It was an asshole thing to say, but he needed her to see what she was doing. He needed the spirited, ballsy woman he knew and lo—
Adrian sucked in a silent breath. Nope, he was not going there.
Not. Fucking. Doing. It.
It was one thing to like this woman. To want to spend time with her and get to know her better. But the path he’d just about let himself go down… Guys like him weren’t welcome on it.
You sure about that?
Jenna opened her pretty mouth but almost immediately closed it. He watched as the delicate muscles in her jaw worked as she thought about what to say. “Why are you here? Why did you come back to Gulfside Harbor?”
Confession time.“I never left.”
New wrinkles formed on her forehead. “What do you mean you never left?”
“Just what I said.” Adrian slid his hands into his pockets. “I was going to leave after you kicked me out of your room last week, but I decided to stick around for a while.”
He kept his gaze laser focused on her. Knew the exact moment it clicked for her.
“Ohmygod.” She put a hand to her mouth. “You’ve been watching me this whole time, haven’t you?”
The trepidation in her eyes bothered him. A. Lot.
“Yes.”
“Why?” Jenna’s voice rose, an appalled expression washing over her. “Is Gabe paying you to watch over me or something?”
“No, he’s not fucking paying me.”
Christ, is that what she thought? Thatmoneywas his reason for being here?
What the hell elsewouldshe think, dumbass? Not like you’ve shown her you actually give a damn.
“If you’re not being paid, then why are you still here?”
Adrian stared back at her but remained silent. He didn’t have a quippy comeback. Wasn’t trying to smooth-talk her into submission like he normally would. Mainly because he had no idea what to say.
He’d steered clear of this very thing his entire adult life, and for good reason. Getting close to someone…allowing himself to care…Those were life luxuries Adrian could never afford.
It was always too damn risky. His job—his life—was too dangerous. Yet here he was, at a fork in the same damn road he’d done everything he could to avoid. And now that he was here, Adrian was confused as fuck with no clue what he should do.
Tell her the truth or lie?
It would besoeasy to lie. To convince her that there was some other reason for his being here. Something other than the fact that his days were filled with thoughts of her, and his nights were consumed with memories of the incredible afternoon they’d shared.
But he didn’t want to lie. Not anymore. Not toher.
Fuck it.
Before he could talk himself out of it, Adrian went to Jenna. He raised a palm to one of her silken cheeks, and he whispered, “I stayed because I was worried about you.”
The greens in her eyes darkened. Her lips parted, and she whispered his name. “Adrian?”
He started to lean in. To taste his new favorite flavor in the whole world. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and he needed to—
Jenna’s doctor chose that moment to barge into the room. “I thought I heard voices coming from in here.”
Sonofabitch.