Chapter Two #3
“Yes.” She opened it and motioned inside.
“It’s a tub and shower combo.” The tub was an old cast-iron beauty and way too small for a man his size.
When she could afford it, she planned on changing the layout to allow the tub to remain while installing a separate shower.
Everything about the room was dated, from the tiles on the floor to the countertop, but it all sparkled.
Alex’s big body filled the entrance to the smaller space.
Up close, his eyes appeared black as midnight, tipped with thick lashes of the same color.
He smelled of the outdoors, of heat and male sweat, mixed with a hint of motor oil.
The latter must have leaked from his bike when he’d loaded it onto the tow truck.
She was a little taller than average at five-seven, but he topped her by about a foot.
The ease with which he’d handled the crash and the aftermath spoke to his physical and mental toughness.
There was also something dark and dangerous in his eyes that warned he wasn’t a man to cross, yet she wasn’t the least bit afraid of him.
Nervous, yes, but that was due to the unexpected attraction.
“Are you okay? Your cheeks are flushed.”
She was blushing—the curse of being a redhead. “I must have gotten a bit too much sun standing around at the accident site.” Not a total lie. She had been outside for some time, but she was coated in sunscreen. Her pale skin demanded it.
They were standing closer than she’d realized. The sensible thing to do would be to step away, but her feet were glued in place, and she was momentarily tongue-tied.
The man was a stranger, but the accident had connected them in some inexplicable way. He could have died today. Her heart skipped a beat, as if protesting her dire thoughts. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt in the crash.”
“Thanks. I’m glad you weren’t hurt either.”
She needed to put some distance between them and would, any second now. Breathing was difficult with him staring at her with those midnight eyes that seemed to hold the secrets of the universe. It was impossible to look away.
She tightened her fingers around the room keys, using the jagged bite of the metal to ground her. “I should go.”
“You should.” The husky tone of his voice had her leaning closer.
Possessed by a momentary madness, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. It was a chaste kiss, by anyone’s standards. The kind you might give a friend or close acquaintance.
Rockets of desire exploded inside her. Heat surged through her bloodstream.
The world around her faded, all her awareness focused on the contact between them.
The keys clattered to the floor. His leather jacket was open, and her hands landed on the soft cotton of his shirt.
The muscles beneath were hard as iron against her palms.
What am I doing? She shoved away from him, appalled by her behavior.
“I’m so sorry. That shouldn’t have happened. I’m not in the habit of kissing strange men, let alone guests.” If her cheeks had been red before, now they were on fire. “I don’t know what came over me. It must be a delayed reaction, the adrenaline crash from the accident scrambling my brain.”
That was her story and she was sticking to it. It had to be what had made her act so out of character. She had enough on her plate without juggling an unexpected attraction to a man she’d just met.
Head tilted to one side, he studied her intently. “You think so?”
She gave a decisive nod. “Yes. Absolutely. What else could it be? Now I need to get to work.” Before she did something stupid like kiss him again. “If you need anything, Rosa will be downstairs until five.”
“And where will you be?”
Pausing with her hand on the doorknob, she forced herself to turn and face him.
He looked utterly alone and self-contained as he stood hipshot in the center of the room.
“I’ll be…around. If you need clothes or supplies, most of the stores close at six.
Don’t forget, there are always snacks in the kitchen, but we only serve breakfast. Feel free to use the dining room or the porches if you get takeout and don’t want to eat in your room. ”
“Thank you. For everything.”
For some odd reason, she was loathe to leave him, which was silly. He was a grown man. “Will you be all right?” The question was out before she could stop it.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
No doubt. Alex radiated confidence. “If I don’t see you again today, I’ll see you at breakfast.” She bolted from the room and down the hallway, gripping the railing on the stairs as she went, to keep from taking a tumble.
She detoured to the front desk long enough to retrieve her purse before heading to her private apartment—the old housekeeper’s suite off the kitchen. Having a sitting room, along with a sizeable bedroom and bath, gave her space away from work, which she desperately needed right now.
“Where did you find him and how long is he staying?” Rosa called out as Cilla hurried past.
“I’ll tell you all about it as soon as I change.”
Without giving her friend time to question her further, Cilla hastened into her suite, dumped her purse on the bed, and went straight into her bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her cheeks.
It didn’t help. She could still feel the heat from his mouth, the hard muscles beneath his shirt.
No doubt about it, Alexiares Blackwell was a dangerous man.
“It’s only the aftermath of the adrenaline.” She’d keep reminding herself, as many times as it took, until she actually believed it.
She went to her closet and pulled out shorts, a T-shirt, and slightly worn sneakers. What she needed was physical activity. Thankfully, she had an overgrown garden that needed attention, and Rosa was here to handle the guests and answer the phone.
After hanging up her dress, she bundled her hair on the top of her head and reapplied sunscreen. Satisfied she looked normal, even if her body was still humming with pleasure from the brief kiss, she strolled into the kitchen, ready to face her friend. “You won’t believe what happened.”