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winced as he reached up to touch her face.
    Her smile faded.
    “Hurts again?”
    “Not much. So worth it,” he joked.
    She pushed up from her prone position to standing.
    “All my clothes are down in the kitchen.”
    “Mine too. We can get them, though I don’t think we’ll need them for a while.” He stood up next to her and dropped a kiss on her shoulder.
    She moved away.
    “Actually, I should get back to my place, Leo.” She didn’t meet his eyes. “This was…really wonderful. But I have to go. I have an early class, and I need to sleep.”
    Leo didn’t respond as he processed what she said. She turned and walked back out into the hall, not waiting for any response.
    Right. Okay. She had to work. How many times had he told women that after crawling out of their beds? Whether it was true or not.
    He followed after her, the two of them picking up their clothes and getting dressed without a word. Jasmine ran some water in the sink, splashed her face, ran her fingers through her hair.
    Just watching her made Leo want to pull up that filmy skirt she was wearing and take her again, right there.
    When she turned around and met his eyes, she read what was there and the answering spark told him that she wouldn’t mind.
    But then it cooled, and she broke the spell.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, looking away again. “I know this is awkward, but it was great. It really was. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
    Leo found himself nodding. “Sure. No problem.” His nonchalance was rewarded with a grateful smile. He didn’t agree, though. He didn’t want this to be a one-night stand.
    “How about we go to dinner tomorrow?”
    Her smile faded. “That’s not necessary, Leo. This can just be what it was—I’m okay with that. Really.”
    He shook his head. “I’m not sure I’m okay with it. This was great, but why not dinner? Does it have to be one or the other?”
    She suddenly looked stressed, her facial features tight. “I have several classes lined up tomorrow. It’s the busy season, and I don’t know when I’ll have time. At the end of the day, I’m usually dragging.”
    He crossed the space between them, leaned in close without touching her. She didn’t move away. Held her breath as he put his lips near her ear.
    “Make time.”
    When he pulled away, he thought she might have swayed a little toward him.
    “I’ll see. Maybe.” She walked quickly toward the back porch where she’d come in, turning back for a second. “Bye. Thanks.”
    Then she was gone.
    “Thank you,” Leo said to the empty kitchen, eyeing the cookies on the counter and inhaling the fragrance of chocolate, sex and Jasmine on his skin.
    A few minutes before, he’d been starving for something to eat and for more of Jasmine. Now, a cool breeze from the window dried the passion from his skin and offered a chill. He wondered if he’d see Jasmine again. His appetite faded, so he took the beer from the fridge and went to do some work on the bookcase. Sleep wasn’t going to happen tonight.

Chapter Five
    Two days later, Jasmine thought she was in the clear. She’d done a stupid, impulsive thing, but it appeared that Leo had gotten what he wanted and was happy to let their indiscretion fade to black.
    She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. She was completely distracted as she faced the ocean and fell into Uttanasana , Forward Standing Bend. Normally, the pose, part of her warm-up for the day, was deeply relaxing. A good focusing exercise.
    This morning, hands planted in the wet sand where waves came up to kiss her fingertips, all she could think of was Leo behind her, inside her, and how she’d never experienced sex that intense in her life.
    It had been difficult to leave; she’d wanted more too.
    But she told herself—again—that she’d done the right thing walking away. He hadn’t made any more effort to get in touch. He must have decided she was right, after she’d left.
    She should be okay with that. She