shirt, and the amount of gorgeous skin on display that had once been tempting now made her want to retch. Her daughter now knew she was intimate with a man way too young for her. After the earlier conversation with Rex, Daphne now looked like a horny slut who would do anyone who came along.
Great. Just great.
She looked up at Clay. “You can keep your shirt on.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. You want me, and I want you,” he said, grabbing her hand and pressing it against his large and still very hard erection.
Daphne snatched her hand away. “Are you insane? My daughter just caught us. You think I still want to screw you?”
Clay’s laugh grated on her last nerve. “Ellery isn’t a child anymore. She knows the score and what adults do in the bedroom. She doesn’t care who you sleep with, Daph, so let’s make each other feel good. Life’s short, baby.”
Daphne stood and pushed him back. “You treat sex like it’s commonplace. It’s not, okay? At least not for me. What I did with you a few weeks ago isn’t going to be repeated, Clay. I thought you understood that. I’m looking for more than you can give me.”
“I gave you plenty if I remember correctly,” he said, hurt flashing across his face before being replaced with a belligerent hardening. He followed her to the other side of the bed. “I’ve also given you plenty of time to see that you and I can work. That’s why I came here this weekend. I can be more than your contractor. Come on, I know what you need, Daph.”
“Yeah, okay, you turn me on. That’s apparent. But I want more in life than getting off, and I damn sure don’t need a man who thinks he knows what I need better than I do. Been there, done that, buddy.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it. And I want more than sex. That’s what I’m trying to say.”
“Well, you’re doing a shit job of it, Clay. I can’t deal with this at present. You need to leave my room. In fact, you need to leave the bed and breakfast.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“So you’ve said, but I prefer to think of it as knowing my own damned mind. So please go. Now.”
Clay hurriedly buttoned up his shirt. “Jesus, I can’t believe you. I really thought you were cool and someone I wanted to pursue a relationship with, but it’s obvious you’re caught up in some Victorian code of conduct.”
“That’s because I’m old,” Daphne shouted at him. “That’s what I’ve been telling you this entire time. I don’t hook up. I don’t see sex as an action equal to . . . eating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.”
“Don’t make me sound like a guy who was in it for pussy, because I can get that anywhere.”
“I’m well aware, Clay,” she said, her voice slightly sarcastic.
Clay’s gaze hardened, but she could still see the hurt reflected in his eyes. She wanted to tell him she didn’t think that about him, but if her hard words would get him to leave . . .
“I thought you would never treat me like I’m nothing more than a big dick in tight jeans, but I was wrong. You’re too afraid to take what you want. You’re too busy kissing Ellery’s ass and being scared someone might think something about you dating a younger guy,” he said.
Was that what she was? Scared to fall for Clay? No. She wasn’t interested in Clay as a long-term, or even short-term, relationship. It was horrible to feel that she had used him to feel better about herself, but it was the truth. “I know what I think, Clay. That’s the most important thing.”
Clay shook his head. “Whatever. I tried to be what you wanted. I cared about you, but I can see you don’t want me.”
His pained words took the starch out of her. Oh, she was still irritated at his misogyny masked as good intentions, but she also knew Clay was a good person. He was hurt, and she’d done that to him, knowing it had to be done. She couldn’t have the temptation of Clay around her. Her vulnerability dictated she push him far away. “This is for the best. I wasn’t trying to hurt you, Clay.”
He walked to the door, shook his head, and walked out.
Daphne sank onto the bed, covered her face with her hands, and whispered, “Fuck.”
She wasn’t one for cursing much, but sometimes there