Sykes gives me a worried look. “Now you’ve poked the bear! All you did was buy yourselves a couple of days. He’ll make everything worse.”
“The only bears I worry about are the grizzlies on this mountain,” Daley replies. “Get off my land, and I’ll see you both in court.”
“You’re not getting this land, Mr. Cline!” I shout after the big kahuna.
Skittish as he passes by a growling Jax, Sykes gives me one last warning, rushing back to his master. “This is a terrible choice. You will both regret this!”
Even so, the two of them are genuinely relieved when they see that Jax chooses to stay back. He still shows off his fangs whenever they glance back at him, but that’s about it.
The tension in the air dissipates—a tension I wasn’t even aware of until just now. This was a crazy ride, and it’s only going to get wilder. Moments pass slowly, like oversized rocks pushed down our backs as we stand on the porch, shaking in the darkening afternoon, and watching the enemy get into the black SUV and drive away.
Once they’re out of sight, I feel like I can breathe again. “I was winging it back there, Daley, but I swear to you, I’m even more determined now not to let this bastard throw you out of your home. We’re taking his ass to court on Monday, and we’re fighting this with everything we have.”
“Michelle.”
“No, I’m serious. I’ll call up my court buddies and see what intel they can get me on—”
Daley kisses me, and I am swept off my feet. The lights go out as I settle against his lips. There’s a hunger here, a ravenous desire that bursts between us like a water balloon.
Fire soars up to my throat as I moan softly in his unexpected embrace. We hold each other tight, tongues exploring and wrestling as we become accustomed to the sweetest tastes.
I could stay like this forever.
His scent fills me up to the brim, and my heart speeds up. It may be the adrenaline from earlier amplifying every sensation, but it’s an incredible feeling, nonetheless. I don’t want this moment to end. Daley claims me with his kiss, and all I can do is surrender.
When he pulls back to catch his breath, he gives me this long and smoldering look. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, lips glistening while my skin burns with desire. “It was the only thing I could think of doing.”
I’m not sure what’s happening, but the change is irreversible.
There is no going back.
Chapter 13
Daley
Thirteen hours have passed since that kiss, and I still can’t get it out of my head. I’m constantly on edge, every muscle in my body taut and tight with tension that just won’t go away.
Michelle hasn’t said anything about the kiss, either. We had dinner after the Cline encounter—she cooked a marvelous vegetable and bacon pie, as promised, while I treated her to some wine and a secret stash of dinner mints I keep for special occasions.
Thirteen hours have passed, and my mind is still swirling. My very soul is ravaged.
I did it. I didn’t even think it through.
She turned me on and up to eleven with how she confronted Cline and Sykes. Michelle is frickin’ fearless. My kind of woman, and then some. By the time I realized what was happening, I had already tasted her.
Thirteen hours, and I wouldn’t like another thirteen to pass without another kiss. I want it. I want to hold her in my arms and lose myself inside a beautiful dream where nothing and no one can hurt us. I’m slightly uncomfortable in my seat. It’s raining buckets outside, so I’m sticking to the living room this morning, waiting to hear the floor’s gentle creaking upstairs. A sign that she’s awake.
I want to kiss her again. I know it’s a dangerous thought, but… how do I stop it? How do I wean off her when she is so recklessly addictive? I don’t regret it. No. I just want more. Even my coffee doesn’t taste the same.
“Morning,” Michelle’s voice echoes from the top of the staircase.
Dammit, I’m frozen. All I can do is turn my head, look up to find her wrapped in one of my towel robes, and smile.
She comes down, carefully treading in a pair of thick woolen socks. I catch a glimpse of her bare calf as she reaches the bottom and walks over to the kitchen.
“How’d you sleep?” she asks.
I need to find my words again. This is ridiculous and so unlike me.
“Like a baby,” comes my reply.
I could pretend to read a book or something. Maybe turn on the TV? I don’t have any cable, just what I can stream off my phone. I was irritated by the idea of 5G at first, till I discovered I could watch Johnny Carson with nothing but a decent phone and a good TV. But I fail to move, simply holding my coffee as I’m planted in the middle of the sofa.
Michelle comes back from the kitchen with a mug of her own and takes over the armchair. She eyes me carefully at first, smiling whenever our eyes meet. I know she’s not indifferent, but I don’t know what any of this is, either. Ours is an arrangement, a friendly settlement. A favor she is offering to help me out. I would be an idiot to spoil it, to throw it away. I’ve got too much respect for her. But those lips, goddammit, they’re beggin’.
“Have you heard from the sheriff yet?” she asks.
Thank the stars she wants to get down to business, because I keep following the delicate line of her collarbone as it disappears beneath the robe. My robe. My robe wrapped around her hourglass body. I’m losing it again.
I shake my head. “No, but I’m expecting a call or a visit soon enough. By making herself unavailable yesterday, however, Lauren knew exactly what she was doing.”
“Helping us, yes. But there’s only so much she can do. Come Monday, we’re definitely going the distance in court. I’ve asked my friends to reach out once they have useful information.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“Don’t worry about it. Sure, it started out weird, but you have me on your side, Daley.”
I can’t help but smile. “There’s a lot of stuff I’m good at, you know? Living out here like I do, you kinda learn to get around. Building, tearing down, fixing. Growing stuff, hunting, trapping, cleaning, cooking. Driving. Climbing. You name it, I’m on it. But the legal stuff… I’m completely helpless, and it makes me mad.”
“You can’t ace everything,” Michelle replies, slightly amused. “Like I thought I was a good hiker, yet here I am, bum leg and indentured.” She pauses, noticing my alarmed expression, then bursts into laughter. “I’m kidding. I was kidding, Daley. I’m here of my own accord, willing to help.”
We’re both chuckling now, but my humor fades as I try to wrap my head around this entire situation. “I should’ve looked into this, though. The property, the laws around its ownership. I got emancipated at sixteen and thought nobody would ever trouble me here.”
“From what I understand, nobody did until Cline came along.”
“Yeah, he’s a persistent son of a…” A sip of coffee replaces the last word in my statement, though Michelle knows exactly what I meant.
“How long has he been hounding you?”
“A couple of years, maybe more. When he first came into Dickinson, people were relieved. The town was in desperate need of capital. Too many elderly, not enough kids.
“Cline started buying houses here and there, then a couple of stores. A year later, he financed a mega mall a few miles east. That brought in some more jobs, which meant housing, too, so his investments got to work pretty quickly. Then, he invested in local agriculture and manufacturing projects. Bought several factories and repurposed some of them. Dickinson is better off because of that.”
Michelle sighs, a bitter smirk tugging the corner of her mouth. “Until Cline went overboard, right?”
I nod. “He got greedy. Started muscling people out of homes and businesses. Some, he bullied. Others, he bribed. And then he set his sights on my mountain last year, and his whole vision exploded into this Aspen, Colorado lookalike but better,” I say, imitating his dry drawl and throaty
pronunciation. “He bought everything he could around the mountain. Got in too deep. And now, he can’t back out without losing serious money, so his only choice is to get rid of me, instead.”
“Nobody wants to be in your situation,” Michelle says.
“I’m frickin’ helpless, and I don’t know what to do with myself. That’s never happened before, so I can’t even anticipate my own reactions, if that makes sense.”
She nods slowly and sets her cup aside. I watch her, quiet and tense and bubbling on the inside, as she gets up from the armchair and joins me on the sofa. This whole time, her eyes never leave mine, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’m only sure that my stomach is shrinking while my very soul is bloated and burning like a furious sun.
I feel my lips parting. I want to say something. What, exactly?
No clue whatsoever.
But then she inches closer, and all I can do is stare at her mouth and suck in a breath when it finds mine.
We’re kissing again. My skin stretches and stretches beyond its limits, beyond my physical perceptions. My lungs inflate with something that isn’t air but her floral fragrance, which I know she keeps in a small travel bottle. She sprayed some behind her ears.
Soft lips and tongues get tangled.
It’s different this time. Much slower. I have the luxury of exploring the taste of her, of being able to deconstruct that which makes Michelle so goddamn sweet and appetizing.
There’s a volcano roaring inside her. Her ragged breath tells me that much as I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer. I need to feel her body, her breasts pressed against my chest as I leave her lips for a moment and trail kisses along the side of her neck.
I tease the earlobe and nip it with my teeth.
“Daley…”
Her voice awakens something inside me. Something that’s been dormant for so long, I almost forgot it was there. I believe poets would call it passion. Whatever it is, it has thawed back into existence, lighting fires everywhere as I’m about to get this towel robe off her and out of the way.
It’s too fast.
I don’t know how my conscience is able to survive this moment, but it’s strong enough to force me to stop. A curse slips under my breath as I bring everything to a halt, gingerly cupping Michelle’s face with both hands. Her eyes are black, the blackest black I’ve ever seen, embers crackling within. Her lips are moist and pink and trembling, her tongue almost inviting me for an ample return.
But it’s moving too fast.
“The last thing I want is to do something that either of us might regret,” I tell her, trying to find my words in this delicious madness. It takes forever to bring the temperature down to less alarming levels, even though my body still begs for her, for the ultimate release. “Michelle, I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It takes two to tango,” she says. “But you’re right. No rush.”
And it sounds perfectly natural. She’s okay with this, and she’s not even calling me out on my bull-crap. She’s not the one I’m genuinely scared of hurting. I am. I’ve been living here alone for so long, enjoying my solitude and keeping my heart safe from others, only for Michelle to come into my life and turn everything upside down.
Like a gift from the gods with a downside.
I can’t fall for this girl. Once Cline is out of the picture, she’ll be driving back to Minneapolis. She’s got a life there. A career. A big future ahead. I’m a mountain man who’s not going anywhere. I’d only be holding her back. I’m not a one-night stand kind of guy, either. Not with someone like Michelle, anyway. She’s too powerful and intense, a vibrant presence that demands adoration and attention and endless love.
Trouble is… I could love her.
I see myself loving her.
But this isn’t going there. This isn’t going anywhere. So, maybe if I slow this down and keep us focused strictly on the legal side of things, if I keep our minds on Cline, we might get through the weekend without making a huge mistake.
“Do you mind telling me about land ownership laws?” I ask after a long and, for the first time, slightly awkward silence. “Where does Cline stand, and how can we beat it in court in these circumstances?”
Michelle lights up like a firebug. This is her turf I’m treading on. An aspect of our conversation that she is unequivocally confident about. She starts talking, all back in business mode, while I struggle to focus, to keep my mind out of the gutter.
This is going to be a very long weekend.
Chapter 14
Michelle
Maybe I was wrong this whole time.
Maybe he kissed me yesterday purely because of the adrenaline rush and nothing else.
No, that doesn’t make sense. There is sexual tension between us. It’s palpable. I can’t ignore the chemistry, and if Daley thinks he can, well, he’s in for one hell of a disappointment.
It’s kind of amusing, though. If we’re within mere feet of each other, the air thickens, and we lose our words altogether. If we’re apart, it’s cool and dandy and friendly. The conversations flow, and we become closer as human beings first and foremost. Yet the more I stick around, the harder I know it will be for me to leave when the time comes. I do understand Daley’s hesitation. I’m not into flings, either, but this is all it will be if we let it.
There are no hiking expeditions planned for today, mainly because my ankle needs the rest. I’m also waiting for Sammy, my faithful court assistant, to get back to me with some emails and phone numbers. It’s the weekend, and I’m going to get plenty of grunts and scoffs for calling outside the usual office hours, but if I’m to get us ahead of Cline and Sykes on Monday, preparations must be made early. It’s one of the main reasons why I’ve rarely lost a case.
“I used to beg my parents to give me a baby brother,” Daley says, half-amused.
I just got off the phone with Ralphie. The kid’s been getting in trouble at school this past week, and I’m trying to make sure he talks about it with Mom and Dad. Keeping secrets never helped anyone in our family. Mom always finds out.
“Sometimes, I’m kind of glad they didn’t,” he adds.
“Why?” I ask. “Wouldn’t it have made your life more bearable? At least while you were still a teenager.”
He shakes his head. “I would’ve had his broken heart to deal with, on top of mine, and that would’ve been only if they didn’t separate us. I was able to get myself emancipated because I was on my own. I doubt the judge would’ve allowed me to emancipate so I could take care of another kid beside myself.”
“Ugh. You’re right. He would’ve placed you both in foster care.”
“The Dunns’ attorney said the same thing at the time.”
“Huh?” I mutter. “Oh, Sheriff Dunn.”
“Her dad, yeah. He helped me find a good attorney, and he and Lauren vouched for me before the judge, too.”
An idea pops into my head. “Do you remember the judge’s name?”
“I’m not sure, but I can ask Lauren. Why?”
“Sounds like Durbin is on Cline’s side. I can try to have your complaint heard by another district judge. If it’s the same guy who had faith in you and approved your emancipation, we might be able to tug some heartstrings.”
Daley comes back from the fridge with two bowls of red fruit, each smothered with a generous dollop of fresh cream. My mouth is already watering, since I’ve already tasted that cream. It’s definitely one of his best accomplishments in this kitchen. I’m still amazed by how much food can be made in-house and without running down to the store every other minute.
“This looks amazing,” I tell him.
“Thanks. That’s the last of the fruit, though. I’m gonna have to go through Mr. Hershey’s orchard tomorrow, if you’d like to join me.”
I stare at him for a moment. “Fruit picking or stealing?”
“Ah, I’m offended!” He gasps, feigning outrage, while I giggle wholeheartedly. “His grandkids barely visit anymore, an
d his ranch hands can’t take the entire surplus of each year’s harvest. There’s only so much a handful of people can eat.”
“So, he lets you help yourself?”
“Pretty much. He lets everybody with homes around the mountain come help themselves. I bump into rangers there, too, sometimes.”
“That’s odd,” I say. “He could sell the fruit and make a penny.”
Daley smiles. “The man has made millions of dollars from the oil industry. He looks at retirement as a way to give back for the damage he’s done. Hershey’s a complex guy; what can I say? Bottom line is… I get free fruit, and he gets the occasional helping hand.”
“Ah, so bartering and swaps are the way to go in these parts.”
“Pretty much. When old man Hershey needs his garden scrubbed of weeds, there’s always someone ready to help. If Mrs. McClintock’s car gets stuck on some dirt road? Why, the kids down Burlington Lane will jump in their pickups and save her before the sun goes down,” Daley says.
The more he tells me about this place, the more I find myself liking it. My whole life, I was under the impression that I had been made for the city, for the rush of downtown living and the excitement of working in criminal justice. Some years later, and I seem to find other worlds far more appealing. I’m beginning to enjoy the idea of a quiet life beneath the forest’s emerald canopy.
Nature used to be my escape, but I’m starting to see it as so much more, and it’s mostly because of this time I’m spending with Daley.
There are fundamental things about me that I didn’t think would change. Yet I’m asking the what-if questions more and more, if only to myself, at night, when no one else can see or hear me. I keep it secret and away from the world’s earshot.
Sometimes, it’s all I can think about. What if Minneapolis is just a city where I was born, but not necessarily where I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life? What if the big three-name firm isn’t where I’m meant to grow my career? Am I really going the right way? Funny, how one man and one mountain can change an outlook so swiftly.
The Fake Bride Loophole - A Mountain Man Romance Page 9