“That’s no guarantee for success,” she said as they stepped onto the sidewalk.
“You will always be successful, Claire. And do you know why? Because you have grit. You keep going when you face opposition.”
“I wish I didn’t have to.” There were times when she didn’t have the energy or the drive. “I would love for something to happen effortlessly. I mean, who wants to work constantly? That’s not an enviable quality.”
“It is,” he argued in a quiet voice. “You take that trait for granted. You’ve achieved your dream because of your persistence. Not everyone can say that.”
She frowned, deep in thought, as he walked her to her door. She’d assumed her learning disabilities and below-average IQ were curses. She hadn’t considered that they had given her a gift. The gift of persistence.
“Claire?”
She glanced up and discovered that they were already at her door. “Oh, sorry. I was just considering what you said. Thanks for inviting me to the event,” she told Jason as she hurriedly got her keys out of her purse.
“About what happened tonight in the bathroom...”
Tension gripped her shoulders as a blush scorched her cheeks. “Mmm-hmm?” she asked as she concentrated on unlocking her door.
“What do you want to do about it?”
Claire froze as her door swung open. What was he asking? She shouldn’t be too hopeful. She cautiously looked up at Jason. His expression was fierce and her pulse started to race. “What do you mean?”
“We’re creating this story that has to end in less than five days.”
She wished it didn’t. She wanted it to go on and on. “Yes, that’s right.”
“Where do you want to go from here?” His voice was rough and low.
What did she want to happen? She wanted to explore what had happened earlier tonight. She wanted that more than anything. Something special had happened between them, but she was afraid to push forward.
How was that for persistence? She was a hypocrite, lecturing Jason about rejection and yet she couldn’t go after her sexiest fantasies. She was so afraid to put herself out there and take the next step.
She wouldn’t get what she wanted until she asked for it. No, not asked. She wasn’t going to wait and be polite about it. She had to be bold and take action.
But what if this was all one-sided? What if this project didn’t uncover an attraction simmering beneath the surface? If she got the job, she didn’t want to leave town wondering what might have been, but she also didn’t want to make a fool of herself by propositioning the hottest guy who’d never really noticed her. She didn’t want that to be her lasting impression.
Then again, what did she have to lose? If she got the job, she’d be moving to LA.
“Claire?” he prompted her.
“I want to make the lie into a truth.” She stumbled over the words and wasn’t sure if she’d made any sense.
“I don’t understand,” Jason said.
Her mouth suddenly went dry and she tried to swallow. “I think we should make this fake fling a real one. One week, no strings attached.”
She darted her gaze away. Her pulse beat hard against the skin at the base of her throat. A flush slowly spread from her chest to her neck and flooded her face. She felt his hot gaze on her as she waited impatiently for his reply.
Silence filled the air.
Claire forced herself to look at Jason. She wasn’t sure if she would see amusement or indifference in his eyes. His gaze slammed with hers. Jason’s features were harsh as his eyes glittered. Was he angry? She hadn’t expected that.
“Because it will make our relationship more believable?” he guessed.
He thought she was using him? She couldn’t let him believe that. She had to state her intentions more clearly. Put herself out there like she’d never done before. There was no going back or making light of it if he refused.
“Because I want you, Jason.” She said it in a rush before she lost her nerve. Claire hated how her voice shook. “I want to continue what happened tonight and I want to take you to bed.”
He tilted his head and stared at her. She saw a glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes.
“But I don’t want to push you into something that will make you uncomfortable,” she babbled nervously. “And if you’re not interested, that’s okay. No hard feelings.”
The grim line of his mouth softened. The left corner hitched. She held her breath in suspense. Was he amused or was he pleased?