So, you’re still going strong, I take it.” Kylie tried not to let Reesa’s words spark anything as she devoured a half-naked Jordan with her gaze. The guys had put themselves into a dunking tank for the children’s charity that Marcus loved and seemed to touch Jordan’s heart as well. As Marcus came out, drenched and sexy as hell, Jordan made his way to the booth, glowing like some supernatural being even in the chill of fall in the air.

“I told you, we’re having a good time, that’s all,” Kylie practically grumbled. Reesa just laughed and then squealed as Marcus wrapped his cold, wet body around her, and Kylie moved away, toward where Jordan stood next to the tank. She didn’t want to discuss her not-so-relationship, and she wasn’t in the mood to have the blossoming one beside her rubbed in her face. So far, she’d put up a good front of being genuinely happy today, and even Jordan didn’t seem to notice her foul disposition.

But things had changed.

Well, maybe not. For the last two weeks, she’d lost herself in Jordan’s arms at every opportunity, and she couldn’t complain there. Never had she been so sexually satisfied and yet needy all at the same time. He was a perfect lover, gentle and rough all at the same time. She’d also enjoyed his company, watching movies, eating out, taking walks in the park and talking.

But in that time, her illusion in her ability to maintain a platonic level of emotion toward Jordan had shattered. When he held her hand during their walks, it sparked romantic longing, and every time his eyes scanned her face with bright appreciation or he tucked her hair gently behind her ear, her heart squeezed a little tighter. She knew she was falling for him. She needed to break it off, and she had to act soon or risk having her heart broken.

The problem was, he wasn’t exactly acting like he didn’t have feelings for her. Kylie didn’t have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, but she had been with men who claimed to love her that didn’t treat her with such courtesy or look at her with such adoration. How could she end this when she felt like their growing closeness could really turn into something deeper and stronger, something lasting?

“You look like you’re a million miles away right now, and not in a good place.” Jordan smiled down at her, but worry creased his brow.

Kylie forced herself to brighten and grinned broadly at him. “I’m just afraid you’re going to come out of there and get me all wet like that. I’m wearing silk, and I don’t want it to get ruined.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m sure I’ll eventually ruin plenty of your clothes, tearing them off you. Don’t worry, I’ll replace anything I ruin.” He kissed her forehead and winked as he rounded to the back of the booth to climb up on the seat. Kylie tried to hang onto the tingling sensation of arousal his words caused, but even that faded quickly with her sudden dark mood.

She suddenly wondered if she should have come here today. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to put a little distance between her and Jordan, not forever, but long enough for her to get her thoughts and emotions under control. She needed to adjust to the reality of the situation rather than the dream forming in her head and, more importantly, her heart.

A commotion near the restrooms drew her attention, and she frowned, trying to see what was going on. Craning her neck, she could see Marcus and Reesa, surrounded by flashing cameras. Well, it looked like the media had latched onto their relationship, and whether Reesa considered it to be serious or not, the world would soon enough. With a sigh, Kylie wished something like that would push Jordan into overdrive. Then again, if the paparazzi confronted them, he’d probably deny they were anything more than friends and stop coming around.

“Enough!” she whisper-screamed at herself. She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping it just looked like she was cold rather than angry. With the media chasing after her best friend, Reesa and Marcus would likely leave now, so she didn’t have to worry about Reesa questioning her any further. And as much as she hated to admit it, Jordan wouldn’t have to work very hard to bring out her good side again. So, she would just be miserable for a bit now, and she’d recover.

A splash and a thunking sound drew her attention, and she rounded to the front of the tank to see Jordan popping up out of the water, gasping and shivering. His eyes were wide and shocked, but his grin was priceless as he noticed the kid who’d pitched the winner giggle and jump up and down with his friends in triumph.

And he looked damn sexy drenched in the cold water, his hair plastered to his head and curling around his ears.

“Focus on the sex appeal, Kylie, nothing else,” she muttered to herself under her breath. That would be the key to making sure she didn’t let her emotions get the best of her. It worked, and despite her concern for her best friend, who had disappeared shortly after the media debacle, Kylie felt better through the next couple of hours. Jordan finished his round in the tank, ending up in the water at least two dozen times, and when he finally emerged, Kylie couldn’t help but giggle as he teasingly chased after the teenage girls who had been pointing and giggling the last time he went down.

When he came to her, he acted like he was going to hug her, but she shrunk away, and he just chuckled. “You made me promise, so I guess I’ll go dry my ass off before I come for you.”

Kylie swallowed hard, not missing the predatory glint in his eyes as she scanned him from head to toe. His board shorts clung to him, showing his thick, muscular legs and the angular indentations that pointed down to his very obviously large package. The water beaded on his chest and arms, and his hair dripped around his shoulders. He was the picture of sex on a billboard ad, and at least in terms of physical pleasure, he belonged to her.

She shoved a towel into his hand and pointed toward the bathrooms. “Go. Dry off and change.”

He pouted at her. “Sure you don’t want to join me in there? Think of how lewd and dangerous it would be.” When she shook her head, eyes wide that he’d even suggested it, he smacked her backside and took off at a slow jog. She watched him, admiring his grace and poise, the way his muscles bunched and stretched with his movement. He really was prime pickings.

When he returned, he had dressed fully in a thin blue sweater and tight jeans that revealed almost as much as the wet shorts. Her mouth dry, she focused on his lazy grin, and when he finally approached her after what seemed like a very long walk, he pulled her into his arms. “See? I know how to warm a girl up.”

She grunted. “You’ve proven that numerous times.” If only he could warm her body without touching her heart, this would be so much easier. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “How much longer do we have to stay?”

He raised a brow at her. “Are you ready to leave so soon?”

Kylie shrugged. “I just feel like doing something normal, you know? Like going to see a movie or something. This is all great and fun,” she gestured around them to the charity event, “and it’s for a good cause. But I feel like I’m on display, even when I’m not with you.”

“I understand.” He nodded and brushed her hair back. “Then I think we should go to McDonald’s and get Big Macs and fries. And then we’ll catch a film. Maybe after that, we’ll find some blacklight mini golf or something, if you want.”

“Really?” She knew she sounded ridiculously giddy, but that sounded like so much fun. And if would help her create an illusion that might get her through the rest of the afternoon, until she could fall into bed with Jordan and forget about feeling anything but absolute ecstasy.

“Well, if I’d known that appealed to you, I would’ve fed you greasy cheeseburgers and taken you to see chick flicks sooner.” He laughed and kissed her forehead. “Come on, let’s go before people start lining up for autographs. I’m not in a mood to be gaped at, either. I want you a little more to myself.”

Kylie wondered if the rest of the day was just about making her happy. He fulfilled his promises, and she reveled in the normalcy of it. They held hands, shared popcorn, and Jordan even licked his finger to wipe a smear of chocolate candy from her face. Did he just want to make sure she didn’t grow jaded with the arrangement? Did he really enjoy the sex enough to want to appease her just to keep her in his bed?

Or was there something more? She tried to tell herself it was a friendly gesture, that he wanted her happy because they were friends. But for some reason, it felt like more, as if he had started to think of her as his girl and wanted to be a good, accommodating man for her. it was probably pushing the line of what feelings he might have for her. he’d said so many times that he didn’t want to settle down, and yet, most men who said such things slept around and kept their options open. He’d completely sealed off their relationship – or whatever you wanted to call it – so that it was exclusive.

Those weren’t the actions of a man who didn’t care. Men who didn’t commit weren’t jealous of a woman’s time. He’d just go find someone else to fill his time until she came around again. Or was she severely misguided in her understanding of the world? Kylie didn’t have previous experience with this kind of thing, save for what she read in books. And those stylized romances were made to get a reaction, so she didn’t trust that those stories were based on facts.

“You’re far away again,” Jordan said quietly as they strolled down her block, toward her apartment.

Kylie felt instantly guilty. She didn’t know how long she’d been lost in thought, but it must’ve been a while. She couldn’t even remember what they’d been talking about before. “I’m sorry,” she told him. How could she possibly share with him what kept troubling her? Even if there might be something growing between them, she had started obsessing over it, which was bad. And if she mentioned it, she would likely just scare him away. And if he just laughed it off rather than leaving, wouldn’t she be just as heartbroken?

“Come on, sweetheart, you can tell me whatever’s on your mind. I promise not to judge, even if you’re pissed at me for something. I’ll just listen and try to understand. That’s what we have here, isn’t it? We spend time together because we can talk to each other as much as because we’re fucking hot in the sack.” He squeezed her hand as he spoke, as if to reassure her.

Kylie gulped, indecisive. What if there was a chance…

If she told him how she felt, maybe he could open up with his feelings. Maybe he harbored some of the same emotions within him and was too frightened to face them. She still didn’t know why he had such a problem with settling down. Maybe he’d been stung by a woman who wouldn’t share her thoughts and feelings, and this would be the way to break through the protective shell he’d erected.

Even as she thought it, she knew she was reaching. But something inside bubbled over, and she couldn’t hold back anymore, not all of it. She wanted to ease into it, hedge around at it, but instead, words spilled out of her mouth harshly. “I don’t understand you, Jordan.”

He stopped walking and stared at her, obviously taken aback by the outburst. “What do you mean, love?”

Love. That only irritated her in this moment. “Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “You’ve made it very plain that you have no interest in the emotion. You want to keep things casual, even though you act like you care. You don’t think about the fact that, by being charming and sweet and gentle, you might make some girl fall for you, only to break her heart because you don’t anything but sex and to have a good time. The hell if you’ll ever give someone a place in your heart to match the place in your bed.”

As she railed at him, Jordan looked shocked, then flustered. But his face slowly morphed, his brows knitting together and his chin hardening. “What are you trying to say, Kylie?”

She threw her hands up in exasperation. “What are we doing, Jordan? You take me out, we act like a couple. We hold hands, we cuddle on the couch, and we have phenomenal sex. Sometimes, I feel like you look at me with something more. But you refuse to commit to anything. You say you’re not the type for a relationship, but you say you respect me. Well, what about my feelings and my needs, Jordan?” She hated herself, even as she spoke her heart. She sounded like every other selfish woman in the world, accusing a man of mistreating her when all Jordan had done was set limits.

And still, she couldn’t stop herself. “You parade around like you own me, but you refuse to stake your claim. What does that make me in your eyes? What does that make me in everyone else’s eyes? And how am I supposed to deal with the fact that I’m deeper than that and can’t help but start to fall for you while you stand there and feel nothing?”

Jordan winced. “Are you really accusing me of being cold and having no feelings?” he asked, his voice low and raspy. Kylie wasn’t fooled. He wasn’t the least bit calm. “Is that what you’re saying to me?”

She shrugged, the anger suddenly leaving her so she just felt empty. “That’s part of it. Obviously the only part you heard.”

He shook his head, crossing his arms. “No, I heard everything you said. But you’re fucking clueless if you think I don’t give a shit about you, Kylie. Just because I don’t want to get serious about a relationship doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. That should be obvious from the way I treat you.”

She wanted to ask him what that meant, but she didn’t dare. And even if she’d had the nerve, he continued before she could say anything. “As for your feelings, they matter to me, and I try to take that into account with every move I make. You told me you could handle this arrangement. If you can’t we’ll have to rethink it because I care about you, but I can’t give you what it sounds like you want right now. And because I care about you, I’m willing to step away so you can find a good man who can be there for you, all the time, and love you back.”

Hurt and determined that she wasn’t wrong here, Kylie jutted her chin out defiantly and threw her shoulders back. “I could handle it. I have handled it. But I didn’t expect you to come around and charm me the way you have. You didn’t add that into the equation, so how could I add it all up?” She shook her head. “What is it, Jordan? If you really care about me, what’s the problem? Are you too scared to get involved? Heaven forbid you might have to give up a little freedom or control! Oh, god! You might have to compromise and deal with someone else’s demands the way I put up with yours!”

He took a menacing step toward her. “I have never made demands on you, other than not to expect something more serious.” His voice was a roar, and it took everything in Kylie not to back away. It wasn’t that she expected him to hurt her; she knew better. Jordan would never lay a finger on her in anger. But it was instinctual, and his volume alone was enough to push her back.

“Well, now I’m demanding to know why you won’t let yourself get in any deeper,” she counted. “Unless you’re blowing smoke up my ass about caring, what’s the harm in trying? And don’t tell me that you don’t want me to get hurt if it doesn’t work out. I’m already in too deep, Jordan. Like it or not, I’m starting to fall for you, and I’m going to end up hurt either way.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched as he glared down at her, his eyes hard and filled with some deep emotion – hate or anger or something like it. Maybe resentment? But Kylie held her ground, ready for whatever came next, and little by little, his expression morphed. His eyes softened, his jaw relaxed, and something else that she couldn’t understand – regret or sorrow or longing? – passed briefly through those beautiful blues before he masked it.

Reaching a hand up, he cupped her cheek and nodded. “I am scared, Kylie. I’m scared to fall head over heels for anyone. Do you know what happens to men when they let themselves go bonkers for some woman, and then she betrays him in some way? They go off the deep end. There’s nothing left to live for after that. And the same is true in the other direction. I would never want you to feel that sort of devastation, and I wish you hadn’t let yourself fall for me.”

Kylie felt the crack in her chest and had to swallow a sob. So, he didn’t want her to feel anything. He didn’t want to feel anything, and he’d managed to hold back. This was it. Part of her wished she’d kept her mouth shut and suffered a while longer, though her rational mind tried to tell her it was better this way. After all, the sooner they broke ties, the less pain she would have to deal with. Sticking around would only allow her love to grow, and when she finally said goodbye, she might shatter completely.

She started to pull away from him, but he grabbed her chin and pulled her into a soul-searching kiss, deep and taunting, and she couldn't help but fall into it. She reached up, fisting her hands in his hair, and he wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. For once, she didn't feel an erection pressing into her, only the hard surface of his stomach and chest, like a wall of heat, and she arched her back, wanting to get closer.

Jordan tilted her head back, making her open further to him, and Kylie sighed into his mouth, her body tingling and ready but her mind elsewhere, wrapped around promises that the kiss made, vows unspoken that shouldn't be running through her mind. When he pulled back, she saw it in his eyes, too. He searched her face and told her, "I can't make any promises to you, Kylie. Please don't ask me to. But I do care about you."

"What does that mean?" she asked in a breathless whisper, her chest heaving as she drew in gulps of oxygen.

“It means, let’s see where this goes.” Fear marred his features, his body rigid against her, his shoulders tense “I don’t know what I’m doing here. All I know is I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t want to hurt you. Let’s see what happens.”

“As in a relationship?” she asked, not quite daring to hope.

He didn’t respond right away but slowly nodded after a long moment. “If that’s what you want to call it. I want you, Kylie. In my bed and in my life. I just don’t know what I have to offer you in exchange.”

“You don’t have to offer anything except you, Jordan,” she told him, resting her hands on his shoulders. “Just you and your honest feelings.” For the first time since she’d gone home with him, she felt the giddiness that overwhelmed her that night, a hope for the future. She hadn’t realized she had given up hope on having something special, with Jordan or anyone else, until it came flooding back in that moment. It felt surreal, and she let herself bask in it as they locked gazes, something transpiring between them.

It made her chest swell, and when a small smile crept across his lips and reached his eyes, it nearly exploded. “What have you done to me, woman?” he asked, his tone teasing but filled with wonder and something soft that caressed her from head to toe.

Kylie shook her head, biting her lip to keep her own grin from growing too large. “I haven’t done anything, Jordan. Sometimes, it just feels right.” She’d reached the edge of her realm of experience, and she could offer no more insight. She spoke from the heart, knowing that it felt right to be with him.

He swallowed hard and let out a long breath. “Are you really falling in love with me?”

Fear and vulnerability echoed in his words, and for a moment, Kylie considered backing off, saying that she definitely felt something for him but didn’t know if it was love. But then, honesty had gotten her this far, so she nodded. “I think so.”

He brushed his thumb over her cheek, just below her eye, and she felt the wetness, only then noticing that she was crying. “I’ve never had a woman tell me that in a situation where I actually believed her. Or when I thought it might matter.” He drew her head to his chest, cradling her against him. “You’re special, Kylie, and I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve you in my life. But now that you’re here, I’m not ready to let you go.”

His sincerity warmed her, filled her with a sense of belonging and complete happiness. She threaded her arms around his waist and breathed him in, the scent of a new constant in her life. Could she really make this work? Had he really offered to try, admitted he didn’t know how to deal with his feelings for her? it was more than she could have imagined, and she would take what she could get. That was as much as anyone could ask for, under the circumstances, and they would definitely see what happened in the future.

Right now, though, the feel of him pressed against her, coupled with his enticing smell, had her toes curling and her heart pounding. Lifting her head, she gazed up at him with longing, and he instantly grew hard against her. “What are you thinking, you dirty little girl?” he asked, his voice deep and throaty.

"I'm thinking that I want to take you up to my place, strip our clothes off, and crawl into bed. Then, I want you on top of me and inside me."

He grunted and grinded his hips against her, rubbing his swollen cock on her stomach. “I think that sounds like a perfect plan.”