When they drew closer to the entranceway that would lead them into the brightly lit lobby, Hayden touched her arm, drawing her to a stop next to the hotel.
“What?” she asked, gazing up at him.
“I think I’ve made a mistake.”
Wanting me? The bottom of her stomach dropped with a disappointment she had no business feeling. She swallowed hard before replying. “I’ve been saying that for weeks. Told you I was always right.”
A slow smile curved his lips. “Not in pursuing you. That might be the smartest thing I’ve done in years. No, I think I’ve been going about this all wrong. Dinners, drinks, taking things slow, appealing to your sense of reason—it was the wrong move.”
She arched a brow. “And what was the right move?”
His mouth claimed hers in response.
His kiss was so unexpected, for a moment she froze, unsure of how to respond. It was all the opportunity Hayden needed.
He wrapped his arms around her as he pushed her against the wall behind them. One leg pressed between her thighs as his lips slanted across hers.
What are you doing? Hayden Wexton is kissing you. Where the hell is your willpower?
Currently, it was draining away. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, demanding an entry she was helpless to refuse.
Twisting his fingers in her hair, he pulled her head to the side as he plundered her mouth, kissing her with a desperation she hadn’t felt since the gala. Under his touch, all her reason and logic burned away. All she wanted was what she’d tasted once before—the expert touch of a man used to making a woman’s body sing. Hayden could silence all the voices in her head until all she thought about was him. He could give her what she’d been craving alone in her bed every night for weeks.
All she had to do was give in.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer for just a moment. She’d missed how perfectly she fit into his arms.
Only a few more seconds. Let me have that, at least.
The rough stucco wall pressed into her back, but she ignored it, trying to revel in this one moment. A moment she needed to end.
Even if every cell in her body disagreed.
But it wasn’t she who drew away.
She blinked up at Hayden to see him smiling down at her. Leaning in, he ran his lips over her cheek before whispering in her ear, “I tried logic and got nowhere. Lust is far more my style.”
“Going to turn my head with desire?” She tried to taunt him, but the words came out breathy and vulnerable.
“Every chance I get,” he vowed, his hot breath tickling her skin. With a last quick kiss to her lips, he stepped away. “Sleep well, Avery, and dream of me.”
With a flash of his bright smile, he strode into the hotel without a backward glance.
She pressed her hand to her mouth, her body pounding with need, just as he’d no doubt intended. Hayden was nothing if not a keen strategist, and it looked like he’d deemed it time to switch up his approach.
And as much as she’d like to deny it, he’d certainly left her wanting more.
Chapter Five
Waves lapped through her hair as she floated in the ocean, staring up at the cloudless blue sky. It was the first time in the last few days that she’d had a chance to carve out a break for herself. The hotel had been quiet when she’d wandered down to the beach intent on a dip before she had to get ready for her day. She’d meant to be fast. Just a quick in and out. But when the warm water hit her skin, she decided she’d be rushing to make her morning meeting.
Closing her eyes, she let the waves rock her body. Perhaps her new goal in life should be to live by the sea. This temporary lifestyle certainly came with perks.
Like Hayden.
Her eyes snapped open, banishing the languid relaxation from her limbs. Hayden wasn’t a perk, he was a problem. Every day this week he’d found a way to pop up at her side. The damn man had probably never been turned down. That’s all his attention was. She was a novelty in his whirlwind life, and when she lost her shine, he’d be on to the next woman. She knew exactly how this game would play out.
Which didn’t explain why her heart rate increased every time he flashed those baby blues at her.
The memory of their kiss swept through her mind, distracting her as a wave splashed over her face.
Sputtering, she pumped her arms to right herself. It seemed even nature agreed. Getting distracted by Hayden would pull her back underwater when she’d spent the last two years struggling to reach shore.
Swimming closer to land, her questing toes finally touched sand. Standing, she ran her hands through her sea-tangled curls. There went the lovely morning she’d been having. Just the thought of Hayden was enough to shatter her serenity.