There was a tap at the door. Thinking it was William, I decided to end this awkward exchange. “Come in!”

The door open and another dark-haired man—who actually looked a lot like William—poked his head in. “You ready to go?” Adam said. “I really need to get home and crash.”

Mia turned to him with a grin. “Oh, did all that beer finally catch up with you? Poor baby…even if you do fall asleep right away, you’re going to be up half the night peeing it all out.”

Adam’s mouth curved in a lopsided smile, and he looked at her with sleepy eyes filled with love. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

Mia laughed so hard she snorted, and Adam and I both teased her about it as we headed to the living room. It was as she said. Heath was passed out on the floor with drawings on every inch of his exposed skin. Someone had given him a wicked Victorian-style handlebar mustache and pointed goatee, along with Vulcan eyebrows and a pirate-style eye patch drawn over one eye. He had writing all over his arms, neck and even the part of his stomach where his t-shirt rode up and showed his belly.

I laughed. “Man is he going to be pissed when he wakes up and sees that.”

“Meh…” Mia shrugged. “Serves him right for getting so hammered.”

I studied Mia’s best friend on the floor. “Connor’s leaving to go back to Ireland soon, isn’t he? Maybe Heath really needed to get drunk. Are they breaking up?”

Mia looked at him with concerned eyes. “I’m not clear on all the details of what’s going on between them. Heath’s not talking much. But we should make sure he’s not alone for the next little while.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “I officially want no part of babysitting him. Kat can do it. She’s his roommate.”

William walked in from the direction of the bathroom and stood quietly beside me.

Adam and Mia offered Kat a ride home, which she enthusiastically accepted.

“Can you make sure Heath makes it home all right tomorrow?” Mia asked her as they walked out.

“Yeah. I’ll come get his hopeless ass.”

They bid us goodbye and then left. With Heath passed out on the floor, William and I were the only two conscious people in the living room.

“So, um, will I see you tomorrow at the regional market?” I asked him, already knowing the answer.

William brightened. “Yes, I have to deliver some items to clan members. I’ve been in the workshop all week after work.”

Suddenly, I envisioned him hammering away, biceps bulging and flexing, wearing nothing but his leather apron over those jeans.

“Would you like a ride there?” His innocuous question jolted me out of my lust-filled vision.

I swallowed, then glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. “Sure…how about we share some breakfast first?”

“How early would you like me to come get you for breakfast?”

I bit my lip, flummoxed by his oversight of my obvious hint. Then I stepped toward him, took his large hand in mine and said, “You could just…stay the night.”

His reaction was subtle. With his eyes fixed on our interlocked hands, his dark brows lowered as if in concentration. “I’m not certain what you are asking, but I have an idea. And if it’s the wrong idea…”

“You’re not misreading me, okay? I want you to stay and spend the night with me.”

He visibly—and noisily—swallowed, and his fingers closed around my hand. “Well, as I told you in the bedroom, I haven’t been—”

“I know that. It doesn’t matter to me.” In fact, in some ways it made it even hotter. I found the idea of being his first powerfully arousing.

I took another step toward him so that my torso pressed against his. Angling my face up so that my lips were just a few inches from his, I said, “Did you feel it, too? When we were kissing?”

He exhaled, his breath tickling my nose. “Feel what?”

“That connection between us? The chemistry?”

“All I know is that it felt good.” His hand tightened around mine, almost painfully so. “And I want more.”

I brushed my lips against his. “Me too…so stay with me.”

He stood stock-still for a long moment, and I brought my hand around to brush along his back as if to further my case.

“No.” He said it with cold finality and completely divorced from emotion.

I frowned. “You don’t want to?”

“Oh, I want to.”

My lower abdomen brushed against him, and I felt it—he was erect again. I shamelessly used a little friction to sell him on the idea. “I want you, Wil.”

His head bent to rest on my shoulder. “I don’t want something temporary, Jenna. I want more than just once.”

I froze. William lifted his head, his gaze not quite catching mine before skating away and fixing on the middle of my forehead instead. I cleared my throat. “Well, it doesn’t have to be a one-night stand.”

He sighed, stepping back and releasing my hand. “I won’t have sex with you knowing that next week or next month you’ll be with someone else. If I have you, I want it to be permanent. Forever.”

I shook my head. “I don’t do permanent, William. Ever.”

He scowled. “I understand. Good night, Jenna.”

My jaw dropped. Was this really happening? When had a guy ever turned down my proposition to go to bed? I didn’t extend them often—I didn’t have to—but the answer was never ‘no.’ Not until this minute. What the hell?

William turned to leave, but my voice seemed to be caught in my throat. His rejection was hitting a lot harder than it should. I grabbed his hand. “Wait. Don’t you want to just…get it over with?”

He froze in his tracks, his body language stiff, but he didn’t pull his hand away from mine. Slowly, he turned back to me and said, “I’m surprised you don’t understand. You said in the bedroom that it means more to me than it does to other guys. Why would you think I’d ever want it to be something to ‘just get over with’? I’ve had that opportunity before and didn’t take it…” His voice died out and he shook his head forcefully. “Good night, Jenna,” he said, tugging his hand gently from mine. “I’ll pick you up at nine-thirty for the regional market tomorrow.”