LITMIR.BIZ

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a viselike grip around his throat and squeezed. Hayes flung himself across the room and tackled her to the floor, sending her phone sliding across the tile. Instinct had him shielding her and taking the brunt of the fall. Pain shot through his leg.

      He opened his eyes, focusing on how close Alexa’s face was to his. There wasn’t pity in her dark gaze, but understanding staring back at him. He didn’t want to know what had occurred in her life that she could comprehend this level of hell.

      “So doors and thunder.” She shifted her weight off him, but put her hands on his cheeks. “What else do I need to look out for while I’m here? I don’t want to trigger anything.”

      She wanted to cure him—those motherly instincts obviously kicking in. He didn’t want to be mothered. He lived in the real world where he was permanently broken.

      Sex was fine. But she was easing her way into his mind with expert grace.

      Damn it. She was getting to him. The way she’d spoken about her son with obvious love had him admiring her even more than before, but that wasn’t a mental green light to act on his attraction. Loyalty and family were so engrained in his life, how could he not appreciate a mother’s love for her young son?

      But she was here. Right here, touching him. Damn it. Resisting her was damn near impossible, no matter what common sense kept telling him.

      Hayes’s hands slid down her sides to rest on her flared hips. Silence settled heavily between them, but she continued to stare, waiting on him to reply. He could think of so much more to do than get into this discussion.

      “Tell me,” she urged, smoothing his hair away from his forehead before sitting up. She sat next to him on the bathroom floor as if this were the most normal way to converse. Reaching for her phone, she clutched it like a lifeline...which it actually was. “I’m not judging, Hayes. I’m not mocking you or anything else. I care.”

      He snorted and came to his feet. “You just met me. You don’t care.”

      Carly had cared. His CO had cared. Look where that had gotten him.

      “You think because we just met today that I can’t care?” She jumped up and blocked his path out of the room. Those dark eyes searched his face. “I make a living caring, wondering how I can make people’s lives easier. I don’t have to know you to question how I can help. It’s human decency.”

      Needing to get away from her expressive eyes and delicate touch, Hayes eased around her, not at all surprised when she sidestepped to block him once again. This woman could drive him absolutely mad in so many different ways.

      “Nothing you can do.”

      Crossing her arms over her chest, she gave a curt nod. “Fine. Then I’ll just go out on the porch and watch the storm. I always loved a good storm anyway. It’s relaxing.”

      When she spun around with that chin tipped up and those shoulders back, Hayes reached for her arm. Alexa stilled, but didn’t look back.

      “Civilian life is still an adjustment,” he admitted. “Believe me, if I thought you had some magical way to help, I’d let you. But in reality, you’re just here because you’re stranded and probably in a few hours, you’ll be back next door at my sister-in-law’s B and B. Our paths won’t cross again.”

      Alexa glanced back, her now dry hair shielded half her face. “I may not be magical, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help. You shut me down before giving me a chance.”

      Sliding loose from his hold, she left him standing alone in the bathroom. That woman was something. No, she was more. She was intriguing, sexy, compassionate...a mother. That last trait was something he had to keep reminding himself about. It made her even more off-limits. Hadn’t he just seen at least ten pictures of her posing with her son? She had a normal life to get back to and he was just a blip on her radar.

      There was so much that made up this intriguing woman. He found each layer appealing, even her being a mother. Because being a single mother could be difficult. She had to be strong and courageous.

      Damn it all. He didn’t want to discover any more layers to Alexa. He needed to stick with sexy and curvaceous. Physical traits were all he should focus on. There was room for nothing else. If she thought she could help him, she’d try again before she left. He had no idea what she did for a living, but from the way she touched him, the way she’d looked into his eyes just now, and the hurt in her tone before she left, Alexa truly believed she could do something for him. His brothers thought so, too. But they were living their own lives with their own families.

      Raking a hand down his face, Hayes decided to see if Alexa’s clothes were dry. Much more of seeing her parade around in his shirt was certainly going to cause him to reach his breaking point.

       Six

      “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

      Alexa came into the laundry room doorway and watched as Hayes folded clothes in a precise manner. She’d gotten a text from Sadie just a moment ago with a picture of a very happy Mason hugging his stuffed horse. That horse never left his side. Even though Alexa knew he was fine, seeing a picture eased her mind.

      “Texas storms can turn nasty fast,” he stated as he creased another basic white tee.

      “The river is up quite a bit,” she told him. “If it doesn’t stop raining soon, nobody will be going anywhere.”

      He froze. “It’s not that bad already, is it?”

      Easing back, she glanced to the clock on the kitchen wall. “It’s already late afternoon. It’s been raining for several hours and with the rain we had the other day, that river is really flowing and rising fast. When I checked the weather on my phone, it said the storm isn’t going to be passing quickly.”

      Hayes muttered a curse under his breath. Alexa shifted out of the way when he pushed forward. Taking long, quick strides, Hayes went to the back door and headed out. Even in his panic, he closed the screen door with ease. He’d clearly trained himself, making his actions second nature.

      Alexa went out to the porch as well, wondering where he’d gone. Since she hadn’t put shoes on, she didn’t want to go far. Stepping onto the wet stones leading to the barn, she raced toward the opening to see the barn empty, save for Doc and Jumper. They were staring at her without a care in the world. Where had Hayes gone?

      Now soaked once again, she turned to the wide doorway and spotted Hayes at the edge of the river, hands on his hips, clearly not caring he was utterly soaked. The rain continued to come down in sheets and Alexa had no idea why he just stood there as if waiting for some divine intervention to solve their problem.

      Unfortunately, there was no solution to Mother Nature’s wrath. They were at the mercy of the elements...and this sexual charge that continued to surround them.

      Finally, he turned, head down against the wind and rain as he marched back to the house. Alexa raced ahead and met him on the porch. Hayes raked a hand over his glistening black hair and flung the water aside, then he lifted that dark gaze to hers. And that’s when he gave her a visual lick worthy of curling her toes.

      The electrical current that had enveloped them since early this morning continued to sizzle and grow. She was powerless, captivated by a man she’d just met, yet she felt as if she knew him on some deeper level.

      Hayes’s eyes seemed to take her in all at once and Alexa knew exactly how she looked. Drenched, with his clothes plastered to her body, nothing beneath to hide the fact she was both chilled and aroused. She’d never been a fan of her curves, she definitely had her mother’s build, but the way he was eyeing her—like she was the most desirable woman he’d ever seen—well, that made her not want to cover up and hide.

      What would be the point? He’d already seen and she wasn’t going to play the game of pretending to be shy. She was taking in her fill as well because

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