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“No thanks. I’m good.”
He popped one in his mouth and slowly chewed it. Then he turned to her and said, “I do get lonely sometimes, but I’ve found ways to deal with it.”
“Such as?”
“Hiking.”
“Which you usually do alone.”
“I went with you.”
“Only because I invited myself.”
“I would have asked you…eventually.”
She raised her brows in doubt.
“I also went to the bar with you,” he said, sounding defensive.
“Only because we needed a designated driver.”
“That wasn’t the only reason.”
He paused, and she held her breath.
“I also went because of you.”
“To save me from the big, bad men who wanted to dance with me?”
“Believe me, they didn’t just want to dance with you.”
“What about you?”
“I wanted to do more than dance with you too.”
It was obvious that he wanted her physically, but could she be satisfied with that?
He capped his water bottle and set it on the nightstand. “Are you finished?” he asked, motioning to her water.
She nodded and handed it to him. He set it down and then turned to her. “It’s late. You should try to get some sleep.”
She considered asking him to stay but decided not to. He obviously wasn’t used to sharing a bed with someone, and she didn’t want to force him into it. Besides, she was starting to feel sleepy.
The bed creaked as he rose. “Knock on the wall if you need me.”
“I will.”
He leaned down, brushed a kiss on her forehead, and went out the door, closing it firmly behind him.
A forehead kiss, really? After everything we just did? She glanced at the empty space beside her and sighed. After the intimacies they’d shared, he’d left her bed like it was no big deal.
He’d admitted he wasn’t big on cuddling, but would it have been so horrible for them to fall asleep and wake up in the same bed together? As for the dreaded forehead kiss, she’d thought those were reserved for parents and well-meaning relatives, not someone she’d just seen naked and done intimate things with!
Furthermore, she’d been fully dressed the entire time. Wasn’t he curious to see what she looked like naked? She frowned at the closed door, thinking how symbolic it was. He’d opened himself up to her for a limited time, just long enough for them to experience release, and afterward he’d closed himself off again. Yes, he’d answered a few questions, albeit reluctantly and a bit defensively, and then he’d practically bolted out the door.
Am I being too hard on him? After all, the man had saved her from certain death by bear attack. He’d carried her home, wrapped her ankle, and taken good care of her. However, wouldn’t he have done the same for anyone? He took care of people. That’s what he did. His family, employees, the resort. He was like a rock: strong, impenetrable, and sometimes immovable. On the one hand, she admired his resilience, but his steadfastness didn’t lend itself well to having a relationship.
“Duh. He doesn’t want a relationship.”
Suddenly she felt a chill and realized she was still lying atop the covers. She pulled them back and slipped underneath, wriggling around to warm up the sheets. She hadn’t felt cold at all when Jax was there, but now she felt chilled to the bone. If she knocked on the wall, he’d probably come back in, but she refused to beg.
She understood what this was, and more importantly, what it wasn’t. Just because he’d rescued her a few times and they’d experienced physical pleasure together, it didn’t mean they had a future together. She’d be foolish to think otherwise.
He was alone, but he wasn’t lonely. He had his family, the resort, and his beloved dog. He didn’t want anybody to complicate his life, especially not her, his employee and sister’s best friend. She got it now. She understood, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
