“I’m not hiding.” Her voice was sharp as she frowned. “I’m...not sure what I want most of all.”
“You’re not sure what you want?” Or was she uncertain that he would help her? Did she think he would deny her? Or did she believe he didn’t have the power to give her what she needed?
She speared her hands through her hair. “All right. As you know, our fling ends tomorrow night. I...” She stared at his mouth as if she was unable to look him in the eye. “I want an extension.”
Pleasure burst inside him. He was tempted to immediately agree and not examine her change of heart too closely. But this woman never broke her rules. “Why?”
She bit down on her lip as her cheeks turned pink. “Don’t do this to me,” she whispered.
He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable but he had to know. He didn’t want any miscommunication. “You’re the one who wanted to be more assertive,” he reminded her. “Tell me why you want to extend the fling.”
Claire appeared flustered as she gave an awkward shrug. “Because I’m enjoying this fling and I would like it to continue.”
Enjoyment. She had made such an impact on his life that he was ready to resurrect an old dream of going to culinary school because of her support, and she only enjoyed his company. “That’s it? You can do better than that.”
“I’m having fun,” she said with a smile. “More fun than I’ve had in a long time.”
That meant something. It wasn’t easy for Claire to relax. He was glad that he’d been able to show her how to seek pleasure. “Why a fling?”
“Why not a fling?” she asked defiantly as her gaze clashed with his. “It’s working, isn’t it? Why fix what isn’t broken?”
Because he was already having trouble with the idea of letting her go. He hadn’t realized the influence Claire had on him and his life until this week. As much as he wanted to continue this relationship and deepen their connection, every additional moment would make it more difficult to break things off.
Claire cupped his face with her hands. “I know we decided on just a week but I think we might be ending it too early.”
He swallowed hard. “What’s the harm in ending it now?”
Claire rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes. “You’re not out of my system,” she admitted.
Jason closed his eyes and exhaled. He already knew that, but how much longer would it take? Once she moved to Los Angeles, she would forget him. “We shouldn’t wait for one of us to lose interest. What would happen if you’re ready to move on and I’m not ready to go? It would be best to stick to the predetermined cut-off date.”
Claire dropped her hands and drew back to watch him carefully. Jason met her steady gaze. He prayed that she couldn’t see how vulnerable he felt at that moment.
“Jason, give me one good reason why we shouldn’t continue our fling.”
“Oh, nice, Claire. Very assertive,” he said, impressed. “Put it all on me.”
She arched an eyebrow. “You’re avoiding the answer.”
They shouldn’t continue the fling because he wanted more. After this week, he knew they could be a couple. Not just two individuals sharing a bed, but two people uniting and sharing a life together.
Did that mean he would follow Claire to Los Angeles? He felt a start of surprise but he didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand.
“I’m not your type and you’re not mine.” He knew only part of that was true. He wanted more with Claire, yes, but she was the one holding back.
“You’ve heard of the saying that opposites attract,” she argued.
“How long do you want the fling to last?” Jason found he was holding his breath.
Uncertainty flickered in her dark blue eyes. “How long do you want it to last?”
He shook his head as something close to fear wrapped around him. He needed to know how much she wanted him. “No, Claire. No hedging. You tell me. You asked for this fling to continue. How long do you want it to last?”
“I want another week,” she said in a rush and hunched her shoulders.
Disappointment crashed through him. That’s it? A week? Jason fought to keep his expression blank. He should be grateful for the extra days. In the past, he’d taken whatever he could get from a woman. But this wasn’t good enough.
“Why another seven days?” Why not until she moved? Or try a long-distance relationship? Or was she not as emotionally invested in this fling as he was?