Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(73)

The right corner of her mouth struggles up, then down, then      slowly back up. “We didn’t have sex last night.”

Heat runs up my neck and I focus on my shoes. “I know.”

Part of me is thankful she left when she did. The moment my      lips found her body, we quickly became an erupting volcano. Hot and fast. Very      fast. Fast enough that I would have given her my virginity.

“Then what are you apologizing for?”

I gather my courage and face her. “You left. In a hurry. And      what I did... We were drunk. I don’t get drunk and I don’t take advantage of      girls. You left upset. I crossed lines, and the way you left... I’m sorry.”

Beth clears her throat. “Ryan.” She stretches out my name, as      if giving herself time to think. “I was the one who took advantage of you.”

I still. “No, you didn’t. Girls don’t take advantage of guys.      Guys take advantage of girls.”

Her lips bunch and twist to the side as she shakes her head.      “Nope. I distinctly remember telling you I didn’t want to be alone.”

“And that’s the moment I should have walked away.”

“I didn’t want you to.”

“But I should have. It’s what an honorable guy does. Especially      for a girl he likes.”

Beth points a finger. “See, that’s where you’re confused. You      don’t like me.”

Why is she making this apology complicated? Why does she make      everything complicated? “Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t. You’re telling yourself you like me.”

She drives me insane by finding a way to slink underneath my      skin. “That makes no sense.”

“You feel guilty for hooking up with me so you’re trying to      make yourself feel better by convincing yourself that you like me, when you      don’t.”

“Wha...” The more she talks, the more my mind becomes a      cluttered mess. “I like you. I. Like. You. I’ll admit, you’re annoying.      Sometimes you agitate me to the brink of insanity, but you can throw it back at      me like no one else. When you laugh, I want to laugh. When you smile, I want to      smile. Hell, I want to be the one to make you smile. And you’re pretty. No,      you’re sexy, and last night was...”

“Stop.” Beth holds out her hand. “You’re a good guy and you      don’t want to think you could have done something not good, okay? What we did      wasn’t bad. It wasn’t wholesome, but it wasn’t bad. Don’t read anything more      into it.”

Beth’s beautiful blue eyes are pleading with me. Pleading! She      wants me to agree with her. “If you really feel that way, then why did you bolt      last night?”

The front door opens and, with narrowed eyes, Scott glares at      me from the other side of the storm door. Beth glances at him over her shoulder      and holds his gaze. He walks away, leaving the front door open. A knot forms      between my shoulder blades. Not good.

“You should go,” says Beth.

Probably, but I can’t. Not with Beth telling me that I don’t      like her. Not when she honestly believes it. “Go out with me again—a real date      this time.”

“What?”

I climb the three steps and sit next to her. We were so close      last night. Skin against skin. She’s inches from me, but it feels like miles. My      hand becomes heavy with the need to touch her, comfort her. I raise it. Put it      down. Come on, I had no problems touching her last night. I raise it again and      place my hand over hers.

Under my fingers, Beth stiffens. My heart beats once against my      chest, creating an ache. I don’t want her to hate my touch. “We’ve started      everything ass backward. I like you. Let’s see what happens.”

“Date you?” she asks.

“Date me.”

“Like friends—” Beth scrunches her face in disgust “—with      benefits?”

I can almost feel her body under mine again and I shake away      the memory. I’m not going to prove to her I like her if we have a repeat      performance of last night. “No. Friends who go out together. I pay. You smile.      Sometimes we kiss.”

She raises a skeptical eyebrow on the word kiss and I immediately backtrack. “But we date first—for a while.      Friends who like each other and want to date.”

“I never said I liked you.”