Chapter Fifteen
Xander
I woke Monday morning realizing that it was yet another peaceful night with Bailey in my arms. Maybe she was right about the nightmares. Holding her at night seemed to keep them away. Waking up with her nuzzled against my chest was another reason that I didn’t want her to leave. The warmth of her body pressed against mine was so much nicer than waking to the chill of the cold room as the fire died down over the night hours.
Bailey started to squirm against me, instantly sending blood to my cock and thoughts of making love to her to my mind. I pushed her hair away from her neck and leaned in, leaving a soft kiss at her nape. I moved my lips slowly to her shoulder, gently kissing the small freckles that rested on her skin.
Her back arched as she stretched in my arms, pushing her ass cheeks into my erection. My hands reached around her body, cupping her breasts delicately, and pulled her back into my chest.
“Good morning,” she mumbled sleepily.
I growled in her ear, playfully biting at her earlobe. “Good morning,” I whispered.
My fingers rolled her nipples as they hardened from her full breasts, and my hot breath rolled freely down her neck and shoulder as she continued to stir awake.
I knew I was growing too attached to this woman, but it was out of my control. I wanted her. I needed her.
Bailey stretched to the edge of the bed and reached into the nightstand drawer. She pulled out a condom, handing it to me over her shoulder, and then turned her body towards me. Her eyes, so green, so fucking innocent, fuck, what was I doing?
My mouth lowered to hers, kissing her with a passion I’d never felt before. I knew it was wrong—it had to be—but I couldn’t stop it.
Bang, Bang, Bang!
Three loud knocks on the front door jolted me away from her and to my feet. Each knock got louder than the last, and it was obvious whoever was outside was determined to get in.
Bailey slid up, pulling her knees to her chest, and the blankets up over them as her eyes stared into mine. They were filled with fear, but she didn’t speak; she only looked towards me for protection.
I grabbed my jogging pants from the floor and quickly slid them on. My erection was still at full mass, even with the startling knock. I shoved my dick downward towards my legs, pushing some of the stiffness out of it, and then tossed Bailey my heavy flannel and pair of small jogging pants.
As she quickly got dressed, I stared out the window. It was still covered in snow and frost, impossible to see out of, but I knew it was still a messy storm outside.
“Don’t answer it,” Bailey shrieked as I headed towards the door.
Bang, bang, bang!
“I don’t think I have a choice,” I shrugged.
There was a heavy lock on the door, one that folded across it, but I knew it would come off easily from the frame if someone wanted inside bad enough. There wasn’t any use hiding from whoever braved the storm to make it up the mountain side.
My thoughts instantly turned to Bailey and her rescuers. Maybe it was the man who loved her, one that had been pining for her all this time, determined to rescue her and bring her home safely. Fuck.
I tried to peer through the frosted glass to get a peek at the brave soul at my door, but it was useless. I reached for the lock, lifted it from the door, and pulled it open.
“Holy fuck!” I yelled in surprise, wrapping my arms around Liam.
“Brother, you don’t make it easy to make house calls,” he chuckled, pulling the fur-lined hat from his shaven head.
I patted him on the back, quickly ushering him through the door so I could close it.
“How in the hell did you get here?” I questioned.
“Oh, it wasn’t fuckin’ easy,” he stated.
Bailey was staring at me with a bewildered look in her eyes as Liam smiled in her direction.
“This is Bailey. Bailey, this is Liam,” I introduced her to the strange man standing in the cabin.
“Nice to meet you,” she muttered in a weak voice.
Liam nodded in her direction, and then turned to me.
“I tried to call, but I never could get you,” Liam explained.
“I never did get another signal after we talked,” I responded, still amazed that he was actually there,
His eyes drifted to my jogging pants, a half erection still very visible, and then shook his head.
“Good to see you two haven’t killed each other yet,” he chuckled.
Bailey moved from the bed to the fireplace where she grabbed a metal cup and filled it with the warm pot of coffee.
“Coffee?” she offered Liam.
“Yes, thank you,” he winked.
He took the cup from Bailey, and I watched his eyes scanning her, lingering on her curves.
“We’ve actually gotten along quite well,” I smiled.
“It sure looks like it,” he chuckled, moving to the couch.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
Liam’s eyes lit up. He rubbed his belly as he pulled off his gloves, and then wiggled from the heavy insulated coat.
“Yes, starved,” he groaned.
“I’ll get it,” Bailey offered, quickly moving from the room towards the cooler near the sink.
Liam’s eyes followed her as she pulled the left-over squirrel from the cooler and placed it in a small iron skillet.
“So, what’s the deal here?” Liam asked, his eyes shifting over my shoulder to Bailey as he spoke.
“What deal?” I snorted.
His eyes rolled and his grin grew.
“You two, looks like you’re playing house,” he noted.
“Why don’t you get warmed up, something in your belly, and then we’ll talk,” I diverted.
Bailey placed the skillet over the fire, close to the flame, and then sat down on the chair by the couch. Liam rubbed his hands together to warm them as his eyes shifted back and forth between myself and Bailey. I knew he had a ton of questions, but I was more hoping he’d brought some answers.
Liam sipped his coffee, not offering up any information, and neither Bailey nor myself pushed. I knew why I wasn’t eager to learn of who was looking for her, but I found it odd that she wasn’t chomping at the bit to ask Liam what he knew.
“How are you feeling?” Liam asked Bailey as she brought over the warmed fried squirrel.
I noticed him eyeing her ankle as she walked.
“I’m a lot better, but still not a hundred percent,” she responded quickly.
“This smells amazing,” he smiled, taking a leg and thigh from the pan Bailey sat in front of him.
“It is. She is a great cook,” I winked in her direction.
I could tell she was nervous, uneasy, and maybe even a little irritated, but I wasn’t exactly certain why.
Liam took a large bite, ripping the tender meat from the bone with his teeth. He let out a hoot, and then smiled at Bailey.
“Now I see why you don’t want to let her leave,” he laughed.
He had no idea. There were so many reasons I didn’t want her to leave.
“So how did you find me?” I questioned.
“Luckily, you’re the only introvert in these parts, and being a small town, everyone’s been talking about the man in the woods since ya got here,” Liam chuckled.
“No one knows about this cabin, at least not where it sits,” I defended.
“Relax, no one could tell me where you were exactly, just a standard direction,” Liam assured me.
I wasn’t about to end up in the same situation as Molokai, where every fuckin’ tourist that visited the island ended up on the path towards my cabin.
“So, in town, they are looking for a woman that matches Bailey’s description, and surprisingly, Bailey is her name,” Liam announced.
Bailey grabbed a throw and pulled it over her legs as she shoved them into her chest. She stared at Liam as he spoke, but still didn’t push for the information he had.
“Who’s looking?” I asked reluctantly.
“That I’m not sure. Local police chief had her name, description, and that was all. They said her car was found below the mountain, right where I parked my truck,” he explained.
A strange sense of relief fell over me. Maybe there wasn’t anyone looking for her; it was just the empty car that set forth the search.
“Bailey Martin, 31, petite build, long red hair, that’s you,” Liam grinned towards Bailey.
Her face fell pale at the news he delivered.
“Does Martin sound familiar?” I questioned.
She shook her head slowly as she played scratched at her hand.
“I don’t think I’m good enough to make it down the mountain yet,” Bailey announced, lifting her eyes to Liam.
He paused, staring at her with seriousness. I knew he was trying to analyze her, to get inside of her head.
I was elated that she wasn’t ready to leave, but I wondered why she wasn’t eager to get back home to whoever was searching for her.