“Sure. But love is a risk. Even if I had known up front she had a wandering eye, I’m not sure I would’ve done anything differently.”
“Yeah, well, I’m telling you right now... I’m a bad investment.”
Layton heard the pain in her voice, hidden beneath the false bravado, and it struck him that she was scared of being hurt again. That’s what it was all about for them both, right? Maybe that was the connection drawing them, which meant eventually such a flimsy connection would fade. Rebound relationships were transient for a reason.
“Okay,” he accepted her reasoning with a small nod. “I guess you make a good point. We’ll keep our weekend to ourselves and I’ll do my best to pretend that I don’t know what you sound like when you come.” She sucked in a wild breath and he grinned. “Sorry?”
“You’re not sorry. You did that on purpose.”
“Guilty.”
She allowed a small smile and he wanted to kiss away whatever was making her secretly sad. She regarded him with those beautiful, soulful eyes that snapped with mischief most times but right now were filled with wells of yearning that seemed so deep he might drown. He ran a knuckle down her soft cheek.
“Circumstances change us but they don’t have to ruin us,” he reminded her gently. “Don’t let one asshole destroy the part of you that’s precious.”
“Easier said than done,” Alexis said with a forlorn sigh. “Most times I just feel so incredibly stupid for letting him into my heart when he clearly didn’t belong there.”
“It’s all just a rehearsal until the curtain goes up on opening night, babe. That dick was just a bit player in your show.”
She smiled wider. “Got some theater in your background?”
“Father was a drama teacher at my local high school,” he admitted with a short grin. “Can’t seem to help myself. They’re the only metaphors I seem to remember.”
“I like it,” Alexis said, slowly losing the sadness. “It’s kinda profound. Made me think of things in a different way.”
“My dad will be happy to know that his words live on.”
Alexis grabbed his hand and pulled him from the sofa, leading him to the bedroom.
“I seem to remember someone wanting to watch...”
Layton nearly swallowed his tongue.
And just like that, Alexis managed to turn on a dime from broken butterfly, struggling to fly, to sexy temptress ready to eat him alive, and the contradiction was a wild turn-on.
Hell, everything she did turned him on!
How was he going to get Alexis out of his system when the weekend was done?
Something told him Alexis was in his blood—and there was nothing he could do about it.
Funny thing...he was okay with that.
9
THE FOLLOWING MORNING Alexis woke up to the stillness of fresh snow outside the window and Layton curled around her as if it was his natural place to be and for an instant she just savored the moment.
It couldn’t last, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy every second until it was over.
But even as she was snuggled against his solid warmth, she was troubled by the fact that neither Erik nor Emma had called to check in yet.
Erik was a stickler for calling when he reached his destination. As a first responder, he’d seen too many tragic accidents to not call. The fact that she knew that about her brother only served to make her more nervous.
Layton stirred and his hand found her breast, causing her to smile briefly. Man, he wasn’t joking about being a boob man.
“Morning,” he murmured, his breath tickling her neck. “You talk in your sleep.”
“I know. Did I say anything interesting?”
“Nothing that I could make out. It was mostly gibberish.”
“Did I keep you awake?”
“Nope. As soon as I realized you were out like a light and just talking in your sleep, I went right back to sleep.”
She smiled, happy to be in bed with him, but soon enough she remembered her concern about Emma and Erik and voiced them. “You know, I’m really stressed that Erik and Emma haven’t checked in. It’s not like Erik to go radio silence.”
“They probably got in late and didn’t want to wake you.”
She shook her head. “No, Erik always calls. It’s sort of an OCD thing. He wouldn’t have been able to sleep without letting me know that they were okay.”
Layton rose on his elbow and she rolled to her back to gaze at him. He frowned. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation, but I understand your concern. Erik is pretty consistent in his habits.”
“And Emma would call, too. She’s a worrywart by nature and she’d never forget to call because she wouldn’t want me to worry.”
“Well, we can call the road patrol and see if there were any accidents,” he suggested and she shivered at the thought. “It might, if nothing else, ease your mind.”
“Or it could send me into a panic if it turns out they’re not okay.”
“Let’s not jump to the worst-case scenario,” he said, kissing her softly and instantly soothing her nerves. “Breakfast first and then we’ll figure out what’s going on with your brother and Emma.”
“You’re such a good guy,” she gushed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Tell me again why I don’t want to keep you forever?”
“Because according to you, you’re a bad girlfriend,” he supplied, tongue in cheek. “But I think it’s because you don’t want to be tied down with someone like me who’s serially monogamous.”
She made a face to hide the sudden racing of her heart rate. Was he right? Was she afraid of trusting again? Possibly. “That was the most passive-aggressive statement I’ve ever heard so early in the morning,” she said with a small roll of her eyes. The best defense was a good offense.
But Layton wasn’t giving up. “Fair enough. How’s this? Because you’re afraid I’m going to be clumsy with your heart like that last douche even though we’re nothing alike.”
Oh, he hit the nail on the head. “No one ever starts out acting badly,” she told him quietly, hating that she was still affected by what Riker had done. It was hard to think of yourself as a strong, independent woman when you were still licking the wounds from the past. “That comes later.”
“Only if you’re hardwired that way from the start.” He kissed her—perhaps to stop her from thinking too much—and it worked. Within moments, they were touching, feeling, tasting and loving each other as if the world were about to end.
By the time they emerged from the bedroom, they were starving and raided the kitchen to make French toast and bacon.
“Easiest way to my heart,” she admitted around a generous bite of French toast. “I swear I’ll be four hundred pounds by the time I’m middle-aged. I love food. I cringe at the thought of cutting out carbs or going paleo or doing any of those crazy restrictive food plans. I need variety. I need sugar and carbs and grains! I rue the day someone tries to put me on some kind of diet.”
“Hey, more meat on your bones means one thing. Bigger boobs, so eat up all you want.”
She laughed. “You’re impossible. There’s more to life than boobs.”
“Debatable.”
She finished her breakfast and then she grabbed her phone only to find it dead. She’d forgotten to charge it last night and now it was completely dead and it would take about fifteen minutes to even get a tiny signal.
“Can you call Erik and see if he answers? My phone is deader than a doornail.”
Layton fished his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed Erik.
To her relief, Erik picked up.
“Hey, man, there you are,” Layton said, gesturing to the phone with a thumbs-up to indicate everything was A-okay. “Your sister was freaking ou
t because you didn’t call.”
But then Layton sobered and frowned with concern and she knew something was wrong. “What is it?” she asked, tugging at Layton’s sleeve. “Is everything okay? What happened?”
He held up his hand to quiet her as he was listening and then said, “All right, that sucks but glad to hear you’re okay. That could’ve ended a lot worse. So you’re going to stay there until the car is repaired?”
Car? Her eyes widened. “What happened to the car?”
Layton covered the microphone and whispered, “They were in a minor car accident. The SUV slid off the road and landed in a ditch but they’re okay.” He returned to Erik. “Alexis’s foot is fine. The swelling went down and we didn’t need to take her to the hospital. I’ve been taking real good care of her.”
At that, Alexis pinched his nipple and he tried not to yelp. “Don’t worry about Alexis... I got everything under control.” Then his expression changed and he frowned. Something told her Erik was giving him an earful about something he didn’t like. “We’ll talk more when you get home. Drive safe.”
Once he clicked off, Alexis pounced. “What happened?” she demanded to know. “Is everyone okay?”
“They’re both fine but it was a little scary. They slid off the road into a ditch and because of the snow no one saw them right away. No injuries, just a little shaken up.”
“I knew something was wrong. Erik and Emma are both OCD in that they would’ve called.” She worried her bottom lip. “Poor Em! She just wanted to spend the weekend with her parents and all these terrible mishaps happened. It’s almost as if the universe didn’t want her to be there. I wonder what that’s about.”
“Well,” Layton said with a small shrug, “if I’m right about Erik seeing Emma as more than just your friend...maybe spending some alone time worked out for them.”
She scowled. “There you go again talking about things that make me want to vomit. If you knew Emma, you’d never suggest that she’d have sex in a vehicle. She’s very shy.”
“The right man, the right circumstances can bring out hidden qualities.”
“Hush your mouth. I don’t want to hear that. You don’t know Emma like I do.”
“Is she a virgin?”
Alexis scowled a little harder. She shouldn’t answer, but she was curious as to where Layton was going with his question. “No, of course not. She’s not a nun.”
“Then you have no idea who she is behind closed doors. Sometimes the most prudish people are wild things when no one is looking.”
“Gahhh,” she gargled, putting her fingers in her ears. “I don’t want to speculate on my best friend’s potentially freaky sex life—particularly when you’re suggesting that she ought to hook up with my brother! Ew.”
Layton laughed, enjoying her discomfort. “You’re adorably contradictory. One thing is for sure, one has to stay on their toes with you.”
Alexis pursed her lips, unsure of whether she wanted to continue the argument or let it go, but Layton had already moved on.
“Well, there’s nothing we could’ve done. Emma’s phone died, which is why she wasn’t answering, but they’re okay and that’s what matters.”
“That explains it.”
“Yeah...so they’ll be back tomorrow after the car is repaired.”
“What was he saying that made you look annoyed?”
He hesitated then answered, “Uh, he was telling me to keep my hands to myself.”
“Too late.”
“Yeah, that ship has sailed and it’s not even circling the port.”
She chuckled, but it brought up a bigger issue. “How’d he even know?”
“I don’t know, big-brother sixth sense?”
“Maybe. Must’ve been in the tone of your voice or the inflection?”
“Who knows. But who cares? You’re a big girl. You don’t need your brother’s approval for anything, much less who you date.”
“I know, but like I said, the last thing I want to do is to come between you and Erik.”
“It won’t come to that.”
Alexis nodded but her thoughts were wandering. The snow was still coming down in fat, lazy flakes, but the lights looked cheery and festive. Erik wouldn’t admit it, but he liked when she decorated for the holidays. For Alexis, decorating for the holidays made them feel more real. She looked to Layton. “Want to help me drag the Christmas tree from the garage and start decorating?”
“Is there a second option?”
“Remember that thing I did right after the shower...”
He blushed a shade of red that didn’t look natural on his skin tone, but she found his reaction cute. “Yeah,” he choked out. “I remember.”
“Well, I’ll do it again if you help me get the tree ready.”
He started walking briskly toward the garage. “Show me where the tree is stored. Let’s get it started.”
Alexis laughed and followed him out.
Two hours later, the tree was up and decorated and Alexis was beaming with excitement as the house started to look Christmassy. “Have I mentioned how much I adore Christmas?”
“You might’ve mentioned it.”
“I do. I love it.” She drew a deep breath and smiled. “ʼTis the season to be jolly, you know.”
But Layton only had eyes for her and even though she was delighted with the way the decorations had turned out, she couldn’t ignore the pleasant tingle in her belly knowing that Layton was looking at her the way a wolf eyed a lamb.
The primal pulse of desire between them was almost palpable. So when Layton grabbed her and pulled her to him, she went with giddy anticipation.
He sank onto the sofa and she quickly straddled him. “This is going to be a hard habit to break,” she told him between kisses. She reached down to fondle the bulge in his boxers. “How are we going to stop?”
Instead of answering, he pulled his erection free and she reached over to grab a condom from the box they’d left carelessly on the end table after their last session. Within seconds she had him sheathed and even faster than that, he was inside her. She shuddered as she came down on his cock, loving the way he stretched and filled her perfectly. She braced herself against the sofa cushions behind his head and slowly rode him, taking her time to savor each sensation as they built up the tempo and the rhythm. “Layton,” she breathed, ending with a load moan. “Oh God, Layton...right there...”
He gripped her hips and helped guide her as he met her grind with slow thrusts and within moments, they were both nearing their edge. Layton reached down and pinched her throbbing clitoris, sending her hurtling into an epic orgasm that stole her breath and killed any semblance of lucid thought.
Layton tensed and shouted her name as he came, thrusting hard into her sheath until he’d spent his load. She fell forward against his chest and for a long moment just focused on catching her breath.
Was it normal to be so consumed with another human being? Not even with Riker, who she’d been certain she was in love with, had she been so perfectly in sync. It was a little frightening, to be honest, that she was already questioning everything she thought she knew about herself. Was it possible to fall so hard, so fast for someone?
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked in a husky tone that sent shivers down her spine.
She drew up, smiling as she traced her finger down his fine, muscled chest. “I was just thinking that I don’t know what to do about you.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Well, there is what I should do and what I want...”
“And?”
“And what I want is in direct opposition with what I should do.”
“You’re talking in circles.”
“Yeah, welcome to my process.”
Layton tightened his hold on
her, anchoring his hands on her bare hips. “There are no guarantees in life, babe. We take our chances with what we’ve been given and you either have to have the balls to just go for it or live in the shadows of your life, always wondering what might’ve been. You don’t seem to be the type of person who wants to live a half life. So grab life by the balls and squeeze.”
“So you’re saying I should just take a chance that you won’t hurt me like Riker did and just let Erik know that we’re testing the waters and then what?”
Layton caressed her cheek in a sweet gesture that plucked at her heart strings. “I’m not interested in a fling with you, Alexis. I’m not down with ‘testing the waters.’ I want the real deal.”
She bit her lip. “What if I’m difficult and you discover that I’m truly a bad girlfriend? I get grumpy. And moody. And Erik says that I’m a slob. Can you deal with that?”
“Only one way to find out.”
Was there nothing that she could say that would scare Layton away? “You’re asking me to trust you.”
“I am.”
“I’m not really all that strong in that department right now.” Her voice a tremulous betrayal of the anxiety twisting her nerves and making everything seem so dangerous to her heart.
He brushed a kiss across her lips. “Then let me help restore your faith.”
And there it was. She had to take a leap to find out if there was firm footing when she landed. Riker had been a painful life lesson, one she was determined not to repeat, but as far as she could tell, Layton and Riker were nothing alike. So what was holding her back?
“I’m scared.”
He gazed at her so tenderly that her heart nearly broke from the sweetness. Of course Layton was nothing like Riker. How could she even think that he was?
A Wrong Bed Christmas: IgnitedWhere There's Smoke Page 8
