“A habit I can’t break,” she said, still staring at him. “You didn’t leave.”
“Was I supposed to?”
She shrugged bare shoulders. “I thought that’s the way it worked.”
She had a lot to learn about him. He wouldn’t claim he’d never left a woman’s bed in the middle of the night, but Jillian was different.
“Not for us, Jillian.” He paused. “We need to talk.”
She broke eye contact as she pulled up in bed, holding the covers in place to shield her nakedness. Aidan thought the gesture amusing considering all they’d done last night. “I know what you’re going to say, Aidan. Although I’ve never heard it before, Ivy has and she told me how this plays out.”
She’d made him curious. “And how does it play out?”
“The guy lets the woman know it was just a one-night stand. Nothing personal and definitely nothing serious.”
He hadn’t used that particular line before, but he’d used similar ones. He decided not to tell her that. “You weren’t a one-night stand, Jillian.”
She nodded. “I do recall you mentioning that last night wouldn’t be your only time with me.”
He tightened his arms around her. “And why do you think I said that?”
“Because you’re a man and most men enjoy sex.”
He smiled. “A lot of women enjoy it, as well. Didn’t you?”
“Yes. There’s no need to lie about it. I definitely enjoyed it.”
A grin tugged at Aidan’s lips. His ego appreciated her honesty. “I enjoyed it, as well.” He kissed her, needing the taste of her.
It was a brief kiss and when he lifted his lips from hers, she seemed stunned by what he’d done. He found that strange considering the number of times they had kissed before.
“So, if you don’t want to say last night was a one-night stand, what is it you want to talk about?” she asked.
He decided to be just as honest as she had been, and got straight to the point. “I want to talk about me. And you. Together.”
She raised a brow. “Together?”
“Yes. I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Nine
Jillian was out of the bed in a flash, taking half the blankets with her. She speared Aidan with an angry look. “Are you crazy? You can’t be in love with me. It won’t work, especially when I’m in love with you, too.”
Too late she’d realized what she’d said. From the look on Aidan’s face, he had heard her admission. “If I love you and you love me, Jillian, then what’s the problem?”
She lifted her chin. “The problem is that we can’t be together the way you would want us to be. I was okay with it when it was one-sided and I just loved you and didn’t think you could possibly return the feelings, but now—”
“Hold up,” Aidan said, and her eyes widened when he got off the bed to stand in front of her without a stitch of clothes on. “Let me get this straight. You think it’s okay for me to sleep with you and not be in love with you?”