He’d been ashamed. She got that. Still.
“You could have called me afterward. I was really worried, Ben. And then after that, I was just embarrassed.”
He looked surprised. “By what?”
She laughed incredulously. “I was completely and totally…” in love with… “in awe of you. I was this geeky virgin and I thought I’d done something horribly wrong that night to put you off.”
He shut his eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry. I never thought… Shit.” He shook his head. “You’re right. I am a fucking asshole.”
“No, we were just on a completely different page. That’s all. That scene in South Beach, though. Ouch.”
“After that night, it was pretty obvious you didn’t want to see me anymore. But I should have at least called to apologize to you.”
“It’s called ghosting now,” she said trying to insert some levity. There was just one piece of the puzzle that still made no sense. “So how did you end up working in a South Beach bar?”
“When I didn’t show up for my regular job that Tuesday night, the club I was working for fired me. I was lucky to get the South Beach gig fast. With my military background, they decided to make me head bouncer. I must have worked sixty hours that week. All I could think of was making enough money to send to my mom to pay the lawyer to help my little brother.”
She thought about everything he’d just told her. Of all the scenarios Jenna had played out in her head throughout the years, this hadn’t been one of them. “I hate you, you know that?” She paused for effect. “How does anyone work sixty hours during finals week and still make a freaking perfect hundred on Dr. Parrish’s calculus final?”
He snorted.
“Seriously, you’re a good son, Ben. And a terrific uncle.”
“And you were a really nice girl that got screwed over by my shitty life.”
“It was what it was. I was upset, sure, but I got over it.”
“Did you get over getting a C on the calculus final?” he teased.
“No. And I’ll never forgive you for that,” she teased back. “But the rest? It’s water under the bridge.” She leaned her head back on the couch. “Funny. I thought when I saw you at The Bistro last week that fate was playing some kind of mean joke on me, but now that I know what really happened, it’s like I’ve gotten closure to a really bad chapter in my life.”
When he didn’t say anything, she turned her head to see him staring at her.
“Is that what you think of me?” he asked quietly. “A really bad chapter in your life? Because that’s not how I think of you.”
Defcon three! her girl parts screamed. If he kissed her, it would all be over. Please kiss me.
“You want to know how I think of you, Jenna?”
“Maybe we should—”
“You don’t want to hear it, but I’m going to say it anyway. For me, you’re the one that got away.” He cupped her face with the palm of his hand and leaned in to kiss her.
But it wasn’t like the kiss at the beach. That had been hot and urgent. This kiss was sweet and slow, and like before she couldn’t help but kiss him in return. But just when she thought he was going to deepen the kiss, he pulled back.
“I need to know. Is this you being polite again?”
“No,” she whispered truthfully.
“Good.”
He kissed her again, then flipped her onto her back and pulled her arms above her head to pin her down. The position made her vulnerable, but she would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that she liked it. He felt hard and smelled good, and it had been a long time since she’d wanted a man this badly. Thirteen years, to be exact.
“Oh my God, we’ve definitely skipped all the way down to Defcon one,” she muttered.
“What?” Then before she could answer, he shook his head. “Never mind.”
His mouth found the sensitive area beneath her ear, her throat, and the skin above her collarbone. Her hips squirmed restlessly, urging his mouth lower, but he ignored her and instead went higher, nuzzling the side of her throat again. Which was nice, but not where she wanted his mouth.