Page 24 of Dangerous Temptation
Turning with her clothes in her arms, she scampered towards the door.
Alex watched Elena go. He wanted to follow her, but he knew this was for the better.
He rubbed the ball of his hand against his chest and looked around the room. The feeling in the gym had changed. It seemed so quiet, so empty, so dull. He rolled his neck and pushed himself to his feet.
‘Ah! Damn it.’ Reaching out, he braced himself against the weight bench. He looked at the bottom of his foot and grimaced. It was ugly. ‘Hell.’
That was all he needed, something else to keep him contained.
Funny, only moments ago he hadn’t felt the pain at all. His gaze swept the mat. She hadn’t quite gotten everything on her mad dash. One sock was stuffed under a treadmill, while its partner sat on top of it. Something colourful caught his eye up by the elliptical machine, and his gaze stuck. Her bra. It was a light lavender colour, with delicate lace along the cups. He hadn’t even noticed in his ham-handedness in getting it off her.
Bending down, he hooked his finger around a strap and picked it up. It was soft and padded, although she didn’t need the help. He clenched the soft fabric in his fist and reached for the towel he’d dropped nearby.
He let out a gust of air when he spotted the evidence of their lovemaking still on the mat. Just looking at the wet spot, he felt himself getting hard all over again.
‘Get your head out of your ass,’ he chided himself.
She was right about the two of them. They had no business being together – even if she was the sexiest, most fascinating little creature he’d come across in aeons. And the hottest little spitfire. They’d nearly lit up this room with the fireworks they’d thrown together.
But that had been a huge mistake.
The two of them? With their history?
He quickly cleaned up and tossed the towel and socks in the hamper. His thumb swept over the cup of her bra for a moment before it followed suit.
Jaw hardening, he wandered over to the bathroom that had been his second prison in a week. He glared at the rubber mat that sat propped up askew in the corner. He yanked it away from the door and tossed it. The heavy rubber square went flying through the air like a super-duty magic carpet. It hit the floor in the middle of the room with a smack that rang in his eardrums.
How long would he have been stuck in there if she hadn’t found him? He braced himself against the door frame, still unable to make himself go inside. He hadn’t meant to pounce on her, but he’d been in that tiny eight-by-ten room long enough that he’d been riding the razor’s edge. And she’d been so soft and pretty. So warm and welcoming.
He rubbed his chest again, but the ache wasn’t easing. At least the snake had settled again.
He propped the door open with a ten-pound weight, washed himself quickly and got dressed. He headed upstairs, more aware of the silence than ever. He’d welcomed the peace and calm when he first arrived, but now it was bringing back memories. Unwanted memories.
He knew without a doubt that she’d gone. The house felt too heavy. He looked up and down the hallway. Why had she been here in the first place?
The books. It was the only way she would have heard him. The library was above the workout room. Thank God.
He headed to the kitchen and looked out of the window down the path to the lake house. It was still pouring outside. Her hair had been wet, he just now realised. Wet and sexy. She had to have gotten drenched on her way back. As she’d run away …
‘Move on, Wolfe. You can’t get involved with her. You just had to work off some steam.’
Scratch an itch. Slake his thirst.
He sighed and turned towards the coffee maker. That was when he saw the hoodie hanging on the coat rack by the kitchen door. He frowned and went over for a closer look.
The gray material was still damp. It was his, all right, the one he’d lent her down by the lake when she’d been chilled. His fingers swept over the soft fleece. The sweatshirt was too big on her, making her look like a kitten wrapped up in a blanket. He’d told her she could return it, but she’d been wearing it every time he’d seen her since. He’d liked that, knowing that she was warm and comfortable, wrapped up in what was his.
His hand fisted in the material.
Oh, hell no. This wasn’t over.
He looked through the paned glass of the kitchen door and saw a light on in the cabin. He knew what they said about sirens, about the temptation and the danger, but he didn’t care.
This thing between the two of them? It had only just begun.
Chapter Five
Elena pushed herself away from the computer and rubbed her temples. She couldn’t think straight. Her thoughts had been churning and freezing for the past day – ever since her ‘visit’ to the main house. Sighing, she looked out the window at the lake. It was agitated. The breeze was stiff, and the surface was choppy. She watched the ripples and the tiny whitecaps as they rolled towards her. The lake looked just like she felt … all roiled up.
