Kiss Me by Kristine Mason Page B

relationship based on sex. I can’t be with you if you can’t give me more. And I need to know where we stand before we take our relationship to the next level.”
    The range of emotions crossing her beautiful face broke something deep inside of him. Something he didn’t know even existed. He’d never avoided a serious relationship because he’d been cheated on by a woman he loved or any other bullshit. Before Jenna, the idea of giving himself, his whole self, had simply never occurred to him.
    He couldn’t blame it on genetics. His parents had a great relationship. His brothers had all married and found their perfect matches. For him, maybe it had been about finding that perfect someone. Maybe that was why he’d carried on the playboy charade. He’d been searching for one person, and now he’d found her. Only, for some reason, she didn’t want him. Scratch that. She did. But was it only for sex?
    As she kept her gaze locked on his, a tear slipped down her cheek. Her eyes were no longer an angry bronze, or even the gold he craved, but a murky brown he’d never seen before.
    Smoothing her hair away from her face, hoping to ease the blow, he then placed a gentle kiss to her temple. “I don’t want what we have to end. But if you feel anything for me, show me with your heart, not you’re your body.”
    She stiffened and turned her head. “I…need to be alone.”
    The trembling in her voice, the finality in her tone scared the hell out of him. He couldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t, at least not without a fight.
    But he needed to respect her wishes. He’d dumped a lot on her tonight and hated himself for hurting her. When he stepped back and gave her space, she hugged herself.
    “Will you be okay?”
    She stared at the floor and nodded.
    Drawing in a deep breath to control the pain and regret tightening his chest, he moved toward the door. “I’ll be by tomorrow after work to take care of the curtain rods and hope you’ll still let me take you out after I’m through.” He hesitated at the threshold when she didn’t respond. “Jenna, I…”
    “Good night,” she interrupted without looking at him.
    He shoved his hand through his hair. She’d just dismissed him. He didn’t like it, but knew if he stayed, if he didn’t give her the space she needed, he might make matters worse.
    “Good night,” he said, then with a frustrated sigh, headed down the hall.
    Jenna didn’t move until she heard the front door click shut. Even then, she sat frozen, perched on the edge of the dresser, while Luke’s words tore through her soul.
    If you feel anything for me, show me with your heart, not your body.
    She didn’t know how. As the realization slapped her in the face, the tears she’d been fighting fell. On a sob, she kicked off her stupid heels, then slumped onto the bed, and curled into the fetal position.
    Her head spun with a whirling collage of all the men she’d ever been with, their faces a rapid blur. A few stood out and crystallized. Rick’s image mocked her. After harboring a two year crush, she’d lost her virginity to him days after her sixteenth birthday. She’d cared about him, had been scared to tell him because she’d worried he’d stop seeing her. Instead of admitting her feelings, she’d had sex with him. Same went for Adam and Trey. All three were great guys, had big, generous hearts, had genuinely liked her, and had pushed for more. But she hadn’t been able give them what they’d wanted — what Luke asked her for now.
    Tears stung her eyes as one last face popped into her head. Her ex and the only man she’d ever really considered committing to other than Luke. While she’d used her body to speak for her, never telling him her true feelings, she’d actually referred to him as her boyfriend. Something she’d never done with the others. What had that accomplished?
    Humiliation.
    After he’d cheated on her, a piece of her heart had broken. Her lack of faith in men had solidified,