The Man Ban - Nicola Marsh Page 0,44

Because I think we’re pretty fucking great together, but every time afterward you run.”

Hell, she didn’t want him thinking that, but he was perilously close to the truth. Would a smart guy like him put the puzzle pieces together and figure out he’d never actually seen her naked body and wonder why?

“Sex with you is phenomenal, the best I’ve ever had.” Heat surged to her cheeks, and to some other choice places that would like nothing more than to strip and straddle him again. “But I guess I am freaking out a little. I like you a lot, but this has happened so fast, and I like my space.”

His head tipped to the side as he studied her. “So you’re telling me all you need is time?”

She couldn’t give him false hope, not when she knew they’d be going their separate ways in Melbourne.

“I don’t know what I need,” she said, holding up her hand when he opened his mouth to respond. “And that’s not your fault, you haven’t done anything; it’s just me.”

“So you’re saying what happened in Taupo stays in Taupo?”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

She held her breath, willing him to make this easier on the both of them. When he shook his head, she should’ve known better than to think she’d get what she wanted.

“Usually I’d say yes, but I’m not going to pretend like the last few days have meant nothing.”

“Of course it’s not nothing. We like each other. But we’ll be back in Melbourne soon, and we lead very different lives—”

“Do me a favor and don’t preempt anything, okay?”

“What does that mean?”

“Let’s keep our options open. You can leave now, no questions asked. But we’ll be traveling back to Auckland tomorrow, with another night there before heading home, so let’s ease up on the heavy talk and go with the flow.”

Nice in theory, but she wasn’t the grumpy one when she’d wanted to bolt a few minutes ago.

“You can do that?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Okay then.” She stood, unsure whether to kiss him or flee while she had the chance.

He took the decision out of her hands by standing too and placing a soft kiss against her lips. Her fingers ached with the urge to touch him, the fluttering in her chest indicative of either a heart condition or reluctance to leave him, and she knew it was the latter.

“I better go.”

She willed her legs to walk rather than run, and when she reached the door, he called out, “Just so you know, me giving you space doesn’t mean I’m giving up on us. Not by a long shot.”

Hope flickered before she quashed it and left.

34

Manny had diagnosed some pretty rare conditions in his time as a doctor. Microdeletion syndrome, Feingold syndrome, and Wilson disease had all been picked up by him in patients desperately searching for answers, and he’d been lauded for it.

So why couldn’t he get a clear read on what was bugging Harper?

Even now, thirty minutes after she’d all but run from his room, he couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong. They’d had a fantastic time at the falls, they’d been so hot for each other they’d grabbed takeout dinner so they wouldn’t waste time getting naked, the sex had been stupendous again, then he’d gone into the bathroom and come out to find her fully dressed, perched on the edge of a chair like she couldn’t wait to leave.

Their discussion hadn’t shed much light on the situation either. They’d gone around in circles until he’d realized nothing he said would make a difference. He didn’t want to push her into wanting more from this relationship like he did; she’d have to figure it out on her own. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that in letting her go so easily, he might’ve ended them before they’d begun.

He needed to clear his head, but he didn’t fancy a jog after scoffing too much pizza. So he settled for talking to the most levelheaded person he knew.

Melbourne was two hours behind Taupo, and Izzy would be getting ready for her daily dose of American soap operas. Not an ideal time for a chat, but he needed to do something, and having his gran regale him with mundane details like the latest sale at the local Indian spice shop would ground him.

He hit the “call” button on his laptop and waited, relieved when Izzy’s face shimmered into view.

“Manish, how lovely to see you,” she said, peering at the screen. “But you look tired. I thought