Page 77 of Wicked Temptations

He exhaled slowly. “Because I didn’t know what to say. Because every time I tried to type something back, it sounded wrong or stupid or not enough.” His fingers drummed against the table.

That wasn’t everything. He had more to say, but he didn’t know how to get the words out. Thankfully, I’d just learned a trick that might help.

“And?”

“And... and I was scared.”

Holy shit.

“Of what?”

This time, when he looked at me, it was justhim. No guardrails or walls. No lies that he’d tricked himself into believing, and no shadows of pain he’d never opened up about.

“Of you.” Jude gestured between us. “Of this. Whatever the fuck this is. Of wanting something I don’t know how to have.”

Holy.Fucking.Shit.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Keeping this distance between us was tearing me apart, and while we’d never been tender with each other, I needed that for us now. I needed him to understand how much I wanted him, issues and all.

I stood, and his eyes tracked me as I walked around the table. When I got to his chair, I didn’t do anything. Just stood there, looking down at him with his messy hair and exhausted eyes, and that stubborn set to his jaw that made me want to kiss him and punch him at the same time.

“I’m not asking you to have it all figured out,” I said. “I’m not asking for some big declaration or a label we can slap on this and call it done.”

“Then what are you asking for?”

“More than what we had.” I reached down, slid my fingers into his hair the way I’d been thinking about doing since I walked through the door. His breath hitched even though I kept it gentle. “More than just fucking in closets and pretending we don’t mean anything to each other.”

“Ash.”

“I want to try.” My thumb brushed against his temple. “I want to see what happens if we stop fighting it and actually give this a shot. I want to get to know you, take you on a date.”

His hand came up, wrapped around my wrist. Not pulling me away. Just holding on. “I don’t know if I’m any good at this.”

“At what?”

“At being with someone. At letting someone in.” His eyes searched mine. “I’m going to fuck it up.”

“Probably.” I leaned down, bringing our faces closer. “I will too. We’ll piss each other off and say shit we don’t mean and make each other crazy.”

“That’s not exactly a selling point.”

“Yeah, but the making up will beincredible.”

His mouth curved. Almost a smile. Almost. “You’re such a cocky bastard.”

“You love it.”

“I really don’t.”

“Liar.”

His grip on my wrist tightened. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Ash. The whole time I’ve been stuck here, every goddamn minute, you’ve been in my head.”

“Good.” I shifted, angling my head. “Because you’ve been driving me insane since before I even got hired. Watching you perform, seeing you own that stage like you were born for it. I took this job because of you, you know?”

“I know.”

“You did?”