Page 120 of Just One Kiss

“Of course,” she said.

“I know you don’t share my feelings,” he said. “And why would you? You’re smart and beautiful and independent. I sneeze every time I’m in the same room with a bouquet of roses.”

She smiled. “You’re a great guy, David.”

“Oh, I know,” he said with a smile. “But maybe notyourguy?”

She studied him. “I don’t think I deserve you.”

He pressed his lips together and smiled warmly. “I think you deserve the moon, Carly. And I also think you deserve a fresh start.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been offered a position in Denver,” David said. “And I accepted.”

Carly took a step back. “Oh.”

“There’s something wonderful about starting over. Maybe you should consider it for yourself?”

“Moving?”

“Why not? I think getting out of Harbor Pointe could be good for you.”

“What about Jaden—his friends—the training center? He would never leave.”

David shrugged. “Maybe he would. The skiing is better in Colorado. Or if not there, somewhere else. It’s a big world.”

That was true. Maybe . . . but what was she thinking? She couldn’t leave Harbor Pointe. She’d never lived anywhere else. This was where all her memories were.

And yet, maybe that was exactly why she needed to go.

“I care about you, Carly,” David said. “You deserve to be treated with respect. You deserve to be happy. And I’d be glad to be your friend for as long as you’ll let me, but I’d be lying if I said I’d stop hoping for something more.”

It was refreshing to have an adult conversation. She definitely did not deserve this man. After all, wasn’t she the one who’d just caused a scene on a busy sidewalk?

“You’re not mad?”

“Why? Because you led me on?”

She frowned. “Don’t say that.”

“No,” he said. “Because I really don’t believe even you realize you still have feelings for Jaden’s dad.”

“But I don’t—”

He held up a hand to silence her. “It’s okay. I get it. There’s a lot of history there.”

“You’ve misunderstood, David. We’re honestly so over. We couldn’t be more over if we were the Civil War.”

A perplexed look washed across his face.

“That made more sense in my head.”

He smiled. “Think about Denver. It could be good for you and for Jaden.”

“I’ll think about it.”

He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, treating her with far more kindness than she deserved.

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