Page 10 of Unexpected Temptation

T he movement of the sofa woke her the next morning. It was such a startling feeling that she gasped and jerked, almost falling off the edge. Hard arms tightened around her, holding her against an equally hard chest.

“Easy there, Sweetheart.”

After he got her situated, Jaylen slowly ran his hand up and down her back.

Amelia levered herself up with one hand on the hot surface of his chest and pushed her hair out of her eyes with the other one. Her eyes widened in shock. She was pretty much smack-dab on top of Jaylen, and her hands were planted on a hot, muscular chest with a scattering of chest hair.

“Oh, my God,” she gasped in horror.

Jaylen’s grip on her intensified when she tried to wiggle off. “Hold on. Stop moving,” he ordered in a gruff morning tone.

She stared at him, mortified.

“I’m so sorry. That must have been so uncomfortable for you, having someone asleep on top of you. I can’t believe I did that.”

“You didn’t. I pulled you on top of me.”

Amelia froze and gazed wide-eyed at him.

“What? Why?”

“The sofa isn’t deep enough for two people side by side.”

Her embarrassment deepened.

“Why didn’t you wake me up so I could move to the bed or chair?”

“There was no way I was giving up my chance at holding you.”

Her brows puckered. “But...”

“No buts. If I got to sleep with you on top of me for the rest of my life, I’d die a happy man.”

Amelia became aware that her hands were flexing and rubbing his chest, and he was caressing her back. Oh, Lord. She tried and failed to lever herself off his chest.

“You can’t mean that. Please, you can’t say things like that. You can’t substitute me for my sister.”

Jaylen’s fingers slid through her hair and held her scalp against his palm.

“Don’t ever say that shit again. I’m with the person I want to be with right now. There is no way I would want to be anywhere near your sister.” Although his words were hard, he kept his voice soft.

Amelia shook her head. “You don’t know that. She’s so beautiful you might be able to overlook her flaws.”

“Why the hell would I want to do that? I’ve got a beautiful woman in my arms right now who seems to fit me pretty damn well. I’m not giving you up,” he declared.

“Maybe you should try to put an ad in the paper again?” Amelia felt her stomach plummet at the thought of him with another woman and berated herself. He wasn’t hers, so how could she be jealous of him?

“Why?” he grunted.

“Because maybe it’s not me in particular you want, but just a woman, and you haven’t been able to meet others.”

The hand against her scalp tightened.

“If I wanted a woman, all I have to do is go into town.”

“Then why did you put an ad in the paper to begin with?” Her frustration had started to climb.

“Because I don’t have hours to spend driving back and forth while I date. I thought I’d hear from several women and have a choice. I wasn’t planning on marrying the woman I chose until she spent time here and we got to know each other.”

“How many women applied to be your wife?”

“Four.”

Amelia’s eyes widened.

“That many? Was there another, besides my sister, that appealed to you, and you might want to get to know?”

“I have to be honest. After what I found out about your sister, I pretty much gave up on finding someone that way.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Before you, I was planning on sucking it up and try to date a few women in town that had tried in the past to get my attention.”

“Before me?” she asked curiously, and her brows puckered in confusion.

“Yes. You’re exactly what I want in a woman.”

“You don’t know that. I think you want me because I’m easy. I’m already here, so you wouldn’t have to leave your house or put forth much effort.”

Her heart fell when he stayed silent for a long moment. That had been the first thing to pop into her head. It made better sense than him finding her attractive. But she’d had a kernel of hope that he did want her. Wanted mousy little Amelia.

Amelia tried to move off of him again. “Let me up, please.”

Jaylen tightened his grip.

“Hey, can you stay here just a bit more? I really enjoy holding you, and I’m not done talking.”

Amelia stopped squirming and stared into his eyes.

“I don’t know what to say to that remark that you’ll believe?

I disagree with everything you just said, but you don’t know me, so you have no idea if what I say is the truth or not.

” He tightened his hand to make sure she kept her eyes on him.

“I hope you will at least give us a chance. You don’t have to be anywhere right now, right? ”

“There is no us!” she burst out. Her hand, which lay on his chest, flexed. Her palm itched with the need to feel the warmth and strength of the big man under her, and it took all her power to resist the urge.

“There could be if we want it to happen.”

Amelia stared at him mutely for a moment before she shook her head. “No. I just can’t see...”

“Just give it a chance. Give us a month. Let’s see if this attraction between us is strong enough to keep you here. I want you to know I don’t doubt we’ll be good together. And not because you’re convenient but because of who you are. Can you give us—me—thirty days out of your life?”

Amelia bit her bottom lip as she considered all the ramifications if she chose to stay. All she came up with was that a broken heart would be the worst. But the regret she’d feel if she didn’t at least try would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Amelia nodded. “All right. I’ll stay.”

Her words went right to his head and made the tension in his chest loosen.

“That’s good. You won’t regret it, I promise.” He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Let’s make breakfast. I just made a quick sandwich last night after you went to sleep, so I’m starving. After, I’ll take you out to the stables and introduce you to a few of my horses.

“You have horses?” Amelia had always loved horses. She’d had lessons when she was a child. The teacher had complimented her on her riding ability and thought she’d do well to think about working toward getting involved with dressage.

But her parents had put an end to that. They had been worried it had become an obsession for her. In a way, it had been. She’d gotten affection from the animals that she intensely craved and approval from the people at the stables.

It had broken her heart. She’d never shown another interest in anything, knowing they would just take it from her. She shook off the memories and turned her head back.

“So, you like horses? That’s good because you’ll be living on a horse ranch. I breed and train quarter horses for ranches in the area.”

“I have always loved horses.”

“When’s the last time you rode?”

“Um, I think I was ten or eleven.”

“Why’d you stop?”

Amelia looked away. “It wasn’t my choice.”

She saw the look in his eyes and knew he wanted to ask more questions, but thankfully, he put them off.

“I’ll go for some of your clothes later,” he said.

A wave of embarrassment shot through her when she realized they’d had a conversation while she was sprawling over him like a blanket.

Amelia quickly moved off him, tore her eyes from the tanned ridges and valleys of the muscles on his chest and abdomen.

She swallowed and turned her head toward the shimmery light coming from the window.

“How are you going to do that when it’s raining outside? I don’t want you to take a chance of being hurt for some clothes.”

Jaylen stood and smiled. “I’ll be careful.”

Amelia shook her head and clutched the blanket around her shoulders with one hand and used her other hand to keep the sweatpants from dropping.

“No, really. I can wait. I would worry about you the whole time, and I’d never forgive myself if you got hurt.”

“Fine,” he said and held up a hand. “We’ll wait until we can get to town. We’ll pick them up on the way down the mountain.”

“Where is the laundry dryer so I can get my clothes dry?”

Jaylen stepped to her and lifted a lock of her hair, rubbing the silky strands between his fingers and thumb.

“They’re already dry. I’ll bring them into the bathroom.”

Amelia closed her eyes briefly as she stood still in front of his chest. She already craved his arms around her, and it caused her to doubt herself and her decision. If she felt like this after only one day, what would it be like after a month?

She took a step back when his scent wrapped around her. She nodded, turned, and made her way into the bathroom.