’m gonna need you to tell me everything.”