Read Online Mayday by Olivia Dade - Free Book Online Page B

you saying you’ve changed?”
    Gotcha , he thought with satisfaction. That’s the first truly personal question you’ve asked me in over eight weeks.
    â€œThat’s exactly what I’m saying. Have you heard any of those stories about me in the past year?” he asked.
    â€œWell . . . no. I guess not. But you did invite me home after only—” She cut herself off. “Never mind.”
    Yes. Yes. Finally .
    â€œNot ‘never mind,’” he said. “Let’s talk about it. I’ve wanted to discuss what happened that night for a long time now.”
    â€œI haven’t,” she said. “And you agreed not to push.”
    â€œBut I need to tell you—”
    â€œNo,” she repeated. “I don’t want to hear it. The last thing I want to do is relive one of the worst nights of my life.”
    He drew in a sharp breath, unable to decide what hurt more. Was it the way she was shutting him down again? Was it the knowledge that he’d inadvertently caused her so much pain that she couldn’t talk about it a year later? Or was it the way she’d just dismissed their time together as not merely disappointing, but as a lowlight of her fucking life ?
    If he’d regretted their first time together before, that regret paled in comparison with the visceral frustration he felt now. He’d had her naked—well, partially naked, anyway—and open to him in every way. Physically. Emotionally. Everything. And what had he done? Rushed her through sex and made a lame excuse to keep her at a distance. Pissed her off and made her wary of him. Erected a wall between them, one that now seemed almost insurmountable.
    Her fingers shook as she rearranged her spoon yet again, and her soft shoulders looked stiff. Tense.
    With a sigh, he admitted defeat. He wanted to keep pushing. God help him, he wanted to hack away at her defenses until he’d forced her to listen to him and acknowledge the promise of what they could have together. But no matter how much he wanted to move their relationship to the next level, he couldn’t risk her ending it entirely. Which she might very well do unless he dropped the topic at hand.
    â€œOkay,” he said. “We don’t need to talk about it. Not now, anyway.”
    â€œNot ever,” she corrected.
    Okay, so he’d failed at Mission Two. But he’d sort of accomplished Mission One, and there was no rule saying he had to take the tasks in order, right? Couldn’t he just move on to Mission Three?
    â€œI have a late-afternoon meeting today. I don’t have any plans for tonight, though,” he said, making sure his voice remained casual.
    Her hand stilled on the spoon.
    He cleared his throat and went for it. “Are you free for dinner this evening?”
    Â 
    Wes placed his empty coffee cup on the table and waited for her answer.
    This wasn’t an invitation for one of their usual friendly dinners. Helen could tell from his body language. Hell, she could tell from the way he’d been pushing her during the entire conversation.
    He wanted a date. And for a variety of very persuasive reasons, he wasn’t going to get one. Even though the sight of those tiger’s-eyes, focused on her with such intensity, shook her resolve and made her breath catch.
    For two months now, she’d protected herself. Avoided discussing personal topics. Dodged any attempts he made to touch her. Reminded herself again and again that she wasn’t the type of woman who could keep a man like him. He needed a sophisticated partner, a woman of ambition who’d feel comfortable and confident on display by his side. Not a near-virgin who shopped in the plus-size section of department stores, preferred reading to parties, and barely felt like an adult most days.
    He’d rejected her once. She wasn’t giving him the chance to do it again.
    But the reasons to keep her distance—those logical,