Mountain Man and Mistletoe: A Small Town Christmas

by Kristen Echo

  “You have undeniable talent. I can hardly believe someone so young wrote this. There is much soul and depth.”

  “Thank you. Maybe you shouldn’t judge people by their age.” It was impossible to be sexy and flirty with a bandage on my head and blankets covering my body. “Look, I’ll bet I’ve exhausted your hospitality, but would you mind if I finished this last scene before we leave?”

  He nodded as his eyes wandered to the door and then back. “Write as much as you like because you aren’t leaving.” He took off his shirt and dropped it on the bed next to my arm. The heat from his body clung to the fabric.

  “What?”

  “We are snowed in. You’ll be spending another night. If the forecast is correct, we’ll be spending Christmas together. It will give me a chance to bring the spirit of the holidays back into your heart.” He winked. “I’ll shower first.”

  I closed my mouth, swallowed hard and wondered how I’d get any work done with him naked in the next room.

  Chapter 4

  Doctors don’t give sponge baths, but that didn’t stop me from daydreaming. For the first time in a long time, I let my naughty thoughts take over. I closed my laptop and my eyes, picturing Matteo naked soaking in a tub for two and inviting me to join.

  “Hmm.”

  I trailed my fingers over his wet muscles as his hands roamed between my thighs. Teasing and exploring. When my hand dipped lower over his hard length, he slid inside me. I moaned for more. He gifted me with his soft hairs against my cheeks as his lips claimed mine.

  I gripped the sheets with one hand as my other slipped inside my panties. I was soaked. My clit was pulsing as I circled the greedy nub.

  “Hmm,” I moaned louder, so close to coming.

  “Leah, wake up. It’s your turn.”

  His voice was so close. Too close. My fingers halted their progress. My core screamed for more. Another missed orgasm.

  I opened my eyes to find Matteo standing next to the bed, wearing nothing but a fluffy white towel around his hips. Water dripped from the ends of his hair, landing on his broad shoulders and trickling down. Low. I tracked the path over ridges of abs and along the deep V that I thought only existed on television or in photoshopped magazine pictures.

  “I’m awake,” I said breathlessly. “My turn for what?”

  Without asking, he peeled back the covers. I shifted and moved my hand. The elastic from my panties snapped against my skin, giving away my secret. As if that weren’t bad enough, the shirt he’d lent me had bunched over my stomach, giving him a prime view of the wetness between my legs.

  He inhaled a deep breath. “Were you… don’t answer.”

  I hadn’t been caught masturbating since I was a teenager. It might have been slightly less mortifying that time. My mother had the decency to closer the door. Matteo didn’t look away. His gaze was glued to my sex. My legs trembled as I closed my knees together.

  “What?”

  “You’re not making this easy. I… Leah, you are a temptress.” He smiled and lifted me into his arms. “Bath time.”

  “Seriously?”

  My lips curved into a smile as he brought me against his chest. I didn’t protest. If he wanted to wash my back or finish what I’d started, I wouldn’t tell him no. I wrapped my arms around his neck, surprised that my body didn’t whine with pain. He carried me into the bathroom as though I weighed nothing.

  The space was nearly as large as the main room. Steam covered the full-length mirror near the shower and the one over the sink. In the corner was a massive clawfoot tub, filled to the brim with bubbles. There’s usually a big difference between dreams and reality. This was better.

  He set me on my feet and held me against him, as if he expected me to fall over. My legs were fine, but I kept my hands on his shoulders. He was so tall, towering over me. I gazed into his eyes and chewed my lip.

  “I’ll take off the bandages,” he explained as his fingers trailed up my spine towards my neck. He leaned over and grabbed scissors from the vanity counter and cut through the gauze. “Turn around and lift your arms.”

  “Before um… I should apologize. While perfectly natural, I… Wow. There’s no easy way to get this off my chest.”

  He nodded, encouraging me. “I see no reason to apologize but say what you need.”

  “Your girlfriend—”

  “We discussed these things already. You are single and I am single. I moved here alone.”

  “But I saw you with… never mind.” I turned and faced the vanity, glad I couldn’t see my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t need to see my pink cheeks and doe eyes.

  “Tell me what you saw.”

  I shrugged my shoulders and raised my arms. “A few pictures on your phone. I assumed the woman was your… I was wrong. Sorry for snooping.”

  With my hands in the air, I expected him to check my ribs or ask me to breathe in and out like he’d done several times since I’d arrived. Instead, he lifted the shirt up and off in one quick swoop. He tossed it on the long wooden bench next to the tub where his clothing was stacked. My heartbeat accelerated. I was convinced he could hear it too.

  “The woman on my phone is my brother’s wife. She is pregnant with their second child.”

  Not his. I exhaled. “How long have you been single?”

  “A little over a year since my last relationship ended. She was young. Though not as young as you,” he explained. “We wanted different things."

  “Communication is important. What kind of—”

  My bra clasp opened, stealing my words. His nimble fingers slid the strap off and he added my bra to the pile. I could have undressed on my own. Besides feeling a little stiff and bruised, my injuries weren’t bothering me much anymore.

  When his touch returned over my hips, I shivered. “Do you want a family? Molti bambini.”

  “Bambini, is that like babies? I don’t know.” I couldn’t think straight with his hot breath warming my skin and inching lower down my back.

  “Let’s get you warm,” he said as he lowered my panties to the floor.

  I stepped out of them and kicked them towards the bench. With him crouched behind me, I tried to think of something to say. Anything that would calm the yearning building inside me and stop me from turning around and tackling him to the floor.

  The impulse to connect with him intimately surprised me. I hadn’t felt this strongly about anyone. Beyond the attraction pulling me towards him like a magnet, I liked his protective and demanding mannerisms. I liked Matteo. He was nothing like the brute the couple in town had described.

  “Why do the people think you’re a deranged mountain man?”

  He laughed, sending a targeted arousal assault to my core. Moisture pooled between my legs. I pressed my thighs together. It wasn’t fair that I was so turned on that I could hardly breathe while he was completely unaffected.

  “I have not heard this. Tell me what the people are saying.”

  “Nothing good. Does it bother you?”

  The heat from his body imprinted against my skin as he stood. “No. I do what I want, when I want. Opinions of others matter little to me.”

  “There are some wild speculations about you. Why the mystery?” I gripped the edge of the white farmhouse style sink.

  “My brother has an interesting sense of humor. Stefano enjoys messing with me.” He chuckled again. “When he returns, I’ll have to see what rumors he spread.”

  “I’m not sure it’s him.” I swallowed hard as his hands gripped my biceps, lowering my arms. “They haven’t met you and so they’re filling in the blanks. Are you avoiding town? Avoiding people?”

  “No. I like people. Leah, do I seem like a crazed mountain man to you?”

  “You are bossy,” I joked.

  “Possessive too,” he whispered near my ear. “I like my privacy as much as anyone else, but I haven’t had time to roam around town since I arrived. I am fully stocked. With no reason to venture down from my mountain, I’ve been unpac
king. Enough stalling, let’s get you in the tub.”

  “Are you going to stay and wash my back?” I glanced over my shoulder.

  “Something like that,” he said, guiding me towards the sea of bubbles and steam.

  I stepped in and sank into the bliss. It wasn’t too hot. The perfect temperature to sooth my sore muscles and relax every other part of me. I moaned as the water curled up to my neck. Deep soaker style tubs were my favorite.

  “Heaven.” My eyes fluttered closed. “Thank you for this. For everything.”

  The bench creaked behind me under Matteo’s weight. “I should be thanking you.”

  “Why?”

  He didn’t answer. I smiled and my insides did a happy dance when he poured water over my hair. He massaged shampoo into my curls, careful around my wound. After a rinse, he repeated with conditioner and continued kneading my scalp. I moaned more than once. The sound of our mingled breaths created an enchanting, steady and tranquil rhythm.

  The scent of sandalwood and spice filled the air. Matteo invaded my senses. The intimacy of the moment chipped away at the walls around my heart. It was silly to think it meant anything. He was being nice and nothing more. A doctor caring for his patient.

  By the time he finished washing my hair, the bubbles had disappeared. I swirled my hands over the surface. “How does it look?”

  He leaned over. His face hovered over mine. Our eyes locked as his hands moved along my neck, dipping into the water.

  “Bellissima. Your womanly curves are so supple.”

  The husky rasp delighted me. His eyes roamed the length of my body. Without the bubbles, I was exposed, and I didn’t care. I wanted him to see.

  “I meant the cut on my head,” I teased.

  He smiled. “Did it hurt when I washed?”

  His fingers slid along my collarbone as his eyes fixed on my mouth. I saw lust mixed through the shades of brown. The room seemed to sizzle with an electric pulse. I licked my lips. I wanted him to kiss me. He inched closer.

  “Yes,” I breathed. “I mean no. It didn’t hurt.”

  “It’s getting cold.” He reached deep into the water and pulled the plug. His lips opened and then closed before he pulled away. “I’ll get a towel.”

  The almost kiss lingered in the air. Thick and heavy.

  If the man wanted me, he’d have kissed me. As a doctor, he’d seen more than his share of naked bodies. It’s possible he was desensitized. It’s possible the flirting had all been in my head. I wrung the excess water from my hair and shook my head, casting away the lust and hunger.

  “You don’t need to help me.” I gripped the edges of the tub and stood.

  A low groan erupted across the room. “I want to.”

  As water spilled down my body, I turned and faced him. He twisted the towel in his hands with a death grip. I didn’t lift my arms or cover myself. He’d already seen my breasts bobbing in the water. My erect nipples begging for attention. He’d seen the small patch of hair I left over my cleft. Smelled my arousal.

  “What do you want? Do you want to help me or fuck me?”

  “Leah,” he hissed. “Are all Canadian girls so blunt?”

  I’d often been told I didn’t know when to stop. This was probably one of those times, but I couldn’t handle the mixed signals. I’d never met a man who captivated me beyond the point of reason, made my breath hitch and set butterflies loose in my belly. Only Matteo.

  “You said you do what you want when you want. I might be young, but your signals are getting crossed with mine. Let me be clear. I’m in.”

  He crossed the room in one large stride. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “I know exactly what I’m offering.”

  His nostrils flared when I touched his chest. He pushed my hand aside, wrapped the towel around me and threw me over his shoulder. I yelped as I hung upside down, watching his calves tighten with each step.

  A heartbeat later, I was on the bed with his big body hovering over mine. He settled between my legs. Using his hips, he pressed me into the mattress. My wet hair fanned across his pillow. I smiled as the light from the fire danced across the side of his face. The sexiest beast alive was on top of me.

  “What are you offering?” He gripped my wrists with one hand and placed them above my head.

  “Me.” My breath was choppy and labored as I leaned forward, chasing his lips.

  He kept his mouth out of reach. “Which part?”

  His eyes smoldered as he loosened the towel covering me. Shifting his body, he pulled it away and tossed it. He wiggled on the bed, forcing my legs apart wider. I was his willing captive.

  “These?” He ran the pad of his thumb over my lips.

  “Yes,” I answered when he moved his thumb lower.

  The tips of his fingers grazed down the side of my neck, over my collarbone and along my side. He left my breasts untouched. Taunting me.

  “Matteo, please,” I begged.

  With a quick motion his hand covered my sex. “This?”

  “Hell yes!”

  The pressure wasn’t nearly enough. I tried to grind against his palm, but his weight prevented my movements. He had control. I groaned.

  “You want sex?”

  “More than I thought possible,” I admitted.

  “You want something physical,” he said, moving his hand from where I needed him most. He gripped my hip hard. As he stared into my eyes, he rotated his hips letting me feel his erection. “Something deep,” he added while rubbing his length along my folds.

  “Yes.” I wished he would get rid of his towel. Remove the barriers and lunge into me. “I want you, Matteo.”

  His eyes searched mine. “You are so young. Too young. Do you know what you want?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think you want my body. My hands on your skin, owning every inch of your curves. My mouth on your breasts, sucking and tugging your perfect little nipples. My tongue, licking in places that will make you scream and quiver. My lips everywhere, doing as I please. My cock stretching your pussy and filling you to the hilt.”

  My mouth hung open as I melted into the bed. His words turned me into one giant puddle of lust and need. I was speechless.

  “The physical could be great,” he continued. “Raw, consuming and powerful. But I want more.”

  His question caught me off guard. “What kind of more are we talking about?”

  “You are so bellissima, but to only get your body is to get only half of you.” He released my hands, stilled his hips and placed his hand over my heart. “I want this.”

  “My heart.”

  The part of me that was frozen and dead. Without question, I wanted Matteo. Maybe more than I’d wanted any man in my entire life, but we hardly knew each other. He was asking for too much. Too soon.

  “I don’t...” My voice cracked.

  Tears burned my eyes, and I closed them so he wouldn’t see my vulnerability. Sex I could handle. Love scared the crap out of me.

  “The body is but a vessel for the heart and the brain. My hands, mouth, tongue, lips and cock are nothing by comparison.”

  “Matteo, please stop.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Couldn’t we start slow? Work our way up to the heart.”

  “You don’t want slow, passionate, love. You want to fuck. I want more than to fuck. I want… everything.”

  “This is that possessiveness you mentioned earlier,” I wheezed, trying to catch my breath.

  He rolled onto his back. “I’m greedy. I want your mind, your heart and then your body. When I give myself to another person, it’s not in pieces. I’m too old to play those games.”

  I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him. “You want a woman who can give you the entire package. Something long term.”

  His smile erased the unease that had crawled in as soon as he mentioned my heart. “Exactly. Let’s eat. I’m starved.”

  Matteo crawled out of bed still wearing a towel. He walked to the kitchen
, grabbed pots and pans from the rack above the island and placed them on the stove. Our intense, real and thought-provoking conversation didn’t seem to affect him the way it had me. He knew what he wanted. I knew what he wanted.

  The unanswered question was, what did I want?

  Chapter 5

  When I opened my eyes, I was still thinking about the previous night. The soul wrenching conversation replayed on a never-ending loop. A simple question shouldn’t have caused such a mountain of turmoil. Matteo had emotionally and literally stripped me bare. I pounded the pillow and huffed.

  “Worthless hearts,” I mumbled.

  The room was dark with the only light coming from the fire and the windows. I wasn’t mad or upset with him for turning me down. The sex would have been mind blowing, but I respected him for not taking advantage of the situation. He wasn’t into flings and that’s all I could offer. I didn’t have time for relationships. Correction; I used to not have time. For so long, my life had been about surviving one day at a time and taking care of Kelly. She was my priority. I had put my needs on hold to be her mom, her dad and her protector, but she wasn’t a kid anymore. She no longer needed me to be her caregiver. I’d struggled with shifting back to sister mode.

  I rolled on my back, stared at the boards on the ceiling and debated counting them again. The lines and knots in the wood were interesting. No piece the same, yet it all came together forming a strong cohesive unit. Similar to a family. I missed having a family and being part of something greater than just me. I placed my hand over my heart and shuddered.

  “Leah, the power is out. The storm must have knocked down the line or grid in the night.”

  “Another reason to stay in bed,” I muttered.

  “Talk to me.” Matteo sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed my leg. “You tossed and turned all night. Are you all right?”

  A quick glance at the window confirmed the blizzard hadn’t eased. I couldn’t escape and run away. I’d have to answer him, unless I could magically hide under the covers until he forgot I was there. Unlikely.