the sooner this storm passed, the sooner he could get her back where she belonged. Between his jumpiness and the unwanted attraction, this was going to be a hell of a storm...both inside and out.
* * *
The bathroom was just as dated and neglected as the kitchen. Which was rather surprising, considering the Elliotts had more money than she’d ever see in a lifetime.
But finances were the least of her concerns right now. For one thing, the shirt smelled amazing. So amazing, in fact, that she might have taken her time in sliding it down over her face so she could inhale that woodsy, masculine scent.
Her other concern was really the reason she hadn’t stepped from the bathroom just yet. Where was she supposed to put her bra? It was soaked, so she wasn’t going to keep it on. But it wasn’t like she wanted to walk out and hand him her pink lacy demi. She’d only met the man a few hours ago. Him handling her unmentionables seemed a bit too intimate.
Grabbing her wet jeans, socks and tank, she wrapped the bra inside the wad of clothes and stepped barefoot from the bathroom.
Thankfully, her phone was okay. No messages from Sadie, so Alexa would check in later. She’d only been gone a few hours, so checking in now would seem overbearing...though she probably would’ve already done so had this little predicament with Hayes not presented itself.
Hayes stood in the kitchen with his back to her, the coffeepot in the corner brewing to life. The sight of that broad back had her clutching her wet clothes and willing herself to calm down. He was just a man. A really sexy, intriguing, frustrating man who’d stared at her lips and stripped his shirt off in front of her.
“Can I throw these in?” she asked.
He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes flared slightly when he raked his gaze over her body. Yeah, his 2X shirt was nearly to her knees. Apparently he needed this size to accommodate those muscles, but she was neither muscular nor tall, so she looked utterly ridiculous. But she was dry and that’s what mattered.
“I’ll take them.”
When he started toward her, she shook her head. “I can do it.”
“Have a seat and give me the clothes. I’ve seen women’s underwear before.”
Of course he’d know why she was clutching her things like a lifeline. “Well, you haven’t seen mine.”
Not a smile or a comment from him as he took her things and disappeared into the utility room. Alexa crossed to the coffeepot and nearly groaned at the glorious smell. She glanced at the bag on the counter and didn’t recognize the brand. Probably something she couldn’t just pick up in the corner market. The Elliotts probably had minions to handpick their coffee beans and make a special roast just for them.
She glanced around, surprised she’d missed the French press on the counter. This kitchen had an expensive coffee maker and a French press? Well, he apparently had his priorities in order.
“They should be done in about forty minutes,” he told her as he came back in.
“The rain hasn’t let up,” she commented as she stared out the large window over the sink. “The sky is getting darker, too.”
Not a good sign. Not good at all.
“I drove my truck down to the stables before riding the horses here with you and most everyone else on the ranch is gone for the day,” he muttered, as if wondering how the hell to get her back to the other side of the property in the middle of this storm.
A bolt of lightning flashed through the sky. Now she was being mocked by Mother Nature. Apparently there was no good way to get back to a vehicle that could take her to the B and B.
Alexa wrapped her arms around her waist and glanced around the room. This was all so...awkward for her. She had a small town house in Stone River and lived with an infant. But here she was thrust into the country, into an old family home with a sexy man and wearing his clothes, which smelled far too fabulous. Part of her couldn’t help but think back to another man and another T-shirt she used to wear.
But that was a lifetime ago and she was in a whole new world. Everything here was so foreign, yet so familiar. From the masculine scent to the intimacy of the moment to the rush of adrenaline when Hayes had been staring at her lips out in the rain.
“You’re not afraid of storms are you?”
Hayes’s question pulled her from her thoughts. The way he studied her from across the room had her wondering if he always stared with such intensity.
“No, no.”
Silence settled heavy between them and Alexa didn’t know how to keep this situation from getting more uncomfortable.
Smoothing her damp hair away from her face, Alexa met Hayes’s steady stare. “Don’t let me get in your way,” she told him. “I can sit here and drink coffee and you can do...whatever it is that you do.”
He continued to stare, not showing an ounce of emotion. “I don’t do much other than renovate this place when I’m not working on the ranch.”
He worked? Like, manual labor? Alexa knew the Elliotts were well-known ranchers, but she figured they handled the glamorous side of things and hired out all the work.
“Well, point me toward the coffee mugs and I can take it from there. I’ll just wait for the storm to pass.”
Hayes stared another minute, then turned to the cabinet to pull her down a navy mug. He set it on the counter and walked out of the room.
Alexa simply stood there, staring at the now empty hallway. Apparently Hayes wasn’t in the hosting mood. Oh well, she’d told him to go about his business and clearly that’s what he intended to do.
Fine by her. She didn’t want to annoy him any more than she apparently already had.
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