Chapter Eleven
Rocky bounded down the mountain and rolled the last few feet until he landed near the tree with a loud chuff. Mike laughed and stood, gathering their clothes.
“Let’s get you dressed.” He reached down and pulled her up, holding her clothes up and away from her reach and jutting his chin out for a kiss. She obliged by giving him a peck on his jaw.
“Arms out.” She did as he requested and he slid the shirt on her arm.
“What about my bra?”
“You’re a mountain girl now. They definitely don’t wear bras.” She chuckled and let him finish dressing her, loving the idea of being his mountain girl.
“They apparently don’t wear panties either,” she grumbled as he spun her delicates around on his finger.
“I’m hungry, let’s go have some eggs.”
“Eggs and stew? Is that all you eat?”
“You’re not complaining about my cooking, are you?” He rubbed his hands together. She eyed them, covered her butt with both hands, and shook her head.
“Not at all. You make the absolute best venison stew I’ve ever had, and your eggs taste fit for a king.” She moaned in pleasure, releasing her butt to rub her belly. He harrumphed. “I thought so.”
* * *
They made love again three more times through the afternoon, evening, and morning, but then as she lay against his chest, the warmth of that lovemaking still glowing on her skin, he said they had to deal with what they’d been avoiding.
“Tell me everything, Avery.”
Her heart pounded, and she felt lightheaded. What would Mike think of her? Would he think she was stupid and naïve? And worse still, would he see her through the eyes of her grandparents and Alex and realize she wasn’t worth all the trouble?
Her eyes welled, and he twisted her hair around his hand and tipped her head back, so she had to look at him.
“Don’t be afraid. You’re my little girl, and nothing you tell me is ever going to change how I feel about you.” A tear slid out, and he wiped it away before brushing his lips lightly across hers.
“Your secrets are now our secrets. Your problems are now our problems. And we’ll face it all together.” He released her hair and smoothed it to comfort her. “Now talk, little lady.”
She drew in a shaky breath. This was it. She could risk losing him and tell him everything, or she could refuse, and her secrets would drive them apart.
“I was four and a half when they died.” Another tear slid down her face. “I don’t even remember them. What I do remember is the day my mother’s parents came for me.” She drew in a breath.
“They barely even looked at me when the social worker handed me over. They didn’t speak to me at all, and I didn’t dare say a word—not through the plane ride, and not on the drive to their house, but as I lay in the bed that was once my mother’s, I finally spoke.”
“Aw, honey.” He kissed her head.
“I asked if my mama and daddy were in heaven.” She sniffed, and the tears flowed. She swiped at them and looked down so he couldn’t see her face. “They said there was no place in heaven for those people that fornicated before marriage, got pregnant and ran away, but it wouldn’t matter anyway because God didn’t have a place for babies born out of wedlock either.”
Avery heard Mike’s breathing still. And she counted five full seconds before he drew a breath and spoke. “Those people didn’t deserve one child, let alone two. Baby, you are the sweetest little girl anyone could ever ask for, and I hope they’re rotting in hell.” More tears fell, and this time he wiped them away and kissed the fresh ones that fell.
“My parents had money. They left it in a trust for me. The first installment on my eighteenth birthday was five hundred thousand dollars, enough for me to go away to college and be free of my grandparents. The second was the two million on my twenty-fifth birthday, and the final payment is to be released to me when I turn thirty in a few months. It’s five and a half million dollars.”
He said nothing, just rubbed her back and let her continue.
“Daddy, I was so desperate for love that I let some asshole con artist trick me into thinking he thought I was special.” She choked on a sob. “He took me for every dime I had and managed to build enough debt and enemies that all my future money is gone too. Or at least out of reach. I thought things were okay for a long time, but since I’ve been with you, I’ve seen they were never okay. No one has loved me like you.” She shoved her face into his chest and wept against his warm skin. He pulled her chin until she faced him again. His eyes pinned hers with an intensity she couldn’t look away from. “He didn’t trick you into thinking you were special—you are special; he tricked himself out of seeing it. You deserve love, and little one, I plan on showing you just how much every chance I get.”
Avery trembled. “I see now that it wasn’t love. I’ve never loved anyone like you, Daddy.”
“Baby, I know exactly what you mean.” She wrapped her arm around his belly and squeezed him before she continued. “I went a little wild with the first payment of the trust. I never had anything. My grandparents wouldn’t let me get a job because I had to work for them on the farm, so when I got the money, I spent it fast.” He took her right hand and linked their fingers, smoothing his thumb against her skin as she continued.
“By the time I was twenty-five, I was married to Alex. I planned on being smarter with my money, but I was naïve. I let him control it. He spent it all. He used me and by the time I found out, all our accounts were empty and in overdraft. Our credit cards were maxed out and overdue. I kicked him out, but it was too late. He even managed to remortgage the house.” She grit her teeth.
“I was so stupid,” she ground out. He gave her ass a little swat. “Nobody’s allowed to call my little girl stupid, not even you.”
“And now the bad guys, who I assume he borrowed money from, are after me. They plan to hurt me, Daddy.” She swallowed hard and gathered a breath. “I heard them tell Alex they plan to have some fun with me—the non-consent sexual kind, take my money, and I think they’ll kill me just like they killed Alex.” She gathered another breath and let the final rush of words fall out as she trembled in his arms. “I don’t want that to fall on you. I don’t want you hurt because I was stupid. I love you. I love you so much! I’m ready to die, but I’m not going to take you with me.” She was hyperventilating by the end of her long spiel, and he had to shush and rock her until she calmed down.
She gave him a pathetic, watery smile and he hugged her tighter. “Baby, trusting someone you love isn’t stupid. Loving them after they screw you over, is. You didn’t do that. You saw what he did, and you kicked his ass out. And baby, if that fucker were alive, I’d pound him to a pulp, not only for hurting my little girl but for being too dumb to see how amazing you are. And any trouble that comes for you, I’m more than ready to handle. Hell, I’m eager for it. No one fought for you, Avery, and you deserve to be fought for. I won’t fail you, and I’ll bulldoze, tear limb-from-limb, and annihilate anyone who dares touch what’s mine—you are mine!”
She felt lighter than she’d had in years, maybe lighter than she’d ever felt. Her worries were for nothing; he didn’t judge her at all. She was safe with him, not just physically and mentally, but emotionally, too. Her mountain man daddy protected her in every way.
* * *
He held her for a long time after that, telling her silly stories of Rocky and Annie and making her laugh. He wanted her to feel happy before he left her. He wanted to ensure she’d be okay.
“I’m going to go catch us some fish for dinner tonight, and then I’m going to head into town. I think the police station is the way to go. I’ll call some of my contacts and get this straightened out.” He sat up on the edge of the bed.
She clutched his forearm. “I’m scared. What if they take me away? What if they don’t listen to you and hand me over to that crooked cop?”
He paused and turned back to her. “You’re going to have to trust me, baby. Can you do that?”
Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, but she nodded, and he smiled at her, leaned back to kiss her.
“Will you tell me about your job before you go?”
His throat worked as he considered her question. His job, it seemed, wasn’t any easier to discuss than his wife and Lydia.
“I was an RCMP staff sergeant.” He shuffled back and sat against the headboard, pulling her with him. “I was the team commander in several manhunts, but my last was the search for Canada’s most notorious serial killer to date.” Mike leaned down and kissed her head. “See, baby, I’m more than capable of hunting killers.”
“Did you catch him?”
“No.” He shut his eyes and steadied his breathing. It was a question that stung. How could he prove he could keep her safe when he’d failed so many others? Prescott was the one who got away, but he was also the worst of them all. “He was still at large when I retired.”
“Is he still out there?”
“Honestly, Avery,” he sighed. “I don’t know.”
“You didn’t keep track?” she asked, shifting up onto her elbows.
“No,” he said. “I was a little busy grieving for my wife.” And this time his words were unintentionally sharp. His heart sank as she pulled away.
“I’m sorry.” She swallowed hard and he nodded, but his mood remained stony. “Daddy?” she asked softly, grabbing his bicep as he moved away from her. “What about all the people I hurt?” He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her as he pulled on his socks.
“When this is all over, baby, we’ll mail them every cent plus interest.” He stood and grabbed his pants.
“And the Jeep?” She watched as he pulled on his jeans.
“The book value plus a few extra thousand for the trouble.” He started threading his belt through the loops.
She remained silent a moment, watching him. He turned, his jeans still open and the belt hanging loose with his hands poised on it, knowing she was struggling and feeling guilty for being sharp with her. “Not good enough?”
“I want to write them letters, explaining.” She hugged his pillow to her chest. “I need them to know I’m not a bad person.”
“You’re not bad, honey.” He sat, leaned back, and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. “You know that, right?” She shook her head, and he pressed his lips together.
“I feel like one.”
“You would never have made it if you hadn’t done what you did. You’re not a bad person—not even close.”
She breathed in, and he could tell she was holding her tears at bay, but also holding her unspoken words, too. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you if you’ll let me.
He rose from the bed and finished dressing. He watched her, knowing he wasn’t the only one with a heavy heart. She was scared, and it was taking everything for her to trust him. He wouldn’t let her down.
* * *
She felt a tug in her belly for him after he left. She was anxious, and though she knew he needed to hunt and fish, she wanted him with her. Now that she had given him her trust and submission, she found that she instinctively wanted to turn to him for protection and reassurance. It irritated her slightly as she wandered about the cabin, putting away the laundry she’d washed the day before in between their lovemaking. So much had changed so quickly. He’d gotten into her head, and he’d stirred a lust in her that she had never felt before and now she was practically insatiable, even in times like these when there was discord in her heart and mind.
As her fears battled with her desires, she bent to put some cleaning rags beneath the sink. The move made her feel a stretch and ache in her muscles. Her thighs, core, and bottom remembered both her daddy’s loving and his displeasure.
She peeked outside, and couldn’t see Rocky anywhere, although he’d watched her take the laundry in from the line. He’d probably gone to find Mike when she’d come back inside. The bear seemed to like the connection with humans.
Avery set about making dough for bread—from her own recipe this time—as she thought further about her mountain man daddy. Alex’s warning to heed the smooth ones made her laugh suddenly. Her mountain man daddy was not a smooth man. He was gruff, short-tempered, and demanding, but he was also caring and protective, gentle even, at least when he wasn’t smacking her butt. And damn, could he make love.
When the yeast had proofed, she poured it into the flour mixture and began blending it into a dough. She left it to rise and put a few more logs in the woodstove. It wasn’t as warm as it had been the other day. The pile was empty, so she went for more. She wondered if she could chop wood like Mike, but only laughed at herself. She’d probably chop off her leg.
She took six armfuls into the cabin and piled them neatly on the shelf. As she loaded the last pile into her arms, she saw the prints. Too small to be Mike’s and too big to be hers. She looked around. Who’d been there? Suddenly feeling exposed, she dropped the logs and went back in the cabin. She turned the lock and threw the latch, leaning her back against the door, feeling the color drain from her face.
Footsteps on the porch made her spin. The door had no peephole. Panic was rising rapidly, and acid churned up her throat.
“Mike Hunter?” a voice called out, and the door shook with the man’s pounding. “It’s the police. I know you’re here. I saw your back as the door closed.”
Avery hesitated. What would she say? She couldn’t run forever, not now that she had Mike. She took a breath. She had Mike. He would take care of her. Without further thought, Avery yanked open the door.
A uniformed officer stood there, and her heart kicked into a frenzied beat. His eyes had shown surprise, so she relaxed a little.
“Hi,” she said.
“I wasn’t aware anyone but Mr. Hunter lived here. He’s kind of a recluse.” The officer took off his hat. “I’m Officer Riley of the Bathurst Police department.” He held out his hand for hers, and she shook quickly before pulling back.
“I’m just visiting.”
The cop smiled tentatively. He was her age, clean shaven, with a baby face and green eyes. He was the kind of man she might have been attracted to, before meeting Mike. Now it was the rugged, thickly muscled, impatient, bearded kind of man that held her interest.
“How do you know Mr. Hunter, ma’am?”
“Old friends,” she said quickly. “He’s not here right now.”
She was dizzy with fear. Why was he asking how she knew Mike? That was none of his concern. Shit!
“He’s fishing.”
“Right.” She didn’t fail to notice he looked around her into the cabin before glancing behind him at the property. “Living off the land. I’d miss watching the game, seeing the latest movies, and hell, Manny’s breakfast special.” He patted his lean belly. “Have you been to Manny’s?” he asked with a quirk of his brow. She shook her head, and his eyes widened.
“If you get the chance, they make the best buttermilk pancakes on the planet.”
“I think Mike enjoys his privacy. We both do, but maybe I’ll see about convincing him to take me out for pancakes sometime.” She smiled, hoping he got the hint. He looked closely at her.
“What happened to you?” Her hand went to her forehead, and her heart began to race. She’d forgotten about the wound on her forehead.
“Had a little tumble…” She paused, searching for a plausible reason. She saw the ATV by the wood pile. “I’d never been on an ATV before, so whoop! Right off first bump.” She brushed her hands together in a slipping gesture. The officer’s eyes narrowed but quickly went back to normal.
“You a city girl?” She grinned, hopeful that it came across sincere. “How can you tell? You must be a detective?” She smiled again, this time more brightly. He smiled back, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You have a name?”
“Amanda Smith,” she answered, thankfully quick enough not to draw suspicion.
“Okay, Amanda. There’s a Jeep down the valley here.” He pointed where she knew the Jeep sat in a mangled mess. You couldn’t see it from the cabin without binoculars, but she knew exactly where it was. “I noticed the broken guard rail when I was cruising by and when I followed the broken brush, I found it. You know anything about it? Seen anyone around? I ran the VIN and can’t get ahold of the owner.”
She shook her head, her heart thundering in her chest so hard she thought for sure he would hear it.
“No, we had no idea anything had happened. We haven’t seen anyone around.”
“How long have you been here?” She was starting to sweat with his inquiries and panic was welling inside her. “A few days, but Mike says there’s a cougar around here, so I’ve been staying inside mostly.” She shrugged. “He doesn’t like me out wandering around, being a city girl. He’s overprotective. And as I said nobody’s come to the cabin. Maybe they called someone for a ride.”
“Could be.” He rubbed his jaw. “How long have you known Mr. Hunter, Amanda?” The officer’s two-way radio chirped, and he held up a finger. “Go ahead. Over.”
“Jeep owner’s DOA. GSW to the head. Waiting on the coroner’s report.”
“Get forensics out here.”
Dead on arrival. Gunshot wound. Forensics.
The Jeep’s owner was dead? Dead! By gunshot! Holy shit!
They killed him because of me. Her lip trembled so she clamped it between her teeth. And now the Jeep had been reported found. They’d know where she was. She paused as the reality of everything sank in. She’d stolen the Jeep, so she’d be the one the RCMP thought killed him. They’d charge Avery with murder. And now Eddie and Moe knew where she was. Maybe Mike could protect her from Alex’s killers, but he couldn’t save her from the law. He might even go to prison for not reporting her and the accident. Oh, God!
The mountain would be crawling with cops soon. Panic blasted full force.
* * *
When Mike walked in half an hour later, he set his tackle box down by her bag that was at the door. He glanced up at her. “What’s this?” His hands went to his hips, and her stomach sank.
“I have to leave, Mike.” She attempted to keep her expression blank to hide her pain and fear. “The police were here today about the Jeep. Some cop named Riley.” She waved her hand and began pacing. “He was asking a lot of questions and seemed suspicious, and then he got a call from dispatch.” She paused, looked him straight in the eye and with a trembling lip, continued.
“The guy I stole the Jeep from is dead.” Her hand went to her mouth to cover her sob. “He was murdered. If they find out I stole it they’ll think I killed him, but that’s not the worst of it.” She wiped the tears that started spilling over her lids. “It means they know where I am. Eddie and Moe know I’m here.”
His face was stormy, but it hadn’t changed from the turbulent look he wore at seeing her bag. He walked in briskly, bringing a sack full of freshly cleaned fish with him. He dumped them into the sink and pulled out some freezer bags. His silence was irritating. She was in a frigging panic and about to leave, and he was putting away fish as if there were nothing wrong. Maybe she was crazy. Maybe Mike didn’t give a damn about her after all.
“Did you hear me?” Her voice was a screech.
“I heard.” His voice was steady, but she knew him. He was as cantankerous as when she’d first argued with him at Annie’s.
“Well, don’t you have anything to say?” Her voice was high-pitched in terror.
“Were you going to leave without telling me?” She stayed silent, fuming over his lack of reaction. She stormed to the door where her bag lay and picked it up. He spun and pointed at her.
“Answer me, and you better damn well think twice before you lie to me, Avery.” His stern gaze pierced her gut.
“No, Mike. If I’d wanted to do that, I would’ve been gone an hour ago. I was waiting for you. For fuck’s sake, can’t you at least pretend to care?” He turned back around at that with a scoff. “I care, Avery, but I told you I was going to help you and the first thing you do when I’m gone is pack your bag again.”
“There are people after me! People who want me dead! They’re crooked cops, Mike! I will die if I don’t run!” Her voice was hysterical now.
“Avery.”
When she still didn’t acknowledge him, he slammed the bags down, washed his hands, and went to her. He clasped his hand around her upper arm and marched her to his room. He gave her three sharp swats to the seat of her jeans and then spun her to face him.
“Avery, goddamn it, are you listening to me now?” His face was still calm, but his grip was sure and his eyes intense.
“Yes,” she said with exasperation. “I’m listening, dammit, but are you?” Her snarly tone didn’t impress him.
“If you don’t want your ass spanked again, little girl, you’ll lose the goddamned attitude, got me?”
“I don’t have time for this! You don’t get it. God, I don’t know why I ever thought you could protect me. I need to take care of myself. Plain and simple. No one can do it for me.” Before she even closed her mouth, he spun her again and gave her three more hard thwacks.
“One more word and I will remove your jeans and do a proper job.” She started to open her mouth, but his serious look and his hand on his belt stopped her. She closed her mouth with a snap and looked away.
“Good girl. I needed a damn minute to think. I can’t think when you’re going off and throwing a tantrum.” He drew in a breath. “Now. If cops were here, I’ll need to talk to them, but I’m not leaving you alone. Right now, no one knows you were the one who stole the Jeep. You’re fine for now. Understand?” She crossed her arms over her chest, and he growled at her lack of response.
“Little girl, you had better damn well answer me!”
“Yes, I understand.” She rolled her tight, angry shoulders and let them fall loose. “But what about Alex’s killers?” Her lip wobbled.
“I thought you trusted me to take care of you?”
“I do, I’m just scared.” He put his big hands on her upper arms and pulled her against him. “If Eddie and Moe even know about the Jeep, they only know you were here at some point.” He smoothed her hair.
“You think they’ll assume I’ve moved on after they check the hospitals and find nothing?”
“That sounds logical, honey. Now you’re thinking smart.” He kissed her hair. “You must have been terrified.” She nodded and melted against him. “I’m sorry it happened while I was gone.”
“Me too.” She snuggled deeper into his warm chest, finally relaxing for the first time since the cop had been there. “I had been thinking about you all morning and couldn’t wait for you to get back, only to have this cop show up and then cause this fight.”
“You were thinking about me all morning, huh?” He pulled her back from his body so he could see her face. “What kind of thinking?” His beard twitched as he smiled. She cocked her head, giving him a dirty look. “Stop enjoying this. I’ve been traumatized.” He chuckled at her statement and tugged on a ropey curl. “I am enjoying this, honey. I had no idea how lonely I was before you crashed into my mountain, and knowing you were thinking about me makes my heart soar.”
“It does?” She pulled back and eyed him, gauging his seriousness. There was something behind the goofy sweetness, something like worry, but she ignored it. Of course, he’d be worried.
“Yes.”
“Well, I was excited for you to get home.” She sniffed a little indignantly. “I made bread for you.”
A slow smile grew on his face, and his eyes twinkled.
“I’m a lucky man.” He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Do you know I’ve been eating bread as hard as rocks for years?”
She laughed. “I’m glad you admit it! It tastes like rocks, too.” She dodged the swat he aimed at her butt. “Mine is fantastic, and it’s ready for the oven.”
“Then how about we bake it while I fry up the fish, and then when our bellies are full, you can come sit on my lap in front of the fire, and we’ll talk about our new plan.”
She practically melted at his words. She had never known this kind of care, and it made her want to bawl with happiness, throw her arms around his neck, and kiss him all over. How had she gotten so lucky?
“That moose was the best thing that ever happened to me, Mike Hunter.”
“Don’t be so sure. I might decide to finish that spanking I started earlier.” He cocked a brow at her playfully.
“Might? And for what reason?”
“Might, yes. Depends on how full I feel and if you lied about that bread.”
“Well, I hope to God you shower first. Did you roll in the fish after you caught them?”
* * *
When she had washed up dishes and was putting them away, he sat on the sofa, fresh from the shower. His eyes followed her, and she felt heat spread wherever they settled.
“Come have a seat right here, little girl.” He patted his thighs, and she bit her lip shyly as she looked at his large, cozy lap. It called to her. But it was silly for an adult woman to climb into a man’s lap, wasn’t it?
“I think I’m okay right here,” she said, still looking longingly at it.
“Suit yourself.” He leaned back, putting his arm over the back of the couch. “It’s easier for me to pull you over it if you’re not on it anyway.”
“Stop teasing me. I’m actually thinking I might prefer a spanking to our discussion. At least the spanking would quiet my mind and fears.” He assessed her then, searching her eyes for truth. “Quit stalling, little girl.” His hands slapped together, startling her. “Let’s talk, and after, if you still need a spanking, I’ll give you one.” She swallowed hard, hearing the desire in his voice and feeling her body come alive instantly for him. She moved closer, setting the dish towel down on the table as she passed it to go to him.
“Come on,” he encouraged, reaching out to take her hand. “You’re okay. Completely safe.” She climbed onto his lap, and he pulled her close. “See? Now you’re just where I want you. Safe in Daddy’s lap.”
“No one has ever treated me like you, M…” He stopped her word with a firm look. “Daddy.” His reply was a pat on her hip. “I’ve never had this…” She gathered a breath, her eyes stinging. “This kind of care.” His big hand found her head and brought it to his shoulder.
“Well, get used to it, baby. It’s not stopping anytime soon.”
She saw that he meant it, but she couldn’t shake the underlying fear that one day, he’d come to the same conclusion as her grandparents and Alex. Her brain knew Mike was right about them—they were the useless ones, but her scarred heart was harder to convince. And then there was the other way things could end. Eddie and Moe.
She shivered, looking wide-eyed at her mountain man daddy. “Unless they get you or me.”
“No one’s getting anyone. Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to snuggle and then we’re going to take the ATV to Annie’s. She’s got a phone. I’m going to call that cop Riley and ask him to come back here. You can stay at Annie’s until I can convince him to help us.”
“Okay.” She climbed off his lap and put another log in the stove. She needed to move, to do something productive, and when she came back, he held his arms open for her. Again, she noticed some unease on his face. Something was bothering him. She climbed into his embrace and leaned back to watch the fire flicker through the little window in the woodstove. She couldn’t help but fidget though. What if Riley wouldn’t assist them? What if he arrested her instead? She started gnawing on her thumbnail.
“Honey?” He looked down, removing her hand from her mouth and cupping her chin in his palm. He tilted her head so she looked at him. “Get up.” She wrinkled her brow a moment, but he just helped her. He shifted to the middle of the sofa and opened his legs, guiding her between them. He reached forward and unbuttoned her jeans. Lowering them and her panties, he leaned back to pat his thigh. Tears slid down her cheeks. Avery knew she needed this more than she wanted it, so she was nervous, but she went over his knee. He rubbed her cheeks, smoothing them with his warm palm.
“Let’s help you get all the nastiness out.” His palm cracked down across both her cheeks and she jolted a little. She hadn’t been expecting the sting.
“That hurts.”
“It’s supposed to. It’s a spanking. But don’t worry, little girl. It’ll get better in a few minutes.”
His palm landed a second time, and then again in a steady rhythm until her whole bottom was glowing with a nice buzzy warmth. Each spank brought her closer to some sort of mental peace.
“Help me cry, Daddy. I want to bawl and get it all out.” It took bravery to ask him to spank her harder because mostly she didn’t want the hurt that came with something harsher but she knew she needed it. There was something so cleansing about it. “Spank me good and make love to me before we go?” Just in case it’s the last time.
He didn’t answer just started landing harder and faster spanks until she was squirming and her hand flew back.
“Okay! Okay, Daddy. No more.”
“Oh, no, you don’t get a decision on when this spanking ends, Avery. You asked me to give you the spanking you need, and I’m doing that. You aren’t done yet, whether you think you are or not.” She sniffled at his words. “But Daddy, I am!” She was angry at herself for needing more. It hurt! And as much as she loved that he could read through her words and see the difference between what she wanted and needed, it pissed her off. She wanted to lash out.
“Give me your hand.” She shook her head. “Now, Avery.” Again, she refused. He took her wrist and placed it against the small of her back while she struggled.
“Enough!” He punctuated his final word with a meaty spank that targeted the middle of her bottom over both cheeks, hard enough that she swore.
“No more, damn you!” He just kept on spanking her and hard. She cursed him and tried her damnedest to twist and turn herself off his lap, but he only tightened his grip on her and laid into her bottom more fiercely. She clenched her jaw and set her mind to accept what he gave but damn it, she wasn’t giving in. She took the burning spanks, and tried to relax her body and hold back her angry tears. He continued a few more sharp swats before speaking firmly.
“You will never again try to control a spanking I’m giving you, whether you asked for it or not. Do you understand that, little girl?” She didn’t answer, so he swatted her again three times, making her howl angrily. She wanted to swear, curse him, and cling to him and bawl all at the same time, but anger was easier than vulnerability.
“Yes! Fine! Don’t ever expect me to ask again though!” She made an angry, indignant huff and he stood abruptly, catching her before she could fall onto the floor. She’d kicked her pants and panties off, but he didn’t care. He took her firmly by the upper arm and yanked her toward the cabin door. Her eyes widened as she figured out where he was taking her and she dug her feet into the floor. He dragged her, and she hollered.
“No, please. I’m sorry. Please, Daddy. I was upset. I didn’t mean to act out. I swear.” He only shot her a look so dark that she threw herself onto her knees on the floor. He was in complete control though and scooped her up and continued out the door toward the woodshed.
“Oh, you are in so much trouble, little girl. You’ve needed this since the moment I walked through the door.” He set her on her feet once they were next to the sawhorse. “Over.” He pointed, and she shook her head. “Maybe you’re testing me. Maybe you want to see I can take control no matter how bad things get, I don’t know, but if you don’t get yourself over that bench, I’m going to cut a switch for when we’re finished here.” He crossed his arms, and his jaw tightened. “Last chance.”
She stamped her foot once, growled, and bent over the horse. With her ass on the line, she hated that he was right. Why was she testing him, pushing him? He came around the front, shook his head and pointed to two pegs sticking out of the bottom. “Hold your hands there and don’t move.” She bit her wobbling lip, slowly reached down, and put her hands on the pegs.
“Stay.” He left her there, and as soon as he stepped away, shame hit her. Why was she acting like this? He walked back in the room. She heard his footfalls and dread rolled inside her. He touched her back and leaned over her.
“Get up.” She did and looked at him with watery eyes. “I’m sorry. I just feel so out of control.” She looked down and saw the blanket in his hands. He touched her face with his right hand, wiping the two tears that slipped from her eyes. Then he put the blanket over the bench. He nodded his chin at it, and she looked first at it and then him. She straightened, gathered her breath, and turned to lean over it. She knew this was what she needed. She needed him in control. She’d asked for this. He was right; she needed to know he could take care of her—handle anything that came at him.
“I don’t want it to dig into your hips,” he said, his hand still warm and firm on her back. “You know this is for you.” She nodded. Any words she might have wanted to say stuck.
“Never doubt that I’ll follow through with what you need, honey. I won’t let you down. I swear I won’t.” His hand left her back, and she heard the whisper before she felt the splat and bite of leather on her skin. She sucked air through her teeth, absorbing the sting and then stiffened when she heard the next lick coming. She wanted to move away to avoid it, but she was done fighting him. They were in this together.
The next landed, and she gasped softly, the tip of the strap flicked around the swell of her bottom and nipped the tender flesh. It hurt so badly she released the peg wanting to rub the spot, but she stayed strong and put her hand back. He switched to her other side, and she felt relief knowing the tip wouldn’t bite the same spot again, at least for now. She didn’t know how long he’d spank her, but she did know he was doing it for her. She wouldn’t make it harder on him. The next thwack made her straighten her spine sharply and cry out. They were starting to overlap, and the burn was fierce. A torrent of tears threatened behind her lids, and she knew she was close to breaking. She willed them to come.
The next two licks were fast and across the lowest part of her cheeks so she couldn’t absorb one before the next fell. It was exactly what she needed to overwhelm her ability to take the pain. Her feet rose and dropped and the tears broke through, like a rainstorm after a drought—it felt amazing. He pulled her up and kissed her wet face. “I will protect you. I will give you whatever you need even when it hurts me. I won’t screw this up, too.”
Too? Her eyes widened, but he scooped her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their mouths met with crushing force, and while one arm held her in place, the other plunged into her hair to control her while he went for her neck. And all thoughts of what he’d meant were gone.
He carried her back to the cabin, pausing on the porch steps to press her against the post and unbuckle his belt and jeans. His hands worked feverishly while hers were buried in his hair, ecstasy lacing every panting breath between them. Her eyes squeezed tight as he balanced her on his knee so he could both work his pants and her shirt open. She tore at his buttons simultaneously.
His hot mouth found her nipple and his free hand tugged at her hair again; she called out, abandoning her efforts and instead just clung to his shoulders. He pulled her off the post, spun so his back crashed into the door and he released her hair long enough to turn the knob. He stumbled, kicking off his dirty boots, and threw her onto the sofa. He tore at his clothes before falling onto her. His arm banded around her lower back, yanking her hips with force against him so that he could shove into her with an animalistic grunt. His deep pumping hit with slamming vigor and made her call out and bite down on his salty shoulder. The depth of his punishing penetration brought her to the edge fast. Her body tingled and tightened with the sensations of their friction, and her release tore through her faster than she’d ever experienced. Pressing his fingers into the tender flesh of her ass, he pumped hard. His final plunges were rough with abandon and she felt him tense as he spurted inside her.
He slumped against her, their skin, sweaty with exertion, pressed together.
“What did you mean, too?” she whispered in his ear, satiated but now remembering her last cognitive thought. What had this amazing man screwed up before? Was that the burden she’d been seeing on his face? And did it matter? Like he’d accepted her past, she would accept his. As he’d said, they were in this together. He lifted himself up slightly so she could see his face. They were both still out of breath.
“Goddammit, Avery Trent, I love you.” He bit his lip and emotion made his eyes shine. “I screwed up. I failed her. I failed them all, but I won’t fail you.”
Who did he fail? Ella? The other girl in the picture? Who else could there be? He’d shut down the last time she’d questioned him about them, but this time she wouldn’t let him. He needed to release his burdens just as she had.
“Tell me, Daddy. Please, tell me about Ella.” He sat up then, across from her, his knees still between her thighs.
He entwined their fingers, pulled her up, and leaned his forehead against hers. “We were just kids, friends with raging hormones, I guess. She got pregnant, but things were already over between us by the time she found out. I didn’t want to ruin my kid’s life or hers, so I proposed. We thought with a child between us we’d grow to love each other.” He gathered a breath, and she saw he was struggling to continue. “I already loved the child growing inside her.”
He pulled his head back, and his eyes were shining with emotion.
“She was twenty-seven weeks along when they couldn’t find the heartbeat. She had to deliver our stillborn son before we’d even been married a month. Maybe if she hadn’t been so lost after she would have left me and moved on, but she didn’t. Years passed, and we drifted farther apart, but we were friends—if nothing else we had that.” Avery tilted slightly, kissing his lips in encouragement. Her gut was dense with sorrow imagining what they’d gone through. Was there anything worse than losing a child? By the anguish on his face, she knew his story wasn’t over. She nodded to encourage him.
“I was always away on the road, hunting dangerous fugitives, and she was busy building her real estate business. I think we purposely kept our lives hectic to avoid dealing with anything other than friendly cohabitation.” He swallowed and looked away, but she saw the flash of guilt in his eyes.
“She started seeing someone else. I only found out because I came home early one weekend—my team and I had a great lead, and I was in a celebratory mood. I was sure we were going to get our guy within the week. I stopped downtown to get a pizza from our favorite restaurant and a bottle of wine. And there she was holding hands across the table with my old partner, Mark Hardwick.” Mike looked back at Avery, and his face looked bright for a second.
“She looked happier than I’d ever seen her.” Mike looked thoughtful, not pained as Avery might expect a man to look speaking of his wife’s betrayal.
“I guess I stood there staring for a while. It made me realize how unhappy we’d been all those years.” He glanced down at their hands still entwined and rubbed his thumbs over her skin. “No, not unhappy. We lived like friends, so there were lots of great memories, but no passion.” Mike reached his hand to cup Avery’s cheek before he continued.
“Nothing like what I’ve had with you, sweetheart.” She leaned into his palm, closing her eyes a moment to soak in his words.
“I went to a hotel to sleep that night, intent on telling her the next day that we should get a divorce—that I wanted her to be happy with Mark. I finished the bottle of wine myself, part celebration and part dealing with the end of the only adult life I had ever known.”
Avery shivered, thinking of her unhappy marriage. Mike pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“The next morning, when I went to the house, I found her—dead.”
Avery gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God, Mike!” He pulled back, and she reached for him, putting both her hands on his face. “That must have been awful.”
He scrutinized her eyes, and his expression changed from one of torment to anger. “Not as terrible as when I was arrested for it.”
She was taken aback, but she didn’t let go of him.
“W-what? Why?”
“It’s always the husband, Avery.” Mike’s head fell, knocking her hands to her lap, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Witnesses that saw me staring at them through the window of the restaurant and no one saw me all night after that.”
“What about the guy she was with? Her lover?”
“My ex-partner had an alibi. He was home with his sister all night.”
“Who else could have done it then?” Avery felt panic rising even though it was in the past. Mike wasn’t a killer and the thought that anyone could ever think that tore her to pieces.
“Exactly, Avery. Exactly.”
“What happened?”
“They didn’t have enough evidence, but they charged me anyway. When it went to trial the Crown attorney—that’s like your prosecutor in the states—had a witness who’d seen a man about my height and build watching the house that night, but it was too dark for him to say for sure if it was me. During the cross, my lawyer got him to admit he’d seen this man there a few times over the course of the week, and I had been in Montreal until the night of the murder. They called witnesses from the restaurant and someone who thought they saw me leave the hotel that night but couldn’t be sure, but in the end, the jury didn’t feel the Crown proved my guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“You must have been so relieved it was all over.”
“Avery, that didn’t mean people believed I was innocent. In fact, they thought the opposite.” He closed his eyes and shoveled a hand through his hair. “They were even angrier then that I’d gotten away with it, especially Mark. We’d been friends for years, and he hated me. I lost everything. Ella was gone, and Mark was convinced I’d killed her out of jealousy and had a PI on me constantly. He was obsessed with proving I killed her. Most of my other friends and coworkers, all jaded by the legal system, believed the worst and refused to associate with me. The few that stood by me understood when I chose to leave. I retired, with the offer to return or be transferred. Kids threw eggs at my house, old ladies gave me dirty looks, clerks at stores ignored me. I was a leper.” He drew in a breath. “So I left it all behind. No more people, no more society. I wanted nothing to do with anyone again.” He took her hands.
“Avery, I didn’t kill her.” He pleaded with his eyes for her to trust him and her eyes welled at his pain. She had never trusted anyone more than she trusted her mountain man daddy.
“Anyone that knows you—really knows you, could never believe you did.” She launched herself into his arms.