I stopped the car and looked over at Jerrik sleeping in the seat beside me. I stroked my bottom lip as I regarded him, thinking back to our time on the beach. I couldn’t exactly deny that I had enjoyed it; I’d been pretty… vocal about it.

But now I regretted it. It had been an in-the-moment kind of thing, but now that I’d gone through with it, I wished it hadn't happened.

With a sigh, I reached over to shake Jerrik awake.

“Hey, you need to get up. We’re back, and we need to head out now if you’d like to eat before you go to sleep.”

All we’d had the whole day were some of the snacks I’d thought to bring with me, and it wouldn’t be enough for either of us, though I didn’t feel like I could eat.

Jerrik had grumbled a little before he stirred and his eyes blinked open. “Already?” he muttered, rubbing his eye with a closed fist.

I refused to think it was cute.

“Yeah. We’re lucky that we’re not late.”

“What, do they lock up at a specific time? Like there’s curfew or something?”

I scoffed. “Of course not. There’s plenty to do at night just like there is during the day.” Then I sighed. “But past a certain time, people would have noticed, and we’re trying to avoid that, remember?”

There was no answer from him, and I tried to ignore the nervous churning in my stomach.

“Come on, big guy,” I said with a little more force. “Out of the car.”

I followed my command and pushed open my door, so I could step outside. I shivered a little. Though it was still a little warm, the night would grow colder. I hadn't put the shawl back over my shoulders. It was in the back seat with the rest of my stuff, and I intended to throw it in a washer for a few rounds before I ever used it again. We’d gotten it dirty and with more than just sand.

My body ached a little, but it was the good kind of ache that meant I’d had a good time. No matter what I felt about what we’d done, I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy it. I waited for Jerrik’s door to open before I went to the back door and opened it to get to my things.

A touch on my back startled me, and I gave a slight yelp. Jerrik laughed at me, and I frowned as I pulled out to turn and face him.

“Why would you do that? I could have hurt myself, you idiot,” I scolded.

He just kept snickering. “Nah, I was right there. I would have stopped you before you hit your head.”

I wanted to retort and tell him he couldn’t possibly have, but the words caught in my throat. I felt something suspiciously like warmth spread in my chest because of what he’d said.

But in the next second, I mentally shook it off. I couldn’t let him sweet talk me.

“Why don’t you head back to your room?” I suggested, more than ready to be alone. “Or go get something to eat. I’m sure you must be hungry.”

Jerrik didn’t move to leave though. His expression did change from amused to hungry, but when he took a step closer to me, I knew it wasn’t the kind of hunger I was talking about. He looked like he wanted to ravish me, even though he’d thoroughly fucked me not that long ago, and my body quivered at the need to feel his touch again.

Only there was no way I was letting that happen a second time.

“Jerrik, I think you—”

“Forget about that,” he said, cutting me off. “Why don’t you come back to my room with me and we can continue where we left off?”

He put his hands on the car on either side of me, trapping me as he moved even closer. There was a part of me that wanted more, but there was a bigger part that was realizing just how big a mistake I’d made.

“I don’t think we should do this, Jerrik,” I said quickly, placing my palms on his chest to hold him back. “I’m off the clock, but we’re back now.”

He just scoffed. “Oh, come on. You had a good time on the beach, didn’t you? I swear it could be so much better. I’ll make you feel even better.”

I tightened my lips in frustration because he wasn’t even listening to me.

“We can't do anything here, Jerrik,” I told him firmly. “We shouldn’t have done anything at all. I’m serious. I could lose my job, and I don’t have anywhere to go if that happens.”

He frowned, but he still wasn’t moving away. “Are you in some money trouble or something?”

I rolled my eyes, darkly amused. “We don’t all get to catch big breaks, Jerrik. I have to work to earn everything I get, remember? If I’m out of a job, I don’t get a roof over my head or food to eat every day. Now please, just back off.”

But he just shrugged, looking unconcerned. “Whatever. I have more than enough money if that’s what you need. Or I could find you a job.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Could you really, Jerrik?”

“Yeah, but it’s not even necessary. I’m seriously loaded, Sharon, you’ll get more money than you could ever dream of. Just come back to my room with me.”

I wrinkled my nose and wondered if he even realized what he’d just implied about me. I wondered if I should be offended. And I wondered how he didn’t seem to understand that it wasn’t just the risk of losing my income. I loved my job at the retreat. Yeah, there was occasional dealing with impossible clients, but never so bad that I would wish to quit. I couldn’t afford to stay at the retreat as a guest but working there had its perks.

“Look, Jerrik,” I said carefully, my hands on his chest pushing him back, so he wasn’t crowding me. “What happened at the beach was great. But we can’t do it here, and I am not budging on this. I know you’re loaded, you don’t need to tell me, but I’ve been looking after myself just fine.”

I ignored the slight frown on his face as I reached inside and quickly grabbed my stuff, then closed the door and locked the car.

“When can I see you again then?”

I sighed. “I work from tomorrow, so I don’t know. But if I get time, I’ll stop by. You should head back to your room now, and don’t forget to get something to eat.”

I turned my back to him and walked away, biting my lip. I felt a little guilty for blowing him off after what we did not that long ago.

But it wasn’t just me having second thoughts. At the beach, we had both been away from our problems. It was liberating for both of us, and I let that go to my head. I let Jerrik, the atmosphere, and the freedom to do as we pleased seduce me, and I would have to face the consequences.

Only, I didn’t want to. I’d had my job at the retreat long before Jerrik arrived, and I wanted to be there long after he left in a few weeks. So, of course, the logical thing would be to forget about Jerrik but, even knowing I needed to, I didn’t want that either.

So what was I going to do?