The only reason he was in Austria was because of her. She wasn’t going to let him foot the bill, too.

He led the way up the stairs and to the room halfway down the hall. Thankfully, it had a private shower and bathroom, and even had two beds. She put her hands on her hips and stared at them. I need to get him ice and go back to the front desk.

But the intentions failed when faced with those plain white beds. Things with Luke had become so complicated in the last twenty-four hours. Her nerves were a strained mess, and that wasn’t even getting into her emotions. She had no idea what the hell was going on there.

If she brought him the ice right now, he’d be forced to lie still and they’d end up talking. With the quiet way he accepted things last night—totally unexpected considering some of their initial conversations—it was only a matter of time before she told him the rest of the story. She couldn’t stand the thought of seeing disappointment in his eyes. She might be feeling stronger and more independent, but that would bring all her progress crashing down around her. She was sure of it.

But there was another option.

She dropped her pack on the floor and turned to him. “Take off your clothes.”

He gave her a long look. “Feeling twitchy, are we, princess?” She couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew exactly what she was trying to do right now—create a distraction.

“Yes.”

“Thought so.” He nodded like she’d confessed more than a single word. And then he crossed his arms over his chest, a challenge written all over his face. “You want them off? Do it yourself, then.”

Desire curled through her. A chance to fully explore his body? Like hell would she say no to that. Alexis crossed the room and pushed his backpack off his shoulders. From there it would have been simple to yank off his shirt and go for the front of his jeans. But she took her time, slipping her hands under the hem of his shirt and sliding them up his chest, raising the fabric. His breath hissed out when her fingers skimmed over his nipples, and so she paused, looking directly into his eyes as she explored just how sensitive he was. “You like that.”

“Yeah.” Luke’s voice dropped an octave or two. “Keep going.”

“Don’t rush me.” She pushed the fabric higher, prompting him to raise his hands so she could pull the shirt over his head. After dropping it on the floor, she went back to his shoulders, following the line of the muscle roping down his arms. So strong. She wanted to ask about the unfinished tattoo on his left arm, but held back. If he answered her questions, she’d have to answer his. She wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

Instead, she traced the tattoos winding down his right arm—a ship in the midst of a violent storm, encircled by long arms rising out of the sea. Below the surface, a kraken lurked, ready to bring the sailors to their depths and, below that, a ring of skeletons in various positions circled his forearm. It was dark and gritty and she completely empathized with the lost sailors. Sometimes there was no way out, no way to win, no way to survive.

Pushing the dark thoughts aside, she stroked her hand down his scar. He opened his mouth—no doubt to throw out a biting comment—but she pressed two fingers to his lips. “Not now.” If anything, his glare deepened, but he didn’t say anything as she moved down to the button at the top of his jeans.

The boots. Damn it, she’d almost forgotten.

Alexis went to her knees and quickly unlaced his boots. They looked military grade, which made sense, though she’d never noticed before now. It took some wiggling and help from Luke, but she finally got them off. Then, with her still on her knees, she looked up and met his gaze. His green eyes darkened, and she could almost hear all the things he must be fighting not to say. Sexy words that seemed to drive all the way to her soul and leave their imprint there. He made her feel like a seductress who could bring men to their knees with the least bit of effort.

There’s only one man I want on his knees.

You.

Luke could barely catch his breath. In the few days he’d known her, he’d spent considerable time imagining Alexis in this position in front of him. She licked her lips and he nearly groaned. “Darlin’, you’re killing me.”

“Not yet. But I will be.” She unbuttoned his jeans and worked them down his hips, taking his boxer briefs with them, lightly dragging her nails over his skin.

He braced himself for the inevitable flinch when her hand came in contact with the worst of his scars around his knee, but she gave it a cursory glance and then nudged his legs up, one at a time, to get his pants and underwear off. Once the last of his clothes were gone, she just looked at him, stripping him bare in a way he never had been before.

Alexis gave a strange little happy sigh. “You really are beautiful.”

Her words hit him in the gut. She sounded like she meant it, and he wasn’t prepared for the shock to his system. What the hell did a woman like Alexis see in a scarred and battered man like himself? Whatever it was, it made her lips curve up and her eyes shine. She ducked down and pressed her lips to his knee, backing up quickly, as if she wasn’t sure of her welcome.

She’d kissed him there, where most people could barely stand to look.

Luke’s heart gave a heavy thump and his body felt too hot. “Again.”

“You’re sure?”

He swallowed down his reflexive sharp comment. Her question was serious, and so he owed her a serious answer. “Please, darlin’. Touch me.” He needed her hands on him like he needed his next breath, and he wasn’t about to stand in his own way, not right now. Not when it came to Alexis.

Her smile widened. “I’d hoped you’d say that.” Another kiss to his knee, and then she worked her way up the outside of his right thigh, pressing kiss after kiss to the scarred skin until she hit his hip bone. Her cheek brushed his cock, and he couldn’t hold back a groan. She ran her hands up his legs to his hips. “You want me here.”

This was no time for games, but he couldn’t stop the words demanding to be voiced. “I want those pretty lips of yours around my cock.”

Another kiss to the sensitive skin inside his hip. “Tell me more.”

“I want you to put that wicked mouth to use and suck me deep, until you’re sure you can’t take any more. I want you to use your tongue to drive me crazy until my knees buckle and all I can think about is dragging you up my body and fucking you senseless.”

She took his cock in her hand and slid her fingers up and down his length. “Is that all?”

The little tease. Luke barked out a laugh. “Darlin’, if you keep it up, I’m going to skip right to the fucking you senseless part.” His breath shuddered out when she made a fist and pumped him twice. “I changed my mind. I’m going to toss you on that bed over there and rip those jeans off so there’s nothing between my mouth and your skin. I’ve been craving another taste of you.”

“Not yet. I’m running this show, remember?” And with that, she took him in, her lips sliding along his cock and her wet mouth dragging him deeper.

Luke gave up trying to hold himself back and laced his hands in her long dark hair. “That’s it, darlin’. Fuck, you make me feel so goddamn good.” She rolled her tongue along the underside of his cock, nearly making his eyes cross. “Christ, Alexis.” He couldn’t take much more of this. Desperate for her, he used his grip on hair to pull her up and into a kiss. “I need you—right now.”

“Good, because the feeling’s mutual.” She pulled her shirt off while he went to work on her pants, nearly toppling them onto the bed in his haste to get her naked. She laughed, and he was surprised to find himself joining in. As intense as shit was between them, this light moment almost meant more to him than the rest of it.