All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You
Hayley blew out an exasperated breath as she sped down a dark Route 25 towards New Orleans. The rain relentlessly poured down and made it difficult to see. She was on her way home to see her family. Her phone kept buzzing with texts from Jackson, her fiancé, trying and failing to apologize for the incident at the fertility clinic earlier that day. When the doctor had informed Jackson that he had no sperm, he flew into a rage and almost trashed the doctor's office. Hayley knew he'd had rage issues in the past, but this was beyond anything she had ever seen before. His behavior was certainly out of line, and left Hayley reconsidering marrying him more than she had been for the past few months. She absently toyed with the diamond ring on her finger as she drove and ended up sending it flying toward the passenger side floor. She leaned over to try and reach for it and swerved to the side of the road, nearly ending up in a ditch. She slammed on the brakes and put the car in park and her heart pounded in her chest as her car came to a screeching halt. She buried her face in her hands and broke down.
She was emotionally exhausted from the countless months of trying to get pregnant and the disappointment she felt every time her period arrived. Jackson's outburst just made her feel even worse. She leaned her head back against the headrest, listening to the "whap-whap" of the wiper blades on the windshield. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced up to see a man walking along the side of the road toward her car. Was this guy crazy? It was a torrential downpour out there.
Hayley got out of her car, and then stopped short of the vehicle. Was she crazy? The guy appeared to be a hitchhiker. Hayley threw caution to the wind and approached him, disregarding the danger, and the fact that she was getting soaked. She sort of felt sorry for him. He lumbered toward her and he finally came into view in the car headlights. He was dressed in dark jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt, and his dark hair was plastered to his forehead. He wasn't wearing a coat and didn't seem to be carrying an umbrella, or anything for that matter. It was just him walking along the dark highway in the pouring rain.
"Do you need help?" she called to him.
"No, I will be fine," he answered back. "Just going for a walk." He smiled.
Now that had to be a joke.
"Get in the car. I can give you a ride somewhere."
"Miss, I assure you. I will be just fine."
"Don't be silly! You're soaking wet!"
"Oh, it's raining? I hadn't noticed." As he got closer, Hayley noticed he had dark eyes and a smirk about his mouth. "I was actually coming to see if you were alright. I saw you swerve your car on the side of the road."
"Yeah, I just lost something." What a loaded statement. "Please, let me help you."
The man considered her offer of assistance for a moment, looking skyward, and then nodded silently. Clearly, he'd had enough of the rain.
Hayley got in her car and unlocked the passenger side, and the man climbed in. She felt a chill and cranked the heat, and he seemed to appreciate it judging by how he reached to adjust the air vents. She pulled back out onto the highway and headed west on Route 25. She kept eyeing the man out of her periphery.
"So, do you have a name?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the road.
"I do," he smirked. "Elijah."
"Well, hi, Elijah. I'm Hayley."
"Nice to meet you Hayley." He clicked on his seatbelt. "Thank you for being a good Samaritan."
"I couldn't leave you stranded like that."
"It's rare to find a beautiful girl with such a big heart."
Hayley rolled her eyes at his attempt at flirtation. "I assure you, it's not." She looked over at Elijah and found him staring at her. He adjusted himself in the seat and a puzzled look crossed his face. He bent down to retrieve something from the floor and came back up, holding a silvery object in his hand.
"Is this what you lost?" He extended his palm out to her. "That's quite a considerable piece of jewelry."
"That is considerably complicated," she said, snatching the ring from his hand and tossing the ring into her purse.
He half smiled at her and scanned her face curiously, studying her.
"My rescuer is an enigma," he mumbled.
"Oh, crap," she blurted as they passed an orange and black highway sign that informed them that Route 25 was closed two miles ahead. "The road is flooded out. Why couldn't they build this damn city above sea level?"
"I think there is a motel up the road about a mile and a half. If you'll allow me, I'll cover room and board until the road reopens."
"Oh, I—" Hayley began.
"Please, I insist."
"Fine. But two beds, okay?"
Elijah nodded with a smile and she instantly felt relieved.
Sure enough, the Lucky Seven Motel appeared in view in the mile and a half Elijah had mentioned. She pulled into the parking lot in front of the office and Elijah hopped out to reserve their room. She scanned the area and saw that there were very few cars parked in the lot, which wasn't unusual as people didn't tend to go out in downpours like this. The heavy rain kept coming so they were likely stranded until morning. This didn't feel weird to her for some reason. Something about him seemed so familiar.
Elijah hopped back in the car and waved a key in front of her.
"We are in room eight. The clerk said it's around the back."
Hayley drove to the back of the motel and parked the car. They both ran to the door to escape the downpour. He quickly unlocked the door and ushered her inside, then ran to the bathroom and emerged seconds later with two towels in hand. He wrapped one of them around her shoulders.
"Such a gentleman," she quipped as she toweled off her hair.
"I had a good mother."
Out of the corner of her eye, Hayley could see him watching her as she dried her hair. Her cheeks flushed, and she turned her face away from his gaze.
"Why were you walking on the highway?" she asked, spying a mini bar to her left. Christ, she needed a drink.
"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" He dodged her question.
"No, I'm fine," she sighed. "It's just been a day. Not that you care."
Hayley looked over at Elijah, who was now peeling his shirt off. His upper torso was nicely toned, with olive skin, and she was unable to tear her eyes from the sight. She decided she needed to distract herself, so she went to the bathroom to change out of her wet clothes. She quickly shut the door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling the breath she'd been holding for the past two minutes. She began removing her clothes and hung them over the shower curtain rod, so they could dry, then put on her tank top and boxers. Thankfully she'd had her overnight bag with her. She examined her face in the mirror, stunned by what she saw. She looked different after the rain had washed away all her makeup, leaving only remnants of mascara around her eyes.
What was she doing here with this stranger?
A soft knock at the door snatched her away from her thoughts.
"Hayley?" came Elijah's voice, laced with concern. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said as she grasped the doorknob to open it. Elijah stepped aside as she exited. "Just needed to dry my hair some more."
Elijah was still shirtless, and it was still distracting.
"Would you mind if I turned on the television?" he asked softly.
"Not at all. After the day I've had, I could use the distraction."
Hayley spied a minibar on the one side of the room and made her way toward it. She grabbed one of the mini bottles of whiskey and poured some into a glass. She heard the door open behind her and turned to see that he'd disappeared. She poked her head out and saw him standing at the ice machine at the end of the walkway. Her eyes drank him in and she bit her lower lip, willing her mind to stop the inappropriate thoughts about this stranger. She darted back into the room as he came toward the door.
"Mind pouring me one as well?" He handed her the ice bucket and she took it over to the bar.
"Sure, why not." She rolled her eyes. Did he think she was his servant?
Hayley poured the tan liquid into two glasses with a couple cubes of ice each and handed one to him. Their fingers brushed, and she shivered at the contact. She climbed onto one of the beds and he on the other, both fixated on the black and white movie on the screen intently. Hayley sipped her drink and the liquor burned her throat more than it usually did.
"What movie is this?" she asked, not looking in his direction.
"The Maltese Falcon," he answered, grinning at her.
"Can't say I know that one." She took another swig of her drink.
"It's about a detective who gets caught up in a murder and has to locate a jeweled Maltese falcon statue. It's quite good."
"I'll have to sit and watch it one night when my mind is a bit clearer."
"Is your mind muddled by your day or the booze?"
"A bit of both. My day more than anything."
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.
"No, not really." She threw back the rest of her drink and turned down the covers on her bed. The white sheets were cool and smooth against her legs. "I think I'm gonna get some sleep. You can keep that on if you'd like."
"I'm a bit of an insomniac, so I think I will."
Hayley turned on her side, facing away from him, and hid her face in her hands. She began to cry softly because today solidified the fact that she and Jackson don't belong together. She tried to keep her sobbing as quiet as possible, so Elijah wouldn't hear her, but she suddenly felt the bed sink beside her and a gentle touch on her back. She turned to see Elijah looking down at her, concerned.
"Why are you crying?" he asked softly.
"Not….no reason," she stammered, quickly wiping her eyes. "You don't want to hear about my problems." She sat up on the edge of the bed. He sat next to her, their knees touching. His close proximity made every nerve in her body pulse and hum. She could no longer deny her attraction to this handsome stranger. She caught herself staring into his dark eyes as tears cascaded down her face.
"It seems you need someone to talk to," he mumbled, brushing her hair out of her face.
"It's just, my—" Hayley couldn't find the words to explain.
"Would it have something to do with that considerably complicated ring you threw in your purse earlier?"
Hayley gave herself away by half-smiling at him and shrugging. He nodded in acknowledgement.
"We've been on the rocks for a while, but I thought having a baby would bring us closer. We've been trying so hard but all I think it's done is drive us apart." She smoothed her hair and sat cross-legged on the bed. "And then today, his outburst of rage. I'd never seen him so angry. It scared me."
"A baby almost never fixes a broken relationship. It only complicates things even more." Even in the dimly lit room, Elijah could see the fear in her eyes. "No one who loves you should ever make you feel afraid." He gently placed his palm on her cheek. "You deserve to feel safe. Loved."
Hayley leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. It had been too long since Jackson had touched her so tenderly. She opened her eyes to find him gazing at her adoringly. "Does he know how beautiful you are?" He traced her lips with his finger. Hayley didn't pull away. "How soft your lips are?" His voice cracked. "It's baffling. We are strangers, yet I feel that I already know you."
"Maybe in a past life," Hayley softly joked.
Their heads inched closer, and every fiber of her being pleaded with her to stop and push him away, but Hayley wanted this. She felt drawn to Elijah, like they actually had loved each other in a past life. Their lips touched, and Hayley swore she felt sparks fly. She whimpered a bit as his mouth moved on hers, and his hand traveled to her neck and scooped up the hair at the back of her head. His arm wrapped around her and pulled her onto his lap as they kissed. Elijah pulled away, his breath coming short and quick, and Hayley crashed her lips against his again and kissed him with fervor. He responded in kind and moved his mouth to her neck, feasting on her flesh with his lips and tongue. His mouth traveled back up to hers and gently nibbled on her lower lip. She pulled away and stared at him, mixed feelings traveling across her face. She'd never been kissed like that before, but this man was not Jackson.
Elijah gently laid her on the bed and climbed atop her, looking deeply into her eyes and cautiously sliding a hand up under her tank top. She consented, and his hand moved upward and cupped her breast as he planted his mouth on her collarbone. Hayley wrapped her leg around his hips, trying to pull him closer. His mouth found hers again and she opened up, allowing him to kiss her deeper and slide his tongue in her mouth. She reached between them and began undoing the zipper of his jeans, and felt he was already aroused. He'd inched her tank top upward and was licking and sucking her breast and taking her nipple into his mouth. She buried her hands in his hair and breathed in. He smelled good – a mix of fresh rain and cologne. His mouth traveled down her stomach and he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her boxers then yanked them down her legs.
Hayley squeaked as his mouth found her and she arched and squirmed against his tongue, crying out. He teased her, every once in a while, stopping to kiss her thighs, and then planted his mouth back on her until she bucked and cried out under his grasp. Panting, Hayley pulled him up her body and kissed him with fervor, tasting herself on his lips. He finished removing his jeans and boxer briefs and Hayley pulled her tank top over her head, both staring at each other lustfully as they disrobed. Elijah climbed back on the bed and pulled her to him, laying on his back, and she climbed on top of him, straddling his hips and sliding him inside her. They both groaned at the union, as if they'd been searching for each other their whole lives. She leaned down and kissed him as she started to move. She placed her hands on his chest and braced herself against him and moved faster, feeling her climax already building. He grunted as he gripped her hips and met her thrusts, throwing his head back against the pillow. Her heart thudded in her chest and her vision exploded with stars as she came. Hayley didn't stop moving but Elijah pulled her off him and flipped her on her stomach, kissing his way up her spine, and entered her from behind. She threw her hair to the side and tried to glimpse back at him, but his mouth was already on her neck. She reached back and buried her hand in his hair as he moved within her. She moaned into the pillow as he brought her to edge again and she let go. He groaned and gently bit down on her flesh as he reached his own end and spilled himself inside her, then collapsed on top of her. Her skin went goose flesh as he breathed against her.
"You are," he breathed in her ear, "amazing."
He slid out of her and she turned to her back. He laid himself next to her and pulled the sheets up to cover them. He gazed at her, tracing the contours of her face as she slowly returned from a fog of pleasure. She stared back from under heavy-lidded eyes.
"You aren't too shabby yourself," she smirked. He leaned over and kissed her gently.
Hayley closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. When she awoke again, the room was pitch dark and the television was off. She snuggled closer to Elijah and traced circles on his stomach, which roused him. He pulled her close and kissed her softly.
They made love twice more during that night.
When Hayley woke the next morning, she left a sleeping Elijah in the bed and crept to the bathroom. Once she finished dressing, she quietly padded to the window and peeked out of the curtains to see the rain was gone and the sun was shining. She pulled her phone from her purse and checked the local traffic report to see if Route 25 was still washed out. When she confirmed travel home would be safe, she quickly dressed. Rather than wake him for an awkward good-bye, Hayley grabbed the complimentary pen and paper and scrawled a message.
Dear Elijah,
I know we barely know each other but I want to thank you. Thank you for coming to my rescue, even though it was I who saved you from the rain. There are very few people that I feel comfortable opening up to like I did with you last night.
But I'm sorry. Sleeping with you last night was a mistake. My life is too complicated right now. We could never fit in each other's lives. Please don't try to find me.
Be happy and try to move forward with life, wherever it may take you.
Best,
Hayley
She set the letter on the bedside table within his view, so he'd see it when he woke up. As she put on her sunglasses, she grabbed her car keys from her purse and shut the door quietly behind her.
