Secret Weapon

She caught her breath and laughed giddily. “Well, maybe I have learned something.”

He laughed and stroked her breasts, then she felt his cock withdraw. He rolled her onto her back and prowled over her, then kissed her. Sweet and passionate. Her heart swelled and she melted into the kiss. When he released her mouth, she gazed up at him … and saw love in his eyes. Pure, unadulterated love.

Oh, God, what have I done?

Seventeen

Sloan watched Janine’s expression grow guarded as he gazed down at her. What had happened to throw up her barriers?

“Sloan, what are we doing?” Janine asked.

He kissed her shoulder and rolled onto his side. “Well, I think we’re basking in afterglow.”

“I mean this. You and me. We want different things from a relationship.”

Damn, he didn’t like the sound of this.

“All I want is you.”

“No, you don’t. You want a woman who will be true to you. Who wants to be with you alone.”

He sat up. “What’s wrong with that?”

“That’s not me, that’s what.”

“It could be if you’d give it a chance.”

She waved her finger at him. “That’s the problem right there. You believe I just have to fall in love with you and I’ll give up my wanton ways to be with you.”

“I didn’t say your ways were wanton.”

“No, but you have been hoping I’ll fall madly in love with you and want to be with you exclusively. Admit it.”

He crossed his legs and gazed down at her. “Okay, I really do believe you have feelings for me. That if you’d just let yourself, you’d fall in love with me.”

She pushed herself up on one elbow and stared at him with earnest blue eyes. “That’s the thing. I am in love with you.”

He stared at her and blinked.

“You’re in love with me?” His heart wanted to soar, but caution gripped him.

“I’ve known I loved you since that first kiss years ago,” she continued. “But I knew it wouldn’t work then and I know it won’t work now.”

“But … why not?”

“Face it, Sloan. We want different things. But mostly, you want me to change, and I can’t change for you. Neither of us would ever be happy.”

“Try me.”

“Sloan, we need to end this now, before either of us gets hurt.”

When he gazed into her eyes, he saw the pain there and realized he wasn’t the only one fighting for what he wanted. She wanted him, too, but she couldn’t give up herself to have him.

His chest compressed. And he shouldn’t expect her to.

Damn it, what the hell was wrong with him? She had to be who she was, not who he wanted her to be, otherwise she could never be truly happy. And neither would he.

“Okay, you’re right. I have been hoping you’d choose to give up seeing other guys and just be with me. I love you. What else could you expect? But I understand that you need to be who you are. I respect that.”