Perfect Stranger (Novella) Read online

  How did he know exactly what she needed?

  “Okay,” she said softly.

  “It’s going to be so good,” he promised, then settled his lips settled against her neck and nibbled on her skin.

  She curled her hands around the edge of the table and bent her head forward, giving him better access. He nipped, licked, and soothed with his tongue. Nerves forgotten, she trembled, desire licking at her from the inside out.

  “Better go,” he said, his hand cupping her behind. “Unless you want to start this right here.”

  With a pained groan, she stepped aside. “Meet me in my bedroom.” She ran for the stairs and headed up to shower.

  * * *

  Luke watched Alexa walk up the few steps in her split-level house, his eyes on her ass. Her body was well hidden in the generous scrubs, yet he found her appealing anyway. With a groan, he shifted his gaze and looked around, not surprised the woman he’d begun to know had an honest to goodness house with a white picket fence. The color scheme was a soft white and light purple, and the whole place radiated warmth. She was everything—and nothing—like he’d expected, and unraveling her layers was as exciting to him as a new playbook each season.

  Speaking of plays, giving her time alone had been a strategic move designed to make her more comfortable. Yeah, she’d have time to think too much, but she’d also be able to pull herself together. And he sensed a woman like her needed to feel good about herself in order to get into bed with a man. He had sisters, and though he refused to think about them having sex, he still knew how nice girls thought. Alexa reminded him of his sisters, girls willing to take a walk on the wild side, but who didn’t do it often. Good girls.

  The kind he’d want to see again.

  And now he was getting ahead of himself. So with a last look around the house, which was pretty but was missing personal touches like family photos—which his mom filled both her house and his apartment with—he headed up to find her bedroom.

  The sound of running water alerted him to the right room, and he stepped into an ultrafeminine area, draped white curtains, too many frilly pillows, and, of course, purple touches everywhere. He grinned at her consistency. When the shower water shut off, his groin immediately hardened. The next thing he heard was the sounds of her moving around, picking things up, putting them down. He kicked off his shoes and settled onto her bed.

  He didn’t have to wait long. She stepped out of the bathroom. A scent he didn’t recognize but would forever associate with this moment seeped out of the bathroom along with the humid air. One look at her and his breath literally fled. Her hair, which had been pulled back earlier, was now damp and fell around her face in tangled waves. When wet, the long strands appeared darker, her green eyes standing out against her pale skin even more. She wore a deep purple robe—no surprise—but the rich silk material clung to her curves and parted in a seductive vee that showed more than a generous hint of cleavage. It ended mid-thigh, and he realized she had long, toned legs. Sexy legs. And her pretty, makeup-free features gave him his first glimpse of the real woman beyond the seductress from the dance floor and the competent doctor who’d taken over in an emergency.

  A woman he wanted beneath him immediately.

  He extended his hand and she walked forward, no hesitation in her step, though he definitely saw nerves flickering in her eyes and she paused by the foot of the bed. “C’mere, darlin’.”

  She eased herself onto the edge of the mattress. “Your Texas accent’s stronger when you turn on the charm.”

  “I’m not turning on anything. I’m already there,” he said, hiding nothing in his words. And if she looked at his jeans, she’d have proof. Very hard proof.

  Her lips parted on what sounded like an eager sigh. Taking that as his cue, he reached out, hooked an arm around her waist, and rolled her on top of him. She felt good and smelled better. He positioned her over him, her legs draped around his hips, her body above his, ripe and ready for taking. He wrapped his arms around her waist, which had the added bonus of her pressing her warm heat over his aching erection.

  Her eyelids fluttered closed and she arched her back, rocking once, then twice against him, her entire body trembling like she was already on the edge.

  Damn.

  “Need something?” As he asked, he thrust his hips upward.

  She whimpered something he couldn’t understand.

  “Say it again,” he managed, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to hold on to the last shreds of his control, and it wasn’t easy. Not since high school had a woman gotten him this hard, this fast, ready to go off while still fully dressed.

  She opened her eyes but didn’t meet his gaze. “It’s been so long for me,” she said, her cheeks pinkening at the admission.

  He swallowed hard, not wanting to think too deep on that. “Then I’d better make it good for you,” he said, before finally kissing that gorgeous mouth.

  Her lips touched his and immediately parted, the kiss going from zero to one eighty in seconds. She fit against him perfectly, kissed like a dream, and drank from him like she’d been starving for a taste of him for years.

  He held her head in position and took everything she was willing to give. And she gave plenty, her tongue twirling against his, her lower body in motion, and soon they were going at it like kids in the backseat of a car. He slid his hand beneath her robe, expecting a silken barrier. Instead he found heaven. Warm, moist heat greeted him and he slid his finger inside her wet sheath.

  She groaned and kissed him harder, her hips grinding in insistent circles against him while he thrust his fingers deeper. She stiffened and cried out, coming apart around him, over him, and completely overwhelming him with the intensity and swiftness of her orgasm.

  Her body trembled for a while after, and he held on until she rolled off him, propping herself up on one elbow.

  Her gaze was soft on his. “That was amazing.”

  “Glad you liked it.” He made quick work of the robe, peeling the silk off her shoulders, revealing her body to him for the first time.

  Luke might be a jock but he was never at a loss for words. This glimpse of her did it. Pale from lack of sun, her skin was porcelainlike in sheen, gleaming with a mixture of dampness and moisturized beauty. “Perfect,” he said, stroking his finger over one dusky nipple.

  She moaned and he dipped his head for a taste. Her fragrant scent surrounded him, providing an added sensual high, as if he weren’t already feeling enough. Luke’s tongue swirled around her nipple, laving over her breast. The tiny bud tightened and a shudder hit her hard. So damned responsive, he could watch her come over and over again without getting bored.

  Alexa had never felt so much. A lick, a touch from Luke, and she felt the pull from her nipple to her core, becoming fully aroused all over again.

  Wonder overwhelmed her and she arched against him, seeking more. She was a one orgasm a night—or in this case day—kind of woman. Normally she didn’t think much of it, but the steady beat between her thighs made her hope that, just maybe, she wasn’t finished yet. She liked the thought.

  She also appreciated that he’d made her come first, which had the effect of relaxing her and making her more comfortable around him. And completely ready. She wanted more of him, wanted him inside her. But she wasn’t selfish. Aware he was doing all the giving, Alexa levered herself up onto her knees.

  “Your turn,” she said in a husky voice she barely recognized. “Undress.”

  His golden brown eyes met hers. Without hesitating, he sat up and pulled off his shirt, giving her a glimpse of tanned skin, muscles that showed how hard he worked on his physique, and a sprinkling of light brown hair that covered his sexy chest.

  She swallowed hard, her gaze never wandering as he reached for the button on his jeans. He stood, shucked them off, and returned to bed gloriously naked, completely erect, and so very, very male.

  He took her breath away and, hesitantly, she reached for him. He grasped her wrist and placed
her hand against his chest. His heart beat out a rapid rhythm that she knew was all for her. She added her other hand, soaking up his hard heat.

  “It’s your turn,” she said again, trailing a path downward with her hand.

  “I’m not keepin’ count. That said, I’m not going to argue, either.” He pulled her against him and she got lost in another kiss that shot her ability to think to high heaven.

  He surrounded her with his lips, his body, his scent, and when he eased her down to the bed, all she could do was feel his strength—and his impressive erection at the juncture of her thighs. She sighed at the brief contact, flesh against flesh, the tip of him merely grazing her most sensitive parts.

  “Condom,” she managed.

  “Shit.” He raised his head. “I was going to buy them in the hospital store but I figured you’d think that was too cocky.”

  “I have some,” she murmured. But not for the reasons he probably thought. “I sometimes guest at the high school, teaching sex ed. Gotta have condoms if you want teenagers to get the safe sex talk.”

  He tipped his head back and laughed. “Damn, I’d have liked to learn sex ed from someone who looked like you.” He chuckled some more before sobering. “Where are they?” he asked.

  “My purse.” She pointed to the dresser across the room.

  He rose and returned in a flash, handing her the bag. She reached inside and handed him a foil packet. He tore it open and sheathed himself by the time she’d tossed her purse onto the floor. Then he was back, his big body over hers, staring into her eyes at the same time he thrust deep, penetrating her hard and fast.

  She sucked in a breath and he stilled.

  “Breathe, darlin’. And relax.” His warm voice reverberated through her.

  “It’s been a while,” she said, repeating herself.

  He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and she responded instantly, her entire body easing, growing accustomed to him.

  “That’s it,” he murmured.

  Just the sound of his voice had her relaxing, and soon he was able to move inside her easily. His eyes darkened and he picked up rhythm, gliding in and out as if he were made to be there, arousing her body with every perfect thrust until the sensations took her back to the peak of pleasure. She met his eager thrusts, sought harder, deeper penetration, and he complied.

  His hips pumped faster, hitting just the right spot, and just as he groaned and came hard, Alexa joined him, sparks flying as she came—again—harder than she ever had in her entire life.

  * * *

  Luke woke up in an unfamiliar place. He took stock and realized immediately he wasn’t drunk, thought back to yesterday and grinned. He was in Alexa Collins’s bed in her pretty purple bedroom. Normally, waking up in a one-night stand’s house would bother him, but Alexa wasn’t his typical hookup. In fact, she didn’t feel like a one-nighter at all.

  They’d spent the day in her bed, ordered in Chinese for dinner, ate, and had more sex in her living room, followed by another round in her bed, before he fell asleep with her cuddled into him. He woke up this morning feeling pretty darn good. Luke didn’t understand it, probably because he’d never experienced anything like it—anyone like her. He might not get it, but he knew one thing for sure—he wasn’t finished with the good doctor just yet.

  He rolled over, only to find the other side of the bed empty.

  He patted the sheet and groaned. Not just empty. Cold. She’d obviously been up and gone awhile. Well, wasn’t that a kicker. The first time he wanted more from a woman, she obviously didn’t care enough to wake him to say good-bye.

  He rose from the bed and discovered a note on top of his clothes, which Alexa had folded and placed on her dresser.

  Thanks for last night. Emergency at hospital. Let yourself out. A.

  Well damn.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Are you sure your father wasn’t a hoarder?” Luke asked Sawyer, as they lugged yet more boxes of admitted crap from the basement out to the curb.

  Sawyer dropped his box with a groan. “No comment.”

  The day had dawned sunny and hot for a July morning in New York.

  “You know what’s in these things?” Luke asked as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm.

  “Fishing magazines. Now can we talk about something else? Like where the hell have you been?”

  “When did you become my goddamned mother? I called to tell you I wouldn’t be here till later this morning.”

  “You also said you met someone. Then you walked in here and not a word about it. Serendipity’s a small town. Chances are I know her. So tell me more.”

  Luke had no intention of standing around and gossiping like a girl. Ignoring his buddy, he headed back to the house for another load of trash.

  “Was she any good?” Sawyer asked, pushing for answers.

  Not that Luke blamed him. In the past, they’d never hesitated to share information if they picked up a hot chick after a game or out of town. Thing was, it’d been a long while since Luke had been on that path. The same for Sawyer. So maybe that explained the other man’s interest.

  “What’s wrong? Dry spell so bad you have to live vicariously through me?” Luke asked as Sawyer caught up to him inside the house.

  Sawyer opened the fridge and tossed Luke a vitaminwater, then took one himself and chugged it down before meeting Luke’s gaze. “Touchy and secretive about a hookup with a tramp who doesn’t mind doing you not twenty-four hours after meeting you.”

  Luke clenched his teeth and silently counted to ten, reminding himself that this was Sawyer’s way of provoking him into replying. Sawyer wasn’t Mr. Sensitive, but he wasn’t a jackass about women, either.

  “Not going there,” Luke said.

  He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk about Alexa. Truth be told, he was pissed she’d left him alone in her bed. The least she could have done was wake him before she headed out. Sad thing was, he’d done it to many women in the past, never thinking how shitty it would feel to be on the other end. And maybe some women could handle it. Hell, if certain females had left his bed before he woke up he’d have been one happy man, not that he’d tempted fate by letting them stay. He knew better than to set up expectations. And maybe that’s why he felt so crappy now. One-night stand or not, he liked her enough to see her again. Clearly she didn’t feel the same and that sucked.

  “Hey. I’m serious. Who is it? Obviously she got to you, and if I know her, maybe I can help.” Sawyer hopped up on the counter.

  Now that Sawyer realized Luke was really bothered, he’d cut the bullshit. And that was the friend Luke would talk to. “Alexa Collins,” Luke finally said.

  Sawyer’s mouth opened wide. “No shit? The doctor?”

  “One and the same.”

  His friend let out a slow whistle. “You don’t mess round. Class all the way. No wonder she got to you.”

  Luke downed half the bottle of vitaminwater and let it stand as his answer. Sawyer was right. Alexa had gotten to him and he didn’t know what to do about it. “Do you know her?”

  “Her dad’s my father’s doctor and he spent a lot of time with my old man over the past couple of months. When I was around, I picked up some things.”

  “Like?” He propped a hip against the counter and waited.

  “She’s an all work, no play kind of woman. Doesn’t seem like you’d have much in common there.” Sawyer raised an eyebrow.

  “Then you’d be wrong.” They’d hit it off. Everything about her interested him. “From her perspective it sounded more like her father had pushed her in the career direction she took. It’s expected of her but I’m not sure she’s that happy with the end result.”

  “Her old man says she’s taking over as chief of staff at University Hospital when he retires. She’s a shoo-in with the board. And to keep herself there, she has no playtime. Hell, man. I don’t think she knows how to play.”

  “Oh, she knows how,” Luke muttered.r />
  Sawyer laughed hard at that. “I take it you would know.”

  “Not goin’ there,” Luke repeated.

  “Yeah, protective and silent. She got to you. So what are you going to do about it?”

  Luke tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “If I were smart? Nothing.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “I live in Texas, man. She’s from here. I ought to leave it as a one-night stand.” The thought made him want to puke. That right there was a sign.

  “But you won’t.”

  Luke shook his head. “No, I won’t.”

  “Got a plan?”

  Only what had been kicking around in his head since Sawyer told him Alexa was known as an all work, no play kind of woman. Luke shrugged and replied, “I’m gonna teach her how to have fun.”

  * * *

  After the night she spent with Luke, Alexa bounced through her rounds of patients in the morning and her meetings after, and she was still bouncing on a high when her father caught up with her right before lunch. Her body still tingled in all the best places. Long-neglected places. Places that were now happy and thanking a certain football player for making them come alive.

  “Alexa, what’s this I hear about you treating children at the youth center downtown?” Alan Collins was a good-looking man, with dark brown hair that had only a hint of silver, and distinguished features. Unfortunately his perpetual scowl and all-business attitude turned many people off and prevented them from seeing some of his finer qualities.

  He’d raised her alone and though he’d directed her life, she’d never doubted that he loved her. She’d certainly seen those qualities when she was a child; she just hadn’t been the recipient of them recently. Her father had lost his ability to enjoy life, something else he was trying hard to pass onto his daughter.

  “Well?” he asked, when she didn’t answer right away.

  She placed the stack of folders down on the top of the counter at the nurses’ station.

  She should have known he’d get word of her activities last weekend. “Strep was going around, some of the kids weren’t feeling well, and I offered to take a look.”