Dani joined her, and their gazes met in the mirror. “I’m sorry about Jesse.”
Opening her make-up bag, Tara nodded. “Thanks.” She appreciated her friends checking in on her. She really did. But she also didn’t want to talk about Jesse anymore. Didn’t want to think about him. Didn’t want to remember his dark eyes looking at her, his voice in her ear, his hands on her skin.
She didn’t want to want him. Because, oh God, she still did.
Fifteen minutes later they were finished getting ready and walked out into the gym to join the guys so they could leave for dinner. But none of them were there yet.
“How did we get ready before them?” Dani asked. “Both of our hair is like down to our asses and we still beat them.”
“I don’t know,” Tara said, chuckling. Then she glanced at the door and froze.
Jesse.
Jesse was standing on the other side of the windows peering in. What was he doing here? Tara’s heart tripped inside her chest. And then she put the kibosh on her runaway expectations and realized that he might not be here for her at all. Just like she’d expected, he’d hit it off with Noah and Sean. So….
Right. Be cool.
Which was so not her strong suit. Obviously.
But she had to at least try, which was why she just waved and then turned away from him. She wasn’t letting her stupid heart get her hopes up.
Not this time.
Chapter 18
The door swung open behind her, and like a glutton for punishment, Tara turned to see Jesse heading right for her—six-foot-two inches of confusingly determined hot man coming at her five-foot-four inches of cluelessness and heartache.
“Hey, Dani,” Jesse said, his eyes locked on Tara’s.
“Uh, hi, Jesse. Whatcha doing?” Dani asked, coming to stand right beside her.
“Hi, Tara,” Jesse said. “Can I talk to you?”
She blinked out of her shock. “You joining us for dinner?” Because she couldn’t think of any other reason he’d be there. “You missed training, so I didn’t think…”
He shook his head. “No, I’m here for you.”
Tara’s belly did a nauseating little loop. “Uh, I don’t…”
“Can I please talk to you?” he asked again, those dark eyes burning with an intensity she didn’t understand. God, why did he have to be so beautiful?
“Sure,” Tara finally said.
“You sure?” Dani asked.
Managing a little smile at her friend’s protectiveness, Tara nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. Um, I’ll just meet you at the restaurant.”
Dani nodded, her gaze going from Tara to Jesse and back again. “Okay.”
“Can we…is there a private place to talk here?” he asked.
“Um. There are some classrooms down the hall that might be open,” Tara said mechanically as they pushed through the door leading to the hallway.
They closed themselves into the first empty room.
Tara hugged herself and turned toward Jesse. “So, uh, what’s up?”
He blew out a breath and came closer. “Shit. I raced over here so fast after I heard that I forgot to plan what to say.”