it. Seeing a woman sleeping
or just after she’d woken up had always seemed too intimate to him. The sex…
that was just sex, but the reality of a woman without her carefully crafted
facade was a line he didn’t like to cross. It felt like relationship territory.
He preferred to leave before the veil of fantasy slipped away.
It was different with Gwen. He wasn’t uncomfortable watching
her like this. Not even after realizing he was playing with fire. He was
overwhelmed with the urge to surprise her with breakfast in bed. He wanted to
make her pancakes and kiss her maple syrup–flavored lips.
Pancakes. What the hell was that
about? It was definitely time to go.
With a sigh, Alex ran his fingers through his messy hair and
headed for the bathroom before he could do something stupid, such as cooking or
tossing aside every remaining rule in his relationship book. As he suspected,
his jeans were still soaked and ice cold. There was no way he could bear to slip
those on against his bare skin, and he’d do nothing but drip all the way
upstairs. He took the jeans and her swimsuit and moved them to hang over the bar
in the shower. Hopefully they would dry better that way.
He opted to grab a towel from the rod on the wall and wrap it
around his waist. Turning on the water in the sink, Alex eased down and lightly
wet his hair. If he ran into anyone, he’d tell them he’d taken an early-morning
dip in the pool.
Alex gave a quick glance to the bed where Gwen was silently
sleeping, then crept out into the hallway. He was relieved to find the house was
still dark and quiet. Six was a little early for people on vacation. When he got
back to his room, he immediately slipped into the shower.
As the hot water streamed over his body and washed away her
scent, his gut twisted with confusion and regret about last night. Gwen was so
beautiful, so passionate. She was impossible to resist, and yet he knew he
should’ve returned to his room instead of charging into the water and claiming
her. Gwen was trying to figure out what she wanted in life. She deserved a man
who would marry her and fill their home with their own children, if she decided
that was what she wanted.
And that wasn’t Alex.
Being here with her the last few days had roused something deep
inside that wanted him to be that man for her. But that wouldn’t last. Not once
since hitting puberty had he had a lasting interest in a relationship. He’d seen
firsthand what a hell marriage could be like. His childhood home had been a
battlefield with him as one of the primary weapons. Marriage was not for him.
This time, despite what he thought now, was no different. Eventually, he would
feel the choking noose of commitment around his throat and he’d have to
leave.
So he didn’t dare offer anything he couldn’t give. He’d tempted
Gwen with a few days of meaningless, mind-blowing sex, and that was all it was
going to be. He wouldn’t even entertain the thoughts of more in the privacy of
his own mind. They were counterproductive.
By the time Alex dressed and went downstairs, Will was awake
and pouring his first cup of coffee. He eyed Alex with suspicion as he settled
at the breakfast bar.
“You’re up early.” His words were heavy with meaning as he
passed a steamy mug of coffee across the counter to Alex. “Trouble
sleeping?”
“Something like that,” he muttered into his coffee mug,
avoiding eye contact with his friend, although he knew it was pointless. Will
was a newspaperman. Journalism ran in his blood. He could read between the lines
and sniff out the larger story better than anyone else he’d ever met.
“What are you going to do?” Will asked softly. With his own
coffee in hand, he approached the bar and leaned against it so their voices
wouldn’t need to carry far. Gwen’s room was only feet away.
“I was thinking about going for a run,” Alex answered, flatly
dodging Will’s real question. He was considering a jog this morning. He’d
or just after she’d woken up had always seemed too intimate to him. The sex…
that was just sex, but the reality of a woman without her carefully crafted
facade was a line he didn’t like to cross. It felt like relationship territory.
He preferred to leave before the veil of fantasy slipped away.
It was different with Gwen. He wasn’t uncomfortable watching
her like this. Not even after realizing he was playing with fire. He was
overwhelmed with the urge to surprise her with breakfast in bed. He wanted to
make her pancakes and kiss her maple syrup–flavored lips.
Pancakes. What the hell was that
about? It was definitely time to go.
With a sigh, Alex ran his fingers through his messy hair and
headed for the bathroom before he could do something stupid, such as cooking or
tossing aside every remaining rule in his relationship book. As he suspected,
his jeans were still soaked and ice cold. There was no way he could bear to slip
those on against his bare skin, and he’d do nothing but drip all the way
upstairs. He took the jeans and her swimsuit and moved them to hang over the bar
in the shower. Hopefully they would dry better that way.
He opted to grab a towel from the rod on the wall and wrap it
around his waist. Turning on the water in the sink, Alex eased down and lightly
wet his hair. If he ran into anyone, he’d tell them he’d taken an early-morning
dip in the pool.
Alex gave a quick glance to the bed where Gwen was silently
sleeping, then crept out into the hallway. He was relieved to find the house was
still dark and quiet. Six was a little early for people on vacation. When he got
back to his room, he immediately slipped into the shower.
As the hot water streamed over his body and washed away her
scent, his gut twisted with confusion and regret about last night. Gwen was so
beautiful, so passionate. She was impossible to resist, and yet he knew he
should’ve returned to his room instead of charging into the water and claiming
her. Gwen was trying to figure out what she wanted in life. She deserved a man
who would marry her and fill their home with their own children, if she decided
that was what she wanted.
And that wasn’t Alex.
Being here with her the last few days had roused something deep
inside that wanted him to be that man for her. But that wouldn’t last. Not once
since hitting puberty had he had a lasting interest in a relationship. He’d seen
firsthand what a hell marriage could be like. His childhood home had been a
battlefield with him as one of the primary weapons. Marriage was not for him.
This time, despite what he thought now, was no different. Eventually, he would
feel the choking noose of commitment around his throat and he’d have to
leave.
So he didn’t dare offer anything he couldn’t give. He’d tempted
Gwen with a few days of meaningless, mind-blowing sex, and that was all it was
going to be. He wouldn’t even entertain the thoughts of more in the privacy of
his own mind. They were counterproductive.
By the time Alex dressed and went downstairs, Will was awake
and pouring his first cup of coffee. He eyed Alex with suspicion as he settled
at the breakfast bar.
“You’re up early.” His words were heavy with meaning as he
passed a steamy mug of coffee across the counter to Alex. “Trouble
sleeping?”
“Something like that,” he muttered into his coffee mug,
avoiding eye contact with his friend, although he knew it was pointless. Will
was a newspaperman. Journalism ran in his blood. He could read between the lines
and sniff out the larger story better than anyone else he’d ever met.
“What are you going to do?” Will asked softly. With his own
coffee in hand, he approached the bar and leaned against it so their voices
wouldn’t need to carry far. Gwen’s room was only feet away.
“I was thinking about going for a run,” Alex answered, flatly
dodging Will’s real question. He was considering a jog this morning. He’d
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