All the Way by Kristi Avalon

grief, no . She couldn’t do that here. In a rest stop bathroom stall. Fantasizing about Blake Desanto.
    Cheeks prickling with embarrassment, she didn’t even bother making proper use of the bathroom. She walked out of the stall and headed for the sink to splash cold water onto her face.
    She stared at herself in the streaky mirror. Noticing her flushed cheeks and over-bright eyes, Kristin’s words flashed through her mind. Maybe you two wouldn’t be at each other’s throats if you cut through the tension and had mind-blowing sex.
    How did reason and common sense stand a chance over temptation? How was she supposed to look at Blake without imagining him down there? His hands. His mouth. His tongue as she begged him not to—
    Oh, just stop it!
    Frustrated, she rationalized that while her attraction to him was as acute then as it was now, she’d gotten over it. The man might’ve had staying power in his seductive abilities, but that didn’t translate into the rest of his life, at least not with regard to her.
    Blake had proven he came and went as he pleased. The truth echoed in her heart, a hollow reminder. She patted her face dry and tossed the paper towel in the trash on her way out. She knew the only commitment in the offering was how long he lasted between the sheets.
    Too bad her body didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. And temptation told her that with Blake a session between the sheets would last however long she wanted it to, all night if she needed, and that it would be worth it.
    As she emerged from the building into bright sunlight, she recognized the lines of Blake’s broad shoulders. He stood beside his motorcycle, hunched over what looked like a map spread across the handlebars. The smooth polish of his leather jacket reflected the sunshine. Warm light slid over the glossy strands of his hair when he moved.
    Layla sighed. If she turned off her internal censor whenever she saw Blake, the handsome brute would make her heart flip-flop inside her chest like a fish on land. Interesting that her fantasies of Blake still lingered after a year, instead of her most recent lover, Jack.
    Their love life had been subdued, even dull. She didn’t recall anything vivid about her intimate relationship with Jack. Maybe curiosity still lingered regarding Blake because they’d never made love. Still, only Blake captured her imagination and sparked attraction, the effects sparking desire deep in her abdomen.
    From deep in her soul.
    And she couldn’t have him.
    Admire from afar. Don’t touch, and you won’t get hurt. The mantra she’d learned to adopt toward Blake. Unfortunately, her defenses had caught amnesia, her libido was fired up, and her mantra had taken a leave of absence. Dangerous combination for this road trip—hours alone with Blake, while she fought her sizzling attraction to him.
    And he seemed clueless.
    He his hand to shield his eyes and their gazes met across the stretch of grass between the buildings and the parking lot. He waved her over.
    As she came closer, he seemed oblivious to the color in her cheeks, the perspiration at her temples, the hesitation in her step as she neared his tall form. She breathed deep, glad for his ignorance. She was having enough trouble meeting his eyes after her fantasy-memory, glistening and real in the back of her mind.
    When she was within arm’s reach, Blake guided her in front of him. He pointed at the map he’d spread over the handlebars. “I want you to see our route. So you can have some idea where we’re heading.”
    “Okay.” She felt the warmth of his body right behind her. It mingled with the day’s climbing temperature. To relieve the heat she pulled at the tank top sticking to her stomach and breasts, getting some air between her skin and her clothes.
    A hoarse sound came from over her left shoulder. Blake cleared his throat. “Right, so…we’re taking I-90 west most of the way. Today we’re going through Ohio and Indiana. We’ll