Page 78 (2/2)

"He

"How coot his attention His eyes flew up to h thehtful frown "What?"

"You know" I gave his knee a nudge "Studying is easier after you work off a little tension"

He watchedmoment "I can’t tell if you’re serious or not But it doesn’t really matter Friends with benefits is not my style I don’t do casual"

Seriously? "Sure you do I’m a witness I can place you at the scene of the cri what happened afterward You told me yourself that I was a jackass"

Fuckwas so bad We could do better"

He let out a breath "Nope I don’t think I can"

Holy crap I was losing my touch I’d just been rejected, which rarely happened And here’s the real kicker -- I actually felt bad about it Really bad All the way to awful, even

"Shit," I whispered as an unfa Actual tears I raiseda rather dubious curtain of shame If I had any luck at all left in the universe, maybe Rafe wouldn’t notice

"Bella?" he whispered

Yep No luck left Not even a speck

"Cristo, Bella It’s not you"

I would never again believe those words Fronosis I threw the book down, pressing hed, throwing his book on the floor, too Which I’d fantasized about not a half hour ago But in my fantasy he’d done it so we could have sex, and not because I’d beco forward, closing his big hands around , I slid across the leather until I was closer to him Then he tookmy knees, I ended up in his lap He wrapped both arms around me, and I tuckedteary