Would you say you’re more trustworthy now, or before you went to jail?” I asked.
His eyebrows furrowed. “Now, of course. I don’t do the things I used to.”
“But you didn’t have a record then.”
“Yeah.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “Because I hadn’t gotten caught yet.”
“Exactly. Sometimes the squeaky-clean ones only look great on paper because they’ve never been caught. It doesn’t make them innocent or harmless.”
We stopped moving.
“Casey,” he breathed out, his tone a bit tortured as he buried his face in my hair. “If I was a better man, I’d walk away from you and your son. I’d leave you alone. I’d let some other guy—a doctor or a teacher or anyone who’s not me—sweep you off your feet and give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”
“But you’re not that good, right?” I asked lightly, a smile spreading over my lips.
Jay pulled back slowly, his scruff scraping against my cheek along the way. Tingles spread over my skin as he gave me a heated look.
He cupped the nape of my neck, and his gaze fell to my mouth. “No, I’m not.”
And then his lips were on mine.