Page 7 of Unexpected Temptation

J aylen bit back a sigh . It was next to impossible to move around, and every time he tried his body would brush hers. However, it helped keep her pinned against the wall, allowing him to reach for what he needed. But the feel of her made his already aching cock throb horribly.

He bathed her quickly. Her shivers had dwindled and were coming farther apart in short bouts, and her teeth weren’t clicking together anymore.

She seemed steadier, but fatigue was going to follow rapidly.

He could already see the droop in her eyelids.

He sat her on the small seat in the corner of the shower, put her hand on the bar again, and adjusted the shower head to hit as much of her body as he could.

“You stay under the water until I get back with clothes. Can you sit on your own?” He watched her balance against the tiled wall, clutch at the bar next to her, and nod. “I’ll be right back.” He felt safe to leave her for a brief moment.

He was back within a minute, dressed, and with a few large towels and a stack of clothes on the counter.

Jaylen reached around her and shut off the water before pulling her out onto the bathmat and quickly wrapping the towel around her snugly.

He used the other cloth to remove as much moisture as possible from her still-exposed skin, then used it to extract as much moisture as possible from her long hair.

Jaylen dressed her in one of his thickest sweatshirts and sweatpants, rolling up both garments so she could move freely. He sat her on the toilet seat, put on a pair of socks, and then started to dry her long hair.

“How are you doing, Sweetheart?” he murmured as he worked a comb through her hair.

Amelia nodded but didn’t have the strength at that moment to answer him. Besides the exhaustion dragging her down, the feeling of his hands in her hair was making liquid bliss race through her veins.

“Let’s get you in front of the fireplace. Your hair will dry better there.” He set the comb aside, bent, and slid one of his arms under her legs, the other curved around her back. He chuckled when she squealed as he picked her up.

“Stop carrying me.” Amelia wrapped her arms tightly around his neck when she caught how far up off the floor she was.

“No.”

Amelia gasped and then stared up at him, narrowing her eyes. “You can’t just say no!”

“But I just did, now hush.” Jaylen set her in his big leather chair next to the fireplace before wrapping a large blanket around her. He made sure every part of her was covered except her arms and head, which faced the fire. “Sit tight while I go get some hot chocolate.”

Wearily, Amelia nodded before she laid her head on the arm of the chair.

Jaylen stopped in the doorway and watched her for a minute before he walked to the fridge.

“Oh, Jesus,” he whispered before leaning his forehead against the outside of it, letting the coolness of the surface bank the fire in his body.

Her lush curves were driving him crazy. He’d lied to her.

He’d told her he’d seen naked women like her before, and he had seen naked women, but none as beautiful as she was.

He was used to tall, thin women with a hard edge to them. There was nothing hard about her.

After several deep breaths, he pulled open the fridge and gathered what he needed to make the drink he’d promised her.

A few minutes later, Jaylen stood over her, hesitant to wake her, but he knew the hot chocolate would help her warm up a bit more.

Her hair was drying and turning a silvery brown he’d never seen before.

She was a little woman. Curled up in a ball in his large brown leather chair, she looked even smaller.

“Amelia.”

Amelia blinked several times before she struggled to sit up.

“Can you hold this on your own?”

Amelia reached for the half-filled coffee mug of hot chocolate.

“Yes. I think I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

Jaylen moved to the fireplace and set another log on fire, sending a cloud of sparks up the chimney. He sat on the sofa straight across from the fireplace and reached for his own cup. He watched as she gripped the cup and carefully sipped from it. Her shaking had diminished tremendously.

He had become concerned, hell, downright scared, outside at the color of her lips.

Now they were a natural, rosy, pink color.

Color had also seeped back into her cheeks, giving her a healthy look.

He studied her profile as she looked at the flames.

She was so petite and delicate. Her nose was straight and narrow.

An adorable dimple peeked out of one cheek when she smiled.

Her eyes were large and a light blue he’d never seen on a human.

Her brown hair was becoming increasingly luminous as it dried, and when the flames caught, the color took on a silvery hue.

Not gray, it just had a sheen that made it shimmer.

Jaylen ran his hand down his chest until it settled on his stomach and just stared at her. Every once in a while, Amelia would shiver, but for the most part, she seemed healthy.

He didn’t have any residual effects from being outside in the rain. Besides wearing the coat, his size and muscle mass helped keep his temperature up.

“Do you want any more?”

Amelia shook her head and set her cup on the fireplace hearth. “No, thank you.”

Amelia turned her body to him.

“My car is in a large hole on your road. I’m fairly certain it will have to be pulled out with a tow truck. It’s a pretty massive hole. Is there a garage around here that could help me with that, and then come here and pick me up?”

Jaylen leaned back and straightened his legs out in front of him, crossed his ankles, and set his cup on his flat stomach.

“No, there isn’t. There’s an auto shop a town over. But they wouldn’t be able to get here right now or in the near future. When it rains this hard, the road turns into a slippery mess that’s impassable and very dangerous.”

Amelia clutched at the blanket.

“For how long?”

Jaylen shrugged.

“After the rain stops, it usually takes a few days to dry out.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean you’re stuck with me for a few days?”

“Maybe longer.”

“Longer?” she cried out.

“Yeah, it’s supposed to keep raining off and on for the next few days.”

Amelia turned back to the fire. Jaylen caught the grief and tears she tried to hide.

“Hey,” he murmured softly, “It’s going to be okay.”

Amelia shook her head and sniffed. “No, it’s not,” she murmured quietly.

Jaylen stood, took a few steps that separated them, and then squatted down to face her. His brows snapped together when he realized how affected she was by the situation.

“Why are you so upset? I know you don’t know me, but I would never hurt you.”

Amelia shook her head sadly. “It’s not that. I know you’re not going to want me in your home when you hear why I’m here to see you.”

Jaylen watched the glow of the flames move over her face.

He knew why she was here. Kane had told him.

Her sister wasn’t going to come, and frankly, he was okay with that after he did some digging on her.

People had described her as a world-class bitch.

She was definitely beautiful, gorgeous even, but that in no way made up for her lack of warmth.

Jaylen hadn’t known Amelia existed. He’d seen several pictures of her sister and her parents at different parties over the years, but he’d never seen this woman in any of them, and he wondered why.

Kane had told him she was looking for a place to settle down.

From the things she’d said out in the rain, she’d just left her childhood home and was on her own.

“How old are you?”

Amelia frowned. “Twenty-three, why?”

“You just look young, and you mentioned you left home three days ago.”

Amelia shrugged.

“First time away from home?” He studied her expression.

She nodded and set her chin on her hands on the cushioned arm of the chair and kept her gaze on the fire.

“Why?”

She turned her head. “Why what?” she asked, confused.

“Why, at the age of twenty-three, did you decide to leave home?”

Amelia stiffened, and a shadow of sadness covered her face. “Can we talk about something else, please?”

Jaylen nodded as he kept his eyes glued to her features.

“Sure. Why don’t we talk about why you’re here?” He regretted bringing it up when she sat up, tensed even more, and tears started to fill her eyes.

“I have something to tell you that may come as a shock. I pray you aren’t hurt by it.”

Jaylen nodded. “Go on.”

“My sister Meredith is the woman you are supposed to marry, but she’s not going to come here.”

He didn’t care, but he was curious to know why and what Amelia would tell him.

“I see. Can you tell me why?”

Amelia looked at the fire before jerking her gaze back to his.

“She ... she can’t.”

“Amelia?” his voice deepened.

Amelia frowned at him as a realization came to her.

“How do you know my name? I don’t think I told you, did I?”

“Kane called and told me you were headed up to my place.” He wasn’t going to tell her the whole conversation.

Jaylen knew if he didn’t want her, Kane was ready and eager to step in.

Ten seconds after meeting her, he decided to keep her.

Who would ever try to talk logically to a wolf in the middle of nowhere?

If she hadn’t been hypothermic, he would have stayed silent and listened to her talk to Wolf. It was incredibly entertaining.

“What did he say?” she asked, hesitantly.

“He just informed me that you were headed up and to keep a lookout for you. He also said if I didn’t keep you, he would.”

Amelia moved to the edge of the chair and dropped her feet to the rug.

“What?” she sputtered and stood. “You ... you can’t just keep someone.”

“I am.” Jaylen shifted up and sat on the hearth, and he bit back the smile when she stuttered, looked confused, and if he wasn’t mistaken, a little pleased.

“Bu-but you can’t,” she stammered.

Jaylen chuckled. “But I am.”