What if she didn’t want him to be noble? What if she didn’t want to be saved? What if what she wanted was to have sex with a man just because she wanted to have sex? Because she wanted what his body offered? Because she felt physical excitement when she looked at him? What if she wanted to not overthink what was happening between them and just feel, just act, just do, and live in the moment?
She bit the inside of her bottom lip. She’d never been a seductress. Although Neil had initially thrilled at her lack of experience, he’d soon pointed out her shortcomings when it came to pleasing a man.
She should go into her tent and be done with this.
She should.
But she wasn’t going to.
Because she wasn’t the love-starved woman who’d married Neil. Neither was she the beaten-down woman who’d finally had enough and walked away from what she’d no longer been willing to bear.
She was a woman who was stronger, who was figuring out who Taylor was, what Taylor wanted out of life, and was determined to enjoy the journey to figuring those things out.
She didn’t fool herself that Jack was anything more than a pleasant stop along that journey. One she’d look back on with fond memories and smiles and maybe even a few regrets.
Was she willing to let this moment pass and not take that next step? Not let him show her what she’d been missing out on for the first twenty-five years of her life? Because she knew sex with Jack would be nothing like anything she’d ever known.
A mosquito buzzed around her and she swatted it away.
Now or never, Taylor. Are you brave enough to go for what you want? Or live the rest of your life wondering what would have happened if you’d gone into his tent?
Have you shed enough of the insecurities of the past to march over to Jack’s tent and do everything in your power to make memories rather than regrets?
CHAPTER SEVEN
IGNORING THE FACT Taylor hadn’t budged from where he’d left her, Jack stripped off his T-shirt and shorts and lay down on top of his sleeping bag.
He closed his eyes, the surprised look on Taylor’s face haunting him.
Haunted him because the surprise had been replaced with uncertainty and hurt.
He didn’t want her to doubt herself, or that he wanted her.
But he’d had to step away while he still could.
He’d explain to her tomorrow why he’d had to make an abrupt exit.
The tent zipper gave way.
No.
Yes.
Jack’s heart pounded so loudly everyone probably thought one of the bands had taken the stage again.
He propped himself on his elbows, staring across the dark tent at Taylor’s silhouette, watched as she closed the tent flap, then, looking his way, stripped off her T-shirt and shorts.
Hell.
How he longed for light so he could permanently etch into his mind the memory of what she looked like at this moment.
Darkness was good. He needed to send her away.
“What are you doing, Taylor?”
She didn’t speak, just climbed in beside him and snuggled next to him on his twin-sized air mattress.
Her bare body pressed against his, which was only covered by his underwear, drove the nail home.