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.