“Darlin’.” He took another step closer “I set out to seduce you.”
“Really? You have a terrible way of going about that.”
He stopped just beside the cloth-covered sofa and leaned a hip against the arm. “You threw me for a loop when I saw you down in the stables and then to have you stranded here didn’t help. But seeing you in my clothes, the way they plastered all over your curves, made me snap.”
“How is that a problem?” she asked, her heart revving up all over again at his bold declarations. “I thought we were both on the same page.”
He shook his head and glanced down to his hands. “We were until my mind started lying to me again and I went to war with myself.”
Alexa padded across the hardwood toward him. “Don’t be so cliché to say ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’”
“My entire life is a damn cliché,” he snorted. “You recall my fiancée and my CO, but I’ll save you the sob story. In this instance, though, it was me. Damn it, I still want you, but...”
He shook his head and glanced toward the windows, where the rain skewed the view.
“You can’t leave that sentence hanging.”
Those dark eyes came back to hold her. “You don’t seem like you’d be happy with a fling and I would honestly be using you to fill a void.”
He’d be using her? Did he know how long it had been since a man looked at her the way he did? Did he realize that in the past two years she hadn’t taken an interest in anyone at all and everything about him had her practically begging? She’d been turned on well before he made her come apart, and now that she knew what he was capable of...well...
“You don’t know what type of girl I am,” she countered. “No, I don’t do flings, which should tell you something, considering I want you, too. But standing around chatting about it isn’t helping either one of us. We’re stuck here, we’re attracted to each other and we’re adults with our eyes wide open.”
“What do you suggest?”
Alexa knew it was a risk, but she kept her eyes locked with his as she pulled her tank over her head and clutched it at her side.
“I suggest you finish what you started and quit worrying. Do you want me or not, cowboy?”
* * *
Holy—
Was she really doing this? After the way he’d treated her and acted like a complete jerk, Alexa stood before him wearing her lacy bra and hip-hugging jeans. With that midnight-black hair flowing around her shoulders, framing her mesmerizing face, she held all the power. His resolve had evaporated...if he’d truly ever had it to begin with where this vixen was concerned.
What was it about her? Her looks were definitely striking, but there was so much more. Her no-nonsense attitude, the vulnerability she tried to hide, her compassion he kept pushing away while she thrust it in his face anyway.
“Alexa.”
She raised a brow and propped her hands on her hips. “I’ve seen the way you look at me, Hayes. I know this isn’t some fairy tale or promise of commitment. We’re adults, we’re stranded, we’re attracted. It’s like the trifecta for a fling.”
He laughed. Damn if this woman wasn’t saying everything a man would want to hear. No-strings sex? What the hell was he waiting on? She’d already come apart in his arms, so he knew the desire was there.
Just because he was ready to rip the rest of their clothes off didn’t mean he could stop worrying. She wasn’t like other women who threw themselves into meaningless sex. He might have just met her, but that was one thing he knew for certain. So why him? Why now?
The Southern gentleman in him made him pause to assess the situation, but the Alpha male inside him was roaring to life and pumping with anticipation.
“Unless you’ve changed your mind—”
Hayes took one step to close the gap between them. Snaking his arms around her waist, he pulled her flush against him. “What do you think?”
“I think you better not go inside your head again and start thinking of all the reasons this isn’t a good idea.”
“It’s not a good idea.”
She trembled against him and threaded her fingers through his hair. “Do you really care?”
“Hell no.”
He crushed his lips to hers, his need growing even more when she moaned and arched herself against him. Just one touch and the woman damn near exploded. He’d never been a one-night stand type of guy; he left that to his brother Beau. But if Hayes was going to have one, Alexa was perfect. She knew full well going in exactly what this was...and what it wasn’t.
Hayes shifted his hands and gripped her backside, needing to feel her hips against his. She opened her mouth wider, taking more and giving just as much. Her fingertips trailed down and found the hem of his shirt. She tugged until he eased back just enough to be free of the unwanted garment.
When her hands went to the waistband of his jeans, Hayes gripped her wrists. “Protection.”
Her lids lowered, her shoulders sagged as she blew out a frustrated sigh. “Obviously that’s not something I carry with me, especially when I go out of town alone.”
Disappointment rolled off her, but Hayes nipped at her lips. “My bedroom.”
He might not have planned to be intimate since returning home, but that didn’t mean he was a fool, either. And right now, he was beyond thankful he’d grabbed a box of condoms when he’d gone out for other necessities at the drug store.
A naughty smile spread across her face. “Then it looks like we’re in the wrong room.”
Hayes lifted her against him, forcing her to wrap her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get where you need to go.”
Those expressive eyes darkened at his veiled promise. Hayes flattened his palms against her backside as he left the study and turned down the hall to head toward the steps.
“You can’t possibly carry me up there.”
He nuzzled the side of her neck. The scent of something floral combined with fresh rain drove him out of his mind. Everything about this woman got under his skin.
“I can and I will.”
“What about your leg?”
He gritted his teeth, hating there was any flaw to consider. “It’s fine.”
Alexa jerked her face back. “I’m not a lightweight.”
“Neither am I,” he countered as he reached the base of the steps.
“Put me down.”
His firm hold on her tightened. “I’ll not only carry you up, my knee will hold, I won’t be winded and I’ll still have plenty of stamina for other activities. You’re welcome.”
“I’ve had a baby,” she continued to argue. “I’m seriously not as light as I used to be.”
Hayes started up the steps, his eyes never leaving hers. “I don’t know what you felt like before, but right now you feel pretty damn perfect.”
Alexa pursed her lips as if she were biting back another argument. There was no way he was going to let her think for one second that she was less than perfect. Alexa fascinated the hell out of him.
Once he reached the top landing, he smacked his lips to hers. “You’re still a lightweight,” he informed her.
“How did you climb those stairs that fast carrying me?”
She sure knew how to stroke his ego. “I’m a former paratrooper. We’re strong by default.”
“A paratrooper? What exactly—”
“Is this something you really want to get into now?” he asked, taking long strides toward those double doors leading to his massive bedroom.
“No.” She framed his face with her hands and slid her mouth over his. “I’m not really interested in talking at all.”
He kicked the doors open with his foot and crossed the space. Right now he didn’t care about the rising waters, the flickering electricity, the fact that they might be
stranded for a while. He wouldn’t mind being holed up with Alexa. Being alone would give him the opportunity he’d been waiting for to finally get her in his bed and take advantage of her lush body.
Hayes had even managed to block out the thunder that coupled with his PTSD to threaten his sanity. All he cared about was Alexa, about seeing her come apart in his arms again, because the sampling he’d had was not near enough.
Maybe she was the drug that could help him...temporarily of course.
Hayes stood at the end of the king-size bed and eased her down. When she lay back, he took a good, long look at the woman spread out before him. He’d never had a woman in this bed, hadn’t given it much thought. He’d been so consumed with occupying his time and his thoughts with the ranch, but having her here was definitely helping him stay distracted. Who knew a perfect stranger would be the one to start healing his brokenness?
Alexa watched as he unfastened her jeans and tugged them down her legs. The plain white panties were more of a turn-on than any lingerie. The flare of her hips, the softness of her rounded belly and the fullness of her breasts straining against her lacy pink bra had Hayes rushing. He could do slow later...because there would be a later.
Alexa sat up and reached around to unfasten her bra. There was no way he would stop now. The sultry temptress displayed on his bed was more than enough motivation to ignore all the reasons why this was not his smartest idea.
All of this was temporary. The housing situation, the feelings...his lover.
While Hayes kept his eyes locked on Alexa, he stripped out of his clothes. In seconds, he retrieved protection from the nightstand and had it in place. The urgency spiraling around them had him rushing...but later, he vowed. Later he would explore that body because he already knew once would not be enough to exorcise her out of his system.
Alexa met his eyes with her heavy-lidded gaze as he came to stand between her spread thighs. Taking control, she reached up to grip his shoulders as she pulled him down on top of her.
“I think you need to take charge,” she whispered. “I don’t want any setbacks right now.”
Damn. His heart clenched and that was the dead last thing he wanted. She got him. She understood the beast he lived with in his own mind. But he wasn’t about to get too attached or emotionally wrapped up in how perfectly she understood his demons. There was no space for anything other than physical.
But taking the lead now that he’d finally gotten her where he wanted her was exactly what he’d been hoping for.
“That makes two of us, darlin’.”
Alexa shifted her knees up by his hips and wiggled to get closer. “Don’t make me wait.”
Bracing his hands on either side of her face, Hayes joined their bodies, earning him a low groan and the sexiest arch from that sweet, luscious body beneath his. He might be physically in control, but right now she was getting into his head, overriding all the ugly to give him something akin to hope.
This was just sex, he reminded himself as he closed his eyes. He was taking every bit of this opportunity to use her sweetness to drive out his pain. No matter how temporary, he would welcome it.
Alexa framed his face, forcing him to look at her. “Stay here,” she commanded. “Don’t look away.”
Yeah, she definitely held all the power here and he wasn’t going to complain. Not one bit.
Their hips moved in perfect sync and she never let her eyes waver from his. There was a level of comfort with her he’d never found before. Finding something so rare had him drawing from her, using her in this moment.
When Alexa’s knees clenched tighter against him, Hayes leaned down and covered her mouth with his. He wanted them joined in every way possible. There wasn’t enough—he needed more.
Hayes reached down, slapped a hand over her hip and surged forward harder, faster. Alexa cried out, breaking their kiss and squeezing her eyes shut.
“Look at me,” he demanded, echoing her words. He wanted to see and feel every bit of her release. They were both drawing from each other and he didn’t want that bond severed...at least not yet.
Swollen lips, heavy lids, Alexa came apart all around him, which was all it took for Hayes to follow. His body tightened, he clenched his teeth, gripped that hip and lifted her leg even higher. Alexa’s fingertips trailed up his arms and over his shoulders. She threaded her fingers through his hair as his body slowly started to come back down.
After his tremors ceased, Hayes started to shift to the side, but Alexa locked her ankles behind his back.
“Wait,” she murmured. “One more minute. I’m not ready for reality just yet.”
Reality was a bitter bitch. He wasn’t ready to face it, either. But getting too cozy with this lush, passionate woman wasn’t the smartest idea. Forget the fact that she matched him perfectly in bed, but she’d also honed in on his deepest fears and still managed to calm him with little effort.
Hayes ultimately gave in to her request to stay just a little longer. When he rolled to the side, he pulled her with him and cradled her head in the crook of his arm. He’d never admit that his knee hurt like hell. This was worth the pain. She was worth the pain.
He wasn’t getting comfortable all nestled here with her in his bed, his home. He wasn’t. He was simply coming down from great sex. That’s all. This wasn’t snuggling or cuddling or post-coital bonding. Their bond had come and gone during their intense intimacy.
But when her hand slid over his chest, Hayes had to close his eyes, because the warmth and tenderness from this woman was climbing over that wall he’d erected.
What happened to the quickie he’d set out to have? The seduction he’d wanted since he saw her in the stables had somehow turned into lying in bed together in each other’s arms. How had they gotten to this point?
The second he’d discovered she was a mother, he’d vowed to keep his distance emotionally. Unfortunately, his emotions were scraped raw, exposed and easily accessible. And Alexa knew exactly how to make him feel, how to make him think about all the things he didn’t want rolling over in his mind.
She felt too damn good.
Just another minute. He’d hold her one more minute and lie to himself about how he didn’t enjoy this precious moment with this precious woman... Because right now, he truly didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Eight
Alexa grabbed Hayes’s T-shirt and slid it over her head. She’d apparently fallen asleep in his bed, but when she woke up, he was missing...and the bed was cool. Had he waited until she’d passed out and slipped away?
Regrets already?
Her tank top was still down in the study, so she pulled her jeans on to go with the shirt he had folded on his dresser. The sky outside the window had darkened and the rain continued to pour down. Alexa’s stomach growled as she padded through the room and into the hall. A light shone from the first-floor family room as she glanced over the balcony railing. Still no Hayes in sight.
Surely he wouldn’t mind if she went to the kitchen to find something to eat. Other than coffee, she hadn’t had a thing since she’d grabbed a granola bar on her way out to the B and B this morning.
Alexa gripped the handrail and froze. Had it only been this morning that she’d left her house?
This morning she hadn’t even known Hayes Elliott and she’d already been in his bed.
The woman she was here at Pebblebrook Ranch was not the single mother, teacher of special needs preschoolers. It was like she’d completely transformed into someone else the moment she got here.
Never in her life had she thought of having a temporary fling. She’d been married, then once widowed she’d focused solely on her son and providing for him. Dating hadn’t even been a priority, let alone sex.
Something about Hayes brought out a side of her she hadn’t even known existed. She’d only been with two people in her life before today, and
one of those people had been her husband.
Pulling in a deep breath, Alexa descended the stairs. Some yeast-like aroma hit her as she got about halfway down. Pans clanging echoed through the house. Hopefully whatever he was making had enough for two.
Nerves curled in her belly. She truly hoped this wasn’t about to get awkward. As confident as she’d been before, well...that had all stemmed from desire.
Right now, she was back to boring Alexa. She could turn snarky at a moment’s notice if she started to get too overwhelmed by the intensity—and Hayes was definitely one intense man, in bed and out.
The second Alexa stepped into the kitchen, all her nerves were gone, quickly replaced by another rush of arousal. Hayes stood at the stove wearing only denim on the bottom half and ink on the top. Mercy, who knew a half-dressed man at the stove could be so sexy?
Her bare feet slid over the old linoleum, landing on a squeaky spot in the floor. Hayes jolted and focused his attention over his shoulder, eyes alert.
“Sorry,” she told him. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
His shoulders relaxed as he raked his gaze over her and she was instantly aware of how potent those dark eyes could be. Almost as potent as his hands.
“You like wearing my clothes.”
Maybe she did. Or maybe she liked the way they smelled, like a rugged man. “My shirt wasn’t upstairs.”
His mouth quirked. “You could’ve come down without a shirt. I did.”
Great. He wasn’t in a funk brooding about regrets and being noble or some other nonsense that would make this situation extremely uncomfortable. She was already feeling nervous again because she’d stepped so far out of her element.
At least he was talking like this situation was no big deal. Because it wasn’t...right? Just because her body still tingled, she wore his shirt and she wanted to do it all over again didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t mean anything.
“If I’d come down without a shirt, you’d ravage me again and then we’d never eat,” she replied as she crossed to the stove to see what he was making. “I’m starving, by the way.”
Taming the Texan Page 7
