Page 17 of Before You Can Blink
“Jett.” She breathed my name softly, almost like a plea to let this drop, but that wasn’t happening.
“Talk to me, Daze. Please,” I begged. “You were wondering if maybe I wanted to . . .” I stared at her expectantly.
She heaved a sigh, her eyes slamming shut before she finished her earlier sentence, the words barely a whisper when she said, “Come upstairs.”
A stunned exhale slipped past my parted lips; my jaw had gone slack. “Oh.”
Lower lip trembling, she avoided my gaze when her lashes finally lifted. “Can we just forget this ever happened? Clearly, I’ve misread the situation, and now I’m so embarrassed I could die.”
“Misread the situation,” I repeated in a daze.
“It’s stupid.” Daisy released a shaky breath. “We spend every night together, and God, I have so much fun between the dancing and thetalking and the laughing. Then there are the goodnight kisses that make my toes curl inside my shoes. You’ve been taking things so slow with me, and I thought it was you being a gentleman, not wanting to push me into something I wasn’t ready for, so I decided to make the first move. I should’ve known better.”
My eyebrows rose high on my forehead. “You should’ve known better? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I get it, okay? It’s one thing to share a nightly kiss with a girl that’s got all this”—she gestured to her soft middle and wide hips—“going on. Another to be truly attracted enough to sleep with someone my size.”
I blinked at her for a full minute before barking, “Are you fucking serious?”
She jolted at my harsh tone, and I felt like the biggest asshole. Fuck, I was only making this worse.
“Sorry,” I muttered, dragging a hand over my jaw. “You just set my blood to boiling thinking that there’s ever been a time when someone made you feel like less because God gave with both hands when he created you.” My head shook in disbelief before I breathed out, “You’re perfect, Daisy. Your curves drive me insane, and I won’t stand here and lie to you. I’ve spent more than my fair share of nights alone in bed, picturing what that incredible body looks like naked.”
Daisy’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” I chuckled, moving in to cup her cheeks. “There are days when I wonder what the hell you’re doing, wasting your time with a guy like me. And then I tell my inner thoughts to shut the hell up because no good can come from questioning it.”
Blue eyes searched mine. “So, if I asked again, would your answer be yes?”
I’d just told her I wouldn’t lie to her, and I wasn’t about to break that vow now. “I want to. God, Daze, do I want to.”
Disappointment settled over her features. “I can feel abutcoming.”
She had me there.
“But—“ I held eye contact as I said the following words. “I’m afraid if I do, it’ll end with you getting hurt.”
Daisy sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh! Are you into rough sex, or something?”
Jesus, this girl. I guess she really needed me to spell this out for her.
“No, it’s not that.” I tugged on the back of my neck as I put space between us. “I’m leaving in a few weeks, and someone as incredible as you deserves more than I have to offer.”
Her head tilted to the side as she assessed me. “And what is it that youdohave to offer?”
My shoulders lifted on a shrug. “Casual sex.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “God, hearing that out loud, I sound like a total jackass.”
Lips pressed together, Daisy hummed. “I like you, Jett.”
“I really like you too.”
“But you haven’t been listening very well if you don’t know that I’m not planning on sticking around here either. Rust Canyon is merely a pit stop for me, so I don’t have anything more than casual sex to offer you either.”
Well, shit. Hadn’t been prepared for her to be on the same page, but I was pleasantly surprised.
“I only ask one thing,” Daisy continued.
“What’s that?”
