Jason briefly closed his eyes as the raw pain whipped through him. At one point in his life he had preferred casual flings. He hadn’t wanted to get emotionally involved or have expectations placed on him.
But that was before Claire. She’d cured the restlessness he had been struggling with. He liked the way she challenged him. He liked the man he was, the man he was becoming, when he was with Claire.
But he had to accept the truth: they had no future. She was a hardworking and ambitious woman while he was a man who coasted through life. How could she respect someone like him? She had already made it clear that she didn’t understand why he had given up on his dream.
He wanted to register for the culinary school but going after that dream would change everything. It would throw his life into chaos and make him inspect his flaws and abilities. And that was if he got accepted into the school. If he got rejected again it would crush his last glimmer of hope.
Why had he told Claire about his dreams? She looked at him differently now. Better? Worse? He wasn’t sure. And why was he seriously considering giving the application process one more try?
Claire wasn’t the most optimistic person and maybe that was why her words of encouragement carried more weight. Or maybe her ambitious nature was beginning to rub off on him.
But Claire wasn’t going to be here for much longer. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to pursue this dream if she wasn’t going to be part of it.
His breath caught in his throat when Claire strode into the bedroom. Her blond hair was tousled and fell past her breasts, hiding her pink nipples. His gaze lingered on her naked body. She was toned but curvy. Her breasts were high and full and her hips were gently rounded. She was soft and feminine. His cock stirred as blood began to pound through his veins. He wanted her again, despite the fact that he had claimed her several times during the night.
“Oh, Jason!” She halted next to the bed. “Did I wake you up?”
He had woken up when he reached out for Claire and found her side of the bed empty. He had missed the way she clung to him. But he wasn’t going to tell her that. It was too revealing. “Who was that on the phone?
“That was Max,” she said as she crawled onto the bed. Her tone was matter-of-fact. “I invited him to your party as you suggested.”
He didn’t say anything as she straddled his hips. His hands automatically went to her legs. His stroked them tenderly, carefully avoiding the bruise on her thigh. She had earned those marks while trying to impress a potential boss.
She must really want that job in LA. He didn’t want her to go, but he couldn’t hold her back. Why was it that he had known Claire for most of his life but only noticed her when it was almost too late?
“Jason, I need to ask another favor.” She leaned over him, her fingers gripping his shoulders. “Yesterday you said I don’t defend myself and I know it’s true. I want to be more assertive, but I’m not sure where to start.”
He had trouble thinking straight as the sense of impending loss continued to roll through him. “You’re assertive with me,” he said gruffly. “Our brainstorming sessions can turn into arguments.”
“But I’m only that way with you,” she said as she slid her hands down his chest. “I have to try to be that way with others.”
Others. Like Max? Jason’s fingers dug into Claire’s legs. He wasn’t going to think that way. Claire needed to learn how to stand up for herself, especially to the likes of Max Blair.
“Okay,” he said as he skimmed his hands to cup her bare ass. “Let’s start now.”
Claire rocked her hips forward. “What do you mean?”
Jason closed his eyes and held back a moan. “Ask me for something,” he ordered in a raspy tone. He shivered, his cock twitching, as her fingernails grazed his skin.
“Like what?” she asked.
He was having difficulty following the conversation. All he wanted to do was roll her onto the mattress and plunge into her body. “Ask me for something you really want,” he said through his clenched teeth. “Something you’re passionate about.”
Her fingers skipped down his abs as she considered his words.
Jason arched his spine. “What is it you want most of all?”
She parted her lips and hesitated before she looked away. “I’ll have to think about it. Maybe later—”
Jason abruptly sat up and clamped his hands on her hips so she couldn’t leave. “Stop hiding, Claire.”