Wanderlust (12 page)

If her father replied, she didn’t wait for it. She launched the phone against the wall, causing the case to fly off and skitter across the floor. Angry tears pooled at the bottom of her lids as she collapsed on the sofa. After a moment, her gaze landed on Lex and widened as if she had forgotten he was sitting there. She swiped her tears away with the heels of her hands.

“I’m sorry. Look, can you just go? It’s not a good time.” Her tone was sharp, but he could tell that she was fighting to stay glued together.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

More tears replaced the ones she had brushed away, and the fight seemed to drain from her. “God, this is so stupid. I don’t do this.”

“Do what?” he asked gently.

She huffed in frustration. “Cry. Let things get to me like this.”

“You’re human, babe. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” He scooted to her side of the couch. When she didn’t protest, he curled his arms around her and gathered her into his lap. She didn’t say anything, just laid her cheek against the crook of his neck, filling his nose with her Ivory soap scent. He smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. Guilt settled in his stomach. This was his fault. In his selfish attempt to bring out her wild side, he had blown down the house of cards around her.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” she asked, her voice small and tired, but her body curling deeper into his hold.

“No. I’m hardheaded like that.”

With that, she seemed to surrender to him. He held her in his lap, caressing and soothing, enjoying the weight of her against him, until he felt her body relax and her breathing slow. She was asleep by the time the late-night news came on. Aubrey’s father put on an Oscar-worthy performance, throwing his daughter under the bus in his statement:
Aubrey is an adult, and even as her parents, we can’t control her actions. She has problems but won’t accept our help. We will always be there for her when she’s ready to do the right thing.

Lex wanted to punch the guy’s self-righteous face. He shifted his arms underneath Aubrey and stood, moving slowly so he wouldn’t wake her. Her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. After easing down her hallway, being careful not to bang her legs against the narrow space, he placed her on the bed and tucked her sheets around her. The edge of her mattress sagged as he sat next to her. He knew he should leave. His presence in her life had already messed up enough things for her. He brushed her hair off her face and watched her sleep for a few minutes, her sad expression mercifully replaced by the peace of slumber.

He glanced at the alarm clock, realizing ten minutes had passed, and reluctantly rose. When he clicked off her bedside lamp and turned to go, the rustle of covers stopped him.

He turned around, and Aubrey lifted herself onto her elbow, her expression sleep-soft. “Don’t leave.”

There was nothing he wanted to do more than stay. To feel the warmth of her against him. But even he wasn’t enough of an asshole to take advantage of her when she was this vulnerable. “You need to get some sleep.”

“So I’ll sleep. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sleep next to me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I’ve done you enough damage since I’ve been here. Maybe we should quit before I make it worse. I mean, what if someone sees my rental outside?” He forced every word out, not wanting to say them, not wanting to end it this soon.

She nodded. “After tonight, I really don’t care what people think. But, you’re probably right. This is stupid. We’re working together. You’re leaving soon. I’m now in the middle of some ridiculous scandal. This isn’t worth the trouble.”

She had agreed with him, but a flash of hurt hit him in the gut, twisting his insides. She was saying
he
wasn’t worth the trouble. His jaw tightened. “Yeah, you’re right, not worth it.”

She sighed and climbed out of bed. “Come on, I’ll let you out.”

She walked through the hallway next to him, but not touching him, and escorted him out the door.

***

Aubrey leaned her back against her closed front door and sank to the floor.

Lex walking away had left her with a hollow, sick feeling inside. She had hoped that he wouldn’t be able to leave so easily, that he’d feel the magnetic pull the same as she did. But that was a ridiculous thought. As if their brief time together meant anything to him. She was just another girl in another city. And he was simply a convenient distraction for her right now. She tapped the back of her head against the door. So if he was a convenience, why did her chest ache at the thought of never curling into his arms again? Was she just desperate for someone—anyone—who wasn’t ready to write her off and check her into rehab?
Ugh.

She hoisted herself off the floor and stomped to the kitchen, no longer tired and ready to get over her pity party. She rummaged around her tiny pantry, digging through cans and boxes until her hand landed on a bag of chocolate chips.
Jackpot.
There should’ve been a label on the bag that read
Open in case of emergency.
She tossed the bag on her counter, along with canisters of flour and sugar. Fifteen minutes later, she parked the pan of cookie dough in the oven to bake.

Cookies would fix everything.

As she waited for the cookies to bake, she grabbed a damp rag to clean the mess she’d created. The counter looked like the location of a Pillsbury Doughboy orgy, and the pile of dishes she’d created teetered in the sink. But while she was rinsing out the last of the measuring cups, her house phone rang, startling her from her busy work. She frowned and glanced at the clock on her wall.

Who the hell would be calling her at this hour? The only person who knew she was awake was Lex, and he didn’t have her home number. Caller ID read
Private
. She dried off her hands and grabbed the phone. “Hello?”

The voice was barely a whisper. “Aubrey, this is Lena, from next door.”

Aubrey strained to hear the elderly neighbor who shared her duplex.

“I think,” Lena whispered, “I think someone is watching the house.”

Aubrey’s heart sped up, her spine straightening. Would reporters really stake out her house? Surely, her scandal couldn’t be
that
interesting. “What? What do you mean?”

The woman’s voice trembled a bit. “There’s a car parked across the street. It’s been there for a while, and there’s a man in it. I pulled out my gun in case he tries to break in, but I wanted to let you know so that you don’t go outside.”

“Hang on, Ms. Lena, let me take a look.” Aubrey walked to the front of the house, keeping the portable phone to her ear, and peeked through her blinds. She let go of the breath she was holding. “It’s okay. I know him. He’s not trying to break in.”

“You
know
him?” The old woman huffed. “Well, you better go tell him to stop lurking around. What kind of man does that? That’s a good way to get shot, right there.”

“I’m so sorry he frightened you,” she said. “I’ll go fuss at him right now.”

“You do that. He needs a good talking-to, scaring an old woman half to death. I’m already more than halfway there. I don’t need no extra help.”

Aubrey smiled. Lena had so much spunk she would probably outlive the whole neighborhood. “I’ll take care of it. Thanks for letting me know. Good night.”

After pulling the pan of cookies out of the oven and setting it on the counter to cool, Aubrey toed on her flip-flops. She stepped onto her porch and gave a little wave to Lena, who was eyeballing her through a crack in the curtains on the other side of the duplex. Aubrey took a steadying breath and then crossed the street to rap on the car window.

Lex jumped like he’d touched a live wire. He rolled down the window. “Jesus, you scared the shit of me.”

She crossed her arms. “And you almost got yourself shot by my take-no-prisoners neighbor. What are you doing out here?”

He looked forward, staring out at the dark street instead of her. “Honestly? Convincing myself not to knock on your door and take back what I said.”

A little surge of hope went through her. “Which part?”

He looked down at his hands still gripping the steering wheel. “The part about wanting to end this tonight. The part where I agreed that this wasn’t worth the trouble.”

He turned and met her eyes.

She pressed her lips together, trying to read him and keep her own reactions in check at the same time. “You were right, though. You’re going to be gone in a few days. What’s the point?”

He reached through the window and hooked his finger in the waistband of her pajama pants, pulling her closer. His hand caressed the small of her back. “The point is that it could still be a great few days.”

His touch and his words had her logic and resolve melting. He wasn’t making false promises. A few days of fun, of forgetting their worries together—that’s what he was suggesting. She sensed the risk in that, knew that earlier tonight when he had held her against him, she’d let herself imagine more than a sexual fling with him. But those kinds of thoughts were dangerous, not to mention asinine. There weren’t enough chocolate chip cookies in the world to help her if she let herself fall for a guy like Lex Logan.

She took a deep breath. On the other hand, the sex had been ridiculously good, the best she’d ever experienced. That was hard to turn down. And with everything going on around her, she could use that kind of sweep-you-away escape. But could she manage to relax, enjoy, and not muddy things up with emotions? Could she be that girl?

Well, she was about to find out. She put her hands on the top of the car and bent down, meeting his eyes. “So do you want to sleep over or not?”

He grinned. “Definitely. And I promise I won’t make any moves on you. I still think you need rest, so we’ll just sleep.”

She rolled her eyes and stepped back so that he could get out of the car. “Uh-huh. Said the spider to the fly.”

He climbed out and encircled her waist in possessive hug. “No, I’m serious. I can have self-control—mostly. But in the morning, once you’re rested, all bets are off.”

She laughed, loving the feel of his solid body pressed against hers, his arms wrapped around her. He made her feel small and delicate in comparison, safe. A sigh escaped her lips. “Come on, I have a treat for you.”

“Wait, didn’t we just agree to no treat tonight?”

She smirked and reluctantly extricated herself from his grasp. “Not that kind of treat. Is your mind always in the gutter, Mr. Logan?”

He grabbed her hand as they strolled toward her house. “Yep, it’s set up permanent residence there. I could sell you a time-share if you’d like.”

“No need. When you’re around, I already have one.”

He chuckled and lifted her hand to his mouth for a quick kiss. “Ah, I always knew there was a dirty girl beneath that Southern belle facade.”

Once they made their way back into her house and into the kitchen, Aubrey set down a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of Lex. “Here you go.”

He traced his finger along the top of her table, examining the contents sandwiched between the wood base and the protective varnish. “This is really cool. Are these your postcards or did you buy the table like this?”

She sat in the seat across from him and followed his gaze. “They’re mine. I decoupaged—sealed them—onto the table. My dad used to send them to me when I was kid and he went on all these business trips.”

“Wow, you kept them all?”

She shrugged. “He always told such great stories of the places he visited, I was jealous. I saved them, promising myself that one day I would see the world like him.”

He glanced up at her. “So have you?”

She broke her cookie in half and sighed. “No, not really. In high school, I thought I’d become some jet-setting journalist. I was so ready to get out from under my parents’ rules. But then . . .”

“Your sister.”

She nodded. “I couldn’t just leave them. I’m the only kid they had left. It would have broken my mom’s heart if I had bailed. So I adjusted my plans. I got the degree I wanted, but searched for jobs that would keep me local.”

“But you kept the postcards? Aren’t they just a reminder of what you gave up?” His evaluating gaze caused her to shift in her seat. It was as if he could see right through every layer she’d constructed right down to her most precious, private thoughts.

“They were cheap decoration,” she said, wanting the conversation to be over. “Now eat the damn cookies before they get cold.”

If he recognized her deflection, he didn’t comment on it. He raised a cookie in salute and dutifully bit into it. She followed suit and, and he didn’t say another word until he had polished off the whole thing. “Holy god, these are good.”

“Right? My grandmother won prizes at fairs with this recipe.”

“I can see why. But just out of curiosity, why the hell are you baking at midnight anyway? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Cooking relaxes me.” She sipped her milk. “And Gran’s chocolate chip cookies have magical properties—guaranteed to fix a crappy day.”

He smiled and grabbed her hand. “I know a few other ways to fix a crappy day.”

“Too bad you promised not to make a move on me,” she teased.

“Did I say that?” he asked, the picture of innocence.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“I’m an idiot sometimes.”

Lex helped clean up and then followed her to her bedroom. She knew he would keep his promise if she made him. But she also saw the look in his eyes as he watched her in the kitchen. He was hungry for more than cookies, and so was she. There was no way she would be able sleep next to him all night, knowing the thrill of his touch was only a breath away, and not jump him. She knew that, but he didn’t. Her lips curled into a smile.

Lex leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms while enjoying the view. Aubrey readied the bed—fluffing pillows, arranging sheets, looking like sin on a fucking platter. Her camisole was so thin he could see the shadows of her nipples peeking through the fabric, and it was taking everything he had not to stride over and take one of them in his mouth. How could he have promised not to make a move? What had he been thinking? Stupid. He’d picked a fine time to try out the gentleman role. It didn’t suit him.

She came around the edge of the bed. “Is one pillow going to be enough? I think I have an extra in the hall closet.”

“One’s fine.”

“Great.” She hooked her thumbs in her pajama pants and slid them down her legs, revealing tiny white cotton panties underneath.

He coughed. “Um, what are you doing?”

She lifted an eyebrow. “I’m getting ready for bed. I can’t sleep in pants, too hot.”

Something was definitely too hot. She stepped out of the pants and bent over to pick them up. His eyes scanned the perfect curve of her ass. His hands flexed as he imagined taking her over his knee and spanking her butt red for teasing him like this. “You’re going to make me lose my resolve to keep my promises, babe.”

“I didn’t know you were such a stickler for keeping your word,” she said as she slipped her fluffy socks off and tossed them into a laundry hamper across the room.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to will away the erection that was threatening to appear. “I’m trying to do the right thing for a change.”

“Good for you.” She smiled brightly and sat on the bed, scanning him from head to toe, taking time to pause at strategic places. His muscles tensed as if her gaze had been her fingers moving across him instead. “Are you going to wear your jeans to bed?”

“’Course not.” Any blood left in his brain headed straight south as he imagined lying next to her with only a whisper of cotton between them. He shoved his hands in his back pockets. “Although it might not be a bad idea.”

She laughed, causing her chest to bounce, which only made her breasts look more enticing. Her voice held challenge. “Don’t trust yourself?”

He gave her a wry smile and peeled off his shirt. “It’s you I’m worried about. You can’t seem to keep your hands off me. I mean, you assaulted me at the zoo—in front of children, no less. Then, you took advantage of me at your office where anyone could have heard us. You clearly have no self-control.”

She turned down the comforter and tucked her smooth legs underneath. He wanted to park himself right between those soft, silky thighs. She didn’t need blankets to stay warm. He’d be more than happy to provide that service. But her gaze sparked with determination. “Oh, believe me. I have more self-control in my little finger than you have in your entire body.”

He unbuttoned his jeans and stripped down to his boxers. “Uh-huh. I saw your self-control in the office today.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter because I would never ask you to break a promise.” Her hands went to the hem of her camisole. She lifted it up and over her head, revealing the precious flesh underneath. Every muscle in him seemed to lurch forward and tighten. She tossed the shirt to the floor, and her tone turned cloying. “It’s too bad though. Nothing tops off chocolate chip cookies, like . . . well, never mind.”

Cruel. That’s what she was. And hot. So damn hot. He forced a shrug. “You’re not going to win by flashing me tits. I see those in the audience every night.”

She gave a slow smile. “I’m not trying to win anything. I told you—I’m just warm.”

“You totally suck, Bordelon,” he said and stalked to the other side of the bed, knowing that the now obvious swelling in his crotch betrayed his previous denials.

She nodded somberly. “True. I do suck.” Her tongue swept out and wet her lips, punctuating her point. She appeared to be fighting off a grin.

“You’re a fucking sadist is what you are.” Lex rubbed his hand over his face. How could this be the same girl who had curled in his lap earlier? Her combination of innocent and dirty might just kill him. He climbed onto the bed next to her, the coolness of the sheets a startling contrast to the heat racing through his body. He met her gaze, her eyes full of invitation. She smelled of chocolate and femininity and arousal. His last shred of promise-keeping burned into a pile of ashes. “To hell with my word. You win.”

He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head so that his mouth landed on her cheek.

“Good night Lex,” she said, all sweetness and light. “I appreciate you being so concerned about me getting some rest.”

She flipped onto her side, leaving him with a view of her bare back.

He groaned and dropped his face onto the pillow, wishing it were a wall he could beat his head against.

She yawned. “Why don’t we spoon? That will help me fall asleep faster.”

Damn her. No, damn himself for making stupid promises. He moved closer and slid his arm around her, tucking her against his torso. His erection nestled perfectly into the curve of her ass and hardened to the point of pain. She snuggled against him. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to draw his attention away from the incessant throbbing in his shorts.

A sleepy, contented sigh escaped Aubrey’s lips.

He parked his hand on smooth plain of her belly, afraid to move either too far up or down. Knowing that the perfect rounds of her breasts lay inches north and that his personal version of heaven lay inches south was almost too much to bear. He squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to think of something else, anything else, besides Aubrey. Ha. Right. All he saw behind his closed lids was her, lying naked beneath him, her head tilted back in bliss as he buried himself deep inside her. He grimaced. How was he supposed to sleep? Chinese water torture seemed preferable to a night of lying next to his sexy reporter without touching her.

Aubrey huffed. “I can’t get comfortable in this position.”

The break in the silence made him jump. “Huh? Oh, sorry. Do you need me to move?”

“Yeah, I think so.” She grabbed the hand he had resting on her stomach, and moved it down. His whole body tensed as she tucked it underneath the band of her panties. His fingers brushed across her smooth skin and then revealed how bad she was at faking hard to get. Searing hot and soaked. She was as ready for him as he was for her. “I seem to have a little problem keeping me awake.”

“Is that right?” he asked, his voice coming out deep and strained. Every molecule in him wanted to explode. He moved his finger inside her, forcing himself to go slowly, to be patient, to make sure she would get as much pleasure as him. “And what do you think I should do about that?”

A murmur escaped her lips and she arched against him, inadvertently stroking her backside against his hard-on. “You could fix it.”

He removed his hand from beneath the cotton and rolled her onto her back. The moonlight shining through the curtains lit her body with an ethereal sexiness—all silver light and curves. Lex didn’t know if angels existed, but if they did, this is what he imagined one looking like. He shifted onto his elbow, staring at Aubrey’s beautifully feminine body, wanting to taste every part of her. “You play the tease pretty well, reporter girl.”

She gave a smile that made him ache.

“I should make you pay for that,” he said, trailing a finger around one of her nipples. It responded immediately, tightening into a hard point.

“I’d like to see you try.”

“You’re playing with fire, gorgeous.” He dropped his head and drew his tongue across the stiff peak. Her body lifted seeking more of his mouth. “Mmm. I bet you taste this good everywhere.”

Her eyelids fluttered as he gave equal treatment to the other side. “Maybe you should make sure.”

He untwisted himself from the tangle of sheets and shifted until he was above her. He guided her arms above her head. “Hold onto the headboard unless I tell you otherwise.”

Her gaze flared with heat, and she followed his instructions. The sight undid him a little. Lex loved sex—vanilla, kinky, and everything in between—but seeing his good girl reporter so readily respond to the whisper of kink, like she wasn’t just curious but hungry for something a little different, made desire burn hot in his veins.

His mouth pressed against the curve of her neck, her shoulder. Kissing, licking, and throwing in the occasional nipping bite to test the waters. When she didn’t flinch, he took the pain a little deeper, running her nipple between his teeth. She dropped her head back with a moan, giving him full access and asking for more.

Fuck, yes.

He drew his mouth and tongue along her cleavage, tracking down to her navel, and dragging his nails along her flesh. Her skin heated under his touch just as he had imagined that first day he met her. Rosy pink and sexy as hell. He eased down farther, the scent of her arousal calling to him, and guided her knees up. He trailed kisses and bites along her inner thighs, relishing the softness of her flesh and the fever of her response. She quivered underneath him as if ready to break apart. He halted his descent centimeters before reaching his destination. Her knuckles went white against the headboard.

“Please,” she begged, her voice barely a whisper.

“I told you I’d make you pay. Maybe I’ll spend all night just kissing you everywhere except the place you want most.”

“Oh, god, you weren’t serious, were you?” she asked, an edge of panic sharpening her voice.

He chuckled and then used the tip of his tongue to answer her question, tasting her sweet arousal. She twined her fingers in his hair and drew him closer.

He backed off. “Hands on the headboard, gorgeous. You don’t get to control this. Let me make you feel good.”

She groaned but listened and locked her hands around the headboard again. He lifted her legs over his shoulders and pressed his mouth against her. Her sweet flesh tightened beneath his tongue, and she gave the softest, sexiest sigh he’d ever heard. Yes,
this.
He took his time tasting and nibbling, rasping his tongue against her burning softness and feeling her writhe against him. She arched and dropped her hands to the bed, digging her nails into the mattress. He let the transgression go. Nothing was hotter than a woman gripping the sheets for dear life.

He pulled away for a second, rubbing his stubbled cheek against her inner thigh and relishing the view of her swollen, damp flesh.

“Oh, please don’t stop.”

He drew a finger over her center. “You have the sexiest cunt, Aubrey. So pretty and pink and wet.”

“Lex,” she gasped.

“Hmm . . .” he murmured, kissing her right on her clit.

“It’s just—”

He lifted his head. Even in the dark he could see the flush creeping up her form. “It’s just what?”

“The things you say . . .”

He smiled slowly. So no one had ever talked dirty to the pretty reporter? Her lovers had probably all been polite and sweet and romantic. Screw that. He slid two fingers inside of her, stroking her in a place that made her moan. “I would apologize, but I can feel you getting wetter anytime I say something filthy to you. Maybe I should tell you how much I fucking love eating your pussy. Or how I stroked my cock to thoughts of you that afternoon after we went to the zoo. That I came while I imagined tearing those little white shorts off you and fucking you right there with your cheek pressed to the grass.”

Her body clenched around his fingers and her back curved. “God.”

“You’re fucking sexy, Aubrey, and someone should’ve told you that long before now.”

Unable to go another moment without tasting her again, he dipped his head low and gave tribute to her most sensitive spot. She writhed and an expletive slipped past her lips. That’s what he liked to hear. The businesswoman losing her polish. He dragged his tongue along the sides of her clit, and her muscles went taut beneath him. That was all it took. Her hands balled in the sheets, gripping tight as she tipped over into climax. Cries of release reverberated against the walls as he held onto her. The sound of her voice alone was enough to send his aching need into overdrive.

Breathless and hoarse, she reached his shoulders. “Come ’ere. Please, I need you.”

As fast as his raging erection would allow, he climbed off the bed, shucked his boxers, and grabbed protection out of his discarded jeans. Before he could get the thing open, her hands clutched his wrists and yanked him down to her. Their mouths crushed against each other, kissing full and deep, the luscious taste of her arousal still fresh on his lips. Her arms banded around his waist, securing him on top of her, but he had other ideas. After seeing her bend over to undress earlier, he wanted to get his hands on her curvy backside. He gripped her hips and rolled her until she was above him. Her hair created a halo of darkness around her face as she stared down at him. Beautiful and sensual and innocent all at the same time. He could spend years cataloging every perfect inch of her. Kissing. Tasting. Stroking. But he didn’t have years, only days.

An unfamiliar longing punched him in his gut.

***

Aubrey shivered as Lex ran his hands along the curves of her ass and the small of her back. His blue eyes scanned her face as if he could read every thought that passed through her brain. She hoped that wasn’t the case. In the last few minutes, her mind had gone irrational, imagining more than sex with the handsome rock star. The feelings that bubbled below the surface were nothing short of ridiculous. She squeezed her eyes shut.

The crackle of a condom wrapper brought her back to reality. Lex shifted underneath her, and she allowed her physical reaction to overpower the mental one. Her hips tilted upward, and he nudged against her already sensitive sex, finding her center. She moaned as he slid deep, savoring their perfect fit. That sensation would never get old.

The hard lines of his face spread into a smile. “You are
so
much better than sleep.”

She laughed. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

He rocked forward, penetrating her with his gaze as much as his body. She tried to look away but was hypnotized by their connection—a soul-deep intimacy crackling between them. A shimmer of fear swirled into her pleasure. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she just shut down her brain, her heart, enjoy the moment for what it was? As if sensing her mood shift, Lex clutched her hips against him more tightly. She forced her eyes down, away from his stare.
Stop thinking.