“There are moments I like you,” I said slowly. “But I think like is the wrong word.”
He raised a brow. “Oh?”
I nodded and kicked the door shut behind him, bringing our bodies an inch apart. “I think want is more accurate.”
He searched my face and I knew he was toiling with the possibilities and ramifications of what this encounter could mean. How far we could go. Because I was doing the same thing.
But I was done thinking about that.
Mostly because I was done feeling the way I did. I wanted that brief moment back where time stopped and all I felt was Leo. Where I wasn’t this awful woman no one believed in. That I wasn’t alone in my life.
“It’s been a bad day,” I said.
He scoffed and tugged his damp shirt once. “Tell me about it.” His hand trailed down and I thought he’d touch me, but he didn’t. “You said you wanted professional,” he reminded me, throwing my words from the night at the gala in my face.
“I do. But I’m off the clock right now. And I want . . .”
He crouched enough to coax me to look at him. “What do you want?”
The edge in his voice made me think that maybe, just maybe, if I asked him, he’d give me it. It was a risk, but the coldness was overwhelming and his heat was too tempting to turn away from.
“You,” I said softly.
His dark brows sliced down with a look of concern. “What happened tonight, Paige?”
“N-nothing.”
“Bullshit. You look . . .” he examined my face. “Sad.”
I cleared my throat. I’d just admitted I wanted him and was now standing vulnerable. I needed some power back.
“I’m fine.”
He shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
The words hurt, but not in the way they did from everyone else. Leo, once again, was calling me out, forcing me to admit something I didn’t want to. Something he seemed to see.
“I want honesty from you, Paige. And I’m tired of you coming at me fifty percent, then walking away.”
He stepped out the front door to leave me, and I realized how shitty that notion felt. I grabbed his arm. I was already waging a losing battle against this pain in my stomach and the tears dancing behind my eyes. If he left tonight, I just might break.
“Don’t.”
He turned around and looked at where I was gripping him on the arm, then at my face.
“Stay,” I whispered. “And I promise, you can be the one to leave after.”
“You still don’t get it. I didn’t want to leave the first time.”
I swallowed hard and something so honest, so passionate flashed in his eyes. How long had I left him waiting at the bar before he realized I’d snuck out? A few minutes? An hour? I pushed the guilt down because it was the last feeling I wanted to have. The last feeling I wanted him to have.
“I didn’t want to leave either,” I mumbled and he frowned.
“Then why did you? Twice?”
“Because I don’t like you.” The words came out so quickly that I couldn’t stop them.
“Awesome,” Leo scoffed. “You know, I’m a pretty relaxed guy, but you?” Those blue eyes swept over me. “You make no sense. And I’ll be damned if I let another woman fuck with my mind. The shit you pulled tonight with the flowers, only to deny what you feel for me is . . .” His eyes leveled me with an angry blue ice stare. “Heartless.”