RYE HART SNEAK PEEKS

 

SAVING MEL

 

PROLOGUE

 

“Are you ready beautiful?”

His hands quickly pulled the flannel from his back, exposing his strong, rippling arms. Veins pulsed in his forearms as he peeled his white undershirt off, and soon I was gazing on the most beautiful body I’d ever seen. His abdomen rippled and the “v” of his muscles pointed the way to what I wanted to see most.

He descended back on my body and I pressed my body into his. I felt my nipples rising toward him, raking against the swell of the hair on his chest as his lips trailed downward. He covered my neck with kisses and sucked patches of skin between his teeth. I was moaning and arching into him. Begging him for more.

His tongue lapped at my nipples, pulling groans from my throat as my hands wrapped up in his black tresses. His hair was thick and his breath was hot, and I could feel him grinding into me as he traveled down. His hands parted my legs at the knees and the rush of cool air shivered my skin.

But then, I felt his lips descend on my wet folds.

I rose my hips to meet his lips, offering myself to him on a silver platter. I felt him grin against my skin, his tongue prodding my folds while his fingers massaged my thighs. He licked a thick stripe up my slit, gathering my arousal upon his tongue. I looked down at him and saw him staring back at me as the glittering gold of his eyes turned devious.

His gaze only heated me with a white-hot pleasure that I wanted to explore.

I pressed him back into my body and his tongue found my clit. He sucked and flicked as my hips rolled into his face. I could feel my body coating his cheeks with my fluids as they poured out of me and onto the bed. The electricity surging through my veins as his fingertips embedded their prints into my skin was nothing short of fantastical. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and my hair was a tangled mess of knots. I writhed underneath him as his tongue explored my depths, then I lifted my eyes to look down once more.

His face was buried between my legs just as his arms wrapped around my thighs, pulling me closer to him as he drank me down.

My heels dug into the sinewy muscles of his back. My toes began to curl and my back began to arch. I bowed like a tightened violin as my fingernails scraped across his scalp, and soon my legs were quaking with delight.

“Yes. Please don’t stop. This feels—so good—yes.”

His name rolled effortlessly off my tongue as he rode my climax out with me. His tongue pressed deep, massaging the whole of my pussy while his beard tickled my thighs. I dropped to the bed and heaved for air as tears of joy prickled the backs of my eyes.

I felt like I was floating on clouds.

 

 

CHAPTER 1
EVAN

 

“Uncle Evan sing song?”

“What song would you like me to sing, Liam?”

“Alphabet!”

“You want the alphabet song as your bedtime song?” I asked.

“Yeah!”

“Okay. Let me go put your sister down, then I’ll come back and sing you the alphabet song,” I said.

“Okay. Kisses for Hawy?”

“Let me go get her, and you can give Hadley some kisses,” I said.

With my nanny out sick, it was just me and the kids. I thought this situation would’ve gotten easier by now, but it hadn’t even started feeling normal. Going from living a secluded life in the woods to becoming a legal guardian for two very young kids had been bumpy.

I loved my niece and nephew – but these last three years of my life had become a deep-fried pile of bullshit, served up and ready for me on a silver fucking platter.

It seemed that with every passing day, it was getting harder and harder to choke down.

“Come here, Hadley-bear,” I said. “Brother wants to give you a kiss.”

Scooping the seven-month-old up in my arms, she started babbling and blowing bubbles. Every single time I looked at her I saw my sister-in-law.

“Hawy! Hawy!”

“Ready to give your sister kisses?” I asked.

I bent the sleepy little girl down toward Liam, and he pressed a kiss right against her cheek. The sight melted my heart ten times over, and I knew the question that was coming.

“Sleep with Hawy?” Liam asked.

“No, no. Hadley needs her own bed to sleep in. But in the morning after breakfast, we’ll all pile in front of the fireplace. How does that sound?” I asked.

“Fire! Yeah!” Liam exclaimed. “Alphabet song?”

“Let me put Hadley to sleep—”

“Alphabet song!”

Tears were rising in Liam’s eyes, and the last thing I wanted to do was rile him up. Hadley was nestling into my chest and yawning against my shirt. I knew I needed to get her down to bed before she got too tired, or I’d really be in for a ride. Hadley was a wonderful little baby until she became overtired, and then she was hell on wheels.

She was just like her father in that sense. And just like that, the thought of my brother threw me back to that night. The police came knocking down my damn door with their pitiful glances and urgent messages, and I’d been too high on painkillers to even register what the fuck they were saying.

“Alphabet! Alphabet! Alphabet!”

“Okay. But just once,” I said.

“A, B, C, D, E, F, G… H, I, J, K—”

“‘Elenemo pee’!”

“Q, R, S, T, U, V—”

“‘Double doo lex, I, and bees’!”

“Now I know my ABC’s, next time won’t you sing with me?”

Liam clapped his hands while I cradled Hadley close to my chest. I pressed a kiss to his forehead as he hunkered down underneath his blanket, then I started out of his room and down the hallway.

The night my brother and sister-in-law died in that damn car accident had changed my world forever. It not only dropped two kids in my lap, but it also shined a light onto the sad reality of my addiction. In high school, I injured my back playing football. My fucking tackles didn’t know what the hell they were doing, and I got sacked.

But when the guy from the other team hit me, he twisted my torso a little too much.

I came down on the side of my back and hit a damn rock, because the school apparently didn’t check for shit like that. I cracked ribs and ripped muscle to the point that it took three damn surgeries before I was even remotely back to normal.

Back then, though, I was resilient. Back then, I prided myself on not having to take painkillers. The girls in my high school fucking ate up my story, and I slayed more pussy than I ever had up to that point. And they were all on top so they wouldn’t ‘hurt me.’ It was the life.

“Okay, Hadley. It’s time for bed.”

I slipped the tiny girl into her crib before I placed a kiss on her forehead. She was sleeping soundly, with her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted. While she was awake, she looked just like my sister-in-law, but asleep, she was a spitting image of my brother. A stab of pain hit me square in the chest, and for a second, it hurt to breathe.

“Uncle Evan?”

Whipping my head up, I looked over at the doorframe of Hadley’s room. The little boy I’d just bedded down was rubbing his eyes and dragging a blanket behind him. I tucked Hadley in before I left the room, then I shut the door behind me before I turned my sights back to him.

“Liam, what are you doing up?”

“Water?” he asked.

“No more water. You’ve already had a glass. If you have any more, you’ll pee straight through your diaper.”

“But… water.”

His lip began to tremble, and I scooped the two-year old up into my arms. I needed to get his tantrum away from Hadley before he woke her, and I knew it was coming. The tears would start before his legs started to kick, and then he’d escalate to screaming if I still didn’t give him what he wanted.

“Water,” he said, sniffling.

“Not this late,” I said.

“Water, Uncle Evan!” he exclaimed.

“Sorry, buddy, no more water.”

The crying struck up just as I got him into his room, and I shut the door behind me to mute it. I slid the boy back into bed just as his legs started flailing, and I did what I could to tuck him back in. Liam’s cries echoed off the corners of the room, and I prayed they didn’t wake Hadley. These were the times I was still out of my element, still in uncharted waters. Every time I thought I had it down with these kids, something changed, and I didn’t know how to react. I felt the stress of the moment overwhelming my body, and my hands began to shake.

It was times like these that I could still taste those pills on my tongue.

“I want water!”

“Nope.”

“Water!”

“This is not how we get things we want, Liam. You know this,” I said.

“Water! Water! Water!”

I heard Hadley’s cry coming from her room. I groaned and looked up at the ceiling, wondering how in the world I was going to get Liam to calm down without losing my shit. I got up from his bed and walked toward the door, letting him simply throw his tantrum while I went and checked on the baby.

And still, my hands were shaking.

My addiction to painkillers hadn’t been instant. In fact, it hadn’t really grabbed me by the throat until I’d gotten my I.T. company off the ground. I started the company with just myself and my right-hand man, Ted. I was the creative mind, while Ted was the coder, and together we tackled the world of technology. What started out as a basic security firm had blossomed into a corporation that designed security software for smart-homes. Over the course of a few years, we grew exponentially, and when the stress of it all became too much, and my long work hours in front of the desk resulted in throbbing pain, I started drinking more than I should have. I quickly realized that I couldn’t keep that up, if I didn’t want it to be obvious. Showing up to the office smelling like a distillery wasn’t exactly practical. Remembering how good painkillers made me feel after my injury, I sought them out again as a way to deal with the stress of my daily life.

It was easy at first. I went into the doctor complaining about my old back injury, and he wrote me a prescription without so much as a second thought. After that, I just had to come up with lie after lie to get the refills. I slept the wrong way, or I overdid it at the gym; whatever would get the doc to sign the script. And if he hesitated, I’d find another doctor. I was balls-deep in my addiction before I knew what was happening. Ted, however, hadn’t been as easily fooled; nor had my former fiancée. Eventually, our relationship was the price I had to pay for my habit.

“Come here, sweet girl. What’s going on?”

I picked Hadley up and held her close to my chest. Already, I could hear Liam winding down, effectively tuckering himself out with his tantrum. I bounced Hadley in my arms while she nestled against my chest, tears flowing down her face. She was now over-tired and pissed, so I started singing her the song I always did whenever she kicked up like this.

“You are my Hadley, my only Hadley. You make me happy when skies are gray. You never know, Hadley, how much I love you. Please don’t take my Hadley away.”

Repeatedly, I sang the song and, the more I sang it, the more she settled down. After pacing with her for a few minutes, she was finally snoozing against my chest. I laid her back down and covered her with her blanket, making sure she wouldn’t get cold tonight. Winter was setting in, and the snow would start dumping soon, which meant I needed to keep the kids warm and bundled at all times.

I peeked into Liam’s room one last time before I shut the door, smiling at the sleeping boy whose leg was hanging off the bed.

I quietly made my way out to the living room and flopped down on the couch. I had an open beer waiting for me.

Hell yes.

I couldn’t wait to feel it pour down my throat. My hands were shaking, and I was taking deep breaths, trying to quell the stress levels rising in my body. A body filled with toxic memoirs of the past.

How can a man like me be fit to parent?

I can’t even fucking care for myself?

Then, as I grabbed the beer and brought it to my lips, my mind rushed back to another moment of torment, in the conference room of the tech company I built from the ground up. It was the same scene I had repeating in my head thousands of times over, like a broken record.

A tiny part of me was ready to move on, to leave the past where it belonged and accept the teachings, but that part was crushed by the fuming alpha inside that refused to give in. He didn’t believe in forgive and forget. He preferred to hold a grudge, even if it would eat him up like a fucking parasite, from the inside out.

That day felt like just yesterday. Ted actively started a smear campaign against me to edge me out of the company. He exposed my addiction to painkillers to the board and used my fiancée against me. All sorts of things came out that day. The fact that Ted and my fiancée were sleeping together, the fact that I was addicted to painkillers, the fact that the company’s earnings were down fifteen percent from last year.

Ted took it upon himself to spin the reason for the company’s lack of growth to my addiction. What he failed to make note of was the fact I designed the company’s structure specifically so it did not need me to survive, by appointing qualified people into the most critical roles. Ultimately it didn’t serve me well, because Ted knew he didn’t need me to grow the company and he was convincing enough to the rest of the stakeholders who were more concerned about their own pockets than getting to the bottom of the loss of revenue.

I watched my bitch of a conniving fiancée cry fake tears of fear for my health or safety or whatever the fuck she was spewing that day.

They made such a convincing argument that the board voted to have me removed.

They tossed me out on my ass and gave me a package of ten million dollars. It was a joke. Ten million dollars to the man who started and grew a fucking four hundred million dollar I.T. company from nothing. It made me fucking sick. I was done with the world after that. I went home, burned all my fiancée’s shit, sold the penthouse condo right out from under her fucking feet, and never looked back.

Now, I was tucked away in the mountains of Montana with my brother’s two kids, living off the interest from my severance.

Sure, it could get lonely from time to time and, before the kids had come along, I would entertain myself with random chicks, screwing them in the bathroom of the one decent bar in town. But even that had gotten old. And now that I had Hadley and Liam to think of, my sex life was in a sad state. Even though I had a nanny who could watch them so I could go out, I still didn’t want to risk a clingy bimbo following me home. Maybe I could manage to be without pussy for a little, at least until I really got my shit together.

I strode over to the fridge and grabbed myself another beer. I’d been clean of my addiction to painkillers for months, but nights like this tested my willpower. My stress levels would mount and my hands would shake violently. My body would crave it and my mind would tell me just to take the edge off. When those two beautiful kids came to live with me, I flushed all the pills down the damn toilet. I blocked and deleted all the numbers of people I’d call to get them from and I told myself that was that.

No more from that point on.

Cold fucking turkey.

I sat on the couch and listened to the quiet around me. Most nights I appreciated the solace, but tonight it just made things worse.

Maybe I did need to get laid.

 

 

CHAPTER 2
MELANIE

 

I sat at the kitchen table poring over the bills and feeling the panic start to rise in my chest. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. I needed to find a job that paid decent, and fast.

I needed to get my ass in gear.

I graduated from the University of Montana nearly six months ago and had yet to find work. There wasn’t much need for a preschool teacher here in Bozeman and, with my father’s health rapidly declining, I couldn’t exactly leave in search of a job somewhere else.

My dad never asked me to stay, that was more due to his pride and love more than anything. My mother had taken off when I was just a baby so I was the only one left to take care of him and he was too fragile to move with me anywhere.

So, here I was in Bozeman with a degree that was doing nothing for me, and a mounting pile of medical bills that I couldn’t pay. I pushed away from the table and went to check on Dad. He was still sleeping soundly as I stood in his doorway watching the rise and fall of his chest, and with that view my heart grew inside.

Dad was only fifty-two, but the years had not been kind. After my mother ran out to follow some country singer around the states, my father worked extra hard to provide for me. He’d given me a good life, but it came with the expense of his health. Now, it was time for me to return the favor.

Hence, the reason I was so stressed about work.

I sighed and walked back into the kitchen, picking up my phone and dialing my best friend Layla’s number.

“What’s up?” came her usual greeting.

“Oh, you know, just living the dream. Thinking about my broke ass and how the hell I’ll fix it,” I said.

Layla laughed on the other end of the line. “Well, you could always start hooking outside the bar. With that body of yours, you’d probably make a decent living. Maybe I could even be your pimp,” she said.

I giggled and leaned my head against the refrigerator. “And this is why I call you when I’m feeling shitty. You can always make me laugh,” I said appreciatively.

“That’s what I’m here for, babe. Hey, how about you come have breakfast with me? I don’t have to be at the coffee shop for a couple of hours yet. My treat,” she offered.

“That actually sounds like a great idea,” I said. “Dad will be sleeping for a while yet, and getting out of this house will do me some good.”

“Great, I’ll see you at the diner,” Layla said.

I went back to Dad’s room one more time to make sure he was comfortable. I could tell by the slackness of his jaw that he was sleeping deeply and I would have at least an hour or two before he would wake. I checked my watch and noted the time I would need to be back. I jotted a quick note for him and made sure his phone was next to the bed before I grabbed my keys and headed for my car.

As I stepped outside, I glanced around me, always on alert.

Ever since that day, nearly four years ago, I always looked over my shoulder when I was out alone. Shaking my head and rolling my shoulders back, I took a deep breath and hopped off the porch, sliding into the front seat of my car and heading the short distance into town.

As I pulled into the lot of our favorite diner –the one with the best damn milkshakes I’d ever had – I saw Layla leaning against her car with her face in her phone as she waited for me.

“Damn, it’s colder than a witch’s titty out here,” she complained, pulling her coat tighter around her.

“No shit,” I agreed, stepping forward to wrap her in a hug.

Layla and I had been friends since preschool, and had been through everything together - breakups, makeups, etc. And she’d been there for me in the most incredible way four years back, when I needed her the most.

We linked arms and headed into the diner, waving at the waitress, Jamie, as we took our usual booth in the back. Jamie came over and took our orders quickly and we settled in for some good, old-fashioned girl talk.

“So, how are things with your dad?” Layla asked, concern furrowing her pretty brow.

I shrugged and sighed. “Well, his doctor thinks he’s stable now, so that’s good. As long as he takes his heart meds like he’s supposed to, he should be okay. The heart attack really did him in. He’s still so weak.”

Layla shook her head. “Well, I’m glad he’s at least stable.”

“Me too,” I said. “But he’s so damn stubborn, he’s driving me nuts. He keeps telling me to go live my life, but he’s still not able to take care of himself. If I wasn’t there to give him his pills every day, he’d forget half the time. I can’t just leave him, and he won’t move with me, even if he does gain some strength. He says Bozeman is where he was born, and Bozeman is where he’ll die.”

Layla laughed. “Sounds like someone else I know. You know you are just as bull-headed as he is.”

I stuck my tongue out at her as Jamie brought us our food.

“I really do need to find some sort of a job though,” I said. “Are they hiring at the coffee shop?”

Layla shook her head. “No, not right now. Things have been a little slow. I’m trying to convince them to amp up the menu a bit to maybe help bring more business our way, but you know how resistant people around here can be to change.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t I know it.”

I looked out the window and noted that it was starting to snow pretty hard. I checked my watch and groaned. “I should probably start heading back. Looks like the roads are starting to get covered, and you know they aren’t quick at all about salting out our way,” I said.

Living just outside of town, up the mountain a bit, was certainly peaceful, but in winter it could really be a pain in the ass to get back and forth. I finished my breakfast and thanked Layla for treating, promising to return the favor if and when I ever found a damn job.

I stepped out of the diner and checked my surroundings out of habit one more time, before climbing into my car and heading home to Dad. As I drove, the snow started falling even harder; the big fat flakes were hitting my windshield faster than my wipers could clear them. I leaned forward and squinted as I slowed down. The last thing I needed was to end up in a ditch.

Just as I approached the bottom of the mountain, the wind picked up and shook my puny car violently. I gripped my steering wheel so tightly that my hands started to ache and my knuckles turned white. It wasn’t that I hadn’t driven in this type of weather; it was inevitable living halfway up a damn mountain in Montana. But knowing that my dad needed me to get home soon and safely, made me extra cautious.

I blew out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and turned up the heat in my car, blasting it as high as I could handle. I pressed the gas a little harder as I started my ascent, and prayed like hell I’d be home before the weather got much worse.

Shit, I really could do without this right now.

 

 

CHAPTER 3
EVAN

 

“Hey Liam, what would you like for lunch?” I asked.

“Penuh-butter jelly!”

“I don’t even know why I asked,” I said, grinning.

“Me, too.”

I chuckled at his response while I made the kids’ lunch. Peanut butter and jelly was Liam’s default nowadays and I was thankful that Hadley wasn’t such a picky eater. I carved up apple slices to go with Liam’s lunch before I set it on the table, and he scrambled up into his chair as I poured him some juice. For Hadley, I had pureed bananas and pureed green beans with carrots.

Eat your heart out, Martha.

I chuckled at my corny joke and walked over to the fridge to pull out a bottle I’d made for Hadley earlier. I sat it in front of her, laughing as she practically attacked the spoon I lifted to her face. I would never understand why she thought this goo was so delicious, but I was glad that she was a good eater. Liam’s face was covered with jelly as he chugged back his juice, and I went to grab a washcloth to clean him up.

“Read a story?” Liam asked.

“After you two are done with lunch,” I said.

“Story now,” Liam said, pouting.

“After you’re done eating, okay?” I asked.

I turned around and saw Liam’s lip jutted out. His eyes were welling with tears and his cheeks were turning red. All I needed was a few minutes of peace. Hadley had gotten up at four in the morning and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Liam was still begging for water the moment his feet hit the floor and, despite the fact that I wouldn’t give it to him last night, he still peed through his pull-up. I braced myself for the tantrum as a shriek flew from Liam’s lips, so I made my way to the table and sat down next to him.

“Liam, calm down,” I said soothingly.

“Story! Now! Story! Now!”

“And I told you after you finished eating.”

“No!”

“Do you want to go to your room?” I asked.

“Yes!”

“If you go to your room, you won’t eat again until dinner.”.

“Okay!”

I watched him stomp off to his room while Hadley giggled from her high chair. I sighed as I looked down at his half-eaten plate of food and my stomach began to growl. Liam sulked off to his room and shut his door behind him, and I could hear him throwing things around. For a three-year-old, he could really kick up a fit when he wanted.

I finished off his apple slices and sandwich before I put the plate in the sink. Looking over at Hadley, who was happily sucking down her bottle, I couldn’t help but wonder what my future was going to hold.

Not so long ago, I thought I was going to live the easy life.

When I was asked to leave the company, I found solace in the idea that I’d finally get the break I’d promised myself for years. I had ten million in the bank and I could live very comfortably off just the interest and do whatever the hell I wanted. In the first few months, I did just that. I needed to get my head straight; to kick the pills and the pain of losing Elise.

I shook my head and thought back to the day she’d left me. She’d thrown her ring back at me and said that she wouldn’t waste her life married to a drug addict and stormed out. No amount of promising and begging had won her back. What I didn’t realize at that time was that she was having an affair with my business partner.

Weeks later, after finding out the truth and being forced into retirement, I spent months drunk and screwing just about anything that looked my way. But then life kicked me in the balls, and now I was raising two kids with no clue what in the hell I was doing.

I only hoped that I was doing right by them, and giving them a good life. I had hired a nanny to help me out. I figured if I had some help at least during the day, I could handle things at night. Some days, I struggled even to do that.

I sighed and walked back over to where Hadley sat in her highchair and wiped the excess food and formula from her face and hair – how did she always manage to get it in her hair? I heard Liam calming down in his room and based on the sounds of an electric car I could tell he was playing with the newest toy I’d gotten him, so I felt better about stepping outside for a moment of fresh air. I kissed Hadley on her forehead while she drank her bottle, then I wrapped my coat around my shoulders. It was getting very blustery and the snow was coming down in buckets. By tomorrow morning we’d be completely snowed in.

That meant the nanny wouldn’t be able to get back to us until the snow melted away.

Fuck.

I stood outside and watched as the snow battered against the porch. My hands were shaking just thinking about handling these kids on my own for a few days straight. I’d never been alone with them for that long and I wondered if I could do it without losing my shit. I took deep breaths to calm myself as the chill of the afternoon settled deep within my bones, then my mind started ticking off my imaginary list.

I’d checked the generator a couple of days ago and I had plenty of gas for it in case we lost power. I had a closet full of dried wood and stacks of papers to use for fires. I had plenty of wipes, diapers, and baby food to get us through the next couple of weeks. I bought enough toilet paper, had enough batteries for Liam’s toys, and I’d finish washing their clothes today, so I didn’t have to worry about it in the middle of the storm.

We would be okay. I could handle this. I mean, I’d built a successful company up from the fucking ground. A toddler and a baby couldn’t break me.

Could they?

Off in the distance, I could’ve sworn I heard screeching tires. Turning my head, I tried to focus my hearing. The only person I ever knew to make their way back here was my nanny. But I knew she wasn’t senseless enough to travel all the way up here in this kind of snow. There was another house up here somewhere, I knew, but I never saw or heard anyone coming or going from it. I had started to wonder if anyone actually lived in it.

I listened for the sound again, but then the wind started to kick up, slamming against the house and howling around the corner. Time to get back inside.

I opened the door to find Liam sitting at the table. He’d grabbed an apple off the counter and was munching on it happily. It still amazed me how quickly kids’ moods could change. They were like tiny bipolar terrors. I shook my head and ruffled his hair as Hadley began to cry.

“Come here, sweet girl,” I said, as I picked her up. “Let’s go get you changed.”

“Apple!” Liam exclaimed.

“Yep buddy, that’s an apple,” I said as I headed back to Hadley’s room. I laid her on the changing table and made a face as the odor from her diaper hit me. How could something so small and cute, make such an awful stench? I blew out a breath and set to the task at hand.

She was giggling while I got her cleaned up and I smiled at her. Her eyes always seemed to twinkle whenever she looked up at me, and my heart would melt. I got a fresh diaper on her before I put her pants back on, then I turned and started for the kitchen. Liam had moved to the couch, seemingly having forgotten all about his tantrum not ten minutes ago.

“Ready for that story?” I asked.

“Yep!” he said excitedly.

“Alright, but I need you to listen to me for a second.”

“Kay!,” he said.

“It is not okay to behave like you did at lunch. Yelling and throwing a fit is not going to get you what you want. Do you understand?” I asked him.

He looked up at me with a crinkled brow and nodded his head. I wasn’t sure if he truly did understand or not, but at least he seemed to get that my tone meant business.

“Okay. Now, go pick out the book you want me to read and we’ll cuddle up,” I said.

Liam scurried off as I got up and placed Hadley in her pack-and-play. It was something the nanny suggested for her after her first week here, and I relied on it heavily. I could put Hadley in this safe, padded environment as I stoked a fire or did something in the kitchen and I never had to worry about her. I could hear her jingling her toys and blowing spit bubbles while I got a fire going.

By the time the flames were shooting heat into the room, Liam thrust a book in front of my face.

“Again?” I asked.

“Uh huh,” Liam said.

“You really like The Giving Tree, don’t you?” I asked.

“Uh huh!”

“All right. Let’s go sit by your sister and we’ll read The Giving Tree again.”

“Couch?” Liam asked.

“Hadley’s in her playpen right now. Do you wanna get in with her?”

Liam’s face lit up, so I got to my feet and helped him into the playpen with his sister. I watched him cuddle right up to her, his legs wrapped around her body as she leaned back into him. They looked so much like their parents; Liam with my brother’s eyes and Hadley with her mother’s smile. It hurt to look at them sometimes.

Looking at them reminded me that not only had I lost the only immediate family I had left after my parents, but that these two precious souls only had me left in the world.

“Uncle Ev?” Liam asked.

“Yeah?”

“Are you sad?”

Shaking my head, I pulled myself from my thoughts. Liam’s eyes were wide and bright, filled with worry a three year old should never have to experience. Hadley was already falling asleep against Liam’s chest, her eyes closing as the time for her nap grew closer and closer.

“Just a bit tired,” I said. “You ready for a nap?”

“After story,” Liam said.

“Yes. But after we read this book, I think it’ll be time for a nap.”

“Sleep with Hadley?” he asked.

I watched as his sister curled into him before the two of them laid down on the bottom of the pack-and-play.

“Sure,” I said, sighing. “Why not?”

I propped myself against the edge of the couch and began reading The Giving Tree. I’d bought this book for Liam on a whim and he’d been obsessed with it ever since. We’d only had it a few months, but the spine was already falling apart. There were food and drink stains on the pages, some of them were ripped, and others were stuck together. I read through the book and showed Liam the pictures while Hadley fell asleep, and the moment I finished the book I could see Liam’s eyelids drooping as well.

I grunted as I rose off the hardwood floor and grabbed a blanket from the couch. I fluttered it over their bodies before a small smile crossed Liam’s cheeks. I looked down at them, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of aching in my gut.

I quickly pushed it away and resolved myself to do the best I could for them. Even with all the troubles that life had thrown our way, I’d try to be happy we had each other.

 

 

CHAPTER 4
MELANIE

 

The snow was falling so hard I could no longer see where I was going. The roads were a blur and the path was no longer clear. I was slowly winding up a mountain whose edges I could no longer keep in my vision. A downed tree lay across the main road that led to my house and I swore. I knew there was another way, a back way, but I hadn’t traveled it in ages. Right now, though, it didn’t look like I had any choice but to try. I took a right turn off the main road and started traveling through some thick forestry, but then my car started to slide.

It slid and it weaved and I slammed on my breaks. My tires refused to grip the ground and I felt myself losing control. My hands gripped the steering wheel while I tried to dodge the trees, but I fell over an embankment and into a ditch.

I was stuck and the snow was coming down even harder than before.

“Shit!” I swore and hit my steering wheel with the palm of my hand.

My hands were trembling as I reached for my purse. I gathered up my stuff and checked my phone, pulling it out just in time to watch it die. I scrounged around, hoping I had another charger in my car, but no luck. I was stuck in the woods with snow falling in bucket loads and no one knew I was out here.

Kicking my door open, I finally got myself out of the car. I scrambled up the embankment and looked around as I pulled my coat tight around my body. The ground was already covered in so much snow that I couldn’t even discern the road from the woods, and tears of fear streamed down my face.

Why the fuck did I forget to charge my damn phone?

The wind began to blow and it kicked up a dust of snow. I braced myself and walked through it, following the upward slope of the mountain. I was hoping I could get to a clearing soon and figure out where in the world I was.

But, the longer I walked, the colder I got, and still there was nothing in sight.

Off in the distance, I saw chimney smoke rising. Hope swelled in my chest as I started running, my numb legs taking me as fast as they could go. I tripped through the trees and got snagged on branches, but the closer I got to the smoke the less afraid I was becoming.

I got to the top of the hill and found myself staring at a beautiful log cabin. There was a truck off to the side and the chimney was still billowing smoke into the sky. My body was trembling, bouncing between being petrified and being relieved. My mind automatically recalled my past ordeal, but I tried to push it away before the panic could take hold. I was a much stronger person than I had been back then. Not to mention, I didn’t have much choice. It was either take my chances with the stranger in the cabin or freeze to death out here in the cold. I thought of my dad alone at home and pushed myself forward.

I drew in a deep breath and walked up to the front door. I knocked on it with my shaking fist, then crossed my arms back over my chest. The door opened in front of me and I froze immediately, taking in the massive man that was standing in the doorframe.

His close-trimmed beard was black and his hair was thick. His brown eyes peeked out from a suspicious face as his body loomed over mine. I took a step back and studied him, taking in the way his six-foot frame was covered with muscle.

Muscle that could overpower me in a heartbeat.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

His voice was low and gravelly, a stark contrast to the chilling nature of the weather swirling around me. My jaw quivered and my hands clutched my coat tightly.

“Yes. I’m sorry. Um—my car skidded and got stuck in a ditch. My phone is dead, too. Do you, uh, have a phone I might be able to borrow?”

I felt helpless. Like that day so many years ago. I stood up tall and tried not to show any fear I might be feeling. Though I’d done a lot of healing in the past four years, I was still leery.

“Why don’t you come inside?” he said.

I stood rooted to the porch for a moment, again mentally weighing my options. I could stand here and freeze, or I could follow this giant stranger into his secluded cabin and hope he didn’t murder and eat me.

“Um, yes, thank you,” I said as I made my way inside.

I stood just inside the door in case I needed to run and took in my surroundings. The furnishings were nice and looked to be somewhat expensive, right down to the massive flat screen TV mounted above the gigantic stone fireplace. I inched my way toward the roaring flames, trying to get myself warm.

“I live just on the other side of the trees but I couldn’t get there before the weather got too bad. My father is probably worried sick about me,” I said, wanting to let this large and incredibly handsome stranger know I would be missed if something were to happen to me. Not that my father could do a damn thing to help me if I needed him.

The man nodded. “So, there is someone living in that house,” he said as his eyes roamed over me.

I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of trepidation and interest as he scanned my body with his dark eyes.

“Yep, lived there my whole life,” I said. “I don’t usually come back this way though, not since I was a kid at least.”

“Uncle Ev?”

I whipped around at the small sound and was shocked to find two children sitting in a playpen. The little boy couldn’t have been more than three years old, and the little girl looked less than a year. She was crawling around and trying to climb up the little boy’s back as he giggled, and my heart melted. They both had bright green eyes and rosy red cheeks, and the little girl had drool dripping down her face while she chewed on a stuffed animal.

“Yes, Liam?” the man asked.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

His little finger pointed to me before the little girl began to giggle at something. My love for children was strong, and it was what had driven me to want to become a preschool teacher. I lifted my hand and waved my fingers at them, giving them a wide smile.

The man cleared his throat.

“This is—”

“Melanie,” I said. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“I’m Liam! And that’s Uncle Ev.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you and your—Uncle Ev,” I said. “Does the beautiful little girl have a name?”

“Hawy,” Liam said.

“Hailey?” I asked.

“Hadley,” the man said. “And I’m Evan.”

I looked up at him and found him studying me even closer. Though I still had my guard up and was a little intimidated by his size, a man with two obviously well cared for children couldn’t be a psycho serial killer. Could he?

“Sit and warm yourself up,” Evan said.

“Thank you.”

I walked over and sat down on the couch as my eyes continued to watch the little ones. Liam was helping the little girl—who I assumed was his sister—try to do something, and she was getting frustrated with him for taking her toy. She was swatting at him and he was asking her to stop, and all the while I was trying to hold back my giggles.

They were perfect.

I settled back into the couch cushions and sighed as the fire warmed my body. I watched the snow continue to fall outside and started to become concerned for my father. I knew there was plenty of food in the house and that he was capable of making a few things for himself, but he often forgot to take all of his medicine if he wasn’t reminded. Since it was beginning to look like I was going to be stuck here for the foreseeable future, I needed to at least be able to call and remind him. Hopefully, Evan had a phone I could use or a charger to charge my own.

Though my body was still tense, I began to relax in his presence. I just hoped I wasn’t making a mistake by letting my guard down.

 

 

CHAPTER 5
EVAN

 

She was beautiful, sitting there on my couch. Her long black hair fell down her back, covering a delicate neck. She had deep blue eyes that seemed to match the warring storm outside. Her short stature brought her only to my chest but, even underneath her bulky coat, I could tell her body housed curves that could make a man salivate. My fingertips burned with electricity while I made her a cup of coffee.

“I made some coffee. Want some?” I asked.

“That would be nice, thank you. My hands are still really cold,” she said.

“I don’t have cream, but I do have sugar.”

“That’s fine. I’m not picky.”

Reaching for the sugar, I craned my neck back to take her in. She was nestled into the cushions of the couch as the kids continued to play. Her voice was light and innocent but held a confidence beneath it. The contrast between her small stature and her slightly aloof nature burned me to my core, and I had to take deep breaths to quell the urges rising in my pelvis.

“Here you go.”

I walked her coffee over to her and she gracefully took it. I sat beside her on the couch as she brought the cup to her lips and I watched the way those plump beauties curved over the edge. My attraction to her was undeniable, but I had to shake myself from it. I had two children that were depending on me during what was looking to be one of the roughest snow storms Montana had ever experienced.

“What the hell were you doing out in this storm?” I asked.

Her eyes slowly panned over toward me, and she regarded me with a cool look that said she didn’t appreciate me questioning her.

“I met a friend for breakfast and didn’t quite make it back in time. Not that I owe you an explanation,” she added, with a hint of annoyance.

I bit back a smile. She was definitely an odd creature. At times, she seemed nervous and guarded, then she became indignant and confident. I was beyond intrigued.

I studied her, trying to keep my eyes off the parts of her my hands wanted to touch, while her gaze moved back over to the kids. There was an untamed sparkle in her eye as she watched them play, and it made something in my gut twist. For the briefest of moments, I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like to have this beautiful woman here with me and the kids. She seemed taken with them, her demeanor immediately changing when she turned her attention to them.

Liam climbed out of the playpen, leaving Hadley squalling in his wake. As I went to stand, Melanie beat me to it and strode over to pick up the crying baby. She bounced her on her hip and make soft cooing noises that had Hadley soon giggling instead.

I stood rooted to the floor as I watched how instinctually and easily Melanie calmed my niece, and I was entranced. As Hadley quieted and Melanie bent to put her back in her playpen, Liam reached his arms up and asked “Up?”

Melanie turned to him and smiled before lifting him onto her hip and doing a funny little dance that sent a fit of giggles erupting from the boy. It was equal parts heartwarming and sexy as fuck. After a few moments, Liam shoved his face into the crook of her neck. She bounced him around just like she did Hadley, cooing in his ear as she cradled him close. Her eyes closed as she pressed a kiss on the top of his head, and I started wondering if I was enough for these kids.

If I could ever be enough, given what they’d been through.

“They’re my niece and nephew,” I said. “I’m watching them for a while.”

Her eyes met mine again and she nodded. I wasn’t about to tell her the entire truth, but I knew she was curious about them nonetheless.

“Do you have kids?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No, I don’t, but I’ve always loved kids,” she answered. She bent over and deposited Liam back into the playpen with his sister and the two began to play once again.

“You’re really good with them,” I said, motioning to the kids. “I haven’t quite gotten the knack of getting them calmed down quite so quickly.”

She smiled as she looked over at them. “They’re like tiny little animals; they sense fear,” she chuckled. “If you act like you know what you’re doing, they will feel safe and will trust that you can take care of them.”

I nodded. “Sounds easy enough, though I’ve never been that great of an actor.”

She let out a soft laugh and stifled a yawn. I looked outside and realized that it was getting dark out.

“If you’re tired, I could show you to the guest bedroom and you can rest,” I said.

A quick look of suspicion clouded her beautiful blue eyes for a second and I held my hands up in front of me in a gesture of mock surrender.

“There’s a lock on the inside of the door and I haven’t been able to find the key for it,” I said to reassure her.

That seemed to get through and I noticed her shoulders relax.

“What I really need right now is a phone charger or a phone so I can call my father and let him know I’m okay,” she said.

I rooted around in one of the drawers in my kitchen and found a spare charging cord that I handed over to her. The look of relief that washed over her face made me wonder if she truly was afraid to be here with me.

“Thank you so much,” she said, taking the cord from me.

“No problem, why don’t you head into the spare room and plug it in? You can have privacy for your call and rest for a while if you want. I was going to make a little something for dinner here soon if you’re hungry.”

She nodded and headed down the hall toward the bedroom I’d directed her too. “That sounds nice, thank you, Evan.”

The way my name rolled off her tongue, set a fire burning low in my gut. A flash of her writhing underneath me and screaming my name had my dick twitching. Good God, I needed to get ahold of myself before this poor woman thought I was a complete whack job. Something told me she didn’t trust me all that much to begin with, and I didn’t want to give her any more reason to think she was in danger from me. Walking around with a giant hard-on was not the way to reassure her.

“Here’s the room,” I said. “If you need anything, mine’s all the way down the hallway on the opposite end. This snow should stop soon and, when it does, we can figure out how to get you back home.”

“Thanks,” she said.

I watched her walk into the room before she shut the door behind her. I stood there, staring at the wooden door, listening to the sounds she made as she shuffled around the room. I placed my hand upon the door, feeling the cold barrier that separated me from this intriguing woman. I wasn’t sure what to make of this entire situation, but I knew one thing for sure.

I wanted this woman more than I’d wanted anything in a long time.

 

 

CHAPTER 6
MELANIE

 

I woke up with my body curled up into the blankets of a huge bed. My hair was splayed across the pillows and I was finally warm. I lay there with my eyes closed and listened to the silence of the home, which struck me as odd. If the kids were up, shouldn’t there be some sort of noise?

Rolling over, I spotted a clock next to me. The red numbers flashed 5:32, and I groaned as I flopped back down onto the bed. Holy hell, I’d slept through dinner.

And through the night, at that. After the adrenaline of the accident and being forced to stay with a complete stranger – hot though he may be – left my body beyond exhausted. At least the charging cord had worked enough to let me call and talk to Dad.

I’d been pleasantly surprised that he’d sounded better than he had in a while. I’d reminded him to take his meds and stayed on the phone with him until he did. He had made some oatmeal while we talked and I had promised to call him again in the morning to check in on him.

I battled for a while between staying in the warmth of the bed and getting up to tame the hunger rising in my gut. My stomach was growling, but the blankets of the bed were so warm and soft against my skin. I was loathe to leave the coziness of my little cocoon.

Nevertheless, I finally got up and stretched. I’d slept in my clothes the previous night, just in case Evan hadn’t been telling the truth about not having a key to the room. Though I was reasonably sure I could trust him, my guard remained mostly up.

I wrapped my arms around my chest as I started down the hallway, and soon the smell of bacon and eggs was wafting up my nose. My stomach audibly growled, begging for the food I could smell.

I came down the hallway and rounded the corner to find Evan cooking. His massive form was standing at the stove while he tossed the eggs around in the pan, but I didn’t see the kids. There was a high chair at the table that had a bottle sitting out as well as a small plate of food, but there were no tiny people filling the spaces just yet.

“They’ll be up soon,” he said. “You hungry?”

I studied his hulking form as he cooked. The sight of him making breakfast and setting out food for the kids struck me as incredibly sweet. Though I was still a bit leery, I couldn’t help but admit that I was insanely attracted to him.

I hadn’t been with anyone in a long time, no one being able to break through the barrier I’d erected around myself the last few years. As I looked at him, my sorely neglected body reminded me just how much I had missed out on.

“I am,” I said, nodding. “Thank you.”

“I’ll fix you up a plate,” he said.

His voice was low and rumbling, and sexy as hell. It was powerful, but at the same time, gentle and quiet so as not to wake the children before they were ready. I sat down at the kitchen table as he made me a plate, my mouth drowning in saliva as my stomach readied itself for the food. He sat it in front of me as the steam rose to my nose, and I closed my eyes and inhaled the wonderful scent.

“This smells wonderful,” I said.

“Just some bacon and eggs. I’m about to make some toast. Juice or coffee?” he asked.

“Coffee would be great, thank you,” I said.

He went back to the kitchen and put bread in the toaster before grabbing a mug and pouring me some coffee. “Did you sleep okay? You must have been exhausted, you never came out for dinner,” he said, looking at me curiously.

I nodded as the coffee warmed me from the inside. “I guess I was. Once the adrenaline wore off, I was done for. I slept fine, thank you.”

He nodded. “Were you able to get ahold of your dad?” he asked me as he buttered the toast.

“I was, yes. I let him know where I am and that I’m okay,” I said, wanting to be sure Evan understood that someone knew where I was.

He glanced over at me and smiled. “Good,” he said.

“Has it stopped snowing yet?” I asked.

“It has, but it dumped quite a bit on us.”

“So, with the snow piled so high, when will the kids’ parents be back to get them?” I asked.

“Not for a while,” he said after a moment of hesitation.

“You said they’re your niece and nephew. Are they your brother’s kids or your sister’s kids?”

“Brother’s.”

His tone had changed the slightest bit, but I detected something in it that told me I had broached a sensitive subject. Not wanting to offend the man who had so far been nothing but gracious to me, I decided to let it go. I bit into my bacon and tried to stifle a moan as he set a small plate of toast next to me, then I watched him as he made his way down the hallway.

Studying him as he walked away, I took in the tightness of his muscles. His shoulders were broad and his ass looked like it was sculpted from marble. His thick thighs filled out the legs of his dark jeans rather deliciously, and his large, powerful hands swung easily at his sides.

Sensations I hadn’t let myself feel in a long time came bubbling to the surface. It had been so long since I’d desired physical contact with someone, the sensation hit me hard. I pressed my legs together to try and quell the growing ache. What the hell was wrong with me?

I heard Evan’s low voice coming from down the hall, followed by that of Liam’s high toddler pitch and Hadley’s soft cooing. I couldn’t help but smile. As unsure of himself as he seemed with his niece and nephew, it was obvious that he loved them very much.

Liam came careening down the hallway, stopping in front of me and giving me a big smile.

“Hi Menamie!” he said enthusiastically.

“Good morning Liam,” I returned as the child sat and happily dug into his food. “Why don’t you just call me Mel?” I said. “All of my friends do,” I winked and he giggled.

“Mew,” Liam said, his ‘l’ becoming a ‘w’.

“Exactly,” I said, smiling. “Is your breakfast good?”

“Mhm,” Liam said.

“And what about you?” I asked Hadley. “Is your breakfast good?”

She blew me wonderful spit bubbles filled with pureed foods, and I giggled at her reaction when they popped.

“Gotta be careful with those,” I said, as I picked up a napkin. “They’ll getcha every time.”

I wiped her face off before I finished the last of my breakfast. The kids were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, something that took me three cups of coffee to obtain. Evan stayed in the corner of the kitchen with his coffee as he watched us, a look I couldn’t quite discern on his face. I rose from the table and took my plate to the sink. “Why don’t you sit and eat, and I’ll clean the kitchen,” I offered.

He shook his head. “No, you don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t mind,” I said. “Think of it as repayment for taking me in.”

He sat down and began to eat while I started cleaning up the kitchen. I put all the dishes in the sink and ran some hot water over them to let them sit, and then I got Hadley out of her high chair. Liam was already running back to his room to play, so I put the little girl in her playpen, watching with a smile on my face as she started to play with her toys.

“They’re good kids,” I said.

“They are,” Evan said.

“How long have you lived up here?” I asked.

“Two years.”

“Do you enjoy it here?” I asked.

“The quiet was nice.”

My eyes locked on the back of his head as he continued to eat the plate of food.

“Well, I’ll make myself scarce then,” I said, slightly taken aback by his comment.

I ventured back toward the opening of the hallway just as a loud sigh emanated from behind me.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said.

“I don’t want to be a bother. And you said the snow’s let up, right?” I asked.

“But it’s deep. Very deep. The ditches will be full of snow. All the way to the top.”

“Which means no one will find my car,” I said.

“I have a snowmobile, but all four of us aren’t going to fit on it,” he said.

“It’s fine. I’ll figure something out.” I turned to head back to the room to check in on Dad.

“Mel?” I heard him call my name softly.

I turned my head toward him and caught him staring at me. The look in his eyes told me that he might be fighting the same feelings I was. That both terrified and intrigued me.

“I wasn’t implying that you were a bother,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. “I’ve just had a lot of changes in the past couple of years that I’m still adjusting to,” he said.

I nodded and offered him a smile. If anyone knew about adjusting, it was me. I continued down the hall and called my father.

The day wore on and I grew more comfortable as I watched Evan interact with the children. He laughed with them, played with them, and didn’t become immediately annoyed when they fussed. With each passing moment, he was becoming more and more attractive to me.

My dad still sounded good and assured me that he was eating. Luckily, I had just gone grocery shopping, and there was plenty of soup and lunchmeat to keep him fed until I could get home. He took his pills while on the phone with me again and told me he was going to take a nap.

Dinner had been served and cleared, and Evan was bathing the kids and getting them ready for bed as I cleaned up the kitchen. About half an hour later, he appeared from the hallway, looking exhausted.

“Man, those two wear me out,” he said.

I laughed and came to sit in front of the fire once again.

“Would you like a beer,” Evan offered as he threw another couple of logs into the fireplace.

“I’d love one, thank you,” I said.

He went into the kitchen and returned a moment later with two frosty bottles. I took a long pull of mine and closed my eyes, sighing.

He chuckled a bit, a sound that shook my knees and seemed to flip a switch within my gut.

“Tastes good, doesn’t it?” he asked.

I smiled and nodded. “It does,” I answered.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before I spoke again.

“It’s really beautiful out here,” I said.

“One of the reasons why I bought the place,” Evan said.

“Is this your permanent residence?”

“It is,” he said.

“Where were you living before that?” I asked.

“Los Angeles,” he said.

“That’s a very stark change,” I said. “Do you like it better here?”

“Oh, yes.”

It was the way he said it that caused me to turn my gaze toward him. He looked tired and haggard at the mere mention of the city, and I wanted to know what had happened. What had pushed him from a budding place like L.A. all the way to a cold and tiny place on the outskirts of Bozeman, Montana?

“Do you work?” I asked.

“Nope, not anymore,” he said, without further explanation. We sat there in relative silence as we both finished our beers. Our eyes were trained on the licking of the fire around the logs that were burning, though I was becoming more aware of how closely Evan had sat down next to me. He wasn’t at the far end of the couch anymore, but rather more toward the center of it.

I started wondering if he’d intentionally moved closer to me.

“Care for another?” he asked.

“Sure. I could go for one more,” I said.

I could feel my body loosening up a bit as the iron walls of my mind slowly came inching down. I snuggled deeper into the cushions but, as Evan sat even closer to me, my body went on high alert.

Part of me wanted to run, but another, larger, part of me wanted to lean into him.

“What did you do?” I asked. “When you were working, that is.”

“I.T.,” he said.

“Ah, so you’re a tech guy.”

“Of sorts,” he said, shrugging.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“A great deal, yes,” he said.

“Do you think you’ll ever go back to it?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?” I asked.

His eyes quickly flickered in my direction before he settled farther back into the couch with me.

“It’s just a part of my life that’s done,” he said. “Time to move forward.”

“I wish I was good at that.”

“What?”

“Moving forward,” I said.

His head slowly turned toward me and I could feel his gaze boring into the side of my face. I’d opened the door a crack and now I waited for him to want to peek inside.

“What keeps you from moving forward?” he asked.

I turned my gaze toward his and felt rooted to my seat by his eyes. I could see them more clearly now, and they were just beautiful. The dark brown was peppered with flecks of gold, lending a brightness to his face. My uneasiness was slowly beginning to dissipate.

“Well, right now? Those eyes of yours,” I said.

“My eyes?” he asked.

“They’re beautiful. And very intense. It’s hard to move beneath your gaze,” I said.

I brought my beer to my lips as I settled my sights back onto the fire. Whatever in the world had possessed me to say that to him? Though he had been nothing but hospitable to me the past two days, I still didn’t really know this man. Yet, I had just opened up to him more than I’d opened up to any guy in four damn years. Suddenly, I felt exposed.

“Well, thank you for the beers,” I said, breathlessly.

I stood up from the couch and felt Evan’s eyes follow my movements.

“I need to check in on my dad,” I said as Evan continued to sit silently studying me.

I set my beer on the coffee table and quickly made my way to the hallway. Once inside the bedroom, I closed and locked the door behind me and flopped down onto the bed. My emotions were at war inside me and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all.

The past four years of my life had been spent trying to forget, trying to move forward, but ultimately being stuck in one spot. Yes, I’d gone back and finished college. Yes, I’d kept up my friendships and I even occasionally went out. But when it had come to men and relationships, I’d closed that part of my life off.

I’d even convinced myself that I was fine with it. Something about Evan, though, was making me question my decision. Could I continue to live in fear? Did I want to? Did I want him to be the one to show me it was okay to trust again?

I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes and sighed deeply. One thing I did know, was that if I didn’t get out of this cabin soon, I was going to find out.

 

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THE BETTER BROTHER

 

PROLOGUE

 

I turned to face him, and my eyes dropped to his lips. He was just inches away from me now, and my entire body was crying out for him.

Our kiss was hot and fast. The second our lips touched, his body reacted. He shoved me roughly against the elevator wall, holding me in place with strong hands. I’d been dreaming of this moment since he first picked me up that night. Seeing him in a tuxedo was almost too much for me to handle. I knew what was beneath those clothes, and I was desperate to get my hands on him.

“God,” I whispered as his lips found my neck. “I’ve wanted this all night.”

“You have no idea,” he growled, his lips still pressed against my skin.

His teeth bit down lightly, and I moaned. His hands roamed over my body, sliding over my hips and reaching around to grip my ass. Every inch of me that he touched lit on fire.

“Come here,” I demanded, pulling his face back to mine.

I kissed him so hard we were soon out of breath. My tongue slid into his mouth desperately. I could taste the martinis he drank that night, and it only made my head spin faster. Alcohol coursed through my veins, propelling me forward. I was reckless. I was horny. The elevator couldn’t rise fast enough.

His hand reached down for my thigh. He tightened his fist around the light material of my dress and pulled it upward. His finger caressed my bare thigh, moving higher with each stroke.

I moaned and let my head fall back. Panting, I wiggled beneath his touch. He slid his fingers even higher, soon realizing that I wasn’t wearing any panties.

When he touched my bare pussy, he groaned and buried his face in my neck. His fingers played with me, lapping up my wetness and then sliding upward to tease my clit. I moaned loudly and pushed my hips forward.

“You’re the devil,” he said roughly.

He pressed down harder on my clit and rubbed me roughly. The elevator door chimed behind us, and we jumped apart. My pussy was throbbing, aching for his touch, but neither of us wanted to get caught. We stood a few feet away from each other while the doors slid open.

There were a few people in the hallway, so he dipped down to grab my wrap off the floor, and we hurried toward our room. Neither of us said a word until were safely tucked away behind the door.

The second we were inside, he grabbed me and tossed me roughly on the bed. He crawled up below me, taking my legs in his hands as he moved. His lips traced light patterns over my calves as he moved upward, shoving my dress aside as he did.

Soon, I was completely exposed to him. He gripped my thighs and buried his face between my legs, his tongue already lashing out at my waiting clit.

“Fuck!” I cried out. For the first time in my life, I didn’t care about being overheard. I cried out his name repeatedly as his tongue flicked back and forth over me. Wet desire rushed between my legs, dripping onto the bed while he pushed me further toward the brink.

He reached around to grip my ass, holding me tightly while his tongue took me harder. My legs shook, and just like that, I came so hard that my back arched. My mouth opened but no sound came out. The cry of pleasure got caught in my throat as my whole body shook with ecstasy.

He stood up and tore his tux from his body. I wiggled upward just enough so that I pressed against the pillows. My eyes trailed down his body, growing wider when his rock-hard cock sprang free.

“You’re so fucking sexy,” he told me as he climbed onto the bed, now fully naked.

“Prove it,” I teased.

 

CHAPTER 1

Julie

 

 

Either I’ll end up in a mental institution, or this will be the best damn decision of my life.

My new place was small but charming. The walls of the living room were painted a shade of green that lightened both the space and my mood. I leaned back in my desk chair and stared at the wall in front of me. Dallas was good to me, but there were too many bad memories now.

I needed a change. This place was just forty-five minutes outside of the city. Quaint. Quiet. Peaceful. And, away from pain – at least that’s what I wanted so desperately to believe.

Ennis, Texas, was the last place I ever envisioned myself settling down. I thought I’d spend my entire life in one big city or another, chasing my dream of being a journalist. Now, freelancing was all I needed. Living a quiet life seemed perfect and relaxing. After the last few weeks of hell, I longed for quality alone time.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, there was a loud knock on my front door. I frowned and got slowly to my feet. The only person who knew where I lived was my best friend Andrea, but I couldn’t imagine she would drive all the way down here.

“Hey!” Andrea said when I opened the door.

I laughed and shook my head. Standing aside, I let Andrea pass by me. She quickly made herself at home, kicking off her shoes and collapsing in a heap on my couch.

“I know it’s only like an hour,” she said. “But god, I really hate that fucking drive.”

“What are you doing here?” I sat down in my chair and spun around to face her.

“Ouch.” Andrea placed her hand over her heart and feigned a hurt expression. “Where’s the love, Jules?”

I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I just wanted to check on you.” Andrea shrugged. “I have the day off, so I thought I’d drive down. Are you settled in?”

I nodded. “Getting there. It’s going to take some time to unpack everything, but I love this house. It’s perfect.”

“I thought it would be,” Andrea said with a satisfied grin.

Andrea helped me find my new house about two seconds after I mentioned the move. She, unlike most of the other people in my life, was totally supportive of my desire to get out of Dallas.

“My parents came down yesterday,” I said. “They don’t feel the same way.”

“Like that’s a surprise,” Andrea said. “Frank and Janice wouldn’t know true style if it bit them in the ass.”

I laughed. “God, that’s so true. Do you remember that purple leather recliner they bought when we were in high school?”

“Oh my god!” Andrea groaned. “I forgot about that!”

“I don’t know how you could,” I said. “It still haunts my nightmares.”

“Well, you had to live with the damn thing in your living room,” Andrea said.

We both laughed and continued our light-hearted abuse of my parents. They meant well, but they never truly understood me.

“So,” Andrea said, her tone suddenly shifting. “Have you heard from him?”

I froze. My heart felt like it stopped beating for a full minute. I knew Andrea would ask about him. Still, it didn’t stop me from feeling breathless and blindsided. My ex was the last person I wanted to talk about.

“No,” I said. “I’m not sure he even knows I left Dallas.”

“Of course, he knows,” Andrea said. She rolled her eyes. “It’s all over Facebook.”

“It is?”

“Well, I posted about it,” Andrea said with a shrug.

“That doesn’t mean he’s seen it,” I said. “Besides, why would he care? He dumped me.”

“Trust me, I know.” Andrea sighed and sat up. “How are you doing?”

Andrea’s green eyes found mine. She didn’t look away. She held my gaze until, finally, I felt my entire body cave and my resolve melt away into nothingness. As much as I didn’t want to talk about him, Andrea knew I needed to.

“I miss him,” I said honestly, “which is ridiculous. I know that. But I can’t help it. I still really miss him.”

“You were together for two years,” Andrea said. “It would be weird if you didn’t miss him.”

“But, he doesn’t deserve it,” I said firmly. “He totally screwed me over. I stayed with him while he finished med school. Despite the long hours he kept and the stupid fights he would pick every time he got stressed out about some test, I stayed. I put up with all of it. Then, he starts his residency and just bails? Who does something like that?”

“An asshole,” Andrea said bluntly. “A pathetic little asshole.”

“Exactly,” I said. “Then, why the hell do I even still care?”

“Because you’re a good person,” Andrea said. “You have a heart. A big one.”

“I wish I didn’t,” I said.

Andrea snorted and moved to the edge of the couch. She reached out her hand for me to take. With a sigh, I slid out of my chair and moved to sit beside her. She held my hand and once again fixed me with a stare that was almost too understanding.

“Do you want me to kill him?” she asked, her tone serious.

I laughed and threw her hand away from me.

“I’m serious!” she said. “I’ll do it. I have the shovel in my trunk already.”

“You’re insane.” I rolled my eyes.

“That may be true,” she said. “But I’m here. Whatever you need.”

“I’m glad you came,” I said.

“You needed me.”

Her response was simple, but it spoke to the core of who Andrea was. She and I had been through everything together. From Kindergarten to college graduation. From weddings to funerals. It wasn’t a surprise that she knew what I needed better than I did.

“I’m glad I moved,” I said. “This place is going to be good for me. I went into town today, and it’s perfect. There’s this little coffee shop in the square that I could spend all day in. I’m going to get so much writing done here.”

“That’s amazing,” Andrea said. “Now that Dr. Assface isn’t holding you back anymore, you can finally get some real work done.”

I frowned. “Holding me back?”

I was angry and hurt by my break up, but I never thought of Joshua as someone who held me back.

“Oh, come on,” Andrea said. “You know he did. In the two years, you were with him, you barely wrote anything, Julie.”

“My career has been successful,” I said defensively. “I’ve had at least one article published every month since college. That’s pretty damn good.”

Andrea held up her hands. “Listen,” she said. “I’m not questioning your success, okay? But I’m not talking about your articles. As a journalist, you’re killing it. You always have.”

“Then, what?”

“Your book!” Andrea said with frustration. “The book you’ve been writing since high school. The book you’ve been stressing about and dwelling on for ten years. Remember that book?”

“Oh.” I blinked. “Right.”

“See?” Andrea said. “He was holding you back.”

“I don’t know if we can blame Joshua for that,” I said. “I let the book slide. That wasn’t his fault.”

“Do you remember what he told you after he read the first chapter?” Andrea asked.

I frowned again. I hadn’t thought about my book in so long. Honestly, I couldn’t remember the last time I even opened the file on my computer. But when Andrea asked that question, everything came flooding back.

Joshua and I were in his apartment. I’d just given him the first chapter to read. I sat on his couch, waiting for him to finish it. I was terrified to hear what he thought, but I was also excited to share something so personal with him.

When he was finally finished reading it, he turned to me with a kind smile.

“It’s juvenile,” I said with a shake of my head. Andrea’s face came back into focus. “He told me it was juvenile. The immature ramblings of a confused, scared little girl who hadn’t yet figured out what to do with her life.”

“Exactly.” Andrea nodded. “That was the first time I knew he was wrong for you.”

“Why didn’t you say anything then?” I asked.

“Would you have listened?” Andrea asked.

“Probably not.” I laughed and shook my head. “God, I was an idiot.”

“No,” Andrea said. “You were in love. You wanted to believe he was a good man, that you weren’t wasting your time. You wanted to believe in him. That doesn’t make you an idiot.”

I nodded and closed my eyes. Andrea wrapped her arm around my shoulders while the reality of my situation sunk in.

This house was my new home. I left Dallas. I moved to Ennis. I was finally, after two years, breaking free from the hold Joshua had on me.

A surge of freedom crept up inside me. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut for a second before opening them again. Andrea was right. Joshua spent two years holding me back from being the person I wanted to be. When he dumped me, he was just setting me free. And now, I could do anything with that freedom.

 

 

CHAPTER 2

Michael

 

He may be a dick, but he’s my brother.

“So,” Josh said. He took a long swig of his beer and then turned to face me. “What kind of trouble are you getting yourself into in Dallas?”

I shrugged. “I told you. I just needed to get away from the office. Get into the city for a couple of days.”

“Work stressing you out?” Josh asked.

“No.” I shook my head. “Not any more than usual. Besides, can’t I just want to see my big brother?”

Josh snorted and took another drink. He knew I was full of shit. In the past few years, we’d gotten closer, but we still weren’t best friends. We were brothers, but we didn’t grow up together. I was adopted as a baby and, while Josh always knew about me, we didn’t meet until we were both adults.

It wasn’t an easy adjustment to make. Finding out I had an older brother when I was in my mid-twenties was a shock. I knew I was adopted from a really young age, but other than the fact I had a different set of biological parents, I didn’t know much else.

Josh was in his residency at a medical school in Dallas, while I lived just an hour away in Ennis, Texas.

I was initially nervous about meeting my long lost brother. Still, it was nice. After a few awkward meetings, Josh and I decided to just let things progress naturally. We saw each other periodically when we both had time. We never forced a connection or friendship. It became effortless, and it worked for us both.

“How’s the residency?” I asked.

Josh sighed and shook his head. He set his glass down on the bar dramatically before launching into an all-too-serious story about his latest life-saving adventure.

“I was poised on top of the gurney, holding the guy’s intestines inside his stomach, when he had a fucking heart attack. It was like he wanted to die.”

“Maybe he did,” I said with a chuckle.

“It’s not funny, Michael,” Josh snapped. “This job is intense. People die all the time, and sometimes it’s my fault. It’s hell. Every day.”

“Then, why do you do it?” I asked.

“Because it’s my calling,” Josh said. “You can understand that, can’t you?”

“Of course.”

The truth was, I didn’t understand it at all. Every time I met up with Josh, he complained about something. His job. His girlfriend. His apartment. Anything and everything. As much as I loved getting to know my big brother, it was glaringly obvious that we didn’t have much in common.

Me? I liked to laugh things off and enjoy life. I knew when to put on a straight face and when to loosen up, but Josh was all serious, all the time. Maybe that was why he was so good at his job. You had to be serious when people’s lives were literally in your hands.

It didn’t take much to get I was better with people. That, along with my unstoppable grit, was how I built a progressively growing company; now on its way to becoming the number one oilfield tool manufacturer in the world.

When it came to my competitors, the performance of my firm left them in the dust. That’s just how I liked to operate.

Where did I get my drive? Maybe, I needed to prove something to the world. I was self-aware enough to admit it. I decided early on that being given up for adoption wasn’t going to stop me from kicking ass and taking names. As a matter of fact, it was going to be my fuel.

“How’s your girl?” I asked.

“Broke up with her,” Josh said nonchalantly.

“What?” I turned to stare at him. “Why?”

“It’s not the right time for me to settle down,” Josh said. “We were together for two years, and I could tell she wanted to move forward. I just started my residency. I don’t have time to think about marriage or kids right now.”

“She was talking kids already?” I raised my eyebrows.

“No.” Josh shook his head. “But she mentioned moving in together a couple of times.”

“And?”

“And I told you, I don’t have time to focus on a relationship.”

“Whatever,” I said. “But from everything you told me, she was the real deal. Didn’t she deal with all your crap during med school?”

“You never met her,” Josh said.

“That’s true. I know it’s none of my business, though speaking from experience good girls don’t come easy. You might regret being such a dick to her next time you see her, and she’s in the arms of another guy.”

“You’re right. It’s none of your business.”

I didn’t want to start an argument with Josh. Tonight was about letting loose. I’d been cooped up in my office for weeks, and I needed to relax.

I needed another damn drink.

“Another round?” I asked as the bartender passed by. He nodded and quickly poured me another shot of whiskey. Josh got his second beer, and we lapsed into an easy silence.

My attention was focused elsewhere within seconds. Josh barely noticed as a blonde walked slowly past us, but I couldn’t have missed her. She was gorgeous and clearly on the prowl. As she walked by, I swiveled around on my barstool and watched her.

She glanced back at me, her blonde hair falling gently over her shoulder. My eyes met hers for a second, and I knew she was the diversion I needed. I came into the city to forget about work, and this girl was the perfect distraction.

“Here.” I stood up and pulled my wallet from my pocket. Slapping down a few bills, I turned to face Josh. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Where are you going?” Josh asked.

I nodded at the blonde. She was sitting against the back wall with a few friends surrounding her. They were talking in her ear, but her eyes were still focused on me.

Josh just rolled his eyes and grabbed his beer. I grinned and slapped his shoulder as I walked away.

***

 

“Oh fuck.” Her head rolled forward when my fingers found her clit. “Right there. Yes. Oh god!”

“You like that?” I asked. I slapped her ass, sending vibrations through my dick.

I was deep inside of her, taking her roughly from behind. My fingers massaged her clit, bringing her closer and closer to the brink. With each moan she released, I pounded on her harder and faster.

Her perky little ass looked amazing as I gripped her hip with one hand. When she came, it was with an earth-shattering cry of ecstasy that fueled my own desire.

“Scream for me,” I demanded. “Scream for me again.”

“Fuck!” Her voice was shrill and needy. “Holy shit! Don’t stop. Please. Don’t stop.”

Words failed her as pleasure rocked her body. She screamed out my name and collapsed onto the bed. I grinned and pulled out of her just long enough to flip her onto her back.

“I’m not done with you yet,” I said.

She giggled and brushed her hair out of her face. I grabbed her legs and pulled her forward, thrusting my hips at the same time. In one motion, I was buried deep inside her all over again. She gasped and moaned with renewed pleasure as I took her harder than before.

Her tits bounced, and her eyes rolled back in her head. It was mere seconds before she was bordering on yet another orgasm.

“Michael!” she screamed. “Oh, Michael!”

I could hear the people in the next room bang on the wall to silence us, but I didn’t care. In my hotel room, nothing mattered but my own release. If little miss blonde wanted to scream her head off, that was what she would do. So long as I got what I needed, my neighboring guests would just have to get over it.

“That’s it, baby,” I said. I rammed my hips forward and groaned. I was so close that I could feel my cock begin to throb.

“Yes!” she screamed and came again, her pussy tightening around my dick.

“Fuck,” I groaned and released myself, hard and fast.

I gripped her hips and hunched slightly forward, letting the waves of pleasure wash through my body. She was panting beneath me, trying to catch her breath. When I pulled out and fell onto the bed beside her, I could see her knees trembling. The sight brought a sly grin to my lips, but it didn’t last long. Once my needs were satisfied, I just wanted to sleep.

“Well,” she said simply, after regaining her breath. “I should get out of here.”

“All right.” I nodded and inwardly praised her for getting the hint. I hated when girls, especially those I picked up in bars, thought that sex meant the beginning of something. Clingy girls annoyed me more than anything else.

“Thanks for tonight,” she said. She pushed herself out of bed and began searching for her clothes. “That was a lot of fun.”

“Thank you.” I grinned. “You were fucking amazing.”

“I try.” She winked and pulled her dress over her head.

“Here.” I grabbed my phone off the bedside table. “I’ll call you an Uber.”

“No need,” she said, shaking her head. “I got it.”

“You’re perfect, you know that?” I asked, laughing softly.

“That’s what all the boys tell me.”

She leaned down and placed a quick kiss on my lips.

“Thanks again,” she said.

“Bye.”

I watched her slip out the door and, with a sigh, I rolled onto my side. This was exactly what I needed when I came to Dallas for the weekend. Drinks with my brother and sex with a hot blonde.

As I drifted off to sleep, I thought coming to Dallas was a great idea.

***

 

Monday came and went without incident. I went back to work and everything from the weekend was forgotten. The blonde from Friday night slipped my mind completely, and I even forgot about my time with Josh. Once I made it back to Ennis, I threw myself into my work the way I’d done for ten years. My job was my life, and my life was my job. I allowed myself a break from time to time, but I always kept my eye on the prize. I didn’t make my millions by slacking off.

Tuesday morning brought in some executives from one of the largest oil companies in the country that I’d never met before. I’d been in contact with their employees for years, but they’d never taken the time to sit down and speak with me one-on-one.

Until now.

“Good morning,” I said when they walked through the door. I jumped out of my chair and extended my hand. “Thank you for coming.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Timothy Harrington said. He shook my hand and took a seat.

“You must be Jonathan,” I said to the man behind him.

“Nice to meet you, Michael,” Jonathan said.

“You as well,” I said. “Please, have a seat.”

I gestured toward the empty chair beside Timothy. Jonathan sat down. Jonathan was Timothy’s son, and they’d been running their company together for over twenty years. They were no-nonsense and extremely professional. I knew their reputation well, and so, I knew exactly how to conduct the meeting.

“And you can make that work?” Timothy asked after we got further into the discussion.

“Of course,” I said. “The tools we sell are of the highest quality, but there’s always room for improvement. I won’t hem and haw over a screw here or a screw there. So long as you can commit to exclusively using our tools on your rigs, I’ll make it work however you need.”

“That’s great to hear,” Jonathan said. “To be honest, we were a little concerned about coming in today.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, leaning back in my chair and crossing my hands over my chest. It was my power pose. The position I took whenever I needed to seem thoughtful and focused.

“You’re young,” Timothy said simply.

I smiled. “I won’t argue with that,” I said. “But my thirtieth birthday has come and gone. I’m not a zygote anymore.”

“You might as well be,” Timothy said boldly. “I’ve had the run of the oil business for four decades now. Twenty years ago, Jonathan stepped up. We’ve been doing this since you were just a child.”

“Which is exactly why I trust your judgment,” I said. “While I do have ten years of my own experience, I understand that you’re both miles ahead of me. I look forward to learning from you and growing together.”

Timothy nodded approvingly, but Jonathan continued to look skeptical. He didn’t know me and, yet, for some reason, he doubted me. I knew it couldn’t just be about my age, but the reason didn’t matter. I vowed internally to prove him wrong. No matter what it took.

“Well,” Timothy said. “Have your secretary send over the contracts, and we’ll look them over. If everything is in order, we’ll sign and get this deal off the ground.”

“Sounds great.” I smiled and stood. Timothy and Jonathan each shook my hand before slipping out of my office.

I stayed on my feet for a few minutes, just in case they came back. When I was sure they were gone, I exhaled sharply and fell back in my chair.

I knew I had what they needed and that the deal would benefit both of us greatly. I just hoped that Jonathan would be as on board as his father was. I needed to make sure this all went off without a hitch.

“Marcy?” I called, not bothering to use the intercom. My secretary immediately appeared at my open office door.

“Yes, Mr. Smart?” she asked.

“I need you to get those contracts over to the Harringtons today,” I said. “Ideally, I’d like the papers to beat them back to the office.”

“I’ll fax them immediately,” Marcy said with a nod.

“Thank you.”

She hurried out of the office and, within seconds, I heard the familiar buzz of the fax machine. I smiled. This was a good thing. Working with the Harringtons would bring in more money and more customers. I turned to face my computer and, when my phone rang an hour later, I was grateful for the interruption.

“Hey, Josh,” I said, pressing my phone to my ear.

“Hey, brother,” Josh said. “Listen, I had a break, and I wanted to check in about this week.”

I frowned. “This week?”

“I can’t get together this weekend,” Josh said. “I have that medical conference in Houston, remember?”

“Oh, right.”

Josh and I always tried to see each other once a week. With our schedules, it wasn’t always possible, but we made an effort. After my meeting with the Harringtons, I wasn’t thinking about anything else, least of all grabbing a beer with my brother.

“I can do Thursday night,” Josh said. “Does that work for you?”

I paused for a few seconds. Thursday night was open for me, but I didn’t know if it would stay that way. With this new deal underway, I knew there was a chance I’d be stuck at the office for days. Maybe even weeks.

“I’ll have to get back to you,” I said. “I just got started on this new deal, and I’m not sure how busy things will be.”

“That’s fine,” Josh said. “Just let me know tomorrow, okay?”

“Will do,” I said. “So, how are things going? You heard from that ex of yours lately?”

“No,” Josh said. “We haven’t spoken in a month.”

“Really?” I asked.

“I told you we broke up,” Josh said impatiently. “Or were you too distracted by that blonde to pay attention?”

I laughed. “Well, she was pretty distracting.”

“Are you ever going to grow up?” Josh asked.

I bit my tongue. It was ironic that, after dumping his girlfriend because he didn’t have time for a relationship, he was lecturing me about maturity.

“I know you broke up with her,” I said. “I just thought you might have been in touch. Closure and all that shit.”

“I got my closure,” Josh said. His tone was nonchalant, and it grated on me.

“And her?” I asked.

“She’ll get over it,” Josh said. “If she hasn’t already.”

“I’m sure,” I said. “She’s not missing much.”

“Fuck off.”

I laughed, and we finished up the conversation. Josh wasn’t the kind to joke around or appreciate being teased, but I didn’t care. It was fun to screw with him, especially since we missed out on twenty-eight years of each other’s lives.

“Call me about Thursday,” Josh said as we said goodbye.

“Will do.”

I hung up and tossed my cell onto my desk. I groaned and pushed my chair away from my desk. The call from Josh was just the distraction I needed but, now, I had to get back to work, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“Marcy?” I asked as I stepped out of my office. Marcy was sitting behind her desk, typing away on her keyboard.

“Yes?” she asked, turning to face me.

“Anything from the Harringtons?” I asked.

“They received the contract,” she said with a shrug. “Or, at least, someone in their office did.”

“No word yet?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. I’m sure their lawyers are just going over everything, and they’ll—”

“Thanks.”

I didn’t wait for her to finish. I stepped back into my office and pulled the door closed with a snap. Falling into my chair, I knew I had to get this deal in the bag.

The Harringtons were the best in the business. If they backed out, others would follow. I had two other deals in the works. One with an oil rig up in Alaska and another here in Texas. Both deals would be profitable, but neither came close to what the Harringtons would bring in.

If they were good businessmen, like I thought, then they knew I was their best option.

No one outperformed my firm. No one outperformed me.

Now, it was just a matter of time.

 

 

CHAPTER 3

Julie

 

I hadn’t been in town long before I realized how much I needed a job. I longed to spend my days writing my book, but I knew that wasn’t realistic. My savings would only get me so far and, right now, I had to focus on being practical. At least for a while.

Early on Wednesday morning, I walked to the little coffee shop I’d raved about to Andrea. It was tiny. There were only a handful of chairs scattered throughout the place, and the counter was barely longer than my bathroom vanity. Still, I loved it. After the first time I stepped foot inside the café, I knew I’d chosen the right place to move.

“Good morning,” I said as I stepped up to the counter. “Could I get a triple espresso with a splash of milk? Thanks.”

“You got it.” The barista smiled and immediately went to work making my drink.

Within a minute, I was holding a white ceramic mug and making my way toward the window. I sat down at a table for two and gazed outside. My laptop was in my bag, but I wanted to wake up a little before I immersed myself in research.

I sipped my coffee and watched the early risers walk past the coffee shop. A few people stopped inside to pick up something to go, but most walked right past. Even fewer glanced at me as they passed my window. Of those who did, every single person smiled. From what I could tell, Ennis seemed to be a busy place full of kind people. Exactly the sort of town I wanted to be in.

“Can I get you a refill?” the barista asked from behind the counter. I was the only person in the café now.

“No,” I said with a smile. “Thank you, though.”

“What are you up to over there?” she asked.

“Well,” I said, bending down to pull my laptop from my bag, “hopefully, by the end of today, I’ll have a new job.”

“Are you new in town?” she asked. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

I nodded. “Just moved here.”

“What kind of job are you looking for?” she asked. “We’re always hiring here.”

“Thanks.” I smiled again. “But I’m a journalist. I’m hoping to find an online job. Something that will provide a steady income, but still leaves me free to enjoy my time, you know?”

“Sounds like a dream,” she said, laughing softly.

“Sometimes, it is,” I said.

The barista returned to her work cleaning the espresso machine. The silence of the café pressed down around me, so I pulled my headphones from my bag and stuck them on my laptop. Soon, music filled my ears, and I sank into myself.

I spent what felt like hours researching online jobs. There were a million things out there, but I wanted to find the perfect position. Andrea was right. My book was too important to me. I’d let two years pass without any serious work on it. I couldn’t keep pushing it to the side, no matter what other things I had going on in my life.

When I checked the clock on my computer, I realized I’d only been at the café for an hour. It felt much longer and, yet, I still hadn’t found a job I wanted to apply for.

I took my headphones out of my ears and let the silent buzz overwhelm me again. Looking around, I saw that I was no longer alone in the café. A man was standing in front of the counter. I couldn’t see his face, just his dark hair, and strong build. He immediately caught my attention, but I looked away quickly.

Today wasn’t about men. I didn’t come to Ennis to find a new boyfriend. I came for a fresh start and for a little freedom.

“Thanks, Sarah.” The man’s deep voice rang out behind me, but I refused to turn around.

I stared at my computer screen, barely seeing it. My mind had already begun to wander, and when the man stepped up in front of my table, I felt my entire body react to his presence.

My shoulders tensed, and my forehead furrowed. I lifted my eyes to his face, prepared to politely tell him to go away. I was busy searching for jobs, and I didn’t need to be distracted.

“Hey there,” he said.

There were small lines at the corner of each eye. He was older than me, but not by much. Just like that, my polite rejection faded away.

“Hi,” I said instead.

“Listen,” he said. “I know this is a little weird, but I saw you sitting here, and I just thought… Well, I thought maybe you’d like some company.”

“Sure,” I said without thinking. “That would be great.”

I gestured toward the empty chair across from me. The blue-eyed man lowered himself into it and smiled at me again. His eyes were enough to keep my attention, but that smile didn’t help matters. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. His jaw was angular and strong, and his blue eyes held mine like some sort of tractor beam.

“I’m Julie,” I said.

Very smooth.

I stuck out my hand for him to shake. “Julie Black.”

“Michael Smart,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, Julie.”

I smiled. “You too.”

“So,” Michael said. “I haven’t seen you in here before, which must mean you’re new in town. Or maybe just visiting?”

“Just moved here,” I said. “Do you use that line on all the girls?”

“What’s that?” Michael asked, frowning slightly.

“You must be new in town,” I mimicked.

“Was I wrong?” he teased.

“Not at all,” I said, and I could tell he was every bit the playboy he seemed to be. “Well, I’m here every day,” Michael said. “Just ask Sarah. She’ll vouch for me.”

“I don’t doubt it.” I laughed softly.

Michael was easy to talk to. Much easier than I would have anticipated. When he sat down, I immediately felt my nerves kick into overdrive, but once we started talking, the banter flowed easily.

“What are you up to?” Michael asked, nodding toward the computer.

I sighed. “Looking for a job.”

“No luck?” Michael asked.

I shrugged. “Not yet. I’ll find something. It’s just a matter of finding the right something.”

Michael looked at the computer closer and squinted. When he looked back up at me, I felt my stomach tighten.

“Journalism?” he asked simply.

I nodded. “I’m hoping to find an online position,” I said. “Maybe a weekly column or something.”

“You know,” he said. “Dallas isn’t that far. You could always commute up there. Find a job at a reputable paper.”

“I did that,” I said with a smile. “I actually just left Dallas.”

“Oh yeah?” Michael asked. His interest was flattering, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into the details of my life with a complete stranger. After all, we’d only known each other for ten minutes.

“I needed a change.” I shrugged. “This place seemed perfect. The only problem with Ennis is its lack of publications.”

“Yeah,” Michael said. “You won’t find a need for reporters around here. It’s a pretty quiet town.”

I nodded. “So, I’ve realized.”

Michael and I spent the rest of the morning talking. I asked what he did for a living, something about oil rigs or tools, and he asked more questions about my job search, what kind of column I wanted to write, where I went to school, my journalistic background.

With each minute that passed, it became easier and easier to talk to him. Michael didn’t feel like a stranger. There was something oddly familiar about him, something that put me at ease and made me feel like Ennis was really meant to be my new home. When he finally stood up to leave, a sense of disappointment settled in my chest, but I pushed it away and fixed him with my best smile.

“It was really nice to meet you,” I said.

“This doesn’t have to be goodbye,” Michael said. “I’m fairly confident I’ll see you around again, but just in case…”

He pulled a pen out of his pocket and grabbed a napkin off the table. Handing both to me, he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed and took the pen from him. Scribbling my number on the napkin, I felt his eyes on the back of my neck. Just his attention was enough to make my cheeks blush.

“Thank you,” he said as I handed him the napkin with my number written on it.

“I’ll see you around,” I said.

“You definitely will.”

Michael grinned at me one last time before waving goodbye to Sarah and stepping outside. I watched him until he disappeared around the corner, my cheeks still slightly warm.

 

 

CHAPTER 4

Michael

 

Julie’s face floated through my mind for the rest of the day. I was extremely late to work that morning, but I didn’t care. By the time I ambled into the office, Marcy had ten messages for me and was on her way out to lunch. My mind was barely focused on work, even as I threw myself into returning phone calls and emails.

All I could think about were those pale blue eyes and her light brown hair that fell just to her shoulders. Whenever she shifted her head, it caught the sunlight just right and made my stomach tighten. She was tall, but not too tall. Her curves were just enough to draw my eyes. She was gorgeous in a way I’d never expected. I could have stayed in that café all day if it meant I could talk to her.

As I sat back in my chair, I tried not to think about her. I tried to listen to the client who was talking a mile a minute in my ear. I tried to focus on the emails pouring in. I tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of my head, telling me to drop everything and call Julie. Nothing worked. No matter how much I tried to stay focused on work, I just couldn’t get her smile out of my mind.

Julie looked to be in her mid-twenties, although I didn’t know her exact age. When she spoke about her job as a journalist, she slipped into an easy professionalism that most people her age didn’t have. I was impressed by her the second she opened her mouth. She was intelligent and witty. Talking to her was effortless. I couldn’t remember the last time I could joke with someone the way I joked with her.

“Mr. Smart?” Marcy asked, poking her head into my office. “I have Timothy Harrington on the phone.”

If there was anything that would drive Julie out of my head, it was the name, Harrington. “Put him through.”

Marcy nodded and hurried back to her desk. I heard the familiar click of her phone, and then, my own rang sharply. I picked it up quickly and pressed the receiver to my ear.

“Mr. Harrington,” I said. “What can I do for you today?”

“My lawyers went over the contracts,” Timothy said, not bothering with pleasantries. “Everything seems to be in order.”

“That’s wonderful,” I said. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Jonathan and I will sign them tomorrow,” Timothy said. “Your office should have them by the end of the day.”

“Thank you,” I said, trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Harrington.”

“And Michael?” Timothy said. “Don’t screw this up.”

With that, Timothy hung up, and I was left with a dial tone. I shook my head and exhaled sharply as I laid the phone back down. My entire body felt light as air. Not only did I spend the morning with an amazing woman, but I just landed the biggest account of my career.

I couldn’t wait another second. Without thinking, I pulled the napkin with Julie’s number out of my pocket and smoothed it out on my desk. I dialed her number and grinned as I sat back and listened to the phone ring.

“Hello?” Julie’s voice was just as sweet and seductive as it had been in person.

“Hey there, it’s Michael,” I said. “Any luck on the job front?”

Julie laughed. “Not yet,” she said. “But I won’t find anything if you keep distracting me.”

“Distracting you?” I asked. I raised my eyebrows and grinned, knowing she couldn’t see me.

“First this morning,” she said with a sigh. “And now, this phone call. How’s a girl ever supposed to get anything done?”

“I’ll make you a deal,” I said.

“Oh?” Julie asked playfully.

“I’ll stop distracting you,” I said. “If you agree to come to dinner with me tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night?” I could hear the hesitation in her voice, and my stomach dropped.

“Just dinner,” I said quickly. “I know a place.”

Julie paused for a second, and I held my breath. I’d been flying so high after my conversation with Timothy that I didn’t even consider the possibility that she might say no.

“Sure,” Julie said. “Sounds great.”

“Text me your address,” I said. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

***

Thursday dragged on miserably. I barely worked that day. Marcy kept asking if I was okay, but I was more than okay. Just the prospect of seeing Julie again was enough to keep my spirits high. I was concerned about how into her I already was, but I decided to run with it. What was the worst that could happen?

“I’m out of here,” I told Marcy as I pulled my office door closed behind me. “See you tomorrow.”

“Have fun tonight, Mr. Smart.” Marcy grinned slyly.

“Been eavesdropping, Marcy?” I asked.

“Never.” Marcy winked, making me laugh. I shook my head and hurried outside, climbing behind the wheel of my car and speeding toward home.

Once I was showered and dressed, I left to pick up Julie. She came to the door dressed in a simple blue dress that made her eyes even more striking. Her hair was curled slightly, drawing my eyes and making my heart race.

“You look gorgeous,” I said. “Not that you need to be told.”

“A woman always needs compliments,” Julie said wisely. “Even if she says otherwise.”

I laughed and held out my arm to her. She took it and let me lead her to the car. We climbed inside, and I drove us to Dallas. The restaurant I picked was a classy steakhouse that was reasonably casual. It left room to relax without the pressures of overly-fine dining.

“This is great,” Julie said as we sat down. “Steak sounds amazing.”

“Oh, thank god,” I said. “I was worried you’d be one of those salad and soup girls.”

“Salad and soup?” Julie raised her eyebrows.

“You know the kind,” I said. “They’re too afraid to eat on the first date, so they order something tiny and pick at it nervously. Drives me nuts.”

“You don’t have to worry about that with me.” Julie laughed. “Food is life.”

“Amen to that.” I grinned just as the waiter appeared.

We ordered a bottle of red wine and a steak each. By the time the food arrived, we were so deep in conversation that I barely noticed my plate. If it weren’t for the way Julie’s eyes lit up when she saw her steak, I wouldn’t have eaten a bite.

“Oh god,” Julie moaned. “This is so good.”

“It really is.” I laughed and took another bite.

Just as Julie opened her mouth to speak, my phone rang in my pocket. I frowned and grabbed it quickly, ready to silence it. When I saw Josh’s name flashing across the screen, I looked up at Julie with an apologetic grimace.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “This is my brother. Do you mind if I…?”

“Not at all,” Julie said. “Go ahead.”

“Thanks,” I answered the phone quickly. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey, man,” Josh said. “Are we meeting up tonight or what? You never called me back.”

“Oh shit,” I said. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot. Work was crazy this week. Can we do something next weekend?”

“Sure thing,” Josh said. “Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

We said goodbye, and I hung up, eager to get back to Julie. She smiled politely as I tucked my phone back into my pocket.

“Sorry about that,” I said. “My brother and I have been working on our relationship lately.”

“Yeah?” she asked.

“We try to meet up once a week,” I said. “But with our schedules, it doesn’t always work out that way.”

“At least you try,” Julie said kindly. “A lot of families don’t.”

I moved the conversation away from Josh, and soon, we were laughing and talking like we’d never been interrupted. The wine was flowing freely and, when we ordered dessert, I found Julie’s foot beneath the table. She didn’t move when we touched, but her eyes told me she felt it. She stared at me with an intensity I hadn’t seen from her yet. That look sent bolts of electricity shooting through my body. I could barely think the entire drive home.

“Walk me up?” Julie asked as I put my car in park outside of her house.

“Of course,” I said. “I am a gentleman, you know.”

“You are?” Julie teased. “I never would’ve guessed.”

“Very funny.”

I climbed out of the car and hurried around to open her door. We walked slowly toward her house. We weren’t touching, but the tension between us was palpable.

“I had fun,” Julie said. She turned to face me, and my eyes flickered down to her lips.

“Me too.”

Julie’s eyes met mine. Her lips looked soft and inviting. I couldn’t stop myself from stepping forward.

Julie inhaled sharply but didn’t move away. Her eyes were locked on mine, and when our lips touched, she melted into me. My arms went around her waist, and she sighed against my lips. The kiss was soft at first, but within seconds, my entire body was on fire.

Julie wrenched herself away from me and took a step back. She fumbled with her keys and quickly unlocked her front door. Pushing it open, she turned back to me with a hungry look in her eyes.

Without a word, she held out her hand to me. I didn’t need to be told twice. I grabbed her around the waist, and we fell over the threshold, our lips thrashing against each other with desperation.

 

 

CHAPTER 5

Julie

 

 

Michael’s lips were on mine before I could think. One second, we were staring at each other on my doorstep and, the next, we were crashing inside the house with a reckless abandon I’d never felt before. The only thing that existed was Michael. His lips on mine. His tongue sliding into my waiting mouth. His strong, rough hands gripping my hips tightly. Soon, I was out of breath, and my entire body was on fire.

A soft moan escaped my lips as I wrenched myself away from Michael to take a breath. He didn’t let me get far. He kissed my neck playfully, licking and nibbling my sensitive skin. I gasped and tightened my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his dark hair.

“Where’s the bedroom?” Michael asked. When his eyes met mine, they were full of need. My stomach burned, and a wave of desire flooded between my legs.

“Come here.” I groaned and kissed him again, my lips working furiously against his.

His tongue slid in my mouth, and I could taste the wine from dinner. It fueled my desire even more as I led him backward toward my bedroom.

I’d never slept with a man on a first date before. I’d never even come close, but with Michael, I didn’t want to stop. His hands were all over my body, cascading down my back, tightening around my waist, sliding over my butt. He had touched every inch of me, and it still wasn’t enough. I cursed the light fabric of my blue dress, hating that it separated me from his fingertips.

I kicked open the door to my bedroom and pulled Michael inside by his tie. He grinned at me slyly, his eyes trailing down my body. I could feel his gaze as sharp as a burning flame. It whipped over my breasts and stomach, down to my legs. He wanted me, and that was enough to send me reeling.

My hands flew to his tie, loosening it quickly. I pulled it over his head, leaning forward to kiss his neck while I unbuttoned his shirt. I couldn’t stop. My body had taken control, and I wasn’t complaining. The sounds that came from Michael’s throat when I kissed his chest were enough to make my legs tremble with desire.

“God, I want you,” Michael groaned.

I threw his shirt off his shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck again. Our kiss was more intense, and his lips didn’t slow for a single second, and neither did his hands. He kissed me hard and fast, reaching around my back to unzip my dress. I moaned when his hands touched my bare skin. This was the moment I’d been waiting for all night.

Michael’s fingertips were rough on my back, but they felt amazing. He unhooked my bra and slipped both it and my dress down my body. In seconds, I was standing before him, wearing nothing but a pair of lacy blue panties. They matched my dress, but when I got ready earlier that evening, I never imagined Michael would see them.

Still, I didn’t want him to stop. I longed to feel his fingers and lips on every inch of my skin.

“You’re gorgeous.” Michael’s voice was low and sexy as he looked me up and down.

My lips were still tingling from our kiss, and my chest was rising and falling with every labored breath. He was staring at me with so much desire that I felt yet another wave flood between my legs. My panties were soaked, and when I glanced down at Michael’s pants, I saw that he was already rock hard.

I reached forward and grabbed him by the belt, yanking him closer as I quickly worked his pants off his body. His hands tangled in my hair, pulling my head back just enough for him to attack my neck with his lips.

“Oh god,” I mumbled as his tongue lashed against my skin.

He pushed me backward until I bumped into the bed. In one motion, we fell over, and Michael pinned me down with his strong body. I moaned as his lips moved lower, his tongue teasing my nipples one at a time.

I writhed beneath him, lifting my hips to grind against his dick. He grunted, thrusting forward and quickly losing control.

Unable to wait another second, Michael ripped my panties off my body and threw them to the side. His boxers followed close behind, and soon, he was staring down at me while I stroked his thick cock in my hands.

“Fuck.” His voice was deep with desire as he twitched in my hand.

“Condoms are in the drawer,” I said, pointing to my bedside table, silently thanking God that I even still had the damn things.

Michael flew forward. He tore open the top drawer and grabbed a condom. I barely knew what was happening as he adjusted me beneath him and slid the condom over his length. My head was spinning, and my heart was pounding in my chest.

I could feel my wetness dripping onto the bed. I wanted him so badly. I’d never felt such a primal, animalistic need before. I had to feel him inside of me.

Michael didn’t make me wait long. He positioned himself above me. All the urgency drained from his body as he stared into my eyes. My room was dark, but I could still make out the dark blue of his eyes as he slid forward and buried his cock deep inside me.

“Oh,” I gasped and lifted myself to meet him. He grunted and slowly rocked his hips back and forth.

I could tell he was trying to take his time, giving me a chance to get used to it, but that wasn’t what I wanted. My body took over. I rammed my hips upward, slamming into him and making him groan with pleasure.

Michael gripped my hips hard, pulling me to him and pounding into me roughly. All he needed was my silent okay for him to lose control completely. He fucked me hard, making me cry out with pleasure and hold tight to the bedsheets.

My first orgasm built quickly and spilled over even faster. My knuckles were white as I held onto the sheets for dear life. My moans were deep and earth-shattering. I didn’t bother to hold back. My legs trembled, and my pussy tightened around Michael’s dick.

“Holy shit.” He groaned and pulled out of me for a split second.

In one quick motion, Michael pulled me up and positioned me on his lap. We held onto each other while I slid down on top of him. He buried his face in my chest, kissing and biting my tits hungrily. I groaned and threw my head back, bouncing my ass up and down while he squeezed it roughly.

It wasn’t long before I felt my second orgasm coming. I tried to hold back, but when Michael bit down on my nipple, I came undone.

“Fuck!” I screamed and rode him harder, bucking up and down and crying out with renewed pleasure.

“You sound fucking amazing,” Michael said. “Come for me again, baby.”

I giggled, but Michael wasn’t kidding. He flipped me onto my back, staying inside me the whole time. He pinned me to the bed with all his weight. I gasped and wrapped my legs around him while he pounded into me harder and harder.

I could feel him seeking his own release. He was so close, his cock already beginning to throb inside of me. I raked my nails down his back, making his eyes roll back in his head. A cry of need ripped itself free from his chest, and just like that, I came again.

“Oh, Michael!” I screamed his name as my body convulsed with ecstasy.

Michael finished at the same time, throwing himself forward and collapsing against me. We were both dripping with sweat and sex as we held onto each other tightly. The three orgasms made my body weak and exhausted. I could barely breathe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think.

It wasn’t until Michael pulled himself away from me that I slowly came back to my senses. He laid down beside me and wrapped his arms around my shaking body.

“Holy shit,” he said. “Holy fucking shit.”

“That was…” I began, but I couldn’t find the words.

“Uh huh,” he said with a deep laugh.

We both erupted in laughter as we held each other. It wasn’t long before we started talking, falling yet again into our easy banter.

Michael had to leave an hour later. He had work in the morning, a conference call first thing. As we said goodbye, I felt a weight fall into my stomach. I didn’t want him to leave, but when he kissed me, I knew I’d see him again.

 

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6 MOUNTAIN BROTHERS FOR CHRISTMAS

A Reverse Harem Romance

PROLOGUE

 

Standing there, in the living room, we passed around the bottles until they were drained of their contents. I looked down at the green bottle in my hands and smiled, placing it on the ground before I spun it.

It spun, and it spun, and I could feel the brothers’ eyes on me. Their curious glances slowly growing devilish while my nipples puckered painfully behind my bra. They knew what I was thinking, and I knew what was rolling through their heads. As the bottle slowed to a stop in front of Chance, I lifted my gaze to him and grinned.

“Chance,” I said. “Truth or Dare?”

In an instant, the entire atmosphere in the room changed. Chance’s gaze held mine steadily as I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth, and I heard Ethan let out a groan as Chance drew in a long breath through his nose.

“Dare,” he said.

“I dare you, Chance Trent, to undress me and make me come.”

“Oh…,” he said as he approached me. “I’d be happy to oblige.”

In an instant, Chance’s lips were on mine as his hands rounded around to my ass. I could feel his strength pressing into me, pinning me between him and the cool glass of the sliding back doors.

“I’ll give it to you just the way you want,” he said into my lips.

He stripped me of my clothes before he picked me up against his body. I wrapped my legs around him, feeling him carry me up the steps. He opened up one of the bedrooms and laid me down onto the bed. I could hear the footsteps of the other Trent brothers behind us, and I was thrilled for the show we were about to give them.

Chance’s lips kissing down my cheek and suckling at the skin on my neck.

“Oh Chance,” I said, whispering.

“Say it again,” he said.

“Chance,” I said. “Please don’t make me wait.”

“I love it when you say my name.”

His lips traveled down my breasts, bypassing my nipples that were angry and screaming for attention. His hands parted my legs, and I felt my juices dripping out onto the bed. He kissed the insides of my legs, sniffing my scent deeply before his tongue slid up my slit. My hands wound into the sheets underneath my body, and my heels dug into Chance’s back while his tongue worked my clit.

I could feel my toes curling even before he picked up his pace. And the most erotic part of the experience was my acute awareness of the other brothers in the room – patiently waiting.

Had someone told me I’d be in this position (pun intended) one month ago, I would have laughed in disbelief.

Yet, in this very moment I knew one thing for certain: I was the luckiest girl in this enchanted mountain town.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE - KYRA

 

Why the hell did I become a sex education teacher?

I’m the last person that should be teaching these kids about sex!

My eyes scanned the words on the page, and the text made my cheeks flushes. I swallowed as the students continued to stare. I could hear their snickers and feel their judgmental glances burning into my skin.

Oh, that’s right…it was either this, or babysitting obnoxious rich kids.

I forced myself to keep reading the words out loud, but my voice continued to stammer. “The tip of the…ahem… male’s anatomy… is the most sensitive part of his body. It is akin to a woman’s…’”

“If she can’t say ‘penis,’ she’ll never say ‘clit,” one student said.

“Miss Lancaster, are you trying to say a dude’s cockhead is like my clit?”

I whipped my head up while my eyes scanned the room. “Who asked that?”

“Me,” said the Angela Lopez, the girl at the back of the class that had it in for me the entire semester.

“Well, yes that’s what this book is trying to say,” I said.

“Nah, the book says it just fine. But you can’t even say the word ‘penis.’ How’d you get this job anyway?”

“Come on, Miss Lancaster,” another student said. “Say it. Say ‘penis.”

The children were laughing uncontrollably like something out of a nightmare. I dipped my head toward the pages of the book, not wanting to face the jeering mob.

What has my life come to?

After a college career spent learning psychology and education, this was where it got me. A sad reality spent drooling over an idiot ex-fiancé that wanted nothing to do with the real me.

Landon was much more interested in the pathetic picture of a cookie cutter wife he wanted me to fit into. I’d basically put my life and dreams on hold when I dropped everything and followed him into the city.

Months of applying for jobs resulted in mostly nanny offers, until I received a phone call from a high school in Queens. The facility was in dire need of a sex-education teacher. Rumor had it, the former teacher was let go after getting caught making out with her student in the locker room. Yuck!

The stress from the last few months of a sad relationship and a thankless job was showing - especially in my figure. I’d put on some noticeable weight around my mid-section and rear. Getting into my favorite pair of jeans became a creative process, entailing deep yoga breaths and a prayer. I seriously felt for my poor zipper which held on for dear life. I’ve always been a curvy girl, but things were beginning to get ridiculous - even by my standards.

If that wasn’t enough to stress over, I was stuck in the middle of a city I hated, and teaching children a subject I had less knowledge about then they did.

“How many sexual partners have you had, Miss Lancaster?” a girl asked.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“How many blow jobs have you given?!” a boy shouted.

“That is not an appropriate question,” I said.

“I’ve had three,” a girl said.

“Dude, me too!” another exclaimed.

“I’m still a virgin, but I’m changin’ that tonight,” someone else chimed in.

God help me. My middle school kids were more sexually experienced than I was.

“All right, everyone! Pop quiz!”

All of them groaned while I handed out the papers. Then I sat back at my desk and took out my phone. The quiz was supposed to be for tomorrow, a little parting gift before Christmas break, but I had to do something to bring the embarrassment to a halt. When I first moved to New York City, it was on the heels of my fiancé.

His entire business empire was here, and it was assumed I would follow him. When I got here, I was in desperate need of a job. Even though I moved, we weren’t living together officially, and up until a few weeks ago, I could hardly get him to nail down a wedding date. He expected me to follow him wherever he went, but he didn’t want to give me solid commitment. It was total bullshit and I was sick of playing games.

The funniest part was that he was the one that wooed me relentlessly at first. In college, he’d been romantic. He took me on random plane trips to the other side of the country and surprised me with dozens of roses after end-of-semester exams. He showered me with attention, and he was gentle when he took my virginity. He opened my mind sexually to things I never thought I would experience - and up until this job, I thought I was well-versed in the art of sex.

But clearly, I was not.

Unlike me, Landon was wild and spontaneous. He was a buyer while I was a window shopper. If there was something I even stared at long enough, he would get it without a second thought. I’ve never liked the idea of letting someone buy my affection, but he would object. He genuinely wanted to express his love, and I guess it was the best way he knew how.

But when we graduated, things changed.

Suddenly, he wanted to know what I planned to do with my life. He wondered why I wasn’t pursuing a Master’s in Business or focusing on becoming the best paid educator in the nation. Pursing money or recognition wasn’t important to me; I wanted to help people – specifically in their relationships.

I grew up in a broken household, with parents that hated each other. It eventually led to a bitter divorce, which was the worst memory of my childhood. Luckily I managed to move on with my life, but my sister, Abby, had major issues dealing. Even as an adult, she blames her troubles with commitment to my parents’ failed relationship. The girl refused to commit to a puppy, much less a man. It was hard to witness; especially knowing she was limiting her own happiness out of fear.

Growing up, I promised myself I would find a way to help others avoid the struggles that came out of poor relationships. I told Landon I wanted to build my own YouTube empire, based solely around relationship advice, and once I could work up the courage, share tactics couples could use to spice up their life.

And all Landon did was throw his head back and laugh. He told me I was coming to New York City with him after we graduated, so I followed. He proposed to me the moment we stepped off his private jet, and suddenly, all my anger melted away. He wrapped me in his arms and told me he was sorry, that he supported me in whatever decisions I wanted to make.

But the dream was short-lived.

He didn’t want to set a date for the wedding, and he still wanted to jet away on the weekends. Then there was the complete lack of support for my dreams. Whenever I tried to get my YouTube channel up and running, he always had something planned to interrupt me. A charity ball or an event that popped up out of nowhere, diverting me from what I’d sat down to do that evening after searching for jobs.

Eventually, I asked if I could move in officially instead of simply living with him temporarily. When he told me he would think about it I was honestly disappointed.

Truthfully, I was pissed. We were apparently getting married, and he was having trouble committing to shared living quarters?

I wasn’t going to pressure him into making a decision. If it wasn’t one hundred percent his choice to commit then he could take his ring back.

And, the moment he started jetting away on the weekends without me, I decided enough was enough.

He looked down on my profession and laughed my dreams.

He dragged me to cities I didn’t want to be and postponed the wedding.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was a secret life he was living behind closed doors.

We were done.

Now, I was sitting in a classroom I had no business teaching, juggling the numerous phone calls he was sending to my phone, while the students took their pop quiz. Now, the man I called my ex-fiancé was trying to get me to talk. He thought I would come crawling back to him if he sent me gifts.

But those gifts turned into surprise appearances at my apartment. And those appearances that went unanswered turned into angry text messages. And now, those unanswered text messages were turning into angry voice messages he was leaving me every single time I ignored his phone calls.

I needed a serious time out.

The children started bringing their pop quizzes up to the desk and setting them down. I only had seven more minutes until I could release them to go home, and relief cascaded throughout my body. I was ready for Christmas break. I was ready to see my father, my friends and the place I still called home, Castle Rock, Colorado. And finally, I was ready to figure out how the hell I was going to put all of this behind me and follow the dreams I’d once had pulling at my heart strings.

Just as the bell rang to release the students, text messages began to light up on my phone. I put my hand on top of the pop quizzes that were being tossed at me, while trying to ignore the snickering of the students still teasing me.

When I looked at my phone, it wasn’t my ex trying to get ahold of me this time. The Trent brothers were blowing up my phone, wondering when in the world I was coming home. Their jokes and comments had me giggling as I sat there in the quiet of my little classroom.

The Trent brothers had been our neighbors for years. My mother called them the “gaggle of gossips,” mostly because there were six boys, and all of them were prone to running their mouths. They became my solace when my mother died. A rare blood disorder essentially caused her body to turn on itself, and those six boys were my only reprieve from the horrible experience of letting my mother go, far too early.

When she passed, my father and I had troubles bonding. I was a ten-year-old girl going through hormonal fluctuations he didn’t understand, and he was a burly mountain man who chopped wood whenever he was angry. I learned how to play and watch sports in an attempt to bond with him, and in the process, I became fondly attached to the hobby. On nights that got rough, my father and I would watch the latest game he’d recorded. It didn’t matter if it was football, basketball, or even soccer. If it was a sport and people were cheering, he was into it.

That blossomed into a love for playing sports, and that was when the ‘gaggle of gossips’ really played a memorable part of my adolescence. If I got angry, I could count on them to be home to play with me. I’d run them down in football and knock softballs over the edge of the mountain before running all the bases to home. I could outrun them, out-spit them, and out-climb them. Often times, I could throw balls farther and kick balls harder than any one of them could.

What can I say? I tarnished their egos and I was exquisite at it. Lucky for me, we built a strong bond, nevertheless.

And even still, as they sent message after message through the group chat on my phone, they never ceased to make me feel welcomed and warm during a rough time in my life.

“Knock, knock.”

I looked up at my classroom door. “Carol!” I said. “Come on in.”

“Good news,” she said. “If you gave that last quiz today, you don’t need to come in tomorrow.”

“Wait, seriously?” I asked.

“Seriously. Just asked the principal.”

“Oh, thank heavens,” I said. “Is that milkshake for me?”

“Always.”

I met Carol when I started teaching at the school last year. She was a math teacher who, ironically enough, hated math. She was brilliant at it and could run calculations in her head I probably couldn’t even enter into a calculator, but she always proclaimed that numbers never held the same satisfaction that a good fuck did.

She constantly talked about wanting to change her career, because of boredom from teaching.

“Were your students as shitty as mine today?” she asked.

“ Yikes,” I said. “Tell me how you really feel.”

“Sorry, but these inner city brats don’t have a filter. And when you blow a spitball at me and then get pissed because I toss my pencil back at you, that doesn’t really make for a decent day.”

“You threw your pencil at a student?” I asked. “What did the principal say?”

She should’ve said ‘way to fucking go’.”

“But?”

“But she actually said I couldn’t do that, and that the school could’ve been sued had the kid gotten hurt.”

“What did you say?”

“That if that kid’s spit gives me herpes, I’m suing the school, too.”

I giggled as I shook my head. Carol never ceased to amaze me with the insane stories she always seemed to have at the end of her weeks. Sometimes, I even questioned if they were true, but they kept me laughing, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Any plans for the holidays?” I asked.

“Alcohol, meaningless familial conversations, then hitting up some clubs and finding a nice bad boy to keep me warm for the night.”

Before I could give a witty response, my phone rang again and I silenced it without even looking down.

“Landon still bugging you?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said, sighing. “I just don’t wanna talk to him.”

“You told him the engagement was off, right?”

“I finally broke things off. I couldn’t drag it out any longer.”

“Then he needs to piss off.”

“You’re telling me,” I said.

My phone rang again, and I grunted before I turned it over and took out the battery.

“That’s one way to do it,” Carol said. “I take it a chat with Landon isn’t in the books for your holidays?”

“Nope. I’m going home. Seeing my dad. Decorating for Christmas and opening presents and watching the sun rise above the trees.”

“Sounds absolutely boring,” she said. “Will there be booze?”

“There’s always booze when my father’s concerned,” I said.

“I like him already.”

I put the battery back into my phone and watched it start up. Another voicemail rushed to my phone, but so did two other messages. I opened the group chat and saw the picture the Trent brothers sent me before I threw my head back with laughter.

The six of them had painted their stomachs with the phrase “Come Home” written out in Christmas colors.

“Holy fuck, I can’t believe they’re your neighbors,” Carol said, leaning over my shoulder to see what I was laughing at. “I’d be their ‘ho ho ho’ anytime. It wouldn’t even have to be Christmas!”

“Well, they aren’t there all the time. Their childhood home sort of turned into a vacation home for when their family gets together. I don’t think any of them live there permanently, but they’ve never been the city type either. They’ve all stayed close by.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t keep those luscious beards, massive arms, and chiseled abs in the city. The mountains are a fitting back-drop for those sweet cheeks.”

“Yeah, I suppose they did sort of turn into a bunch of mountain men, huh?” I asked.

“Sort of? Kyra, Zeus himself couldn’t chisel better bodies with his lightning fists.”

“You’re nuts.”

“I’m nuts for their nuts,” she said.

“Carol!”

“Kyra, just promise me one thing. If you go home and those sexy men hit on you, do something about it. We both know you’re not experienced enough to teach a class like this. Get yourself some experience.”

“I’m not sleeping with my neighbors,” I said. “And I’m not doing this teaching gig forever. Relationship Coach, remember?”

“Isn’t it you who’s always saying that sex is an important facet of a relationship? How can you give advice on it if you don’t fucking do it?”

I sat there in silence while her words knocked the breath from me.

“I guess I hadn’t thought about it that way,” I said breathlessly.

“Good. You’re open to the idea, so when you get yourself some, I want all the nasty details.”

“Wait a minute there sister, I never said I’d was going to-”

Just as I was going to object, I received another phone call from my ex, and shut my phone off again. I wasn’t going to let his negativity and abuse get to me.

***

It felt so good to be back in Colorado. The cold crisp air in this mountain town brought back a wave of warm memories from my childhood.

“Kyra!”

I looked up and saw my father, with his broad chest and his long beard. I rushed toward him, throwing my arms out and wrapping myself around his body. I didn’t get home as much as I had while I was in college, and the smell of firewood and forest permeated his clothing as I clung tightly to him.

His grip instantly tightened on me, sensing that something was wrong as he set me down onto my feet.

His eyes fell to my left hand, now bare compared to the last time he saw it. He flicked his gaze up to my face, his dark brown eyes studying me closely. That was the thing about my father. He never had to say a word in order to make you feel both loved and petrified at the same time.

I pitied Landon if my father ever saw him again.

“Good riddance,” my father said before he took my bag, and we made our way towards his truck.

The car ride brought back so many blissful memories. The mountains rose to their precipices in the distance. Their snow-capped tops blended into the crisp, white clouds that hunkered down over their tops. The winding roads became steeper and heftier, and I could hear my father’s truck working just to get up and down the inclines.

The trees were lined with snow and ice, twinkling with radiance in their new outfits, while winter blues and Christmas whites permeated my vision. My small hometown was draped in its winter wonderland costume, and all I could think about was cozying up next to a warm fire by the window and watching the snow fall along the tree line on the horizon.

“You remember that time your mother tried to surprise you, that year she had to travel?” my father asked.

“The year she left for that convention or whatever she was doing?”

“Yeah. Remember how she tried to climb through your window and ended up breaking her leg?”

“My gosh, I do remember that. She broke her leg and got pneumonia from falling face-first in the snow.”

“That woman was wild,” he said.

“Remember the year Mom tried to make all of our Christmas treats instead of buying them like she always did?”

“That was the year she charred half the kitchen. We had to remodel that year. I told her it was her Christmas gift. You wanna know what my favorite Christmas memory of her is, though?”

“What’s that, Dad?”

“Remember that year you introduced us to your first boyfriend? What was his name… Dan?”

“Jacob?” I asked.

“Whatever. I didn’t have to say one damn word to that boy. Your mother ended up reading him his rights on how we expected him to treat you, and he shivered in his boots whenever she came around. And if she was still here, that Larry fella would be doing the same.”

“You mean Landon?” I asked.

“Whatever.”

“It doesn’t really matter now. I think it’s over for good between the two of us.”

“How so?” he asked.

“I got tired of him laughing at my ambitions, and he wouldn’t open up to me about certain things that made me uncomfortable.”

“I say that’s about as done as it gets.”

Just as we pulled up into the driveway of my home, my father took my hand. My father wasn’t one for physical gestures with other people, so when I felt the warmth of his calloused hand against mine, I whipped my gaze over to him. He was studying me closely, like I could always remember him doing to Mom, and in an instant, I knew what he was going to say.

“You deserve someone who believes in you, and that person isn’t Logan.”

“Landon.”

“Whatever,” he said.

I smiled and giggled before I leaned over and kissed his cheek. The two of us stepped out of the truck, my eyes sweeping over the vast view of the mountains from our porch. The Trents and my family were the only people settled on this mountain. I drew in a deep breath as I panned my gaze over to their house. I knew they were here. I could tell by all the pictures they had been sending me over the course of my plane ride.

But something inside me was disappointed they weren’t out here to truly welcome me home.

I had missed all of them when I moved to the city. We were very close growing up. Partially because we were neighbors, partially because of the death of my mother and the toll that took on all of us, and partially because we were thirty minutes outside of town and no one ever wanted to trek up the mountain to visit us. The heavenly peaks reached for the skies, displaying their light gray cascades and their dripping white snow havens, but these picturesque hills were no match for the beauty that was the Trent’s home.

If only because I knew who was already there.

In high school, I had a crush on all of them. Not one of them, and not some of them, but all of them. They were gorgeous, but I had to admit that Carol was right about that picture they sent me. Their muscles had bloomed, and their strength had grown. The beards on their faces accented their eyes and lips in ways I didn’t really know were possible. I missed their closeness and their unique personalities. Each one of them always had a way of making me smile and laugh in the best ways possible. It’s what made all of them so important to me.

It was the bond I realized I was missing with Landon.

“You coming?” my father asked.

I let out a sigh, watching the steam rise from my lips before dissipating into the cold, winter dusk that was settling over the mountains.

“Yeah. I’m coming.”

I knew my old bedroom was waiting for me to unpack my things, and as my eyes lingered on their house outside my window, I couldn’t help the tears that rose to my eyes as a thought crossed my mind.

I don’t want to go back.

 

 

CHAPTER TWO - OWEN

 

 

I’d been watching the windows for the last fucking hour. The moment I heard Mark’s battered fucking truck echoing down the crevices of the mountain, I’d settled onto the couch and silently waited for them to pull up.

All I could think about was Kyra coming home.

I’d had a crush on that fucking woman for years, ever since puberty did her body some good. She was petite in areas that were delicate, and filled out in areas that called to my fingertips, and there were nights where all I could do was have wet dreams of the things I wanted to do to her.

When I figured out she was getting married, I was depressed for days. I automatically didn’t like the guy. Not one fucking bit. He was tall and lanky. A typical city boy with no strength or smarts about him. His worth to a woman was dependent upon how much money he could make in an hour, which didn’t mean shit when it came to a woman like Kyra.

She didn’t care about money or gifts or expensive shit. What she needed was someone who gave a shit and supported her. Someone who could take care of things around the house when she broke them and kept apologizing. She needed a man who wasn’t afraid to slide his hand along her ass in the middle of a store just to make her feel beautiful, and she sure as hell needed someone who had no issues running his lips along every other crevice of her body when they weren’t in public.

I watched Mark pull up into the driveway, and the moment Kyra got out, my heart started to race.

“Guys! Tinkerbell’s home!”

I went running through the house, knocking on the doors as the guys slowly rolled out of bed. We all told ourselves we would take a nap so we could stay up and chat with Kyra into the early morning hours. That was the thing she loved to do the most. The window of her bedroom faced our home, and it was easy to climb up onto the second-story wrap-around porch that led into her bedroom. As kids, all of us would use a ladder to get up there, throwing ourselves over the balcony before knocking on her door to wake her up. We’d all gather around and sit down, talking for hours until the morning sun started piercing through the trees.

We didn’t have to pull that shit now, but we still wanted to stay up and talk with her.

I made sure all of them were up before I strode across the lawn. I’d traversed these lawns on countless occasions, walking these same steps during our childhoods. Back and forth, we would all go between the two houses, always up to something and always getting into trouble. We called ourselves the Lost Boys, too wild to be tamed and too loud to be silenced. And Kyra had been our fairy princess.

Our gorgeous guide.

Our strong, unwavering Tinkerbell.

The nickname was cheesy as fuck, but the best one to describe her.

Small in stature, but she was powerful as hell beyond her size. She grew into a strong woman, bypassing that ‘girly-girl’ stage altogether. Makeup was never her thing, and she didn’t give a fuck about what her hair looked like. She’d rather lounge around in sweatpants and a t-shirt without a bra on than wake up an hour early just to piece herself together.

And trust me, I didn’t mind the times where she was braless – not one damn bit.

The moment I discovered girls didn’t have cooties, I was all over Kyra. Not physically, but in my mind. I kept my crush a secret because I didn’t want to be teased about it, but I also kept it close to my chest because I didn’t want to be rejected by Kyra.

I strode right up to the front door of Kyra’s home and knocked on the door with my knuckles.

Mark answered the door immediately as my brothers ran up behind me. I could hear them panting and heaving, the cold air causing them to wheeze as Mark shook his head. He stepped off to the side and invited us into his home, silently ushering us in from the cold before he shut the door behind us.

“Honestly, I’m shocked you boys weren’t already waiting outside like a pack of dogs,” Mark said.

“Where’s Kyra?” I asked.

“Hold on. Kyra! Where are you?!”

“In my room, Dad! What’s up!”

“The gaggle of gossips are taking up my foyer!”

Yep. That was the nickname Kyra’s mother bestowed upon us. While most women just saw a bunch of rowdy boys, Michelle had seen a bunch of gossips in the making. And she wasn’t wrong. We all took after our own mother in that respect. But the term of endearment shot my mind back to a time when Kyra’s mother was still alive.

Her death affected all of us, and there wasn’t a holiday that went by that I didn’t miss that woman’s laughter.

The moment Kyra rounded the staircase with a smile on her face, I was transfixed. Her smile lit up her large brown eyes, and her honey-blonde hair was almost down to her luscious breasts. It seemed that a year in the city had only made her more gorgeous, and my heart was pounding in my chest so hard I couldn’t even hear the words she was speaking.

My eyes feel to her left side. There was no ring, and for a second, I had to digest that little piece of information. She’d sent us all a picture of the ring when it happened. You could fucking see that thing from Mars.

But as I stared at her left hand, taking in the sight of her bare skin, I felt that same spark reignite in my gut.

“Hi,” I said.

She threw her arms around my neck, and I had to talk myself through my breathing just so I could wrap my arms around her in return.

She was warm and inviting, and she smelled like lilacs and raspberries. I wanted to hold her closer. I wanted to rip her clothes off. I wanted to pin her to the wall and devour her body, licking up her tantalizing juices and freeing those beautiful sounds I’d dreamt about for years.

But she let go of me too quickly, and just like that, the greeting was over.

“Tinkerbell!” Ethan exclaimed.

“Oh, my gosh, how’re you doing?” Kyra asked.

“Better now that you’re home,” Ethan said, grinning. “Now, where’s that massive rock you took a picture of for us?”

“What?” she asked.

I tried to get Ethan’s attention, and the look on my face was what prompted the other guys to look down at her hand.

“Your engagement ring. You know, that massive thing you could see from—”

Ethan grasped Kyra’s left hand and felt the bareness of her skin, and I watched his entire face fall. He slowly brought her hand in front of him, his fingers encircling the place where that ring should’ve been. There was the faintest of tan lines, just enough for someone to know something had been there if they looked hard enough, and suddenly, I watched every muscle in Kyra’s body stiffen.

“Well, that isn’t really something I have anymore,” she said.

“What did he do?” Ethan said.

“It’s not important,” she said as she ripped her hand from his. “All that matters is that the wedding’s off, so no one has to worry about it.”

Fireworks exploded in my head. Assuming was one thing, but hearing it from her lips was another. My hands slid into the pockets of my pants as my right hand grazed across the small jewelry box, and suddenly, all my hopes and dreams were finally coming alive again. Hope filled my chest at the idea of being able to tell her how I truly felt about her, how I could give her all the things this asshole ex of hers never would be able to.

She greeted the rest of my brothers in haste before she stepped back and took a deep breath.

“So, who wants beer?” she asked.

Everyone nodded in approval, and I stepped forward from the pack and found my voice again.

“I’ll help you get everything. No use making two trips.”

I followed her into the kitchen, not able to take my eyes off the sway of her hips. She opened the fridge and started pulling out beers, passing them to me so I could open them. I twisted my hand around the cap, popping the tops off and setting them on the table. But then her beautiful giggle rose from behind me as I turned to grab the last one.

“What?” I asked.

“Those aren’t twist-top beers,” she said. “I was about to hand you the bottle opener.”

I smirked at her, and she simply shook her head. The callouses on my hands from rebuilding my father’s shed while I was here were more prominent than I realized, I guessed, but the fact that Kyra was giggling was enough for me.

“I have a gift for you,” I said.

“Oh?” she asked. “What is it?”

I pulled the jewelry box out from my pocket and handed it to her. I held my breath as her eyes looked down into the palm of her hand. Then I watched as she slowly pried the lid open. I watched her beautiful brown eyes light up as she pulled the rose gold locket from the box, and the moment she popped it open, I saw tears rise to her eyes.

“Oh, Owen,” she said, whispering.

Inside was a picture of all of us when we were children. We were all gathered around after her last day of eighth grade, and we had all just got done teasing her about entering high school at an early age. Kyra ended up skipping fifth and sixth grade, which meant she was two years younger than anyone else in her class. She had always been incredibly bright, and I could remember the moment she looked up into my eyes just after that photo and smiled.

She told me it was the best day of her life, and I wanted her to hang that day around her neck for the rest of her life.

“I love it,” she said.

“You do?” I asked.

“‘The best day of my life’,” she said, grinning.

“Would you like me to put it on you?” I asked.

“Would you?”

“Of course.”

I took the locket from her and stepped around to her back. She lifted her hair up for me as I put the necklace around her neck, and I leaned in to get the faintest smell of her shampoo as my skin grazed hers. Her hair smelled like the beach, a scent I would fall asleep remembering tonight as I clasped it around her neck.

Then, I bent down to her ear as my hands traveled around the curves of her shoulders.

“Merry Christmas,” I said.

And I could’ve sworn her body leaned into mine.

I allowed my hands to trail down the softness of her arms before I wrapped them around her body. Her hands crooked up and grabbed onto my forearms, her fingernails lightly tracing the veins bulging from underneath my skin. I allowed my nose to nuzzle up her neck, testing my boundaries while her body physically fell back into mine, but before I could kiss her beautiful skin, we heard someone coming.

And just like that, Kyra stepped away from me and went to go grab the beers.

“You coming?” she asked breathlessly.

My eyes held hers for a beat and a half before I nodded reluctantly.

“Right behind you.”

 

 

CHAPTER THREE – ETHAN

 

“Where the hell’s the beer?”

Mark shrugged, and the guys simply stared at me, so I went to go see what the holdup was. I was ready to share a beer with Kyra and figure out what her ex fiancé did to hurt her, so I could kill the bastard. I walked down the hallway and pushed through the kitchen door, looking around for where her and Owen had gotten off to.

“What’s the holdup?” I asked. “No one likes a lukewarm beer!”

Kyra threw her head back and laughed before she handed me one.

“Here you go, oh impatient one,” she said, grinning. “A cold one just for you.”

“Oh, how thoughtful,” I said.

I took a long pull from it while Owen gathered up the other open bottles. I smiled at Kyra, winking in her direction while Owen pushed past me. I leaned against the kitchen table, my eyes scanning Kyra before stopping off at her left hand one last time.

That ring didn’t suit her anyway.

She blushed underneath my gaze, and I watched as her lips wrapped around the bottle. She was even prettier now than she had been last Christmas, and I had no idea how she did that. How she just popped in after all these months with ragged jeans on her little legs and a shirt that draped over her fabulous curves and simply took me to my knees. Seeing her again filled me with the same lust that grabbed at my cock ever since I figured out what the hell my dick was supposed to do, and all I could do was latch onto the one thing that gave me hope.

The one thing that signaled to me I might still have a chance.

“So… it’s over?” I asked.

I watched the smile fall from her face as she grasped her beer bottle tightly.

“I think so,” she said, sighing.

“What went wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

“You know I’m here for you, right?” I asked.

She shrugged, and it killed a part of me inside that she didn’t feel she could talk with me about this.

“He’s a dick,” I said. “You know that, right?”

“You haven’t even met him,” she said.

“Doesn’t take knowing a man to know when he fucked up something good for him.”

She flashed her eyes over at me, giving my body a once-over as a smirk crawled across my face.

“I’m here to enjoy the holidays, Ethan,” she said. “I could really use a break from the drama.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place, beautiful. We specialize in getting away from it all.”

“Being thirty minutes outside of town will do that to you,” she said, grinning.

“See, now there’s that beautiful Kyra I know and remember,” I said. “You remember when we were eleven? How you dared all of us to sled down that hill out behind the elementary school?”

“Butt naked?” she asked, giggling. “I sure do. I remember you and Chase actually had the guts to take off all your clothes in the freezing cold and do it.”

“It was a dare! What were we supposed to do?”

“Keep your clothes on like the rest of the sane brothers,” she said.

“Not a chance when it puts a smile on your face.”

“You both got into a fight at the bottom of the hill because Chase thought you touched his junk, and you both ended up with hypothermia for Christmas,” she said.

“Well, at least I had the upper hand in that fight. Nailed him right in the dick.”

Kyra almost spit out her beer, she was laughing so hard, and her voice filled me with a warmth that tugged at my balls and rattled my spine.

“You were a scrawny eleven-year-old with a taste for puffing out your little chest,” she said. “Chance was almost twenty, and he was built like a brick house.”

“Yeah well, that just means I’m still young and spry while he’s old and wilting away with his salt and peppered hair,” I said.

She rolled her eyes at me before she took another swig of her beer, and I took the chance to leap into action. I set my beer down onto the kitchen table and lunged at her, my hands dancing all along her stomach and her sides while she giggled and jolted.

“You think you can roll your eyes at me and get away with it?” I asked, smiling.

“Ethan! No! You know I hate this!”

“Apologize,” I said.

“Never,” she said, laughing.

“Apologize!”

The both of us were laughing hysterically, and soon, she collapsed into my arms. I caught her and held her, feeling her chest panting against my arms as I held her closely to me. I couldn’t believe how good she felt. How the excess of her breasts pressed into me while her toned stomach taunted my pelvis. I wanted to hold her like this forever… hold her the way I knew that asshole ex of hers wasn’t.

But the moment was ruined when Chance strolled into the room.

“No wonder the beers are late,” Chance said. “Owen only brought the first four.”

Kyra stepped out of my arms at that very moment, and that was when I noticed it. The rose gold locket around her neck.

“That’s a beautiful necklace,” I said. “Where did you get it?”

“Oh,” she said. “Owen gave it to me.”

I nodded slowly before my eyes darted over to Chance.

“Do you want to talk about your breakup?” he asked.

“Nope,” I said. “She doesn’t wanna talk about it.”

“That’s right,” Kyra said. “So, thanks for addressing me like I’m not here.”

“That’s right, Ethan,” Chance said. “Kyra can speak for herself.”

“The fuck did you say to me?” I asked.

“I said, Kyra is a grown-ass woman and can speak for herself.”

“If you don’t recall, you’re the one that busted in here and rudely ruined the conversation I was having with Tinkerbell. So, if you’d like to grab your libation and back out, that’d be nice.”

I watched Chance cock an eyebrow into the air, and I had to admit I was glad I rendered him speechless. The last thing I wanted to do was fight him again over something stupid while Kyra was standing here.

I was enjoying my time with her, and I wasn’t ready to share her yet.

“No need to be rude, baby bro,” Chance said. “Just coming in to check on things.”

I threw my hands up in the air as he grabbed his beer and came to stand beside Kyra. His eyes were locked onto me, like he was waiting for me to just abandon her with him and leave. He always had to get the last word in. He always had to be the big shot. He always had to get what he wanted, when he wanted it, because he was the oldest and had to set the example. Mr. Ex-Military with his faded hair bullshit on his head and his hunting escapades and his deer antlers or whatever.

I hated Chance sometimes.

“I’m really glad you’re back for the holidays, Kyra,” I said.

“I’m really glad I’m back, too,” she said.

Then, I grabbed the rest of the beers that were sitting on the counter, and I left. I’d rather wait until another time when I could get her alone than try to measure cocks against the big brother of the group.

But we all knew who would win that measuring contest. Only men insecure on shit like that acted the way Chance did.

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR – CHANCE

 

I felt my irritation at Ethan welling up in my body. The way he grated against my nerves was insane, and there were moments where I just wanted to smash his face in. He always acted like the top dog without ever putting any kind of action behind it, and it pissed me off. He was always butting heads with someone, and he was always trying to make sure his voice was heard above everyone else’s.

It was annoying as fuck.

But there was now a beautiful woman at my side; a grown woman we’d all come to know and love dearly. She’d grown even more lovely in the year she’d been gone, and now that I was out of the military, I finally felt like I had my shot. The military lifestyle wasn’t good enough for someone like Kyra. I bounced around a lot and wasn’t home much. I was deployed more times than I wanted to count and came back with new scars and tattoos every single time. I was fucked in the head more than I ever wanted to show her, but there was something about the light in her eyes that made me want to bed down next to her and soak up her warmth.

Her goodness.

Her exotic innocence.

I came back from the military and saw how she had grown into a wonderful, delectable treat. She had been a senior in high school, and I had made the decision to reenlist one last time, but seeing her with her beautiful, honey-blonde hair and the curves she filled out perfectly made me regret my decision. I spent the four years she was in college regretting ever having signed up, especially the moment she announced she was engaged.

But that fucker missed his chance, and I had plans to show Kyra exactly how he should’ve treated her.

I hated myself for having thoughts about her while she was so young. I punished myself in the military by doubling up on physical training just to get her barely-legal body out of my mind. I ran until I couldn’t run and lifted weights until my bones gave out. I stacked on muscle after muscle and trained until I couldn’t train anymore, and all the while, her beautiful curves and her innocent brown eyes haunted me at night.

But the moment she graduated high school and I visited home, I realized what true torture felt like.

All that summer, I had to ignore how fucking sexy she looked. I had to ignore the fact that she sunbathed in bikinis in her backyard. I had to ignore the crop tops she wore and the low-waisted jeans she bent over in. Every day we went to the swimming hole was a new and innovative torture I knew the military could never compete with.

Kyra had been too good for me then, and she sure as hell was too good for me now.

“You’re too good for him, you know,” I said.

“Why is everyone so intent on me talking about this?” she asked.

“Because we give a shit about you, unlike him.”

I saw her bow her head and sigh, and I quickly wrapped my arms around her and folded her into my body.

“Talk to me, Tinkerbell,” I said. “Tell me what happened.”

That was when I felt her snake her arms around my waist, and for a moment, I allowed myself to get lost in the touch of the woman who tortured me and haunted me for years.

“I just don’t wanna talk about it,” she said into my chest.

“Want me to still kick his ass?” I asked. “Because I’ll still kick his ass, even without a reason.”

She giggled into my chest, and I could’ve sworn I’d died on the battlefield and gone to heaven. Not that a man like me, who’d done the things I’d done, would ever get to those pearly gates, but I sure as hell was holding the closest thing to it in my arms.

“Thanks for always being there to fight my battles, Chance, but I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

“Yes,” I said, chuckling. “But you’re not just a big girl. You’re a big, beautiful girl.”

I looked down into her face and saw her blush as her eyes flickered up to me from my chest. She pulled away from me and shook her head, swatting me on the arm as her smile grew into that gorgeous little giggle. Her blush ricocheted down her neck and into her shirt, and I began imagining what her body would look like covered in that same reddish hue.

Maybe with a bit of sweat to make it glisten.

“You dirty old man,” she said.

“No matter my age, I’m a Lost Boy for life. You, however, are our tiny, magical creature.”

“I’m not so tiny anymore,” she said, grinning. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

All I could do was smile at her cheekiness and nod in agreement because if I didn’t keep my mouth shut, I’d want to ask her to show me those tricks.

Her brown eyes locked onto my blue ones, and suddenly, the intensity in the room shifted. Kyra stepped back toward me, her body heat radiating outward as I craned my neck to keep her in my view. I could see her lips parting slightly, like she was about to tell me something but didn’t know how to start.

For a split second, I thought she was going to talk to me about her ex. Then, her face was inching closer to mine.

I felt our bodies magnetizing toward each other, pulling one another in as our lips got closer and closer. I could feel her breath against my skin, and I watched while her eyes fluttered closed. The blood in my veins was pulsing in my ears, and I could hear my heart screaming out into my mind.

This was happening.

I was about to feel this perfect woman’s lips against mine.

But just before our lips connected, a voice boomed out into the hallway. Kyra sprang away from me, like a toy wound too tightly, and shot in the other direction. I clenched my jaw and tried to bury my anger as Mark came barging through the damn door, and the second her father’s eyes landed onto me, I felt my entire body tense up.

“I swear, kids can’t do shit right,” he said.

His eyes landed on the beer bottles still on the kitchen counter, and that was when I realized what was going on.

Everyone expected us to bring them their second round.

And like a cork that had been popped, the rest of my brothers spilled in after her dad. They filled the kitchen of the Lancaster home, and I opened the fridge to hand everyone else a beer. We all stared at Owen as he popped the top off with his hand, chuckling and shaking our heads as Kyra’s giggle wafted above the rest of us.

There was no denying that Owen was a monster of a man, no matter how quiet he was in real life.

“I propose a toast,” Rowan said.

“Make it quick,” Ethan said. “I got a beer to chug.”

“To the gang being back together,” Rowan said. “May it make memories for us all.”

“Sappy as hell, just like you,” I said.

“I thought it was nice,” Kyra said.

“Thank you, Tinkerbell,” Rowan said.

“What did you just call my daughter?” Mark asked.

The room fell silent, and I couldn’t help but allow a smirk to crawl across my face.

“Dad, they’ve been calling me that for years. You and Mom called them the gaggle of gossips, but everyone else called them the Lost Boys.”

“Because they’re airheads?” Mark asked.

“No, because they were wild, untamable, and always broke shit,” Kyra said, grinning.

The laughter rose from all of us again before we all took sips from our newly-refreshed drinks. But then my eyes grazed along the oven clock, which was showing a time way later than I thought it was.

“Uh, guys?” I said. “Hate to break up the party, but that stuff down at the Grange tonight starts in twenty minutes. And we’re forty minutes away.”

“What’s going on at the Grange?” Kyra said.

We all looked at Mark, who was sighing and groaning to himself.

“Shit, I forgot,” Mark said. “There’s some party or something happening down there tonight.”

“Oh, well, you guys have fun,” Kyra said.

“Oh, no,” Rowan said. “You’re coming with us. Memories, remember?”

“Yeah, you really should come,” Ethan said. “It’ll be on us.”

“You can ride with me,” I said. “It’ll be fun.”

“I don’t know,” Kyra said. “I just got in, and I don’t really wanna change.”

“Why would you change?” I asked. “You look just fine. You’ll need a coat, though. Snow’s cold tonight.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” Kyra said, grinning. “So funny.”

“He tries,” Owen said.

“Fine, fine,” Kyra said. “I’ll go. Under one condition.”

“Name it,” Owen said.

“No one leaves me by myself. I used to hate it when you guys ditched me like that.”

“When did we ever ditch you?” Ethan asked.

“Multiple times at the waterhole, right in the middle of football games, after school when I’d be waiting for you guys to come outside.”

“Was there food involved in those moments?” Ethan asked. “Because if food’s involved, then heaven help you.”

“Yeah, food’s a pretty big thing in our house,” Rowan said.

“Whatever,” Kyra said. “As long as I’m not ditched, I’m game.”

“Yeah, no ditching my daughter, or her complaining will be the least of your worries,” Mark said.

“I don’t even know how I’m supposed to react to that,” Kyra said.

“Wonderful,” I said. “Then it’s settled. You come. We don’t ditch you. It’s all on Owen.”

“Hey, that wasn’t the agreement,” Owen said.

“That’s what you get for being the quiet one, Mr. I.T. Consultant,” I said.

“You run your own security consulting company, and Ethan over there makes more money turning cycles than I’ve ever seen,” Owen said.

“I’ll pay for myself, thank you very much,” Kyra said. “I’m more than capable of doing it. I have a job, you know?”

“Well, throw on a coat, or you’ll be late,” Mark said.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to get rid of me, Dad,” she said.

“I just want you to remember what it’s like to smile, sweetheart.”

The room fell silent while Mark and Kyra had their moment together.

She nodded her head and quietly left the room, silently acknowledging me with a small smile before she dipped out of the room. I watched her leave, trying to keep my eyes off the swaying of her lovely hips while she walked down the hallway. I already missed my time alone with her, especially with where it had all been heading. Never in my life did I ever think Kyra would initiate something like that with me.

But now that I knew where her head was at, it would be the only time she’d ever have to take the reins herself.

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE – ROWAN

 

I watched as Kyra glided across the dancefloor, swinging around in Blake’s arms while she smiled and laughed alongside him. Her dancing had gotten much better over the years, which I knew Blake would enjoy greatly, but I was admiring the way her body moved, the way the fabric of her shirt fluttered over the curves she was hiding underneath. Kyra always had this unassuming beauty about her, this complete ignorance of how incredible she truly was. I knew it frustrated some of the guys, but I found the trait endearing about her.

Her humbleness was something I’d loved about her ever since we grew close in high school.

I tutored her in math when she was failing Algebra II. She came to me crying her freshman year, saying that it had been a mistake for her to progress two grades up. She was sobbing and begging me to talk her parents into putting her back in middle school, but I told her I was having none of it. I’d always been good at math and I loved it. I loved the black and white truth that numbers always preached. I offered my tutoring services to her instead and I coached her all the way through high school.

Back then, she’d been too young for me. But the closer we grew, the more I grew to adore her. We kept up our friendship through college and she still called me with questions regarding her math courses. I was more than happy to get on a video chat and walk her through things and I was actually able to use the tutoring I did for her as college credit for myself.

The moment she told me she wanted to become a teacher, I felt a surge of pride well up in my chest. No longer was she the kid I considered her to be. No longer was she the small little girl, too young to be in high school and crying into my chest. Instead, she had grown and flourished into this beautiful, vibrant woman with a passion to help others in any way she could and I couldn’t help but think that I’d had a hand in that.

And when I finally saw her as a woman for the first time, the desire that crashed over my body took my breath away.

My desire for her continued to haunt me even now as I watched Blake pass her off to Harper. She was twirling around, her hair fluttering around her face, and all I could do was take deep breaths while I watched her supple body vibrate with happiness.

This was what she deserved. Not the bullshit her ex must’ve put her through.

I heard the song winding down, so I threw back the rest of my drink. I slipped in between her and Harper, drawing her close to me while she craned her neck back. I was much taller than her; her head barely came up to my chest. I pulled her into my arms and allowed her to step up onto my feet and, all of a sudden, she could press her ear to my chest while I worked us across the room.

The song was low and slow and the lights dimmed around us. I could’ve sworn I heard her sigh into my skin. The twinkling lights and the festive Christmas decorations littered the Grange, making the silent moment between the two of us feel even more special than I’d anticipated.

But I wanted to talk with her. I wanted to talk to the woman my heart had fallen for.

“So, I think my kids are learning more than math from me,” I said.

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

Her voice was so light against my ears, I didn’t want her to stop talking.

“They all banded together and pranked me just before Christmas break set in,” I said.

“Ah, so they are learning something from you,” she said, giggling. “What did they do?

“The first one was they put a bucket of snow up above the door that pegged me when I walked in. It fell all into my coffee and everything.”

“The first one?” she asked.

“Following that was them supergluing me to my chair, so I had to have a friend of mine break into my house and bring me a pair of pants I could change into at lunch.”

“What did you do until lunch?” she asked.

“I wheeled around everywhere,” I said, grinning.

“You did not.”

“Swear on my life. Then I had one of my kids give me a little wrapped bag of Oreos to apologize and they were fucking filled with toothpaste.”

She threw her head back and laughed and I wanted to run my fingers through her long, honey-blonde tresses.

“But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t as bad as what we did to the principal,” I said.

“I take it you headed up that project?” she asked.

“Yep. We wrapped the principal’s office in wrapping paper.”

“Wait, you did what?”

“Yep. Everything. Her phone. Her chair. Her desk. Her walls. Her files. We individually wrapped the stacks of paper she uses for her personal printer. It was priceless.”

“I bet she was pissed.”

“I’ve never seen a woman laugh so hard in my life,” I said. “Tears were streaming down her cheeks. But instead of unwrapping her office, she just monitored classrooms all day. So, it sort of backfired.”

“Oh, I bet all the teachers loved you for that one,” she said.

“Eh, they all helped in some way, so it wasn’t too bad,” I said, smiling.

“Well, you’re lucky you have kids that like you enough to prank you like that. My students hate me.”

“I’m sure they don’t hate you,” he said.

“They find me lame.”

“You’ve gotta be wrong. You, Kyra? You’re the furthest thing from lame. How do you know they think you’re lame?”

I watched her face grow stoic as she panned her gaze up to me. She rolled her eyes before she snickered and, for a split second, I thought maybe she was pranking me as well. I grinned at her and she started giggling and before I knew it, we were twirling around, laughing with one another.

“They call me ‘Miss Lame-caster’,” she said.

I stopped our twirling and I looked down at her face. She was shaking her head and sighing while I was trying to bury the smirk on my face. Of course, those kids would butcher her last name like that. The poor woman didn’t stand a chance.

I was trying not to laugh but the moment that familiar twinkle rose in her eyes again, I knew she was okay. I cocked an eyebrow at her while she grinned up at me, then the two of us burst out laughing once again.

“I’m so glad you aren’t letting your breakup get you down,” I said between my chuckles. “I had to say, I was a bit worried about you.”

She nodded at my statement, but I did see her face grow a bit more serious.

“You know, if you wanna talk about it, I’m here,” I said.

“I know, and thank you,” she said.

I continued to slowly work my way around the floor with her while she stood on the tops of my feet. I slid my arm tightly around her waist, pulling her closer to me while her eyes danced along my face. For a split second, I thought she was going to open up to me. Her chest filled with air and her beautiful lips parted for just a split second and I readied myself to listen. I allowed all the music and the lights and the people to fade into the background and her perfume to waft over my body while I made myself available to her.

But then Harper stepped back between us again and stole her away.

He danced her around the room as the lights came up. The song picked up tempo and I watched while Kyra’s giggles wafted against my ears. I considered chasing them down and stealing her back. I considered reclaiming my moment with her so we could talk more.

But the happiness on Harper’s face as he twirled her around the floor was unmistakable, so I let them have their moment together.

The truth was, Harper rarely came out of his room. Owen was the strong, silent type but he loved being outside and around other people. He was a listener. A helper. But Harper was a brooder. He kept to himself, never opened up to anyone, and never intermingled with others unless he had to.

He was like Dad in that regard and he seemed to be the only one of us that got that trait.

I knew a visit from Kyra would work wonders. It would get him out and get him talking and I could already see the good it was doing him as I stepped away from the dancefloor. He was really, truly smiling for the first time since we all descended upon the house for our Christmas vacation and the way Kyra was smiling at him warmed my chest.

I went and stood against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest. I watched the way Kyra moved, her toned legs carrying her across the floor. Her forehead was shining lightly with sweat while her shirt fell off her shoulder and, instantly, I wanted to draw figures on her skin with the tip of my tongue.

But my thoughts were interrupted once again when Blake came up to stand beside me.

I could see his eyes locked on Kyra, just like mine were, and in an instant, I grew jealous of the fact that someone else was staring at her.

“I wonder how Kyra’s doing with this whole breakup shit,” Blake said.

“I think she’s doing okay with it,” I said. “It seemed like she was about to talk about it before Harper butted in.”

“Ah, well,” Blake said. “Shit happens.”

The frown that etched itself onto his face told me everything I needed to know. He was still carrying that torch of his. The torch of his worst-kept secret.

If there was anyone who wore their emotions on their face, it was Blake. We pegged his crush on Kyra back when he was in seventh grade and had teased him relentlessly for it ever since. His crush on her was something we all knew he couldn’t conceal well and, by the look on his face, his heart still hammered for her. I knew he had been into Kyra well before seventh grade just by the way he always looked at her, but I never said anything.

I didn’t want to embarrass the poor guy.

That was actually one of the reasons why I kept my crush on Kyra to myself. The guys teased Blake endlessly for it and I didn’t want him to feel like he had some sort of competition. Kyra wasn’t a prize to be won. She was a wonderful woman who deserved her choice of man to spend her days with.

But his crush was also one of the reasons why I’d never made a move. How in the hell was I supposed to compete with my brother? How the hell was I supposed to be better than him? Blake had that mixture of mountain man and intelligence to him. He always wore his glasses, despite the fact that his beard was always a little too ragged. Blake was the peacekeeper; the one with the soft side. I was romantic, sure, but he was just soft. He was the one to always settle the disputes between Ethan and Chance and he had always been the sensitive one. His nose was always in a book, reading everything from crime thrillers to philosophy to erotic romance.

We called him a nerd and teased him for his crush, but the truth was, he was just as passionate about “manly” things as the rest of us. Blake was a diagnostician. He always knew why something broke before he fixed it and he could always tell when something was about to break based on a sound it was making. He was like that with people, too; always able to read them at the drop of a hat.

Maybe that was why he always wore his emotions on his face. Maybe he was just trying to level the playing field.

Nope. A man couldn’t compete with someone like Blake. He was the perfect mix of sensitive and manly. He could fix any fucking thing you set in front of him, whether it was yourself or a fucking dishwasher. He could regale you with poetry or take you down in football and he always had a quote from a book that seemed to fit every single type of scenario.

The silence overtook the two of us while we watched Harper and Ethan pass Kyra back and forth. Our shoulders pressed into the wall while we watched from the shadows.

I longed for Kyra, but as long as Blake was standing beside me, I knew she could only have eyes for him.

I mean, it only made sense.

 

 

CHAPTER SIX - KYRA

 

As I spun around the dancefloor with my Lost Boys passing me off, I couldn’t help but forget all my troubles. I’d always loved my boys and, tonight, I started to realize how much I’d missed them. How much I missed their attention and their kindness. I lived with, and around, Landon for an entire year and nothing we did or said to one another compared to the way I felt around my boys. Now that I was around them, I was beginning to see how badly I had been treated by Landon: how badly my heart had been broken over and over again for the sake of love and pending nuptials.

I could tell Harper could see my far-off gaze, so he tugged me from the floor and snuck me outside.

“Here,” he said. “Take this.”

He passed me a flask, and I couldn’t help but shake my head. Harper might always keep to himself but you’d never know it while I was around. He was very quiet and much darker than his brothers. Always brooding over something or overthinking his actions. But he had always been in tune with others around him. He always seemed to know what they needed. He was always so endearing to me and, whenever he came out of his room for me, it always made me feel special.

Like tonight.

I took the flask and drank a bit, allowing the alcohol to hit my empty stomach. A few more sips found my cheeks flushed and that was when I felt my father approach my side.

“It’s getting late and I’m getting tired,” he said. “You ready to head out?”

But the truth was, I wasn’t ready to leave.

Not just yet.

“I can make sure she gets home all right, Mark,” Harper said. “If you’re all right with that.”

“Yeah, sure, I suppose she’s safe with you boys,” my dad said. “Just watch her drinkin’.”

“Will do, sir,” Harper said, grinning.

We watched my father leave as my boys trickled out to find us all on the porch. I could feel my body loosening up with the alcohol and my mind was as clear as day for the first time in months. I could never go back to that man. I’d never be able to find with him what I found with my boys. I felt them all huddled around me as I passed the flask back to Harper. Only this time, I felt someone’s arm thread around my shoulders.

“Wanna hit up the Trent house like old times?” Harper asked, winking.

“Sounds good to me. I’m not ready to go home anyway,” I said.

“Hun, our home is practically your home,” Harper said.

Hun.

I was wondering if he was still gonna call me by that fun little nickname.

We all made our way back up the mountain and parked out back of the Trent house. We made our way inside and dumped ourselves into the living room, and Chance was the one that started breaking out the liquor. Stories were told, memories were relived, and soon, Owen was accusing Rowan of lying about something or another.

“You weren’t under that long,” Owen said. “Only a few seconds.”

Rowan shook his head firmly. “I was under that water for damn near a minute, Owen. I’m serious.”

“You’re an idiot,” Owen said.

“And you’re pissed that you just have faulty memories of our childhood,” Rowan said.

“You’re lying, and you know it,” Owen said.

“I’m really not,” Rowan said.

“If you’re not lying, then prove it. Run some water in the sink and let me hold you there for a minute.”

“There are consequences for lying, you know?” Harper said. “I wouldn’t make Owen pony up.”

“‘Pony up’? The hell you talkin’ about?” Blake asked.

“Consequences?” I asked. “You mean like… Truth or Dare consequences?”

“Hey, guys, Tinkerbell wants to play Truth or Dare!” Ethan yelled.

“Not at all what I said,” I exclaimed.

“Truth or Dare! Truth or Dare! Truth or Dare!”

Soon, all the boys were chanting, drowning out my protests while I sighed and rolled my eyes. I plopped down onto the couch with my drink in my hand, shaking my head while all the boys settled around me. Their faces were beaming with delight while Chance refilled everyone’s drinks but I shooed him off when he tried to refill mine.

“Empty stomach, guys,” I said. “Still gotta think straight.”

“All right, ladies first,” Harper said.

“What, I get blamed for the game being my idea and now I gotta go first?” I asked.

“Ladies first. Ladies first, Ladies firs—”

“All right, all right. Shut up with the weird voodoo chanting.”

They all chuckled and relaxed as Owen eyed me carefully.

“Kyra, truth or dare?” he asked.

“Truth.”

I watched a devilish grin settle onto his cheeks before he leaned forward and settled his elbows on his knees.

“You have to tell us all which brother you’d prefer to fuck. You know, if you absolutely had to fuck one of us.”

I stared at him incredulously before I started to shake my head.

“I’d never be able to choose,” I said.

“Oh, come on now,” Chance said. “Don’t be shy. Who would it be?”

“It’d be me, obviously,” Ethan said.

“You’re an idiot,” Harper said.

“Let the girl talk,” Rowan said.

“No, I’m serious,” I said. “I’d never be able to choose. Even if my life depended on it, I’d probably just end up dying.”

“If you don’t wanna answer the question, you’ll have to do a dare as punishment,” Harper said.

The grin on his face made my body shiver as I drew in a deep breath through my nose.

“Fine,” I said. “If you can’t accept my answer, then dare it is.”

“I’ve got a dare for you,” Ethan said.

“Shoot.”

“I dare you to kiss me,” Ethan said.

The boys groaned but I found the dare utterly fascinating. Ethan’s trimmed beard and deep blue eyes called to me, like a bird looking for its mate. He got up from his seat and came over to me, holding his hand out for me. He was silently asking me for permission while his tall, muscular structure loomed over me and, for a moment, I thought about running my hands through his dark brown locks.

I put my hand in his, signaling my permission, and he pulled me up toward his strong chest and captured my lips.

The kiss sent a shot of electricity through my entire body. I felt dazed after, even though our tongues never once met. I pulled back and felt my eyes widen as Ethan’s smirk slowly fell from his face and I could tell he was just as shocked as I was.

And all the faces of the rest of the brothers were stone-cold still.

“My turn,” Blake said.

“Truth or Dare?” Rowan asked Blake.

“Dare,” Blake said.

I was still wrapped up in Ethan’s arms while all this was going on around us.

“I dare you to kiss Kyra,” Rowan said.

I whipped my gaze over to Blake, my wide eyes shining as Blake reached for my arm. He wrenched me from his brother’s grasp and crashed his lips to mine, rendering me breathless while my head began to spin.

My pelvis arched into him while his arms wrapped around me. His hands pressed into my lower back while my lips swelled against his.

“Fuck the game,” Rowan said behind me.

He stepped between Blake and me and cradled the back of my neck with his hand. His auburn highlights shone in the dim lighting of their living room while his green eyes pierced directly into my heart. His lips slowly came down onto mine, his tongue swiping lightly along my lips.

I felt my knees grow weak underneath me as his strong arm caught me from falling to the floor.

I was overwhelmed by the passion I felt. As Harper drew me into his arms and away from Rowan, I felt his hands cradle my body lightly. His kiss was unassuming and soft, like he was waiting for me to disapprove of what he was doing. The tips of our tongues connected just before my head cocked to the side and, the moment I threaded my arms around his neck, he deepened the kiss.

The way his beard raked along my skin brought me endless amounts of pleasure.

Soon, I was being twirled around in Owen’s arms. Owen’s kiss was surprisingly sweet for a man who boasted of the muscle and strength he had underneath his clothes. My hands fisted his flannel shirt and pulled him closer, our lips dancing against one another’s while his hand slowly worked its way through the tresses of my hair.

Then I found myself standing in front of Chance, the oldest of the brothers. His light blue eyes stared down at me.

He didn’t kiss me, not like the rest of the brothers did. I ran my hands up his strong arms, tracing the tattoos I could see before my fingers rounded his muscular shoulders. I could see the pain behind his eyes. The things he’d seen and done that he carried with him from his military days. He stared at me intently, his beard concealing the frown on his face as I slowly rose up onto my tiptoes.

I couldn’t not kiss him. Not after the way everyone else had made me feel.

Lightly, I cupped his cheeks within the palms of my hands. I pulled his lips down to mine, cradling his lips sweetly against my warmth. He moved with me, his hands hesitantly placing themselves on my hips and, when I pulled back from him, I could feel myself panting.

I’d never been so turned on in my life. I could feel myself pooling into my pants while I was surrounded by burly, muscular, beautiful men. I looked deep into Chance’s eyes while I debated my next steps and, for once in my life, I decided to do something I’d wanted to do for years.

“Truth?” I asked breathlessly.

“Truth,” Chance said.

“I want all of you,” I said as I looked around the room. “Every single one of you.”

They were all stone-cold silent as I drew in a deep breath through my nose.

“Dare?” I asked.

“Dare,” they all said in unison.

“I want you all to fuck me,” I said. “Now.”

I could see the emotions playing on all their faces, debating on whether or not to act. I could see that each one of them was hard, while my nipples rose to painful peaks behind my bra. I wanted them all to claim me, to take me as theirs and never let me go. I wanted to feel their bodies pressed against mine.

I wanted all of them or none of them.

That was what I truly wanted.

Then, Chance leapt out toward me. He pulled me against his body harshly, crashing his lips into mine as he tugged my shirt over my head. Everything was a flurry of hands and lips and clothes. Fabrics being cast off to the side while Chance’s lips traveled down my chest. I could feel Owen seize my lips while Rowan whispered naughty pleasures in my ear and, in an instant, I felt Ethan’s naked body pressing against my back.

The cock that slid between my legs had me shivering while Rowan’s words left me breathless.

“The moonlight cascading over your skin has nothing on the sweat I’m going to pull from you,” Rowan said. “You’ll be begging for release by the time I’m done with you.”

I was mindless with pleasure while the brothers kissed and suckled and lapped at every inch of my skin. I didn’t know who was who and I didn’t care. All I wanted was their love and attention and their bodies pressed against mine.

Ethan cupped my breasts from behind and licked up my neck, causing my body to shiver, while a hand slowly slid between my legs. The rough callouses stroked my pussy, making me wetter than I’d ever felt before. I opened my eyes and looked down, seeing Chance with his hand dangerously close to penetrating my sopping wet folds.

And his eyes were radiant with devious delight.

“Are you all right?” Harper asked.

The question stopped every single brother in their tracks while my body stood spread for their pleasure.

“What?” I asked.

“Kyra, open your eyes and look at me.”

I fluttered my eyes open and took in Harper’s naked body. He was the perfect height for me and his body was strong. His biceps were chiseled and his abdomen rippled with the slightest movement. The pointers he had on his hips leading down to his massive cock beckoned to my tongue, but his eyes were filled with worry and hesitation.

“Are you okay?” Harper asked.

His light brown eyes had darkened with worry and I reached my hand out for him. I pulled him in for a kiss, feeling Chance’s finger hovering painfully close to my clit. I knew what he was asking. He was wanting to make sure this was my decision.

My decision, since I had been drinking.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m perfectly okay.”

And just like that, Harper’s lips were on my neck. Chance’s finger teased my clit, causing my legs to tremble while Ethan massaged and tugged at my nipples. Harper sucked on one side of my neck while Rowan attached himself to the other and, suddenly, I felt someone’s tongue on my asshole while a rough pair of hands parted my ass cheeks.

“Holy shit,” I said breathlessly.

“I’ve always wanted to know how this ass would taste on my tongue,” Blake said.

Blake lapped at my asshole while Chance continued to play with my clit, his finger slipping into my warm, wet pussy while the boys continued to mark my body. Mouths were on my nipples and teeth were grazing my skin. They took turns holding me up while my body was wracked with pleasure and my knees gave out underneath me. I could feel their cocks dripping against my skin as my hips bucked down onto Chance’s hands and, as I threw my head back and came, Rowan caught my lips with his.

Our tongues danced around one another’s while I moaned, leaking my sweet juices onto Chance’s hand before he leaned forward and kissed my trembling thighs.

“So beautiful,” Chance said.

Chance stood up and, immediately, the boys moved for him. He took me into his arms and slid effortlessly into me, my legs dangling helplessly as he settled onto the couch. He helped me ride his cock into oblivion, my orgasm never stopping while his thumb made quick work of my clit.

I had no idea when he rolled the condom he wore onto his cock, but I could hear all the other brothers ripping their’s open as they prepared themselves for me.

One by one, I rode them until they met their release. Chance’s face tensed with pleasure while his thumb pulled another orgasm from my body. Harper picked me up off his cock and sat me down onto his lap, panting as I engulfed his dick with my wetness. His touch was tender and his kisses along my neck and shoulders caused me to shiver in delight as I rode him gently until his hips finally bucked wildly against me.

We came together in a fury of sweat and curses, but I didn’t stay on his lap for long before Blake pulled me from him.

I was passed around the room in a flurry of pleasure, my pussy pulling cum from their cocks as they spilled into their condoms. Their lips peppered kisses along my reddened skin while my body never really recovered from my climaxes and they all fused together as my eyes rolled into the back of my head. Blake pounded into me relentlessly, bouncing my tits while his mouth marked them with his teeth and, just as we came together, Owen pulled me into his lap.

Only this time, I was facing out toward the room while he slid his thick dick into my caverns.

“What a beautiful sight,” Chance said breathlessly.

“Holy hell, you’re beautiful,” Blake said.

“Our Tinkerbell,” Harper said. “Just for us.”

Owen’s fingertips worked my pussy like magic while he stuffed me full of his cock. It didn’t take me long to reach my precipice with him and I pressed my head into his shoulder while my back reveled in the strength of his broad chest. His massive arms held me close while his lips ghosted over my neck and I shivered as his cock twitched inside of me, his body meeting its end while our sweat intermingled together.

Ethan took my arms and stood me up before he picked me up by my ass. He sat down onto the coffee table while I straddled him, his face planted into my tits while I ran my fingers through his dark brown hair. He pressed kiss after kiss into my skin, grunting and groaning while I felt myself being drained of my energy. I could feel his hands drifting along my back and pulling me close and all I could do was hang on while he pounded up into my hips.

And the moment we came together, Rowan picked me up and settled me into his lap.

“How’re you feeling, beautiful?” he asked.

“Wonderful,” I said breathlessly.

“Got room for one more?” he asked.

“Always,” I said, smiling.

Slowly, we moved together while the other brothers caught their breath. The air of the room was tainted with the smell of sweat and cum and it didn’t take long for Rowan’s frustration to bubble to the surface. He came with a fury while his fingertips dug into my skin and the beautiful look of twisted pleasure on his face forced me over the edge for my final orgasm that night.

A sloppy smile crossed my face as my back arched, bowing so deep I thought it would snap while Rowan kept me rooted to his hips. He filled his condom so much it began to leak out, so he pulled out of me quickly and sighed.

I collapsed back down into his thin, strong body, feeling his green eyes looking down at me lovingly while he pressed a kiss into the top of my head.

I remembered nothing else from that night as I passed out against his skin, surrounded by the naked bodies of my Lost Boys who had come to my rescue when I needed them most.

I was never going back.

Not after this.

 

End of Sneak Peak. Would you like to know how this continues?

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BIG DADDY

The Mountain Man’s Baby Romance

 

PROLOGUE

 

He carried me over his shoulder, as his hand expertly worked its way up my skirt and into my panties. His fingers began to work pure magic, as if they were playing an instrument with skill. The pleasure began to build between my legs, becoming more and more unbearable with every second that passed. With growing anticipation, he walked me to the bed and dropped me onto the silk sheets, never once freeing his touch from my folds.

He pumped his hands, scissoring his fingers to stroke my walls and I moaned in pleasure as he growled and proceeded to bury his face between my legs.

He worked his tongue with skill as I steadily ascended my way over the edge of bliss. I gripped his hair gently, holding him against me, rubbing my slit against his tongue as he licked and lapped at my tender, wet flesh.

“I could devour you, baby. You taste so fucking good.” He slipped his fingers down and against my ass, pushing against the back entrance as he tongued the front.

The pleasure was more than I could stand and yet I had this burning emptiness and a need to have something fill it up.

“I need you inside of me, please.”

I wanted… no needed to feel his bulging cock inside; throbbing my channel and taking me to the edge of passion and beyond.

I knew he wouldn’t disappoint.

He stood, leaving me with my panties pushed to the side, and my skirt hiked up over my hips. He waited for me to strip off his pants, which I did with great pleasure. His cock fell forward, jutting from his hips and begging for attention.

It was the most beautiful sight I’d laid my eyes on.

I was one lucky girl.

CHAPTER ONE - CHANCE

 

Here’s a scenario for you: Let’s assume you want to remove all traces of masculinity from a man. So, how do you do it?

Pluck his ass down in the middle of a big city; domesticate him with a pretty little wife and a pretty little house with a white picket fence, then just sit back and watch. Pretty soon he’ll think that getting a callus on his hand is as bad as leprosy. There you have it. Modern day pussification at its finest.

Fuck that.

This is exactly the opposite of the world I created for myself in the mountain town of Buffalo, Wyoming. Out there, in my cabin, I could see more sky than I ever knew existed. It was both exhilarating and desolate in a way that one can’t appreciate until they’ve seen it first-hand.

Solitude was almost everything to me.

Unfortunately, what I considered solitude, most people considered isolation. It took me six months to realize that I didn’t own a mirror. When I finally saw myself again, I was pretty much the same: six-foot-four, buzzed brown hair, blue eyes, broad as a barn door, and sporting a beard that was headed for Grizzly Adams territory.

I relished in the isolation for years. It was a welcomed sanctuary after experiencing hell on a silver platter.

After I was medically discharged from combat and lost my leg to an IED, I returned to my hometown, Boston, and my welcome-home present was the discovery of my wife’s pregnancy with another man’s baby. The fucktard happened to be a man I’d considered a friend. Needless to say, it led to a nasty divorce and my eventual move thousands of miles away to no man’s land.

The way I saw it, I had two options: murder the dick who knocked up my wife, or leave town and shut myself off from everyone.

I chose the latter.

Isolating myself in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in Buffalo, Wyoming was just what I needed. That’s where I belonged, and where I started my new life. It was a stark contrast from my life in Boston, but it was exactly what I needed.

Little did I know, it would be the future home for my niece and I. Life had a way of kicking us both while we were down. Even so, we sure as hell weren’t going to give it the satisfaction of taking our dignity. Not on my damn watch.

***

As I walked into the elementary school Star attended, I glared over to the playground hoping to catch the five-year-old doing something resembling fun.

Crap, am I even cut out for this?

I asked myself the same damn question that filled my mind for months.

Since Star moved into my cabin, we’d experienced roadblock after roadblock. To say she’d been having trouble adjusting to her new environment would be putting it lightly.

In truth, it’d been a complete shit show, and I couldn’t blame her one damn bit. Star had every right to hate the world. The poor kid went through years of hell, and three months of living with an uncle who practically cut himself off from everyone he knew wasn’t going to give her the warm and fuzzies.

Before walking inside, I finally caught a glimpse of the cute little cotton-top girl whose blond hair was a mess of curls, pulled back into a confused ponytail. Like most mornings, I tried to do her hair and failed royally. I couldn’t figure out how many times to loop the damn hair band. It was either too loose or so tight it would give her a facelift. And those baby hairs—what the hell was I supposed to do with those little hairs?

Star was sitting on a swing, slowly moving back and forth and seemed to be watching a crowd of kids who were playing Red Rover. I could tell she wanted to play, but it was as if she was afraid of some invisible force lurking in the darkness.

Star was afraid to get close to anyone. If only she could open up and learn to trust others enough to be happy. I’d give anything to see a smile on my niece’s face again. There was just one problem: her sole caretaker was just about the worst example for any kid to mirror a life after. We both found comfort in locking the whole damn world out.

I walked inside, angry that I couldn’t do more for her. She deserved the best, and as far as I could tell, I was failing miserably at giving her that. Whereas most kids her age couldn’t be paid to shut-up, Star barely spoke a few words in a day. It was a stark contrast to the chatty two-year-old I remembered my brother gushing about.

“I’m here to see Counselor Durdin.” I rattled the keys in my pocket, playing it cool, but not fooling myself.

The woman behind the counter pushed up her glasses. She was a pretty girl, with bright blue eyes and a soft complexion, but she had a severe red slash across her mouth that had been done up with too much lipstick. The woman didn’t need that much makeup, but noticing the scar marring her lip, I could understand.

I understand probably more than most people.

To this day, I could still feel the presence of all ten toes from my left leg, even though it had been torn from my body in combat. It was easier to mask the injury, than give others the opportunity to ask me about it, or even worse, pretend like it didn’t exist. I hated the moment others would stare, the way their postures would change ever so slightly, the way they’d avert their eyes like they’d been caught staring at something they shouldn’t be seeing. It was easier to avoid the whole damn experience all together. I’d rather stick needles in my eye.

“Have a seat, and she’ll call you back in a moment.” She pressed a button on her phone and then as I took a seat in a black plastic chair, which had been molded for much smaller people, I heard her relaying the message that I was there.

I stared at the Bison mascot mural for what seemed like ten minutes, before I heard my name called. “Mr. Owens?”

I looked up to see a professionally-dressed older woman, with long black hair down to her waist. I stood as she held out her hand and took it, surprised when she gave it a firm shake.

“I’m Hattie Durdin, the school’s counselor. I’m so glad you were able to make it today.” She turned and led me into her office, shutting the door behind her. She offered me a seat across from her desk and I sank my large frame down into it before speaking.

“I’ve been wondering how Star has been progressing in school. Thank you for arranging this meeting.”

“Mr. Owens, Star’s adjustment at this school is important to both of us. I was assigned to follow up with her by her case-worker in Boston. The case-worker called me earlier this week to ask how Star has been holding up.”

“Case-worker? I hadn’t been aware one was assigned to Star.” I said, slightly annoyed that no one from the state of Massachusetts cared to inform me of such a pressing matter.

“I’m sorry you were not made aware. I’ll be working with you to keep you abreast of everything going forward. I learned the move for Star has been quite a change for her. The poor girl has been showing signs of it too. Are you aware that she doesn’t speak here at school? That’s a sign of a child that’s been through severe trauma much like Star.”

“Yes, I’ve had conversations with Star’s teacher about it. We are doing our best to help Star adjust. It hasn’t been easy.”

“I see.” She paused to write something down in her legal pad. “Mr. Owens, normally we would use discipline in such matters, but Star’s situation is unique.”

“Discipline? Why would you discipline her?” I asked, getting more annoyed. This wasn’t going very smoothly so far.

“Well, my concern is that this may be more of a defiance issue—” she started.

“Hold on a second,” I said, cutting her off. “Didn’t the teacher tell you that she doesn’t talk at all? It has nothing to do with defiance. She doesn’t talk to me but a few words here and there.”

“Oh, I see. So this isn’t simply a school issue.”

“No, ma’am. Not at all. She has a trust issue. Rightfully so. If you’d been through what she has in the past few years, you’d be leery of the world too,” I said sternly.

I’d be damned if anyone was going to overlook Star’s traumatic past, and use defense mechanisms against her.

Star’s father, my brother Luke, passed away in battle when she was two. Her mother spent her time drowning her sorrows in alcohol, to the point she became neglectful and frankly a poor excuse for a mother. I didn’t care how depressed she was after my brother’s death. It was no reason for her to abandon Star.

Star was thrown into the foster care system when she was three. Most of the homes had only been temporary, so she’d been moved around seven times in the past two years until I’d taken her in only months ago. I’d only had custody of Star for the last three months. It would have been sooner had I been made aware of the matter, but I’d shut off communication from friends and family for some time following my move to Wyoming. I still felt damn guilty about not getting involved sooner, but I was there for her now. Nothing was going to change that now.

“You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry for coming across as inconsiderate. It’s just that Star’s situation is concerning and we all want the best for her. What are your thoughts about exposing her to some outside support? She seems to be struggling with reading, but that’s inconclusive. Since she won’t talk, it’s been a challenge to come to this judgement. We feel if she were to have a tutor, someone who could help her build a bit of confidence using her voice in private, then maybe she’d open up a bit here in the classroom and participate.”

“I see your point. I’ll make it work. I haven’t really read her any books, but I’ll start.”

I had just recently gotten the bedtime routine down, and it didn’t include storybooks. I told her tales about me and her dad when we were kids. She seemed to like those stories a lot, so maybe she’d enjoy a fairy tale or fable book as well.

“That would certainly help, but I’d still look for someone to tutor her. We don’t want her to fall behind.”

The idea of Star struggling through school had me worried. What she learned could take her through life, and I couldn’t let her be shortchanged. More importantly, she needed to feel confident that she was just as smart and capable as other students - if not more. That type of thinking would be a trap, leading to low self-esteem onto her adult life.

I sure as hell wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Is there anyone you can recommend?” I asked.

She reached into her desk and handed me a paper with a list of names. “These are a list of older students and teachers who don’t mind helping with tutoring. You can call and set something up if you like, just let us know when you do. We want to mark her progress. And don’t worry, Mrs. Marsh will be doing everything she can on her end to see that she keeps her levels up. She is a bit younger than the other kids, too, so that makes a difference.”

“Well, her birthday is tomorrow. She’ll be six.”

“Yes, I saw that in her file. Have the two of you made any plans?”

“I’m taking her out for pizza and ice cream."

“That sounds like a wonderful idea. Star’s lucky to have an uncle like you in her life. Without your help she would be in a far dire situation.”

I nodded and cleared my throat.

Unfortunately, luck was something Star lacked most thus far. Before Star came into my life, I was living life for myself. I was isolated from everyone and a selfish bastard telling the world to fuck off in every way imaginable.

Now, I had a bigger purpose and I wasn’t going to let my dim past screw things up for Star.

***

The next day was eventful. Star enjoyed her pizza and ice cream, but her eyes lit up when she opened the doll I had waiting for her in the house. Since she didn’t have a lot of friends or toys, I decided her birthday was the perfect time to spoil her. She’d only brought a few things with her from Chicago, and aside from furniture and some matching curtains, her room was pretty bare these last three months. When we returned home, she found the kid size kitchen set I’d left her in the living room, and she ran over and started cooking dinner for her doll.

She exhausted herself early and finally crawled up beside me on the couch and fell asleep. I carried her to her room and kissed her on the forehead before I went to bed next door.

I promised Cynthia, my elderly neighbor, that I’d bring Star over for breakfast. She was probably the closest resemblance to a local acquaintance I had in Buffalo, and lucky for me, she enjoyed our company.

Considering I was a prick to everyone around me, it was most likely Star’s company she enjoyed most. Cynthia talked about loving children and wanting grandchildren of her own. Whatever it was, I was grateful for her presence for Star’s benefit.

***

When we arrived at Cynthia’s place, Star was greeted with a blue-and-pink cake, with big icing flowers and a little plastic tiara on top.

“That cake is huge. Did you make it yourself?” I let go of the birthday girl’s hand as she jumped up and down.

Star’s eyes grew big, and she hugged Cynthia who placed the cake on the small, round kitchen table that she’d done up with a pink tablecloth. Balloons and streamers hung over our heads, and I couldn’t help but feel gratitude for the woman’s efforts.

“Yes, sir. I used to teach cake decorating classes back in the day. There’s not a lot this old bird can’t do. I tell you, I was made to be a grandmother, but you can’t convince my kids of it. They’re so busy traveling the world and busy with careers, I’m not sure they’ll ever have kids.”

Cynthia Darling, who was in her late sixties, with grey hair, apple-round cheeks, and more spirit than most, had welcomed me with open arms when I’d showed up next door. When I’d gotten Star, she’d gone into full grandma mode, and despite me offering, she wouldn’t take a penny for her help babysitting Star.

“You’re going to spoil her.” I let loose a laugh as I saw the stack of presents that Star ran over to inspect.

Cynthia leaned in close. “She needs to know it’s a special day, and that she has people here who love her. Besides, is that a new doll? I thought you were buying her a kitchen set?”

“I did, but I thought a doll might also be a new friend. One who couldn’t leave, who she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to.” I whispered to Cynthia.

“Smart thinking.” Cynthia turned her head to watch Star who inspected the table next.

“She talked to her doll last night. I could hear her through the walls. Ask her its name.” About that time the timer went off, and Cynthia walked over to pull a breakfast casserole out of the oven.

She placed it on the counter and then turned to Star. “Who is this beautiful friend you’ve brought today?”

Star smiled and took the chair, which had a few streamers and balloons taped to it. She placed her doll in the chair beside hers. “Jackie,” she said softly, smiling to show off her missing front tooth.

“Jackie? That’s a gorgeous name. Did you know there once was a beautiful queen of Camelot named Jackie? I’ll have to tell you about her sometime.” She turned and gave me a wink as she opened a stack of pink and blue plates.

After we ate, and Star opened her gifts, which turned out to be two new outfits, and three play sets full of everything she needed to accessorize her new kitchen, she busied herself on the floor as I stared out the window sipping coffee at Cynthia’s table.

“Thank you for everything you did. You really didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“Are you kidding me? This stuff makes my day. Hey, you look like you’ve got a lot on your mind.” The old woman took the seat next to me and added cream to her coffee and I took a deep breath. For some reason Cynthia was one of the few people who could get me to open up and actually say more than an obligatory few words.

“Yeah, I talked to the school. I have to find someone who can tutor Star in reading. They said she needs someone with experience to give her the attention she deserves. They don’t want her to fall behind, and I sure don’t either.”

“Some kids just bloom later than others, but that doesn’t mean much. She’s been through a trauma, and once she gets used to a stable environment, and sees that this is forever, she’ll come around.”

“Yeah, but by then, she might be too far behind to catch up. I can’t help feeling useless. I wish I could just make it all better right now.”

“You do what’s best at the moment. No parent knows exactly what’s best for their kids every single time. It’s barely more than trial and error.”

That was a relief to hear. I’d been doing that since I’d brought Star home; flying by the seat of my pants.

“Thanks. I know it’s going to be okay. It’s just a bit harder than I thought. She’s a great kid, though.” I watched her playing on the floor with Jackie and her gifts, and remembered my brother and me on our birthdays. If we’d had half of what she’d gotten for her birthday, we’d have felt rich. Then again, none of that replaced the value of a stable household with loving parents.

“Maybe if there was a nice young woman around—"she started.

I rolled my eyes and held up a hand to stop her. “Thanks, but no thanks. I have enough on my plate right now just taking care of Star. I don’t need a clingy woman to demand my attention as well.”

Cynthia pursed her lips. “You just need the right woman,” she said.

I shook my head and stood up from the table to excuse myself to the rest room. No way was I going to sit through this lecture again.

A night of great sex here and there was one thing, but I needed a relationship like I needed a hole in the head.

 

CHAPTER TWO - DREAM

 

“Why aren’t these people at church? It’s Sunday.” I placed my tray on the stack and straightened my nametag and apron.

“We always get a rush around ten on Sundays. All the heathens that were out on Saturday night are just waking up while the holy rollers are walking into church. You’ll find it happens every week. They come in here to get a hot cup of coffee to nurse their hangovers.”

“Ah, and I thought Sundays would be a breeze for some reason.” I couldn’t complain too much, and not just because my boss, Harold, was watching from the register, but because Liza had gotten me the job at the diner just days ago after taking me in. I was lucky to have found her and a steady job.

Beggars surely couldn’t be choosers, especially a beggar on the run from a dangerous man.

“You’ll get the hang of it.” She had been so kind and encouraging.

“Thanks again for the job, Liza; and for taking me in. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“Think nothing of it. You can clean a few of my tables though if you like. That’ll cover it.” She gave me a wink as I raked my hand through my ponytail. A slow ache throbbed in my temples. I’d not worn my hair up in such a tight ponytail in ages.

I also hadn’t stood on my feet for so long, but it was decent money, and I’d already earned a few big tips from men who liked to make naughty jokes about my name.

Liza leaned close as she walked past. “Pull down your sleeve, Dream. Your bruises are showing.” I quickly tugged down my sleeve and let loose a long breath. The deep bruises that my ex had given me were still fading on my arm and had turned a sickly shade of yellow that had mixed with a putrid brown. If seen, they would provoke questions I was not willing to answer.

“Thanks. I keep forgetting.” I tugged the sleeve down until she gave me a thumb’s up. “You’ve been so good to me. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you.” She’d not only found me a job but given me a place to stay. “You’ve been a shining light in the dark.”

“You’re no trouble. Now, that sorry ex of yours—you ain't heard from him, have you?” Liza’s thick southern accent was unmistakable. She’d grown up in a place called Caney Head in southeast Texas and had moved here to Buffalo, Wyoming, when she was just twenty to marry a man who had been about as good as my ex, Nick.

She’d met Brady’s father a year later. Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked out either.

“No, not since I got a different number. Still, it’s scary thinking he can find me easily given his ties with the police force across the country. Listen, I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but if you ever feel it’s too much for you and Brady, then you just say so. I’ll find another place.” I didn’t want to put anyone else in danger.

She laughed softly. “Not around here you won’t. Besides, me and Brady always share a room and rent the other. It helps with the bills.”

Mack called out as the order bell sounded and I grabbed the tray and carefully walked it over to the table as Liza busied herself pouring refills from the coffee pot.

The bells on the door chimed and in walked the sexiest man I’d seen since coming to this sleepy little mountain town.

His dark hair and beard were trimmed short, and his eyes were an icy blue that didn’t just meet mine but seemed to penetrate them. I was so entirely captivated by his muscular body and impeccably good looks, that I almost didn’t notice the young girl by his side. He towered above her, and she was so tiny, she couldn’t have been more than five years old. She had his eyes, but her skin was much paler, and her rosy cheeks were bright and framed by a mess of curly blond hair that had fallen out of her ponytail.

He walked over to my section and lifted the little girl into one side of a booth and then took the other. Liza came up beside me with a stack of menus. “He’s a hot one, ain't he? He’s been coming in here for a few years now, but the little girl, she’s new. She started showing up with him about three months ago.”

“They have the same eyes. Does her mother ever come in?” I figured the man would be married. He was far too hot not to be.

“No, just the two of them. He’s the reclusive type, and she’s a total mystery. No one’s sure if she’s his or not. And if he’s her father, he’s very new to it.”

“Why do you say that?” All I could see was the perfect picture of a father and daughter. He smiled adoringly as she placed a napkin in her doll’s collar and opened a menu for her.

“I’ve been watching him, and he’s a bit awkward with her. He treats her like she might break, or like she’s a bomb about to explode in his hands. You watch him a minute, you’ll see what I mean.” She pushed the menus at me. “Go get him.” She gave me a wink, but I shook my head. The last thing I needed was another man, no matter how achingly handsome he was.

I took a deep breath and walked across the room toward them. He’s just a man, Dream, nothing more. I couldn’t believe how shaken I was inside; practically nervous. “How are you today? What can I get for you?”

He looked at me for a moment as if he had lost all train of thought, and I thought maybe he hadn’t heard me, but then he quickly recovered. “Fine, thanks. Sorry, you’re new.” He glanced over at Liza who had busied herself with another table but kept looking over her shoulder to see what was happening.

“I could get you another waitress if you like.” I suddenly felt insecure.

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I just haven’t seen you around before.”

The way he was looking at me made me feel all kinds of warm. He looked hungry for more than breakfast, which was odd considering he probably had women throwing themselves at him left and right.

“I’m new in town; just started a few days ago. Do you know what you might like?” I didn’t want to have to answer any questions about my personal life, or what had brought me to Wyoming, so I kept myself in professional mode.

“Yeah, I’ll take the All American. What do you want, Star?” The little girl kept her head down and gave me the side eye. “Remember our deal. If you want to eat you have to order your own food. Tell the nice lady what you want.”

The little girl turned her head and looked up at me with those big blue eyes that matched the man’s. “I want waffles please, and one for Jackie too.” She tucked the little napkin into the doll’s collar a bit more as the man smiled.

He cleared his throat. “Are you sure Jackie can eat a whole waffle by herself? She’s got an awfully tiny stomach. Maybe you should just share yours.”

Disappointment dawned on her face, and I could tell she was upset, but she kept quiet.

I leaned forward and spoke softly to the girl. “I tell you what, how about you order your waffles, and I’ll bring Jackie her very own little plate and a fork so you two can share?” I paused my pen as the little girl nodded her head.

The man looked up and regarded me closely. I couldn’t tell if he was irritated by my suggestion or not. Either way, he didn’t say a word.

“Can I get you a coffee or soda?” I put the pad away.

“Yeah, I’ll have a coffee and get her a chocolate milk.” The little girl looked across the table at him and gave a slight smile. She seemed very cautious in her mannerisms, and I wondered if he were strict with her when they weren’t in public.

“Coming right up.” I hurried to get their drinks, and when I returned with them, the two weren’t talking or carrying on a conversation like I’d expected them to be.

The little girl was staring out the window with a somber expression, and he was looking at his phone. I was starting to see what Liza meant. The mystery deepened.

“Here you go.” I placed the little plate in front of the girl’s doll, and then a fork too. Then I placed their orders in front of them. “Did I hear right that your name is Star?” I glanced at the man, but the little girl turned her head up and nodded quickly. “That’s a beautiful name. And it’s unique like mine. I’m Dream.” I pointed to my nametag.

“That’s a pretty name,” she said, smiling.

“Thank you,” I said. There was that look again. The man was regarding me with something a little more than interest in my name in his eyes.

“Dream, huh?” he said. “It’s fitting.” A brief flash in his eyes had my knees feeling wobbly.

I wasn’t sure what to say so I stuck with my usual waitress banter.

“Well, you three enjoy your breakfast,” I said, turning to walk away.

Just then the little girl tugged my apron and held up her doll. “Her name is Jackie.” She held her waffle to the doll’s mouth and then took a bite.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you Jackie,” I said, reaching over to shake the doll’s tiny hand, which thrilled the little girl to no end.

“Use your fork, or you and Jackie will both be sticky.” The man picked up the fork and handed it to her with a frown on his face, and the little girl giggled and shook her head. As he extended his arm, his sleeve shifted, showing off his tattoos.

My stomach clenched and my toes nearly curled. Good God. Tall, hot, muscular, and tattooed? I had to walk away before I needed a good hosing off.

I checked back on the two of them a few times more in between my other tables and made sure they were well taken care of.

Though I had zero intention of allowing myself to get involved with another man anytime soon, if ever, there was something about the guy that drew me to him, and the looks he’d been casting my way weren’t helping.

As they got up to walk out the exit, he approached the cork board near the door where people hung business cards and help wanted ads. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and secured it to the board with a pin before taking the little girl’s hand and heading out.

My curiosity getting the best of me, I walked over to look at what he’d put up.

Help wanted: looking for a reading tutor for a kindergartner.

I felt a tickle along my spine as I read the piece of paper over and over.

This was either my lucky day, or a really cruel joke.

 

 

CHAPTER THREE - CHANCE

 

I hadn’t realized how long I’d been out of the dating game until I made eye contact with that hot waitress at Harold’s diner. She was the sexiest thing this town had seen in ages, and her name was fitting; she was a dream. A wet one.

As I piddled around my shop and looked over some designs, I couldn’t shake the image of her from my mind. Asking her out had crossed my mind more than once, too, but with Star in my life, and things needing to be stable, I hadn’t let myself get back in the dating arena. A quick fuck was one thing, but an actual relationship was something different, and I’d been married one time too many as it was. I’d joined the US Navy when I was just out of high school at eighteen years old. By the time I was ready for the SEALs, I had met and married Becky, who I thought was the one. I’d wanted to have children with her, to have a family to come back to like all the other men, but she hadn’t wanted to be pregnant while I was on my tour. So she’d promised me that when I returned, we’d settled down and start our family.

I had no reason to think she was cheating on me; she’d been good about hanging with the other navy wives and volunteering for programs that helped servicemen to fill her time.

Once I had my accident and came back home for good, I could tell things had changed. I thought it was me, that my injury was too much for her. The morning sickness had started just a month after I got home. I was certain I’d knocked her up during the welcome home fuck she’d given me my first day back.

I was over the moon. I was finally getting things the way I’d always wanted them, minus one leg, which I wouldn’t let get me down. I was a fighter, not a quitter, and as long as I had her and the kid, I’d be fine. But something wasn’t right. Although she put on a good face, I just didn’t think she was as happy about the baby as me.

The time came to have an ultrasound, and that’s when I realized the math was all wrong. According to how far along she was, she had to have gotten pregnant before I’d come home, and that’s when she broke down and confessed she’d been fucking my so-called college friend Ben.

The phone ringing brought me out of my daydream, and I picked it up to see my buddy, Austin’s ugly mug staring back at me. The guy was the only man from my group of friends in the past that I allowed back into my life, and that was solely because he’d been my brother in arms and we’d shared the hell of that god-forsaken desert for eighteen months. .

“What’s up, man?” I pushed my work aside and leaned back in my chair.

“Hey, Chance, how’s it been? Is that little girl giving you gray hairs yet?” Austin called at least once every other week, and I’d been filling him in on Star’s progress.

“She’s not that high maintenance. What about you? Are you ready for your wedding?”

“That’s three months away, and yes and no. I’m ready to get it over with, but we’re not done spending money yet. Lola has dragged me to every wedding venue and chapel in southern Cali, and I’ve tasted so much cake, that I probably have diabetes.”

“Sounds like a real pain in the ass.”

“Just wait until you find your pain in the ass, you’ll be doing the same thing, buddy.”

“No way, man. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. No more weddings for me, my friend.”

“Well, have you at least met a nice girl in that Podunk town to tug on your willy?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Austin had always had a way with words.

“Actually, I did see a nice piece of ass down at the diner. She’s the hottest thing this town’s got to offer in the way of women. Don’t get me wrong, there are other pretty faces, but most of the women here taste like vanilla if you know what I mean.”

“With that kid around, you better get used to the flavor, Daddy.” He chuckled, using the nickname he’d given me since I’d told him I was bringing Star home.

“Hey now. I’m Uncle Chance. She won’t ever call me ‘daddy’, and I hope she never does.” That title was reserved for my brother and no one else. I’d never disrespect him by taking that from him, even if I had to fill the role.

“So? Are you going to settle down with this one or what?”

“You’re mental, man. I just met her yesterday. She’s a waitress down where I eat; new to town.” Not to mention, a nice girl like her would probably be totally freaked the minute my pants came off and she realized I only had one real leg. That’s how it usually happened. No, I much preferred the girls who didn’t care as long as I could make them come. And I always could.

“Right, I forget you don’t exactly do the whole ‘love’ thing. At least not yet. You’ll change your mind when you find the right girl.”

“There’s no right girl for me, not anymore. I’ve learned to live with it, and if I can provide Star a good home, then that’s all the purpose I’ll need.” If I kept telling myself that, I might actually start to believe it one day.

“Did you get your new designs finished?” he asked, changing the subject when he realized I wouldn’t budge.

“Yes. They look great.” I was really proud of my work and glad I’d put my artistic abilities to use.

“That’s awesome man. I think it’s great you’re able to help others through your work.” I had been designing prosthetics since I’d recovered from losing my leg, and I’d sold a few of my designs to the leading company in the US. It was great money, but that wasn’t my passion. I’d been working on a side project to create an app for phones that would help wounded vets connect to services they needed, and that had been my focus for months, but I had yet to get past the planning and design stage at this point.

Maybe it was fear of failure or rejection that kept me from putting it out in the marketplace, but whatever it was I needed to get the hell over it.

I wandered into the kitchen to see what I had in the fridge to make for dinner. The shelves were bare but for a gallon of milk and a jar of jelly with the pantry just as empty. I would have to go to the store when I picked up Star from school. I grabbed my keys and headed out to my truck. Before I realized what I was doing, I started to drive toward the diner instead of the grocery store.

I sat in the parking lot and looked in through the front windows, watching Dream go from table to table. She really was beautiful, with long dark hair, pale-green eyes, and a smattering of freckles across her creamy skin. She was at least a head shorter than me with ample breasts and curvaceous hips. But there was something more than just her beauty that was drawing me to her. Being a highly trained SEAL, I was good at spotting trouble; and Dream had trouble written all over her. Trouble I didn’t need, and yet here I was, trying to convince my dick not to salute her.

I sighed and walked in, telling myself that I was just there to check on the ad I’d posted before heading to the store to pick up supplies. I went straight to the board and stared at the piece of paper with my name and number on it.

“Can I get you a table?” I turned to see Dream standing just behind me, and I let out a low chuckle. Damn she was beautiful.

“No, thanks. I wondered if anyone has asked about the ad.” Her face fell, and it sent an unexpected shiver through me. Had she been hoping I’d stop in to see her?

“Not that I know of, but it is kind of nice you mention it because I wanted to talk to you about that.” She looked over her shoulder and then leaned forward to talk quietly. “You need a tutor for your little girl, and well, I was an elementary school teacher back in Chicago.”

“You’re from Chicago?” She nodded in response as I looked her up and down. There was an ugly yellow mark on her arm, and I had a feeling I knew where it was from. Five distinct fingerprints marked where a large hand had grabbed her. My gut started to burn.

She noticed me glance at her arm and quickly pulled down her shirt sleeve, her face turning pink. “Uh, yeah, well, if you’re still serious about a tutor for Star, I’d like to help.”

I nodded and stuffed my hands in my pockets, fighting the strange urge to take this woman into my arms and protect her from whoever had given her those ugly bruises. “Yeah, that would be great. Why don’t you give me your number and we can set something up?”

We exchanged numbers and she went to wait on her tables. I went out to my truck and sat for another minute, watching her through the glass. She bent over to clear a table and my dick twitched in my pants. Who in their right mind would ever mistreat a woman? Especially a woman as beautiful as Dream.

I shook my head and started the truck, heading to pick up a few groceries before picking Star up from school. As I waited in the pickup line, I saw her standing with her classmates. Her eyes were cast downward and her shoulders were rounded forward. She was clearly upset and my heart ached for her.

I helped her into the truck and buckled her into her booster seat. “How was your day today, kiddo?” I asked as I pulled out of the line and onto the main street.

She shrugged and stared out the window.

“Come on, Star. You know you can tell me anything. What’s up?” I gently coaxed her.

Finally, she looked at me in the rearview mirror as I drove. “We were reading in class and I’m… I’m not very good,” she said quietly.

My heart ached for her. “It’s going to be okay kiddo,” I reassured her.

“How about I make us some spaghetti for dinner?” I asked, knowing it was her favorite.

She nodded but didn’t smile as I’d expected her to. As soon we got home, I got out my phone and dialed Dream’s number.

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR - DREAM

 

I had been given the lunch shift that day, which was fine with me. I hadn’t slept well the night before; nightmares of Nick had kept me awake half the night. By the time I’d been exhausted enough to fall to sleep, dawn had been on the horizon. The later start time had allowed me to get at least a few hours of rest.

As I was tying my apron, Liza approached with a smug smile on her face. “You’ve apparently made quite an impression on someone,” she said, pointing to a booth in the back where Chance sat alone.

My stomach flipped at the sight of him and I subconsciously smoothed my hair back from my face. “Um, we’re the only diner in town. Plus, he is just here to talk over the tutoring job he offered me.”

“Hmm, too bad. I thought maybe he was here to throw you over his shoulder and give you a good roll in the hay,” she said, waggling her eyebrows at me.

I laughed and smacked her with my order pad, shaking my head as I approached Chance’s booth.

“Hey there. Can I get you something?” I asked.

He looked up at me and his blue eyes pinned me to where I stood. “How about a slice of pie and some coffee?” he asked.

Oh, I’ve got a slice of pie for you, I thought to myself naughtily. Jesus, what was wrong with me? Here I was, barely out of an abusive relationship, and this complete stranger had me thinking all kinds of dirty thoughts. I cleared my throat and smiled.

“Let me grab that for you, and I’ll be right back.” I hurried into the kitchen and cut a slice of pie. I poured him a fresh cup of coffee and put it on the tray and returned to the table.

I leaned up against the booth and waited until he’d tasted the pie. Even the way he chewed was sexy. “So when do want me to start?” I asked, needing to speak before I started imagining what else his mouth would look good doing.

“I guess as soon as possible. She’s having difficulty reading. She’s gone through some significant trauma and doesn’t talk a lot. Her teacher and counselor think she needs some special attention and I’m hoping it will give her confidence as well. Maybe bring her out of her shell.”

“I think we’ll get along great. From what I saw, she seemed to be a sweet girl.”

“Yeah, she opened up to you about her doll the other day. I haven’t seen her do that with anyone, so you must have the special touch.” He looked me up and down, as he said the words and I wondered what his touch would be like.

I blinked a few times and pushed away the thoughts. I had to be professional working with his daughter, and she was a special case having been through trauma. I didn’t need to complicate things with thoughts of sex; not for the little girl, or for myself.

“Did you and your wife divorce?” The question seemed to confuse him a bit, but then he shook his head.

“Star’s not my daughter, she’s my niece. My brother passed away, and then her mother grieved herself into an unfit situation. I took her in about three months ago, so this is a new situation for her. She was in the system awhile since I was away, so I’m not sure what’s she’s been through because she doesn’t share much, but it was enough to make her stop talking, and she doesn’t trust people easily.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. It sounds like she’s really had a hard time. I am trained to deal with children in delicate situations though, so I think we’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, I wish I’d just hired you on the spot yesterday, but I thought I better think about it a while. I can’t be too careful with her, it seems. I feel like she’s a little China doll that’s going to break.”

“Well, you seemed like an old pro the other day.”

“Thanks. I’ve been told I’ll get the hang of it.”

So it really was just him and her. It took a special man to take on his brother’s child that way, especially since he was all alone without anyone to help him. Most men wouldn’t take on such a responsibility. I could feel my infatuation growing, along with the warmth between my legs.

“Well, I’m off Friday evening if you’d like me to start then, but there’s a girl starting here next week, so I can get Liza to make sure I’m scheduled off two nights a week if you like. Maybe Tuesdays and Thursdays would be good?”

“Friday is good, I don’t see any point in waiting, and if you’re worried about a schedule, any two nights during the week will work, and it can even vary if you need it to. I’m not picky, really. I do most of my work during the day since I work from home. I can pay fifty dollars per session. It seems to be the average rate for someone with experience.”

“Excellent. Well, I’ll see you then.”

Chance wrote his address on an order ticket and we agreed on a time for me to come over. I walked back over to the counter to where Liza was standing with a grin on her face. “What?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing,” she said, looking at me sideways.

“No, seriously, what?” I asked again.

“You really don’t see how he looks at you? Like he wants to lick you like he’s licking that fork over there?”

I watched his tongue dance over his fork before he placed it on his plate, and I was instantly wet. It had been way too long since a man had paid any attention to my needs. Nick had always been about his own pleasure, and that had usually included causing me pain. I allowed myself a brief moment to wonder what it might be like to be spread out underneath a man like Chance, and I had to stifle a groan.

I shook my head and picked up the coffee pot, stepping around the counter to refill the few customers in the place. “You’re ridiculous,” I said to Liza as I turned, and heard her chuckle behind me.

Chance finished his dessert and paid his check, offering a smile and a nod as he walked out. “See you Friday,” he called back before the door closed behind him.

I felt a sudden rush of nerves. I was more than qualified to tutor Star in reading, and yet for some reason I was questioning my decision to do it. Why was that?

The bells on the door sounded, and I turned to greet my new guests and caught something out of the corner of my eye. It was a black car with a light on the front, just like my ex owned through the force. He had been a cop for fifteen years and had more connections than a mob member. I froze in panic. Had he found me?

“Dream?” Liza stepped around in front of me and then turned her head as if to see what I was staring at. “Dream, are you okay? What is it?”

“Do you see that black car?”

“The one with the extra light?”

“Yes, that one. Do you know who that is?” I hoped that it was some local I’d never seen, but I wasn’t sure I’d get that lucky. My ex had found me time and time again, and each time, the abuse had been worse.

“Read the door, Dream. It’s just one of those boys over from the next county. He’s probably just passing through. They do that about once a month to take people over to the penitentiary.”

“I thought it was Nick’s people for a moment. I’m so sorry.”

She turned me toward the ladies’ room. “You go in there and wash your face and take a few deep breaths. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I feel like I’ve seen one.” I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I did look pale, but I couldn’t help it. I would rather die than face that man again. I took a paper towel from the dispenser and wet it, then I slapped it on the back of my neck.

I had to pull myself together. I couldn’t fear him the rest of my life, and that’s why I’d come to a place he’d never find me to start over. I’d make damned sure I had a good life here and was lucky I’d found people willing to help me. Even if I had to live on the streets, I’d promised myself that I’d survive. Once a little time had passed, he’d forget all about me, and I’d be able to stop looking over my shoulder. I just prayed that time would come sooner than later.

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE - CHANCE

 

Star’s teacher helped her into the car as I pulled to a stop in the circle. “Have a good weekend, sweetie,” she said before she shut the door.

I drove us away as she hooked her seatbelt around her and Jackie. I’d remembered to bring the doll every day since she’d asked, but for one, and after the look of disappointment on her face, I’d make damned sure not to do that again.

“Can we get pizza?”

“Do you remember I told you how that nice lady from the diner was going to come over and help you with your reading?” She looked over at me with a solemn expression.

“I thought we’d wait and see if she would like to have pizza with us. Would you be okay with that?

“She doesn’t like pizza,” Star said, very matter of fact.

“Now, how do you know that? It might be her very favorite, and besides, we don’t want to be rude and start without her. She’s going out of her way to help us both.”

“I don’t want to read.” Star poked out her bottom lip and crossed her arms.

“I know you don’t like the way you read, Star, but Dream is not going to laugh at you. She’s really excited to help you a better reader. Think of this as having your own special teacher; one the other kids don’t get to have.”

She turned her head to look up at me, but she didn’t say anything else. I hoped she’d lighten up a little by the time Dream arrived, and not shut down completely. I’d seen her do that before. The day before she’d started school, she’d locked herself in the bathroom and wouldn’t come out. I finally, after an hour of begging, took the door off the hinges, and she was mad at me for the rest of the night.

For the most part, she was a reasonable kid, but she was extremely guarded in who she let in. I was just starting to break through to her myself.

We arrived home, and she went to take a bath, and while she was changing, there was a knock on the door. I opened the door and my breath was taken away by the angel on the other side.

Dream stood there, wearing a white fitted tee and tight jeans that showed off every curve. My cock grew, tenting my pants and though I needed to adjust it, I wasn’t about to touch the damned thing. Instead, I hid behind the door and opened it wide enough for her to step in.

“Come on in. Star’s in a strange mood. I think she’s a bit embarrassed by the tutoring. She should be out any minute.”

“She’ll be fine once she sees it’s going to be fun. I brought some really cute books for us to read.”

I was glad to see she’d come prepared.

A moment later, Star came out of her room dressed in her pajamas and carrying Jackie, who had on a little nightgown. She padded across the floor and stood beside me holding onto my good leg.

I looked at Dream who was smiling down at her. “We were just going to order some pizzas if you’d like to join us, then I thought you could get started with your lesson.”

“I’m tired. I want to go to bed.” Star turned and headed to her room, and I realized what she was up to. She’d rather go to bed hungry than be humiliated by reading with Dream.

Before I could get onto her, Dream stepped forward.

“Really? I was hoping I could read this book to you before you went to bed. It’s one of my favorites, and I used to read it to my first-grade class all the time. I really miss being able to teach.” She hung her head in disappointment, and Star’s little shoulders relaxed a bit.

“Dream was a teacher back in Chicago,” I told her.

Dream walked over to the couch and continued her sob story. “I miss those little ones so much. It hurt my heart to have to move away. It’s tough making new friends, and no one needs me to teach them around here.” She looked to her lap and held the book tight. “I was so hoping you’d want to be my friend.”

Star walked over to the couch and climbed up beside Dream. “You’re a teacher?”

“Yes, I taught a first-grade class at a place called Oak Brook Elementary. But I had to move away.”

Star seemed to contemplate that for a moment before nodding at Dream. “You can read to me. Do you like pepperoni and ham?”

Dream’s face lit up. “Is that your favorite too?”

Star nodded quickly and smiled.

“I’ll just go order us a couple and let you two ladies get better acquainted.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked into the kitchen to get the number. I peeked out to see that Dream was still working her magic with Star, and dialed the phone.

Once the order was made, I went back into the room and tried to act busy while the girls worked.

Dream read the book through and then went over a few words with Star. “You’re doing really well, Star, and I think before you know it, you’ll be able to read this book to me.”

“Do you have Dr. Seuss?” Star leaned closer to Dream and took Jackie from where she had her stuffed between them. She’d used the doll as her shield, and it seemed now she was warming up where she didn’t need the buffer.

“You know, I might be able to find one of those books around here. I’ll go to the library tomorrow and get anyone you want. How about we make a list of the books you like, and I’ll bring them when I come?”

Star’s eyes lit up, and she jumped down from the couch and ran up to her room. Once she was out of earshot, Dream turned to me.

“I think she’s going to do just fine. She just needs to get comfortable enough with me to not be embarrassed to try.”

“You’re doing great so far,” I told her. About that time, Star ran out with her tablet and a box of crayons.

“This is for the list.” She placed the items on the coffee table between them, and then went around to sit next to Dream.

“Excellent. Now, let’s make that list.” Dream took a crayon, and they went back and forth naming titles. One by one she’d mark them down, and now and then she’d pass the crayon to Star and have her write a word from the title; simple words like ham, fox, cat, and hat.

When the pizza came, I placed it on the table and brought some paper plates and sodas. “We usually eat at the kitchen table, but since this is a special night, we can eat in here.” Star’s eyes lit up, and she moved the list aside and opened the pizza box.

“I was hoping the ham would be green,” she said with a giggle.

I scrunched my nose and made a face. “I’m glad it’s not.”

“Do you not like green eggs and ham?” asked Dream.

“I do not like them near or far; I do not like them with Dream and Star.” They both laughed until I thought Star was going to bust, and then we all sat eating and chatting about our favorite books. I even named a couple that were my brother’s favorites when we were kids, and Star, with Dream’s help, added them to the list.

Soon we were done with the pizza, and then Dream went over the book again at Star’s request. A half hour later, Star opened her mouth, letting a big yawn escape her. Our chat had taken up most of the tutoring time, but I knew it was necessary so Star would get comfortable with Dream.

“That was a big yawn for a little girl; I think someone’s ready for their bedtime.” I stood from my chair. “I think it’s time you tell Dream goodnight and I’ll tuck you in.”

“Yes. I should be going. It’s almost my bedtime as well.”

“No, I want to show you my room.” Star’s voice was so whiny that I knew she was worn out. Just as I was about to tell her that Dream had to go, Dream looked up at me with sympathetic eyes.

“I could if it’s okay with your uncle?” I could tell she wasn’t sure she should impose, but I wanted her around as long as possible too. And besides, if she tucked her in, then I could walk her out to her car.

“I think that would be all right.” I gave a shrug then picked up the pizza boxes and took them to the kitchen while the girls headed up to Star’s room. I tossed the empty cans into the trash along with the paper plates, and then went in to check on them.

Star was climbing into bed, and Dream sat at the foot of it. “You have a pretty room.” I’d bought a bedroom set and some pretty bedding, and since her birthday she actually had a few toys that she kept picked up. Her play kitchen was tidy in the corner of her room.

“Thanks. I just got my kitchen.”

“It’s beautiful. I wish I had a kitchen as pretty at that one. I’d bake us a big cake.”

“I had a birthday cake last weekend. It was pink and blue. It had a tiara.” She pointed up at her headboard where her little crown was, and pulled the covers up to her neck.

“That’s beautiful too. You’ll have to wear it sometime for our lessons. We’ll have a lot of them.”

“Next time can you wear your pajamas?”

Dream’s face turned red as she glanced back at me, and my ears went hot.“We’ll have to see about that.”

“You could wear them and sleep over sometime if you want.”

I had to stifle a groan. If Dream were to ever spend the night in my house, she would not be wearing any pajamas, that’s for damn sure. “Star, Dream has her own house and her own bed, and I’m sure she’s really ready to get in it. It’s been a long night.” I didn’t want to sound rude, but Star was fighting sleep, and I knew she’d keep talking as long as she could. Not to mention, if I kept entertaining the thought of a sleepover, my erection would be impossible to hide.

“Yes, and my roommate, Liza. She’s going to want me to read to her little boy too. Maybe you can meet him sometime. He’s two, and his name is Brady.”

“Okay. But you’ll come back, right?”

“Of course, as long as your uncle thinks I need to. Now you should really get some sleep, sweetie. Being rested will help you do better too.” Dream stood up and tucked the covers up to her chin. “I’m so glad we’re friends, now Star. We’ll have a lot of fun, you’ll see.” She kissed her hand and then patted Star’s little head.

Star seemed pleased to hear that, and she didn’t complain as I walked Dream out.

I walked her to her car, and we both reached for the door at the same moment, our fingers brushing against one another briefly. She pulled her hand away as if she’d been burned, and a surge of electricity shot up my arm. I took a slight step back as she opened the door and stood behind it, putting a barrier between us. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was afraid of me, or because she’d felt the same lightning bolt I had.

I cleared my throat to break the tension. “Well, I guess I’ll see you next week.”

“Thanks for dinner and for letting me tuck Star in. I know it wasn’t really in the agreement.”

“Nonsense, I know she’s in need of a little extra TLC, and I’m fine with it if it helps her warm up to the idea of tutoring.”

“You’re amazing.” She looked deep into my eyes as we exchanged a glance that had my blood heating up.

I knew if I didn’t walk away right then, I’d have her spread out on the hood of her car, doing unspeakable things to her body in a matter of minutes.

I clapped my hands to break the mood. “Goodnight.” As she slid inside, I shut the door and watched her drive away.

Once she was out of sight, I jogged into the house and made sure Star was asleep before I stripped and jumped into the shower, wrapping my large hand around my thick, hard cock. I was going to have to relieve myself if I was going to be able to spend any time around Dream without mauling her.

 

 

CHAPTER SIX - DREAM

 

My alarm clock hit the ground with a crash, and I covered my head with a pillow until I finally got the strength to reach down and pick it up and shut it off. I’d been restless the night before, my mind still reeling from my time with Chance and Star.

Though I was quickly beginning to adore the little girl, I couldn’t stop thinking about Chance. That look he’d given me when he walked me to my car, it was one of longing and desire. I hadn’t had a man look at me that way in ages.

I couldn’t stop thinking about his body, how strong he was, how big he was in comparison to me, towering over me with that firm, fit build. I wondered how it would be to have him pull me into his big strong arms and kiss me, and my body heated up, warmth spreading between my legs with desire that had nagged me all night.

As I got out of bed, I knew I couldn’t take it anymore. I headed to the shower to get on with my morning rituals, and to quench a little bit of the nagging need that throbbed deep in my core.

As the warm water spilled down my breasts, licking my tight nipples in steady streams, I slipped my hand down between my legs and stroked my tender bud. I bit my lips knowing I couldn’t be too loud and didn’t need Liza knowing what I was doing in her guest shower.

I dreamed about what it would have been like to have gone back inside with him, sneaking down the hall past Star and into Chance’s bedroom. I’d have been on my knees so fast, taking out that hot, long cock and giving it a lick, that his eyes would have rolled back in his head.

I imagined him reciprocating, his large body down between my thighs, his hands cupping my ass as he licked and explored my sopping wet pussy. It had been too long since someone had filled it completely; too long since I’d been licked and sucked and touched in my sacred places.

I wondered what it would be like to kiss him, our mouths touching with just the right amount of pressure and his lips caressing mine, his tongue parting them wider. That same tongue would work me over, trailing its way down to my breasts. I pinched my nipple hard, imagining his mouth and teeth, and then I dreamed of him diving deeper, exploring me where he’d started before bending me over and taking me hard from behind. I wanted him to put me against a wall and fuck me until the house shook.

I closed my eyes and had a clear vision of him cupping my bottom, pulling me closer to his face and then rolling me over to ride his mouth and tongue as he lapped my little slit. I let his rhythm match my own, and soon I was biting my wrist as my other hand worked me heatedly through my release.

My legs were shaking like a baby lamb’s, and I couldn’t stop until another wave of passion rolled through me. It had indeed been too long, and Chance was the first man I’d wanted to touch myself while thinking of, in what seemed like ages.

I leaned against the wall and tried to get my wits about me. Masturbating to him had been fun, but I had reality to think about. I would have to follow his lead and keep things professional for the sake of Star.

But I knew as I dressed in my uniform, that all it would take was one suggestion from him, and I’d give in.

It was dangerous territory, but I was used to it. Danger was an old familiar enemy. I’d have to be careful.

I finished getting ready and headed to work with Liza, hoping Chance would come into my section and order lunch.

“You were quiet in the car,” she said as we filled the napkin dispensers.

“Yeah, I guess I have a lot on my mind.”

“I was hoping you’d have a hot story to tell me about last night.” She gave me a wink. She knew I was going over to tutor Star, and that I hadn’t any intentions of getting into anything with him, but I knew she hoped all the same.

“You know it’s nothing like that. But he did he get a little flirty in the end. I mean, nothing serious of course, but I don’t know, he made eyes at me.”

“Made eyes at you? For heaven’s sake, girl. Are you from 1950? Has it been that long for you?” She let loose a laugh, and when I didn’t smile back, she went wide-eyed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t joke. I’m sure things with your ex weren’t exactly romantic.”

No, they sure hadn’t been. Sex with Nick had been more about self-preservation. If I’d refused him, he’d have just beaten me and taken it anyway. So instead, I had just laid there and imagined I was anywhere other than there with him, and waited until it was over. Fortunately, it was often quick. All he’d needed was a place to come, and he wasn’t at all interested in bringing me pleasure.

“It’s professional. It’s nothing more than me tutoring his niece. I did have a wonderful time, and he bought pizza, and then I left.”

Liza looked at me sideways. “Sounds like a nice little evening.”

“He’s a nice guy. He took in that little girl after his brother died, and her mother was unstable. He walked me to my car and even shut the door. He’s almost too good to be true, and too good to be interested in me.” I didn’t want to say anything to her about the way he’d looked at me, or the electricity I’d felt when our hands had touched. I was most likely imagining it anyway. No man that looked like him and could have any woman he wanted, would want more than a quick fuck from damaged goods like me.

“Please, he’s a man. You’re a gorgeous girl. One plus one equals two and sometimes three, so use protection. I mean, I’m sure he’s a good guy when it comes to his niece and taking in this little girl, but he has needs like any other man.” She had a point, but I was only using that as an excuse to make him off limits in my mind. It wasn’t working.

“I just need to get right after what I’ve been through, and I’m not sure it’s a good idea to drag him and Star into my drama.”

“I hear you. My ex, Chet is giving me problems. I told him I rented you the room, and now he asked me for a loan. Like I have a bunch of extra cash now. I swear, when one vein runs dry, that leech taps another.”

“Are you going to give him any money?

“Hell no, not one red cent, but it never stops him from asking me. He’s the one who’s three grand behind on his child support, but do I complain? Count in your blessings that you don’t have a child with that monster.” She shook her head.

I placed my hand on my stomach and silently begged for forgiveness. I’d carried the guilt of losing my baby for four years, and I’d often thought if I hadn’t lost it, maybe Nick would have been a better husband and father. I knew deep down though, that no child would have changed who Nick was, and though it sounded horrible to say, it was better that our baby hadn’t survived to face Nick’s ugliness.

“Are you okay?” Liza turned pale, looking like she could read my mind. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Dream.”

“It’s okay. It was years ago, and I didn’t even know I was expecting until it was too late. He pushed me down the stairs; said it was an accident.”

“Geez, girl. It’s a wonder he didn’t kill you.”

“Not for lack of trying,” I said and shook my head.

The bell on the door chimed as the first of our daily customers strolled in. It wasn’t Chance, and I felt a surge of disappointment. I really needed to get ahold of myself. I couldn’t afford to let myself get caught up in a man who might not even want anything more than sex from me, if that.

I thought for a moment what it would be like to have a man who treated me like I were special, like there wasn’t anything in the world he wouldn’t do for me, or give to me. To be his only love, and to be cherished.

But, that was the kind of love that existed in fairy tales, and it wasn’t reserved for people like me.

The day would drag on, and I wouldn’t see any sign of Chance. I tried not to be disappointed and drove to the library to find the books.

I unfolded the big piece of paper and read the purple crayon words, double-checking that all of them would be available. Thankfully, they all were. I gathered the first three on the list so I’d have plenty to work with her on, and then approached the desk.

After applying for a card, and answering thirty questions from the librarian, who clearly didn’t give a care about the silent rule and was more interested in who I was and where I came from, I checked out the books.

I hurried out to Liza’s car, which she let me borrow, and tossed the books into the seat beside me. I’d read one to Brady tonight, and then tomorrow, I’d let Star take her pick.

It was nice being around Star and Brady, and I was grateful I had the chance to nurture children again, even if they weren’t my own.

End of Sneak Peak. Would you like to know how this continues?

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CABIN FEVER

 

Prologue

 

The temperature outside the walls of the cabin were near subzero, but I could feel my body heat rising. He stood staring at me like I was his prey and it was time he finally relented to the animal inside of him.

God, I fucking hoped so.

He kissed me, long and hard, and I felt his erection pressing into me. He picked me up effortlessly, and carried me down the hallway with our lips still intertwined and every single part of me was electrified. He carried me into his room and laid me lightly on the bed. Then his heated gaze hooked onto mine for just a split second.

I reached up and ran my fingertips through his beard. His hair was so soft, his skin so warm. His lips encompassed mine again while my hands rounded his neck and, suddenly, I was parting my legs for him as he settled between them.

I could feel him fighting, volleying between keeping his composure and letting himself loose. I could hear him taking deep breaths, trying to quell the rising flood of energy in his body while his muscles twitched underneath every single touch. I moved his flannel button-down from his shoulders before my hands raked across his back and, in an instant, he was peeling my clothes off.

Jeans and underwear and shirts got tossed to the side. His lips were on my neck, my chest, and around my tits while his hand ran down my leg. The passion his body contained was unlike anything I’d ever felt in my life and, soon, I could feel his cock rising against my skin. It was thick and pulsing, begging for entrance while his lips suckled red welts upon my skin. I ran my hands through his hair while his lips traveled downward, kissing all the way to my toes before he got up onto his knees.

The chiseled body he hid underneath his clothes took my breath away. I could feel my arousal growing, begging for any part of him to touch me where I wanted him most.

He was staring at me like I was his prey and it was time he finally relented to the animal inside of him.

“Take me,” I said breathlessly.

His eyes connected with mine and, for a split second, I thought he was going to flee. I saw the war raging behind his eyes as the peridot sparkle I’d come to enjoy faded into a stormy blue sea. Darkness was coming as it engulfed his features and, soon, his hands were planted beside my head while he hovered over me.

“Don’t ask for something you can’t handle,” he said.

I rose up and caught his lips with mine. His hand came up and cupped my cheek. My tongue slowly prodded to find the tip of his. His hand slid down my chest, massaging my tit as I moaned into his mouth and, soon, his strong, sinewy arm was wrapped around my back and holding me flush against his body.

“Please,” I said, whispering.

In an instant, I was off the bed. My back was against the wall and he was pinning me there, his lips devouring my neck. I could feel myself spilling into my pussy folds, my body trying desperately to hold itself back until he granted me what I wanted. His chest was strong and his lips were hot. His skin pulled a red tint from the confines of my body while I wrapped my legs around his waist. I didn’t care about the pain in my ankle and I didn’t care about the weather outside. I didn’t care that we didn’t know one another and I sure as hell didn’t care that I wouldn’t see him again after this.

All I cared about was the fire being stoked inside of me. A fire I hadn’t felt in years.

“Please fuck me.”

His eyes connected with mine and, slowly, he lined himself up with my entrance. I held my breath, scared to utter another word lest he punish me with loneliness. The grin that slid across his cheeks was nothing short of devilish.

The Guardian of Lust was taunting me and I was playing right into his hand.

 

Chapter 1
Liam

 

Let’s get this shit show on the road.

It didn’t matter that it was my discharge party, or that soldiers like Santiago were genuinely going to miss me. I wanted to get the fuck out of there.

“Are you sure we can’t convince you to stay?” asked Santiago.

“I’m sure,” I said. “This is the right move for me.”

“Fuck man. Good soldiers like you don’t come along every day. Your replacement has some serious shoes to fill.”

“Well, give him hell, just not the hell that was given to me.”

My platoon was throwing the party, and Paxton told me I had to make an appearance. Callen Paxton had been my right-hand man through some of the most treacherous shit.

Hell, Paxton saw it all through with me. He wasn’t trying to convince me to stay in the navy. Unlike everyone else, Paxton understood why I didn’t want to “put in my twenty,” then retire and do whatever the fuck I wanted.

The truth was the last tour altered my life forever.

I didn’t want to bullshit everyone, and pretend to be unhappy about leaving, but I knew I’d regret not seeing my platoon one last time, so I stuck it out.

Those men and I were thick as thieves, all of us. We’d been through hell and back, pierced stormy waters with the bows of our Navy ships, and bunked in beds that almost didn’t hold the muscle we’d all put on toward the end of the last tour. Working out was how all of us relieved the tension and stress from the bullshit that was thrown our way.

It was how I kept my heart pumping when it no longer wanted to.

The night was filled with mindless goodbyes. You’d think a soldier would be good at saying goodbye, but we were the shittiest at it. We said it so often that it became a knee-jerk reaction, but when the goodbye actually meant something, we couldn’t get it out.

I blamed it on the fact that we lost more people than we brought home sometimes.

“You’re a hell of a medic, Canter,” Tom said. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do without you on those ships.”

“I’m sure you’ll train someone just as fine as me to do the work,” I said.

“Highly doubt that. You’re one in a damn million. You gonna try to be a doctor out there in the civilian world?” Lamar asked.

“I’m not really sure. Gonna take some time to figure it all out.”

The Navy was all I knew, ever since I enlisted the moment I turned eighteen. They trained me to be a medic so I could save lives, while simultaneously teaching me how to take a life in case I needed to. It was a dichotomy I’d lived with for fourteen years, and I simply couldn’t handle it anymore. My fuel tank was empty.

Not that I’d let any of these fuckers know it.

“You okay, Canter?” Paxton asked.

I turned my eyes over to him, the man I’d come to consider my best friend, as he walked up toward me. His face was smiling, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes; a side effect of the bullshit wringer we’d gone through not so very long ago.

“On the record? Yep,” I said.

“Off the record, while drinkin’ a beer with your buddy?” he asked.

“Get me the fuck outta here,” I said.

The two of us chuckled before we put the glass bottles to our lips, but then I felt a hand come down onto my shoulder.

“Medical Officer Canter.”

I turned around at the sound of my Captain’s voice and forced a smile.

“Captain Wells,” I said.

He offered me his hand, and I shook it.

“I wanted to come over here and wish you a fond farewell myself,” Wells said.

“Well, I appreciate it,” I said.

“You’re a fine medical officer who’s going to make waves in the medical field out there in the civilian world. That’s one thing I’ve always enjoyed about the Navy. We make sure to prepare our soldiers for life inside and outside of the military.”

“It will do me well, sir,” I said. “That’s for sure.”

“Do you have any plans to become a doctor?” he asked. “You really should. You’ve been a fine one for us.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Captain.”

“Can we drop the bullshit for a second?” he asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said.

I watched his face grow dark, and I wanted to backtrack away from the conversation. I wasn’t ready to address this with the likes of him. I wasn’t ready to talk to him about what happened overseas. I was ready to get this fucking party over with, get out of here, pack my shit, and leave.

Leave and head to the quiet mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

“I want to thank you, son, for keeping as many of our men alive in that situation as you could.”

I stood there, my face stoic, while Captain Wells continued to ramble on.

“What you did under the terrible circumstances, was something that would make even the strongest of men cave. Whatever place you dug down into—wherever you pulled your strength from—thank you. From myself, from this platoon, and from the United States Navy. You made us all very, very proud.”

Proud?

I made them fucking proud?

This man didn’t have the first idea what I endured. What Paxton endured. The things I had to do and the things I had to witness. This man had no fucking clue.

He had no idea how many times I woke up wishing for death to take us all.

But like a good soldier, I nodded and smiled. “Thank you for that, Captain,” I said.

“And Canter. If you get out into the civilian world, and you need anything, you know where to reach me.”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

Honestly, I wouldn’t even know how to fucking contact this man. In my entire career, I’d encountered him only a handful of times. His words lacked meaning, his face lacked any sort of emotional support, and I knew all he was doing was trying to save face. He treated every single opportunity like fucking cameras were following him around, and it made me sick.

“Good luck and Godspeed,” Captain Wells said.

I raised my beer to him, but what I really wanted to do was whack him over the head with the bottle.

I watched him walk away before I turned back to Paxton. His face showed the kind of shock I knew I was feeling, and in an instant, Paxton started laughing. He threw his head back and gripped tightly to his beer, making sure it didn’t spill anywhere while his shoulders shook.

His laughter pulled a chuckle from my throat that soon grew into a billowing roar.

“Holy hell, that man’s full of hot air,” Paxton said.

“He’s a fucking character,” I said.

“Shit, that man has no clue, does he? It’s like he didn’t even come up in the same Navy as us!”

“I’m pretty sure the Navy from 1940 and the Navy now are two different things.”

We laughed until our stomachs hurt before we could finish our drinks. We sat down on some chairs in the corner while people I’d grown to love ate food and came to offer me their congratulations. Soon, the raucous partying died down, and all that was left was the whispering of people in the corners.

“So, where you goin’ from here?” Paxton asked.

“Got a cabin in Tennessee I’m heading to,” I said.

“No shit?” he asked. “Since when?”

“I bought it a few years back with some of my deployment money. Got it paid off and waiting for me for whenever I made this decision.”

“Fuck. I should’ve taken financial advice from you.”

“You’re doin’ just fine for yourself,” I said. “You know that.”

“Well, it could be better. I could stop taking those trips to Vegas.”

“No, you couldn’t,” I said, grinning.

“You’re right. I couldn’t. I love the women out there way too much. Seriously man, is there a more perfect kind of woman?” he asked.

“Probably not,” I said.

“Well, on that note, what are you gonna do once you get to that cabin. Just… hide out?”

“I don’t really know. I just know that, right now, I need some fucking silence.”

A boom sounded off in the distance from the training grounds of our base, and I groaned.

“Shit, I know what you mean,” Paxton said. “Quiet sounds nice.”

“Then you can come visit me anytime,” I said.

A silence fell over us while the two of us started to reflect. Images flashed in my mind. Images of screaming bodies and soldiers with severed limbs. Sounds of people begging for help and reaching out for me - only to be left to die.

I could never reach my hand out far enough.

“Canter, I want to thank—”

“Don’t you dare,” I said darkly.

Paxton’s eyes panned over to me while I pointed my empty beer bottle at him.

“Don’t you dare,” I said again. “You wanna thank me? You come visit me. That’s all the fucking thanks I need.”

“But I really need to—”

“You don’t really need to do anything except finish that damn beer so I can get you another one,” I said.

“But I thought you wanted to blow this gasket sky high,” he said.

“Dude. The beer’s back at my place.”

“Then shit, why the fuck didn’t you say so?”

I watched him throw back the rest of his beer, finishing it in two massive gulps before he slammed his bottle down. I took it from him and tossed the bottles into the recycling bin before we clung to the shadows of the walls. Then, we dumped out into the parking lot and headed for my truck.

“You gonna get yourself a new ride?” Paxton asked.

“Why the fuck would I do that?” I asked.

“Because your truck’s a fucking rust bucket. You’re already turning into some damn mountain man. I see the muscle you’ve been stacking on in the gym. I see that beard. I see your hair growing longer. Soon, you’ll be wearing flannel and replacing the parts of that rusted old shit tank with things you find in a dumpster or some shit.”

“And what’s wrong with any of that?” I asked.

I watched him as he started up his motorcycle, and he grinned as I opened the door of my truck.

“Chicks dig bikes, Canter. It’s just a fact of life.”

I laughed at him as he rode off, turning toward my apartment to get his beer. I hopped into my truck and started it up, listening to how it was slow to crank.

Shit, I’d have to get a new battery for it soon enough. But keeping this truck running was a way for me hang on to something better. Something normal. Something good before all the bullshit that brought Paxton and me together in the first place.

This truck had been here before all that shit, and now, it was here after all that shit.

I heard Paxton’s motorcycle make its way around before coming back into the parking lot. He pulled up to my door, and I rolled down my window, watching that sly grin of his spread across his face.

“You comin’ old man?” he asked.

“Who the hell you callin’ old?” I asked.

“Hey, I’m still in my twenties. You breached thirty, two years ago.”

“That shit don’t make me old,” I said. “That just means I’m wise. Chicks might like bikes, but do you know what they also like?”

“What? Grey hair and a dick that can’t stay up?”

“Nope, the rasp of a nice thick beard between their thighs,” I said, grinning.

“Oh shit, Canter,” he said. “You’re gonna slay all the pussy while you’re out.”

“None of your damn business.”

We both laughed out load. I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, with Paxton in the lane beside me. He kept taunting me with his bike, trying to get me to race him after every traffic light turned green. But my mind wasn’t on fucking around, nor was it on slaying pussy or whatever the hell guys called it these days.

When I said I wanted silence, that was what I meant. No people to bug me, no woman nagging in my ear about bullshit, and no sticky fluids I had to clean up after. All I wanted was to pack up my shit, get the rest of my papers signed, and settle down in the cabin I’d bought for myself. It was tucked back into a forest of trees that cried out with innocent life, and all I wanted to do was make myself a part of it.

All I wanted to do was try to get back a part of myself that had been stripped from me.

And I wanted to do it in silence.

Chapter 2
Whitney

 

“You look tired.”

“Thanks, Gwen.”

“I’m just saying, if you come sit in my chair one day, I could give you a new haircut, a new hair color, a nice massage and deep condition. You’ll feel good as new,” said Gwen.

“I take it the hairdressing business is going well?” I asked.

“Girl, I got that shit on lock. I’ve almost got enough to start my own little place!”

“Wait, that’s awesome,” I said. “When the hell were you gonna tell me this?”

“I just did, bitch! By the end of this year, my Christmas present to myself will be signing the lease on the store for my own business.”

“Holy hell, Gwen, I’m so proud of you. Have you started looking at places? You need someone to look over rental contracts?”

“Girl, that law degree of yours does not relegate you to go reading over my legal paperwork,” she said. “I got this.”

“I just want to help,” I said. “Gwen, this is exciting. You’ve been talking about owning your own salon ever since we were in grade school.”

“Yep. I knew what I wanted then, and I know what I want now. The question is, do you?”

Her question hit me like a ton of bricks. We were sitting at our favorite restaurant in Memphis, waiting for the best barbecue while we sipped on the best sweet tea in the South, but all I could do was sigh. It felt like my best friend’s life was falling into all the right places. She graduated from high school and went straight to beauty school. She learned how to cut hair before jetting off to L.A. to learn all the new and funky coloring styles. Then, she kept getting certification after certification on how to do everything from neck massages to people’s toenails. She was a one-stop shop for everything spa-oriented, and it had all culminated to her opening up her own salon.

Me? I was a twenty-eight-year-old lawyer working in a corporate law firm that defended institutions from getting sued for shady practices they engaged in. We defended everything from sexual harassment lawsuits to companies that were skirting health regulations in their own damn factories. My firm defended embezzlement cases and even assisted one or two people into getting by with their Ponzi-scheme-like business setups.

It made me sick, and I was tired of defending the guilty just because it paid me a decent sum of money.

“No, Gwen, I don’t know what I want to do,” I said.

“What’s going on with work?” she asked. “Obviously, the paycheck isn’t worth it anymore.”

“No, it isn’t. Had I known what I was getting into from the beginning, I wouldn't have taken the job. I became a lawyer to defend those who need it; to prosecute and put away the very same men I’m defending every day. These men and these companies should have been thrown in jail and had everything stripped from them. I’ve watched them drag women who’ve been sexually harassed through the fucking mud for a measly settlement so they wouldn’t have to go to court. Work is hell, Gwen. This isn’t what I signed up for.”

“So fucking quit,” she said. “That’s absolute bullshit. Can you quit and go after those assholes?”

“Their cases are closed,” I said. “You can’t reopen them unless another woman comes forward. But I can’t just quit, can I? What in the world would I do?”

“Look, Whitney. That job pays you over six fucking figures a year, yet whenever I see you, you look like you make less than five. You’re cheap, so I know you’re stowing away that money. What are you doing? Investing it? Giving it away? Letting it sit in a raggedy show box for some rainy day?”

“I’m investing it,” I said. “I started hating my job so much that I figured I could invest in high-risk accounts and retire by the time I’m forty or some shit.”

“So, you’ve got money in the bank. You worked all through law school, even though you didn’t need to, and your full fucking ride paid for everything. You’ve got money for days, Whitney. Use a little of it.”

“To live without a job?” I asked.

“You could go wherever you want. You like the beach, right?”

“Not really,” I said. “Too crowded in the summer.”

“Then get yourself a little rented condo this winter. Get away. Remember when I went to the mountains last summer, after my breakup, and came back a new fucking woman? Clear your head. Getting away from all this bullshit will help you figure out what you want to do.”

Her words sat heavily in my head just as our food was set in front of us. The barbecue smelled delicious, and the hushpuppies were to die for. Gwen was already digging into her macaroni and cheese, but all I could think about was saving room for their blackberry cobbler.

Holy hell, this place had the best cobbler.

“Well, I still can’t just quit,” I said.

“Yes, you can,” Gwen said. “You’re just telling yourself you can’t.”

“No, I can’t,” I said. “I’ve already been given a new case by my boss.”

“So turn that shit down.”

“No, I can’t,” I said. “It’s me and another colleague of mine defending some asshole.”

“What are they doing?” she asked.

“I can’t go into specifics because of attorney-client privilege, but it’s absolutely insane. The client’s ready to win, ‘no matter what it takes.’”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Gwen said.

“It’s not,” I said. “This man should be stripped of his wealth and thrown into Guantanamo.”

“Whoa,” Gwen said. “Those are some harsh words. Has he killed someone or something?”

“He might as well have.”

The truth was, I had no business defending a man like this. He was the head of one of the most powerful pharmaceutical companies, and he ended up cutting corners like all asshole businesses do. He took his drug to trial before it was ready, and now, some of the patients in his trial were dying. And he wanted to cover it up and somehow make it the patients’ fault so he could take the damn drug to market to make millions.

But here was the kicker: by the time this man made his projected four hundred million dollars off this one drug, he’d have settlements to pay because more people would die. And if he could convince them all to settle out of court, that was maybe fifty million out of his pocket if he could keep the government out of it.

Which still meant he netted three hundred and fifty million dollars from this faulty fucking drug.

It was disgusting.

I finished up my lunch with Gwen and hugged her. I got myself a sweet tea to go, as well as another slice of their blackberry cobbler before I headed back to work. I knew my boss would be ready to update me on the latest toe-curling saga from Mr. Pharmaceutical.

What I didn’t expect was for him to be waiting for me at my door.

“Miss Hollis, I assume you have a good reason for being late?” he said.

“I’m not late,” I said. “I’m actually two minutes early. Would you like to come in?”

“No, we can talk right out here. You need to mount your defense forty-eight hours early. Our client is trying to settle out of court.”

“Of course, he is,” I said, sighing. “I’ll get right on it. But I’ve gotta ask you: can you really get behind this man?”

“What does that mean?” my boss asked.

“I mean, from what I’ve already read up on him in the documents, his drug is killing these patients in these trials. Why in the world are we defending someone like that?”

My boss’s stare hardened, and I could tell I was treading on thin ice. The last thing I needed was to be fired, but the more I looked at my boss’s stoic, angry face, the more I wanted to punch him in it.

“Miss Hollis, if you believe the client is at fault, it doesn’t matter. You work for me, and I’ve told you what I need from you. Now, do what you are paid to do, or I will find someone else who will. Someone I can pay a little less money for, mind you.”

“I just wanted your honest opinion,” I said. “Your honest, human opinion.”

“Tried and true lesson number one, Miss Hollis. As a lawyer, you don’t get to be human.”

His words were like a slap on my face. All my life, I’d wanted to be a lawyer. To help those that couldn’t defend themselves. I wanted to gather up the women and men who felt they couldn’t go after their perpetrators and run those assholes down. It was the human side of me, the empathetic side of me that pushed me to become a lawyer.

And now, I was working with a man who told me that was exactly what I couldn’t be.

“Sir, that simply isn’t true,” I said.

“What did you say?” he asked.

“This client is killing people, and he knows it,” I said. “He’s a murderer, and he knows it. He’s come to you because you’ve sold your soul to some devil, and that means you’re willing to defend a mass murderer. There are five people dead because of him right now, and if this drug goes to market, who knows how many more will die? This man deserves everything that’s coming to him from the families he’s devastated. I will not help a murderer go free.”

“You will if you want this job,” he said.

“I quit.”

Once those two words left my mouth, I felt like a boulder had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt like, for the first time in two years, I could take my first deep breath. I felt like my head had just come above water, and I was coughing up the burning salt from my lungs from an ocean of darkness that had tried to suck me down in its depths.

My boss’s eyes were on fire as I turned my back to him and threw open my office door.

“If you aren’t out of here within the next four hours, I’m having security escort you out,” he said.

“Actually, I have to pack up and then head down to HR,” I said. “I’ll have to update them on my status and then discuss my severance plan.”

“You will have no severance plan,” he said.

“Would you like me to challenge that in court? Because I’m more than willing to.”

I turned around, caught his glare, and I felt powerful. In control. Alive. I watched my boss waver for a split second before he turned around and stormed away. I sat down in my office chair and looked around, eyeing the few things I’d decorated it with. I didn’t have books or anything that needed to come with me. Hell, I could probably fit everything in the massive purse I lugged around with me. But even though this job caused me more heartache and pain than I could’ve ever imagined, I’d called it home for two years. I spent more hours here than I did at my own apartment, and now, I didn’t have anything to occupy my time.

I had no plans, and that was when my fear began to set in. What the hell had I just done?

I packed up my laptop and the rest of my things before I turned off the light in my office. People were poking their heads out and watching me all the way to the elevator. I smiled and nodded before I headed down to HR. I wanted to make sure I talked with them face-to-face and got paperwork signed before my boss could get to it because now, I was going to need all the money I could muster. I still had an entire paycheck coming in a couple of days, and I could automatically invest my severance package, so that was a start. I signed all the paperwork and made copies for myself, then stayed and watched the HR clerk file them electronically before I left.

I walked out of the office with my overloaded purse, my cobbler, and my tea, and for the first time in my life, I had no idea where to go. I spent so little time at my apartment, that it was practically like a hotel room. My fridge had nothing more than creamer for coffee and bottles of water. Gwen was right. I was cheap because of the way I was raised by my father, and I was scared of spending money because of the turn my life took in high school.

When I was fifteen, my father lost his job. We weren’t wealthy by any means, but with state assistance, we got by. My mother worked whatever jobs she could until her back gave out, and she had to quit. My escape from my world was always going over to Gwen’s. Her parents had wonderful jobs, and food overflowing their fridge at any given moment. I was mesmerized by the way they lived. I’d always looked forward to sleepovers, when I would eat until I couldn’t see straight. Then her parents would always give me plates of food to take back to my parents.

However, when my father lost his job and couldn’t find work, we were evicted and living on the streets.

My father always taught me how to rub two quarters together to get a dollar, but those couple of weeks on the streets until Gwen’s family found out and took us in had done their damage. My mother had begged for money on the corner while my father applied for any and every job he could find. It wasn’t until I broke down to Gwen one day in the library that she finally knew what was going on.

Gwen’s family took us in for a time, but I knew they couldn’t keep us in their home forever.

I couldn’t blame them. One family taking in another family skyrocketed bills and grocery runs. Even with trying to ration my food, I knew the toll we were taking on the Maxwell household. My father used their computer to apply for jobs all around the country, and after two months of straining an entire household, he found a job.

A factory job in the middle of South Dakota.

Gwen’s family offered to keep me with them so I could stay in school and graduate in my hometown, and at first, my parents were against it. We fought, and we yelled. We screamed, and we cried. I called them every single name under the sun, and they continuously called me selfish. The stress and the pain and the fear that I’d kept shoved down boiled over the top, and it drove such a rift between my parents and me that we couldn’t even stand to be around one another.

Eventually, however, they caved to the notion and left me with Gwen.

What I didn’t realize was that I’d barely hear from them again.

To this day, we barely spoke. They barely called after they got to South Dakota, but I was so scarred by the upheaval that I didn’t reach out much. I didn’t care that I didn’t hear from them, except on certain occasions like birthdays. I didn’t care that they didn’t want me. Maybe they were ashamed that they couldn’t give me the life Gwen’s parents could, so they were doing what they thought was best for me.

But as I stood on the edge of the corner outside of the place I used to call work, I sipped my tea and held back my tears.

I felt like that lost little girl again, sleeping on the street, and I didn’t know where in the hell I could go from there.

Chapter 3
Liam

 

I could taste the sweat on my brow. I could feel the blood trickling down my arms. I could hear the screams of the innocent while the chains from my bondage wrapped around my wrists. They bound me to a floor that simply kept sinking, sinking into the effortlessness of giving up. I screamed and shouted. I saw Paxton’s face while he sat at his shoddy desk. I heard the cries of those gurgling on their own blood and, as the floor kept eating me whole, I felt it all wash over me.

Pain. Guilt. Anguish. Anger.

I shot up from my bed, leaving behind a pool of sweat while my brow continued to drip. Throwing the covers off my body, I swung my legs around the bed. The bed in the cabin. In Gatlinburg.

I’m in Gatlinburg. I’m in Gatlinburg.

That had become my mantra over the past month. The nightmares and terrors that seemed to follow me all the way from the Navy had found me in my self-inflicted deep, dark hole. I dragged myself to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I needed to get this sweat off my body. I needed to change my sheets.

I needed to have another reel to play in my head.

I got to the sink and opened up the tap, splashing water on my face with my shaking hands. I couldn’t breathe. I placed my lips underneath the faucet, avoiding the one thing I knew was waiting for me when I picked up my face. I guzzled down the crystal-clear well water, trying my best to wash away the metallic taste of blood. So many innocent lives spared to save the wretched and all of it fell onto my back.

All of it was my responsibility.

I drank until I sputtered and then I drank down some more. I drank until I knew my stores had been replenished. I felt the water running through my beard. The beard the Navy would never have allowed me to have. I didn’t want to look at myself. I couldn’t stand the sight of the traitor I felt I had become.

But when I lifted my head up to dry myself off, there I was. Right there in the mirror.

I studied the sunken-in look of my eyes and how pallid my skin had become. I took in the thickness of my beard and how I could no longer see my face underneath. My lips were barely there and my eyes were bloodshot. The water was trickling down my lackluster skin and, even though I recognized the eyes staring back at me, I still felt like a stranger.

A stranger in a cabin in the middle of the damn mountains. Who was this man?

I couldn’t roll back into bed. Not after the things my mind had conjured up. I could smell the sweat that permeated my bed all the way from the bathroom, so I went out and ripped the sheets off. I threw them into the washing machine before gathering up my dirty flannel, chuckling at the memory of that conversation I’d had with Paxton.

It seemed the mountains had finally inducted me into their family.

By the time I started the washing machine, the birds were chirping outside. Despite winter setting in, there were still a few birds who chose to hang on until the very last minute. I had to check the storage shed and make sure I had enough dry wood chopped up for the next few weeks of winter. Then, I needed to run into town to stock up on some supplies.

I needed gas for the generator in case the power went out, matches to make sure I could always keep a fire going, canned foods and meats I could deep freeze and vegetables I could vacuum seal to get me through until spring if I got stuck up here in heavy snows. The city of Gatlinburg didn’t snowplow the roads all the way back here. There just weren’t enough people for them to justify the expense.

But that didn’t matter to me. I was completely fine with being snowed-in.

I went out to the storage shed and opened the door. I’d have to chop up a little more wood to get me through the cold months but, other than that, I was all right. It wasn’t urgent like the need for food and gasoline was, so I hopped into my truck and ran on into town. It took me a good forty minutes to get to the store I knew would have everything I needed.

“Hey, Liam!”

“Hey there, Moose,” I said, walking into the general store.

“Coming into town for some stuff, I see,” he said. “Need anything in particular?”

“Just as much gasoline as you can load me up with,” I said.

“How does twelve gallons sound?” he asked.

“Can you put them in those one-gallon containers with the nozzles?”

“You got it.”

Henry Weavil, also known as Moose due to his sheer size, was the shop owner in town. His place had everything you could need. From bait and tackle to hunting boots, to gasoline, to every single grocery you could ever need, he always made sure the people of Gatlinburg could make only one stop if they needed to. Him loading me down with gasoline freed me up to grab the groceries I needed to stock my place, which meant I could get out of here and back to my cabin quicker.

I didn’t like being in town too much or too long.

I walked around the store and grabbed anything I could think of: steaks, fresh fish, some chicken breasts. I’d already shot and processed a couple of bucks while I’d been here, so I didn’t need much meat, but a bit of variety always did a soul good. I grabbed lots of canned goods, as well as some frozen vegetables, then grabbed two massive sacks of rice before I started loading up the smaller things.

I ended up making two trips around the store before I could think about leaving. I bought another set of sheets for the bed and picked up some free newspapers for kindling. When I was finished, I took my second haul up to the register, where Moose was standing.

“So, newcomer, how you liking our part of the country?” he asked.

“I like it just fine,” I said.

“Have you been to Fred’s Tavern yet?” he asked. “They do it up right over the holidays.”

“Haven’t gotten there yet, no,” I said.

“You should go. Make yourself some friends. Maybe find yourself a nice lady to keep you warm this winter. I hear it’s gonna be brutal.”

“That’s all right,” I said, chuckling. “I’m doing just fine on my own right now.”

“Well, a handsome man like yourself wouldn’t have no problems finding you a nice country gal around these parts. If you’re ever looking for one, my granddaughter’s a sight.”

“I’m sure she is, if she looks like you,” I said.

“Damn straight she does. Her mother’s a hoot, though. Gets her sense of it from her.”

“I bet she does.”

“Any luck finding a job?” he asked.

I started picking up the bags and putting them into the cart. “Not really looking for one,” I said.

“Not looking for a job?” he asked.

“I’m retired, sir.”

“Retired? Son, you don’t look any older than thirty.”

“Thirty-two.”

“Then how are you retired?” he asked.

“Military,” I said.

I knew what was coming. It was the sentiment that always came after I said something like that. I had no interest in telling him I was a medic or a doctor or any sort of physician that could help people. That part of my life was behind me. Because the truth was, I didn’t help people. Not on that last tour before I got us the fuck out of there.

I broke every damn promise I ever made to myself on that tour. Decent doctors didn’t do the things I did.

Nope. Those fucking days were behind me.

“Well, son. Thank you for your service. What you’ve given to this country’s a mighty big sacrifice. I want you to know we appreciate it. I appreciate it and I appreciate you.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said.

I snatched up the last of my groceries and paid in haste. I needed to get back to my cabin. I could already feel the shaking in my hands settling in and I needed to get out from underneath the gaze of others before someone wanted to start a conversation I had no intention of having.

“What happened to your hand there?” I heard Moose ask.

And, of course, before I could catch myself, I turned around.

There was an elderly man at the register, buying himself some chew and a gallon of sweet tea. He was in rugged old jeans and a t-shirt with a coat and his hand was bandaged up. It was swollen and bruised and I could tell by the way his thumb was sitting that it was dislocated. I ran my eyes up his arms, noticing the swelling in his wrist before his arm disappeared underneath his coat.

Then, I caught it. He reached for his wallet to pay for his stuff and his middle finger wouldn’t move.

He’d broken his hand. Probably picking up something he shouldn’t have been and dropping it on himself. He could move his wrist, so it wasn’t shattered, but he couldn’t move his middle finger, which meant one of the main ligaments was being impeded by something leaning up against it.

And it had to have been a broken bone because dislocations didn’t cause the kind of bruising this man had.

Images started flashing around in my mind. Suddenly, the grocery store was flickering in and out. It kept switching from food to darkness. Food to darkness. Food to chains. Food to a basement. I closed my eyes and shook my head before I turned back toward my grocery cart.

I had to get out of here. I had to get out of here before things got out of hand.

I walked out to my truck and tossed everything else into the back. Taking deep breaths, I tried to calm the storm rising in my chest. I could feel my heart hammering against my ribs, threatening to split my sternum as I wheeled the cart over to a gathering point.

By the time I got back to my truck, I was practically in a full-blown run.

I hopped behind the wheel of my truck and cranked the engine. I only had a half tank of gas, but I didn’t fucking care at that point. All I wanted to do was get back up my mountain. Get back to my quiet space where no one could see me. There, I could sweat and scream and rage all I wanted. There I could chop wood to dispel my anger and toss myself around in bed without anyone next to me.

I felt the shaking of the truck as the wheels carried me up the mountain and I finally started to breathe a sigh of relief. I knew that the moment I hit the thicket of trees ahead of me, no one would be able to see me. No one could ask me questions or stare at me like I was losing my mind. No one could try to make small talk or try to figure out what I was doing in town.

No one could hear me scream myself awake or cry in the shower when I couldn’t handle it anymore.

I felt my truck being swallowed by the shadows of the trees and my entire body relaxed.

It was done. I was done.

No more people until the winter was over.

Chapter 4
Whitney

 

I lay on my air mattress, my mind whirling. It had been a month since I’d quit my job and, while I wasn’t hurting for money, I was hurting for a purpose. I slept until noon, got up long enough to grab an apple, pee, and then I’d crawl back into bed and feel sorry for myself.

My entertainment for the day was watching my clothes swing in my closet with the breeze coming through the window that wouldn’t quite shut while I fell in and out of sleep.

But then my phone rang.

I groaned, rolling over on the mattress that needed to be blown up again. I picked up the phone and put it to my ear, not bothering to see who was calling.

It couldn’t be anyone else but her.

“What’s up, Gwen?” I asked.

“Get your ass out of bed and get down to this salon,” she said.

“Why, are you okay?” I asked.

“Because I just finished my last client before lunch and I’m about to go to the bank. We’re having a celebratory lunch.”

“In the salon?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s gotta be quick but I’m making the final deposit into my ‘get my own business’ account.”

“Oh my gosh. Gwen, that’s amazing!”

“It is, so roll your ass out of bed and get down here. Whitney, you have a fucking law degree. You shouldn’t just now be warming up your voice to talk to the world at lunchtime. Get up.”

“Okay, okay. I’m coming. I’ll be there in… twenty minutes?” I asked.

“Make it thirty. Take a damn shower, girl.”

I hung up the phone and scrambled to the bathroom. This was my life now, living vicariously through my best friend. She had a goal and, now, she was taking another massive step toward that goal. I couldn’t be happier for her. I figured if I watched her succeed long enough, I’d know what the hell to do with my life. I’d know where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do.

But as I got myself dressed and drove over to her salon, all I could think about was the last time I’d actually stepped out of my apartment.

And I really couldn’t remember.

I drove through town and had to put on my sunglasses. Even though the sun wasn’t bright, it was hurting my eyes. That was how long I’d cooped myself up in that dingy old apartment. The sun, even on half blast, was killing my eyes. I drove through my favorite coffee place and got myself a strong cup, then floored it over to the salon. I couldn’t wait to swing my arms around my best friend and congratulate her on this massive step in her life.

All of a sudden, I wanted to go building shopping with her.

“Girl, I hope you didn’t bring me any,” she said. “Shaky hands and sharp scissors don’t mix.”

“Nope, just me,” I said, grinning.

“Good,” Gwen said. “I went to our favorite place and got you a massive salad. And some soup. With some bread. And some cake.”

“That’s some serious food.”

“It’s a serious celebration,” she said. “And you look like shit. Have you seen yourself in a mirror?”

“The one in my apartment’s broken,” I said.

“Of course, it is. Just like everything else in that damn place. Come on back. We’ll talk.”

I sipped my coffee and followed her into the back room. It was a lot dimmer than outside or the main room of the salon and I was finally able to take my sunglasses off. I sighed with relief while my eyes adjusted back to their preferred state. Then, I tossed my sunglasses onto the table and threw my arms around my best friend.

“I’m so proud of you,” I said.

She hugged me close and I could feel her smiling into my shoulder.

“Me, too. I honestly didn’t think I’d get there. Life threw me so many curveballs this year that I wasn’t sure if I was gonna make it.”

She was right. Life had dealt her a shitty hand this past year. The engine of her car broken down and she had to get another one. Her washing machine blew up. The plumbing in her home went haywire and stuff had to be repiped. She was dipping into her cushion account more than she wanted and she was so scared she’d have to start dipping into her “future business” account for anything else. I’d offered to give her money from my own savings a few times, but not surprisingly she’d turn it down. She wanted to hike the mountain on her own and I was damn proud of her for making it happen.

“But you did it,” I said. “That’s the important thing here.”

We sat down and began to eat but I could feel her eyes on me. I knew I looked tired but did I really look that bad?

“Yes, you do,” Gwen said.

“Do what?” I asked.

“Look that bad. Here.”

She pulled out her purse and dug around in it for a while. Eventually, she presented me with a compact mirror. I looked up at her and she raised her eyebrows, almost daring me to look at a person I didn’t want to acknowledge. I sighed and took it from her before I popped it open, thinking it really wouldn’t be as bad as she thought it was.

But even I was startled by the person staring back at me.

The bags underneath my eyes were heavy, despite the massive amount of time I spent sleeping. I still had imprints on my face from where my blanket smushed into my skin. My cheeks were puffy from all the salty snacks I was eating while my cheekbones protruded a bit with the fact that I wasn’t getting enough calories. My hair was frazzled, there were wisps in my face, and, suddenly, I didn’t recognize the person staring back at me.

Who the hell was this haggard woman?

“Now, I know you came to talk about when I’m going to start shopping around for my new business location but, if we’re gonna talk about that, then we have to talk about you,” Gwen said.

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad,” I said.

“Don’t you ‘lawyer’ me. This has gone on long enough. You’ve been out of work for a month and the Whitney I know would’ve already had another plan in place. What’s happening? What’s going on?”

“Here’s the deal,” I said. “I’ll talk about me but we talk about you first. I don’t want my shit overshadowing this incredible thing you’ve just done.”

I took a bite of my salad while Gwen held my stare.

“You drive a hard bargain but I accept,” she said, grinning. “And to answer your first question, I’m going to start looking next week.”

“I hate it when you do that.”

“Do what?” she asked. “Know all the things you’re thinking all at once? I’m your best friend. It’s one of my superpowers.”

“Got it,” I said. “So, can I help you look for places?”

“No.”

“Why not?” I asked. “Come on. It’ll be fun! I’ll treat us to lunches and everything.”

“Most of my shopping is gonna be online until I can narrow it down. Then, I’ll be contacting a realtor. And you? You’ll be in Gatlinburg.”

“Uh, why the hell would I be in Gatlinburg?” I asked.

“Because I know you and I know you enjoy the mountains more than the beach. You like the beach when no one is there but you like the mountains no matter what. There’s a cabin resort in Gatlinburg that caters to people who just need to get away. That’s where I went after my breakup with Tommy last summer.”

“You did come back a new woman. I never heard you talk about Tommy after that fiasco.”

“Best fucking decision I ever made. I treated myself to some sleep, a hot tub, and a massage, then came back to tell his sorry ass that it was over for good and never to call me again.”

“Get it, girl.”

“And that’s what you need,” she said. “A place to go think. That idiotic apartment that you live in? That place isn’t a place to think. It’s a prison and it’s kept you there long enough.”

“I can’t argue that point with you.”

“I think you should get rid of it altogether, honestly. Get it off your plate before you go to the mountains.”

“First, I haven’t agreed to the mountains and, second, where the hell would I come back to?” I asked.

“Girl, you know you can always stay with me.”

“We did enough of that shit in high school,” I said.

“And we’ll do more of that shit now,” she said. “Look, Whit. I love you. You’re not my best friend. You’re my fucking sister. We’ve literally been through all the shit together. Trust me that I know what’s good for you. Pay whatever you need to get out of that lease, pack your shit up, and come stay with me for a bit. Please?”

“Am I staying with you or going to the mountains?” I asked.

“Don’t get smart with me. First you do one, then you do the other. And, finally, you figure out just what you are going to be when you grow up.”

I watched as Gwen’s hand reached out to take mine and I could feel tears rising in my eyes.

“I don’t know what to do,” I said.

“What have you always wanted to do?” she asked.

“Be a lawyer,” I said.

“Then find somewhere else to be a lawyer. Open up your own damn practice, for all I care.”

“It’s just not that simple,” I said.

“No, it’s not. I can tell you that firsthand. I can also tell you that it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done with my damn life. And it’ll be that way for you, too, once you find out what you want.”

“But how do I find out what I want?” I asked.

“Go to the resort,” she said. “Get yourself a cabin. For a few days or a week. Hell, go and stay through the holidays. Pack up your shit, toss that apartment, blow off Memphis for a while, and go do something you want to go do.”

“And I want to go to the mountains?” I asked.

“Girl, I don’t fucking know. All I know is you love the mountains and you love watching sunsets with coffee in your hand.”

“Oh hell, I really love that,” I said, groaning.

“So, we can do it right now,” she said.

“What?”

“On my phone. We can do it right now. Let me pull up the website.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” I said. “Right now? We’re gonna book something right now? I mean, have we talked about your business yet?”

“We have. I’m gonna start my search next month online and with a realtor. Once I have it narrowed down to two places, you’re gonna get all the pictures and you’re gonna tell me which one to go with because I can never make decisions like that on my own. Then, when I sign the rental agreement, you’re gonna help me decorate the damn thing because I’m shit at that. Okay?”

“You really are shit at that. I’m no interior designer but I know I can do a better job than you,” I said.

“Very funny, smart ass. Now, ready to book?” she asked.

She turned her phone around and I saw the most picturesque, snow-covered mountain I’d ever seen in my life. I took her phone and started scrolling through the pictures, looking at the cabins available to me. There were massive cabins that could house two families and small studio cabins that were made for only one or two people and, all of a sudden, things started falling into place. I looked through pictures of fires roaring in the fireplace and pictures of the jet tub every cabin boasted. I thought about cooking my small little dinners for one and enjoying cups of coffee while the sun set over the beautiful view where one of the studio cabins was located.

I clicked on it and searched for its available dates and found that it was open for three solid weeks.

I saw Gwen smile out of my peripheral vision while I continued to type away on her phone. I dipped into my purse and pulled out my credit card, booking the small cabin for the next three weeks. I had four days to pack up and get out there and, by the time I hit the confirmation button, I’d resolved myself to another task.

I was getting rid of that shitty apartment of mine.

“So?” Gwen asked. “How does it feel?”

“For the first time in a month, I feel excited about something,” I said.

“Good,” she said. “You should. It’s a beautiful place, and you’re gonna love it. And who knows? Maybe you’ll meet yourself a sexy rugged manly man.”

“Oh, no. I’ve got the cabin and it’s lit a fire under my ass to ditch the apartment. I’m not taking on a man.”

“Girl, you really need to get laid. When was the last time you got laid?”

“I have sex!” I exclaimed. “Just… not… often?”

Gwen started laughing before she tossed a grape into her mouth.

“You should find yourself a nice, local mountain man who’s got a thing for city girls. He’d dick ya right before he sent ya home. And if he’s real good to you, he’ll feed you sweet tea shirtless, too.”

“Are you serious right now?” I asked.

“Hell yes! Go to the mountains, relax, and get laid. Those are your three tasks.”

“I’m not focused on finding a man right now,” I said. “I’m focused on finding a future.”

“Well, two out of three is still the majority,” she said. “I can’t be pissed at that. And did I hear you say something about actually getting rid of that apartment?”

“I’m riding the high of doing something I wanna do, so I’m gonna ride it as far as it takes me,” I said.

“Wanna call the landlord now?” she asked.

That grin on Gwen’s face was something I was never able to say “no” to. The moment that grin crawled across her face, it meant she had a plan in motion, so I handed her phone back to her before I pulled out mine.

“Stay quiet,” I said as I dialed the number.

“When have you known me to be anything but?” she asked.

I shook my head at her while she continued to eat lunch. I talked with my landlord and told him I would be moving out in the next four days and that whatever I needed to pay was all right with me. He wasn’t happy and tried hard to negotiate me into staying but I stayed firm. I knew it was going to be hard for him to rent that apartment back out, especially since he didn’t take care of it in the first place. But I didn’t care. For the first time in a month, I felt like I was finally taking control of my life again and, now that I had a wonderful trip planned, I felt like I knew what I deserved.

And that apartment was not what I deserved.

“Sir,” I said. “I will be moving out in four days. I’ll leave a check at your office on Friday. Thank you for your time.”

I hung up before he could get another word in edgewise and, suddenly, I felt another boulder being lifted off my shoulders.

“How do you feel?” Gwen asked, grinning.

“Really good,” I said.

“Good, because you’re my next client.”

“What?” I asked.

“I got a text message from one of my clients. He canceled and he was my next two hours. So, you’re sitting in the chair and I’m doing something with that rat’s nest.”

“You’re not cutting my hair,” I said. “I like it long.”

“Yes, but your color needs refreshing and you’ve got split ends for days. Let me touch you up before your fun little man-hunting trip.”

“I’m not man-hunting,” I said.

“Whatever, and it’s no charge,” she said.

“Nope. I’m paying you if you’re gonna do my hair.”

“No, you’re not. That’s what you can give me as a ‘hurray, you saved up all that money!’ present.”

“Nope. I’m taking you out to dinner tonight.”

“Which means you’ll need awesome hair,” she said, grinning. “That you’re not paying for.”

“Fine. But I’m paying for dinner.”

“Then I expect a nice restaurant.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of nice barbecue,” I said.

“Now you’re talkin’ my language. Come on. Let’s get you in that chair and ready for tonight.”

 

Chapter 5
Liam

 

I woke up alone in my bed and I sighed. It was better that way. No one to wake up in the middle of the night with my nightmares. No one to protect from my anger. No one poking and prodding about my days in the military and no one to feed or look after. I’d done enough of that shit in the Navy and I was leaving those days behind me.

I wasn’t a doctor, I wasn’t a defender, and I wasn’t a protector.

I was just a man, trying hard to forget about the bullshit.

I dragged myself out of bed and took a shower. I was ready for winter to set in. I was ready for the snow to cover my cabin. I was ready to make a fire, sit by it, and simply reflect. I enjoyed the quiet, the eerie silence that came with being so far out into the woods. Back here, there was no one screaming. Back here, there was no one firing off guns. Back here, there was no one crying until they fell into an endless slumber.

I opened up the fridge and started taking stock of things. The snow hadn’t fallen nearly as hard last night as I thought it would and I was suddenly glad for that. Out of all the things I’d forgotten, I didn’t grab milk at the store.

That meant I’d have to go back into town and get some.

It was a tip I’d learned from a local who was chatting my ear off. You could buy gallons of milk and freeze them for the winter. All you had to do was take about half a cup out of the gallon, screw the lid on tight and then store it away. I didn’t use a great deal of milk for things but I would need it if I wanted to bake and cook up some of the things I’d bought the other day. I sighed, knowing Moose would try to talk my ear off again, but I didn’t really have a choice.

I wrapped a scarf around my neck and pulled on a hat. The temperature was dropping, which meant I’d need to store my truck away. The last thing I needed was the snow and ice damaging this thing. Every time I got into it, my truck reminded me of a lighter time. A time where I could still smile without feeling guilty and take a breath without feeling like my lungs were trying to collapse in on themselves.

I rode into town and tried to get my mind off things but when I came across a tree down in the middle of the pathway, I had to backtrack. I’d get my chainsaw out later and remove it.

I wasn’t sure where this back way took me, but I was hoping it would pass by a clearing. If I could keep leaning to my left, I could get back onto the road and get into town. As I traveled down the road, it eventually cleared into a carved-out path through the trees.

That was when I saw it. The resort.

I’d heard a few locals talk about it whenever I had to go into town. They talked about how the cabins were beautiful, but they also talked about how loud the families were. Rich families and people getting away would descend onto the resort and ham it up. They’d clog up the local restaurants, trying to experience “local Gatlinburg” life, when all they really wanted to do was buy a designer pair of boots.

The locals complained that it flooded their town with “city folk,” but I saw it a bit differently. It would have been the life I lived had things not gone south in the Navy.

I drove by the back road that skirted the property and studied the log cabins. They were put together well and I could tell they had all the common luxuries of high-class society. Ample electricity, central heating, massive windows that you could see into, chandeliers hung from the ceilings, and there were probably walk-in saunas and shit like that.

At another point in my life, I would’ve loved shit like that.

But not anymore. I wandered around the back end of the resort and finally came to what I thought was the front of it. I had to stop at a small little stop sign to get to the main road, but I had to wait until some people crossed my path. A mother was walking with her fully-grown sons while the father lugged all their luggage. There was a couple holding hands who couldn’t stop kissing one another long enough to cross the damn road.

And then there was a woman: one lone woman looking down at her feet.

She couldn’t have been older than twenty-eight and she was dressed as if she worked in the corporate sector. She had long blonde hair that looked perfectly styled. The sun reflected off the top of her head and almost made it look like she was glistening.

I wondered what her story was. What in the world was a woman like herself doing at a resort that tailored itself to families? Surely, she needed some money to stay at a place like this, which probably accounted for the way she was dressed. Her dark red pea coat covered her entire body but I could see her black work pants and her black heeled boots peeking out from beneath the fabric.

A beauty like her didn’t need to be walking with her shoulders slumped and head down.

My phone rang in my shirt pocket, ripping me from my thoughts, and I started back into town while I answered it. I knew there was only one person who would be calling me because, well, he was the only person who had my number.

And it was about damn time I heard from him.

“Paxton,” I said. “It’s about damn time.”

“Canter, what’s crackin’?” he asked.

“Nothin’ much. Just driving into town for some milk.”

“Preparing for that harsh winter or something?” he asked.

“Well, I do hear the locals talking about it sometimes. And the weather forecasts aren’t too pretty, either.”

“At least you’re getting into town. I was worried you’d coop yourself up in that cabin and never come out.”

“A man’s gotta eat,” I said, grinning.

“Especially when he’s as massive as you.”

“So, what’s going on with you?” I asked. “How are the guys?”

“Well, me and some of the guys are actually preparing for another deployment,” he said.

My hand gripped the phone a bit too tightly.

“Another deployment?” I asked. “You sure you’re up for somethin’ like that?”

“I mean, I need to get my mind off things. I need to show myself that not every deployment will turn out like our last one. All I’m doing here is sitting at a fucking desk, pushing papers and twiddling my fucking thumbs, man. I can’t do it anymore.”

“So, you volunteered for this one?” I asked.

“I did, and they gladly gave it to me. They’ve put me on a ship headed toward the scheduled war games this year, but don’t tell anyone I told you.”

“Yeah, keep that shit to yourself,” I said, grinning.

“Oh, dude.”

“What?” I asked.

“There’s a fucking massive snowstorm headed your way.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“How the hell don’t you? It’s on every fucking news station. Don’t tell me you don’t have a television.”

“I have a radio and I haven’t heard anything about it on there.”

“It sounds like its coming out from nowhere. Get yourself a fucking TV to stay up to date. Even if it’s just a twelve-inch little thing you sit on the counter. You guys are going to get pummeled tomorrow. It’s supposed to snow people in up to three fucking feet.”

Paxton was a good friend. He acted like he didn’t give a shit but he cared more than any man I’d ever met. I pulled up in front of the store. When I saw how many people were rushing around in there, I started to get worried. All I needed was a few gallons of milk but my mind kicked into overdrive. Suddenly, I needed ace bandages and peroxide. Band-aids and gauze. I needed to prepare for every fucking thing that could possibly go wrong. I wasn’t sure where the panic was now coming from.

“Canter, you good?” Paxton asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I just pulled up to the store. What exactly is that weather report saying?”

“It says most areas affected are supposed to see two feet of snow, but Gatlinburg is right in its brewing path. They’re predicting anywhere between three and four feet of snow dumped over the course of the next week.”

“The next week?” I asked.

“Yep. The mountains are trapping the storm, according to this weatherman. It’ll brew, stay, hang out, and then dissipate without ever going anywhere. Get the shit you need and stock the fuck up.”

“Thanks, man,” I said. “I’ll call you when I’m back at the cabin.”

“Hey, Canter?”

“Yeah?” I asked.

I walked into the store and grabbed another cart, my panic getting the best of me as everyone rushed around me.

“Take deep breaths,” he said. “You’re in the mountains, not at sea.”

“You know I can rough a snowstorm. Why is there this sense of urgency all of a sudden?”

“Because you’re in a crowded store,” he said. “I can hear the chatter over the phone. Take deep breaths like you always told me. Okay?”

“Call ya when it’s over,” I said.

“Paxton out.”

I white-knuckled the cart while I walked around the store. The first place I went was the milk aisle and I was glad I did. People were snatching up gallon after gallon left and right and all that was left to choose from was whole milk and skim milk. I grabbed four gallons of whole milk and decided I could get powdered milk for the rest of it.

Then, I traveled up and down the aisles. I threw salves, chapsticks, and ace bandages into my cart, along with a rudimentary first aid kit and more free newspapers. I picked up another four gallons of gasoline and threw all the frozen vegetables into my cart that I could stand. I even managed to pick up a couple of bags of frozen chicken wings, just in case I needed more meat for something.

I needed to get out of this fucking store before I lost my damn mind.

I stood in line for almost an hour before I finally got up to Moose. He was all smiles and kind phrases, but I could see the panic in his eyes. I knew enough about Moose to know he’d spent his entire fucking life in Gatlinburg, and if he was worried about the incoming weather, then we all needed to be.

“You got everything you need?” I asked as he rang me up.

Moose nodded. “Wife came in early this morning and told me the news. She took home five carts of stuff.”

“Five carts? Good for her. You get any time off to help her?”

“Nope, but I sent one of the baggers with her to help her unload. This city’s preparing.”

“It seems like they should be,” I said.

“You got someone to keep you company through the storm?”

I stayed quiet at his question as I began loading bags into my cart.

“You should,” he said. “Stop by the pet store and get you a dog or something to keep you company. It’s gonna get mighty lonely once you get snowed-in.”

“I’ll take it into consideration,” I said.

I paid for my groceries and booked it to my truck. I didn’t want any company. I didn’t want a pet. I didn’t want anything else to run after when I was already running after myself. I tossed everything into the bed of my truck before I handed my cart off to someone else. Then I jumped in and started back for my cabin.

Screw having someone to keep me company.

Alone was what someone like me deserved.

 

Chapter 6
Whitney

 

It was my first official day at the resort and the area was already forecasting the snowstorm of the century. Of course something like this would happen. It was just my rotten luck that I would get here only to be snowed-in and not able to enjoy the beauty of the town. The weatherman made it sound like he was trying to get people to evacuate or, at least, take serious precautions. I shut off the television and looked out at the sky. While it looked kind of gray, it didn’t seem like the storm was any more sinister than any other winter storm.

I threw on some clothes, pulled on my hiking boots, wrapped myself up warmly, and headed for the trails.

Even if it did pour down snow on us, areas like this were equipped to handle that kind of thing. I’d still be able to get from my cabin to the main clubhouse, which boasted four hot tubs, two indoor swimming pools, a workout room, and a cafe-restaurant combination. I’d be able to keep myself entertained on the grounds, even if the sunsets would be obscured by the clouds in the sky.

Before that, I wanted to take in the nature around me and it seemed like the only time I was going to get to do that was today.

The place was absolutely phenomenal. Even the studio cabin was sixteen-hundred square feet. It was spacious with an incredible kitchen and I’d stocked it with a few things I could cook for myself while I was there. I unpacked my things when I first got there and settled in for the night, but when I woke up that morning, I realized I couldn’t find the keycard to the cabin.

I’d already lost it, which was just fucking typical.

I bundled myself up before I headed to the main lodge. I walked in and saw a man standing behind the front desk. He smiled at me and readied himself for my question but I could see the way his eyes were fluttering down my body.

Great. Just what I needed.

“Hello, ma’am. Is there anything I can assist you with?”

“Yes, I seem to have misplaced the keycard to my cabin,” I said. “What is the cost of replacing something like that?”

“No cost at all,” he said as he dipped behind the desk. “I can have another one made for you right here.”

“Thank you so much.”

I could feel him sneaking glances at me while I stood at the desk. He was programming a new card for me while I looked around the lodge, taking in its beauty. There was a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a roaring fire in the fireplace. There was a dining area with yet another restaurant in the back of the lodge and there was a staircase that led up to a second floor.

“What’s on the second floor?” I asked.

“It’s an entertainment facility. Pool tables, a projector screen to play movies or the game everyone wants to watch. There are a few televisions with game consoles on them as well. Would you like a tour?”

I turned around and looked at him as he held my keycard out for me. I took it from him and our fingertips grazed. I felt a shock that caused me to rip my hand back. I hissed, while the man began to chuckle to himself and, suddenly, I felt the need to get out of there.

I wanted to get on my hike before this bad weather set in.

“That chandelier casts a wonderful glow around your hair,” he said

“Thanks,” I said. “And thank you for your help.”

“I don’t mean to be forward,” he said. “But I can’t just ignore the connection between us.”

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“The shock. When our fingers touched. That doesn’t happen in everyday life. It’s like our bodies knew something about one another before we did.”

Was this guy fucking serious?

“It’s called ‘static electricity.’ It happens all the time.”

“Would you like to get dinner with me sometime?” he asked. “Maybe at the cafe?”

I sighed. He was trying as hard as he could and, even though he was falling on his face, he kept on going. In another world, his persistence would’ve been an endearing trait, despite the fact that he was really trying to force it. But I simply wasn’t interested. I wasn’t here to find company or someone to share my bed. I was here to screw my head on straight so I could keep looking toward my future.

“Thank you for the invitation but I think I’ll have to decline,” I said.

I backtracked out of the lodge. I hated disappointing people but I wasn’t about to fall back into old patterns. I wasn’t about to start doing what people simply expected me to do. This was my life and, somewhere along the way, I’d forgotten that I was the only one that controlled it. I gripped the keycard in my pocket as I started for the hiking trails and, already, I could feel the blustering wind setting in.

“Hey! Miss!”

I turned around to see one of the staff riding up to me on a four-wheeler.

“Yes?” I asked.

“You know there’s a storm setting in, right?” she asked.

“I’m aware, yes.”

“It’s going to be dangerous for you to be on those hiking trails. I’ve been going around to all the cabins and informing everyone about the storm. If you need anything from town, I suggest you get it now. And if you want to reschedule your visit, we’re doing that free of charge.”

“That’s very kind of you but I’ll be all right,” I said. “I got a bunch of stuff before I came in and I’m only here for three weeks. The cafe and the restaurant will still be functioning, right?”

“Yes, we have the backup generators in place, but I must warn you—”

“Thank you for your time,” I said. “You’ve done your job. I’m just gonna take a quick hike and then I’ll be right back.”

The woman seemed wary about letting me go but I felt empowered. This was my life and I was the one in control. Not a boss. Not a man. Not the weather. Not anything. I wanted to see a bit of the countryside and the mountains before I was relegated to the compound that was this resort and that was exactly what I was going to do.

So, I turned around and started into the shadowed path that was the hiking trail.

I became so enamored with the life and the sights around me that I wasn’t paying attention to the sky. I hiked and wound around and, eventually, I came to a downed tree in the road. I looked around and tried to find the path I’d snaked in on, which was when I realized I’d carved my own path.

I was no longer sure where I was and I felt panic starting to set in.

I looked up at the sky and noticed the gray clouds were getting darker. I really needed to get back to the resort before I got caught in all this shit. I walked around the tree and started along the road. This couldn’t be just a random road that led to nowhere, right? It had to lead somewhere. If it led to a house, whoever lived there could get me back on track. If it led to the main road, I could hitch a ride with someone and get back. But the road got narrower the farther along it went, and soon, a brush of trees completely overshadowed the small trail the road dumped me into.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and tried to call someone. The reception was spotty and I didn’t have enough of a connection to pull up the internet. I had no idea where I was, I had no idea which direction the resort was in, and I could hear the wind whipping through the trees.

Then, it happened.

The heavens opened up and snow started to dump on me.

It came down so hard that I could barely see the trail in front of my eyes. I picked up the pace, heading for the brush of trees to get out of the snow. My hair was getting wet and my coat was no longer protecting me from the freezing temperatures. As I made my way through the shadowed trail, tears rose in my eyes.

My toes were getting cold and my body was trembling uncontrollably. I felt out of control. I felt like I was spiraling. I’d put myself in this position because of my cocky attitude about wanting to control my life and my destiny and now I was going to die in the mountains of Gatlinburg without anyone knowing I was out there.

I picked up my pace and began running but, just as the trees broke, I stepped onto a rock and fell off to the side.

I shrieked as my ankle popped and a searing pain ricocheted up my leg. I rolled down a small hill and connected with another tree. My back ached while tears streamed down my face. It was hard to breathe; I couldn’t take in enough air. The snow was coming down around me in buckets, slinking down my back and threatening my body with hypothermia. My ankle was throbbing and my leg was aching. I still couldn’t catch my breath and my tears seemed to be freezing against my skin. I was woozy from smacking into the tree and panic was starting to overtake me.

I took in great gulps of cold air to try and calm myself down, but all I did was cause myself to have a coughing jag that sucked the oxygen right from my lungs. Just as the edges of my vision started to darken and my head started to feel floaty, I felt my body being lifted from the ground.

Feeling suddenly safe, I closed my eyes and gave up fighting.

 

Chapter 7
Liam

 

I saw the woman take a tumble from my window and I went charging out the front door. I didn’t know what the fuck a woman like her was doing out in weather like this but I saw the way her ankle caught. At best, she’d sprained it, but it was more likely she’d dislocated it. I hopped down the steps and went charging for the hill she rolled down. When I got to the edge, I saw her gasping for air.

It was the same woman I’d seen walking across the road earlier that day, with the long blonde hair and the put-together clothing. Her eyes were a striking blue that almost halted me in my tracks but it was her gasping that ripped me from my trance before I made my way down to her.

She’d tumbled her way into a tree and lost her breath. She was struggling to catch it and I knew if I didn’t get her inside, I’d be looking at a very serious situation. I lifted her up into my arms just as she passed out and I scaled the hill quickly before I ran back inside with her. I had to make sure I could get her lungs and her diaphragm to sync back up before I could even touch her ankle, which was definitely dislocated.

I felt for her pulse and it was faint. I saw her stomach jolting but her chest wasn’t rising. I settled my hand onto her stomach and pressed down before I blew steadily into her mouth. The moment she gasped for air, I pulled away and looked at her ankle. Tears were streaming down her face while she tried to grasp at anything around her and I knew I had a narrow window to pop her ankle back in before shock set in.

So, I grabbed her ankle, steadied her leg, and twisted.

She groaned and her back arched while tears continued to stream down her face. I propped her foot up with some pillows before I walked back to retrieve a first aid kit. I dug out the ace bandage, as well as some heating and cooling gel. Then I settled back down beside her and started to take care of her ankle.

It was going to swell up and hurt for a while but, if no ligaments had been torn, it should subside within a few days.

I heard her breathing steady out while I applied the gel. She sighed with relief once the cooling sensation kicked in. Then, I began covering her ankle with gauze and an ace bandage. She had to keep it as still as she could manage until the joint itself could heal.

I chanced a look outside. The snow was piling up much faster than I’d anticipated and now there was this strange fucking woman in my cabin.

“What are you doing out in this weather?” I asked.

Her wild eyes hooked onto me but I kept my gaze steady on her ankle.

“What?” she asked.

“What possessed you to go on a hike during this storm?”

“I just wanted to see the sights before the storm set in,” she said.

“You saw that tree up close. Get enough?”

I lifted my gaze to her as her eyes widened at my statement.

“Yes, I’ve seen enough. Thank you.”

She pulled her ankle from my hands and immediately hissed in pain. She tried to place her foot on the floor, no doubt seeing if she could walk on it, but the moment her ass hit the couch, I leaned over to pick up her foot.

“Enjoy the trial run?” I asked.

“I knew the storm was coming,” she said. “But I figured I could get back before it actually started. The clouds didn’t look that gray when I left.”

“And you got lost,” I said.

“No shit, Sherlock.”

I flicked my gaze up to her while my hands finished wrapping up her ankle. I could see she was still shivering and the last thing I needed was for this woman to catch a damn chill. I got up and helped her out of her jacket, even as she continued to give me suspicious little side glances. Then, I gathered up some blankets and brought them back to her.

“I’ll get a fire going in a second but ,if you get any colder, your ankle’s the least of your worries.”

“What happened to it?” she asked.

“You dislocated it when you did your little dance down the hill,” I said.

“Are you always such a dick?”

I looked back up into her eyes that were sparkling with anger and I sighed.

“Sorry,” I said.

“You should be.”

She wrapped herself up in the blankets while I propped her leg back up on some pillows. For now, the swelling would be kept at bay if she kept her ankle elevated. The ace bandage would work not only as a stabilizer but as a compression sock and, hopefully, no more damage could come to her joints and tendons. I got up and headed to the fireplace, stocking it with kindling before I got a flame going.

Then, I tossed a few logs onto it and allowed the heat to permeate the room.

I looked back at the strange woman and watched her shivering finally die down. The flames of the fire were flickering off her features and, for a moment, I could only stand and stare. What the fuck was I going to do with this woman in this storm? She couldn’t get back to the resort. Not in weather like this. It was dumping by the buckets and that side road would already be snowed out.

And I still hadn’t gotten out with my chainsaw to remove that fucking tree from the road.

“You shouldn’t have been out in this weather,” I said, again.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“You hurt yourself,” I said.

“Look, once I get warm, I’m gonna go back, okay? So just leave the fucking attitude over there for now.”

“You can’t go back in a storm like this,” I said. “I know these back roads. They’ll already be snowed out. And the main road that might still be open has a massive tree blocking it.”

“And no one thought to move it?” she asked.

“No one cares about people up here,” I said. “I was gonna move it when I got back home from town today.”

“You’re too late.”

“Excuse me for not knowing someone would be out prancing around in the storm of the century for fun.”

She huffed, turning her back to me while she hunkered down on the couch. She was feisty. She couldn’t go back in this snow and we had no chance of getting her back anywhere until it let up, which I knew wouldn’t be for a few days.

“I’ll get you some more pillows and you can sleep on the couch,” I said.

“How nice of you,” she said sarcastically. “Thanks.”

“Would you like to try your luck with the weather?” I asked. “Because if you’re really that stubborn, go ahead.”

She turned back over to look at me, her eyes filled with fury and fire. I sighed. This was exactly why I didn’t want to be around people and why I had no interest in finding a companion. People talked too much. “This storm’ll eat you alive,” I said. “You can stay on the couch until it lets up.”

“Thanks,” she murmured, sounding more genuine than before.

I heard her sigh as she turned her back to me and a part of me felt sorry for her. I was also intrigued by her. If she was scared, she didn’t show it. Some burly man with a beard and a stern voice found her and brought her inside his cabin and she hadn’t even asked my fucking name yet. It made me wonder what her story was. What could’ve happened to her that was more frightening than a strange man bringing her back to his isolated cabin in the fucking woods?

But if she didn’t want to know my name, then I didn’t care about knowing hers. After all, she’d only be here for a few days and then I’d take her back to wherever the hell she wanted to be.

“I’ll go get those pillows,” I said.

“Okay.”

I walked around the couch and found my way to the hallway closet. I pulled a few extra pillows down from the top shelf, then went back to her. I propped her head up a bit more and put a bit of support underneath her back. I’d taken care of way too many soldiers in my time who were lying on nothing but slabs of wood. I knew how to make sure their bodies were comfortable and the more comfortable she was, the less tension she would carry.

That meant her body would control the swelling of her ankle more, which meant she’d heal faster.

Which meant she’d get the fuck out of my cabin sooner rather than later.

“Thanks,” she said again.

“Yep,” I said. “Just keep that ankle elevated and try not to walk on your own too much. It needs to heal.”

Before she could get a word in edgewise, I headed back to my room. I could not believe I was actually going to have to take care of this woman during this storm. The last report I’d heard on the radio said this snow wouldn’t fucking let up for an entire week. An entire fucking week. I’d have to put up with this clumsy, stubborn, strong-willed woman for seven damn days until I could get rid of her.

This was not the secluded mountain life I had been looking for.

Raking my hands through my hair, I sat down on the edge of my bed. Even though I couldn't have cared less about that woman, a part of me couldn’t help but listen out for her. It was hard to shut down the part of me that was trained to help but I tried my best to do so. Before I could worry about her, I needed to prepare the generator for when the power went out.

By the time I did my rounds and made sure the cabin was secured for the storm, I could hear her soft snores coming from the couch. I took out some meat I had thawing in the fridge, then pulled out a massive mixture of fresh vegetables. A stew would be the easiest thing to cook because she could dish it up on her own and heat it up herself. Making a stew and some biscuits could put more distance between the two of us, which meant I didn’t have to deal with her as much. I slammed around in the kitchen, pouring things into a pot before I brought it all to a boil. Not once did she move from the couch.

She was obviously exhausted and I thanked my stars that she’d stay asleep through the night.

I cooked up some biscuits while the stew settled, then I brewed some sweet tea. She was a city girl for sure but her light accent told me she was from Tennessee. I set out a cup and a bowl for her, just in case she got up in the middle of the night and wanted something. Then, I took my dinner back into my room.

I was going to eat, listen to the radio, then go the fuck to sleep.

The weather announcer kept changing his report every fucking moment. At first, it was going to snow for a whole three days. Then, he changed it to five. Then, it was an entire week. Even this asshat didn’t know what the fuck this storm was doing. I finished my dinner, turned off the radio, and took all my dishes to the kitchen.

The woman was still sleeping on the couch while the fire slowly dwindled and I fought the urge to go and see how her ankle was.

I filled the sink with hot bubbly water and put my dishes into it. The woman’s snores became louder and louder and, soon, she wasn’t breathing at all. I rushed over to her side and took one of the pillows out from underneath her head. In an instant, she was breathing again.

This time, there was no snoring.

I lifted up the blanket and took a look at her ankle. Her toes were swelling a bit, but nothing that was alarming to me. I unraveled the ace bandage from her skin, applied more of the soothing gel, and then wrapped her back up and tucked her in. Everything was coming back to me like it’d never left. My mind was racing with facts and statistics and clocking all the things that could go wrong. Part of me wanted to make sure I was prepared for anything that could happen to her.

But part of me simply wanted to sleep this nightmare away.

If she stayed long enough, she would know how battered I was. If she was trapped here long enough, she would see the monster she was staying with.

I wasn’t sure if I could stomach that reality.

 

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