by Mia Taylor
“You’re just resting your eyelids, I know. Sleep. There’s not much else to do, is there?”
She raised her head slightly and smiled sheepishly at him.
“Damned mountain air,” she mumbled.
“Yeah,” he agreed from the doorway, his gaze resting on her face. There was a tenderness in his eyes which made her heart swell and thump but it was not enough to overcome her fatigue.
“Sleep well, Vivian.”
He closed the door behind him and left her alone to ponder other things they might do which did not involve sleeping.
~ ~ ~
The howl of the dogs woke her with a start and for a moment, Vivian had forgotten where she was. She looked around the darkened bedroom in a slight panic.
You’re on Mt. Rogers—at Vaughan’s place.
Slowly, her fuzzy mind began to clear and she nodded to herself.
You’re safe. You’re fine—
The dogs began to bark furiously again and Vivian could hear the frenzy in them.
“What is going on?” she demanded, padding into the living area but it was at that moment that she realized that the entire cabin was dark.
Vaughan moved about, the dogs on his heels, lighting candles.
“The power’s out,” he sighed. “The storm’s getting worse. Did these two boneheads wake you?”
“It’s fine. What time is it?”
The question was automatic—logically she knew it didn’t matter what time it was; they weren’t going anywhere.
Outside, the rain pelted against the window furiously and the rush of wind gave her the feeling that they were falling victim to the Big Bad Wolf from “The Three Little Pigs”.
“Would you guys settle down?” Vaughan snapped at the canines who were racing madly up and down the room. “It’s only lightning.”
He turned toward her, his handsome face illuminated in the flickering of the candlelight and she felt strangely calm, despite the mounting anxiety in the cabin.
“I think it’s close to six. Why? You have a hot date?”
Vivian laughed and moved toward him, running a hand through her bedraggled hair.
“Maybe. Are dogs single? That seems to be my type.”
“No. But I am.”
The words hung between them and Vivian’s mouth parted into an “O” of surprise. She could tell by his face that he was just as stunned he had made such a bold statement.
“I’m just kidding,” he said quickly, turning his back to her, and continued to light the candles.
“The generator should have kicked on by now but it until it does, we’re stuck with candlelight and the fireplace.”
He was speaking rapidly, his words spilling out on top of each other. His back was still to her and he didn’t notice her moving towards him until she was right up on him, her hand reaching out to touch the sculpted curve of his bicep through his flannel shirt.
Abruptly he spun as if her touch had burned him but when he looked at her, their eyes melted into each other.
“What are you doing?” he mumbled but he didn’t look away.
“I… don’t know,” she replied, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. “I wanted to touch you.”
He towered over her, his large body inches from hers, and before Vivian could stop herself, she reached up to curl her fingers into his full beard, her eyes searching his face.
“Vivian…”
She pressed her index finger to his lips and rose onto her tiptoes to place her own mouth against his. Jolts of pleasure shot through her, the expression of yearning in his eyes urging her forward boldly.
Her arms looped around his neck and she drew him closer, parting her lips to slide her tongue along the edge of his top teeth. They were deliciously sharp and gooseflesh flooded her body when he pressed himself fully against her.
Their embrace deepened, the kiss growing hotter and suddenly, Vaughan’s arm snaked around her waist, yanking her toward him so the breath was knocked out of her entirely.
There was no rational voice chiding her as they moved back toward the sofa, her lean frame buckling under his weight.
The dogs seemed to sense the sudden change in atmosphere and stopped their barking, falling back to hide from the howl of the wind in their respective beds.
But the actions of the dogs were the last thing on Vivian’s mind. All she could think about was Vaughan’s mouth trailing along the curve of her neck, his hands exploring her form with huge, warm hands.
“What are we doing?” she thought she heard him mutter but whatever doubts that seemed to plague him did not slow his movements as he peeled off her clothes.
Don’t question it! she wanted to call to him. How could they possibly resist the attraction they had for one another when the storm raged outside, forcing them into each other’s arms?
They had found security amidst the elements, a cautious, budding emotional attachment that Vivian didn’t understand but didn’t want to fight.
If they only had that night, Vivian would take it, as it was the first time in a long while she had felt like her old self, confident, awake, desirable.
And that’s all because of Vaughan.
His lips closed around her naked breast and Vivian sighed, waves of heat coursing through her as she arched up, yearning to have him closer.
Vaughan had also shed his clothes and they lay on the overstuffed sofa, their skin pressed together so closely, they seemed to have become intertwined, even before he shifted his body against hers to stare into her eyes.
“Are you sure about this?” he whispered. She answered him with a kiss, driving his head downward to sample his mouth again, wrapping her long legs around him so he could no longer resist what they both so clearly wanted.
She gasped at the feel of him within her, her inside clinging to Vaughan almost desperately. She never wanted to let him go, her waist rising to meet his thrusts as eagerly as he drove into her.
His breaths covered her face and she was once again overwhelmed by the scent of his masculinity, the aroma of him driving her further into the heady feeling of passion which enshrouded them both.
Never had Vivian felt so consumed, so entirely possessed by another and any resolve she’d held fast to dissipated. Entirely, she succumbed to Vaughan, their connection too strong to be denied, and together, their cries filled the cabin until they were both too spent to utter another sound.
For a long, silent moment, they lay in each other’s arms, the only noise coming from the storm beyond the rain-dappled windows. Vivian could have happily laid there forever, never to be found again.
In five hundred years, excavators could find us like this, entangled in each other and I would die here without any regrets.
There was a sudden hum and a buzz and the generator kicked in, causing them both to start in unison.
“Well,” Vaughan chuckled, pulling himself up and slowly moving off her body. “I guess we got the generator going.”
“The dogs will be happy.”
They smiled almost shyly at each other, basking in the afterglow of their desire but still slightly uneasy.
“I’ll make dinner,” Vaughan told her, scrounging the ground for his pants.
“No,” Vivian told him, sitting up. “Let me.”
He cast her another look but shrugged nonchalantly.
“If you want,” he agreed. “But I don’t mind.”
“It’s the least I can do,” she assured him. “You saved me, after all.”
He grinned at her. “Why do I get the feeling that you can take care of yourself just fine, Vivian?”
She grimaced, thinking of what her parents would have to say about that and immediately frowned deeper.
You’re here with Vaughan. Why are you letting your dark thoughts in? You’ll have a lifetime to pursue those. Tonight is about you and him, nothing else.
She didn’t reply and rose from the couch, moving toward the kitchen, still naked.
“Vivian?”
&
nbsp; “Hmm?”
She glanced at him over her bare shoulder, relishing the way his eyes raked over her body.
I would never want to prance around naked in front of Leon. What is it about this guy?
But she knew what it was—his eyes told her everything she needed to know. Leon had never looked at her like that, not even in the earliest stages of their relationship.
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
She felt a flutter in her heart and she cocked her head as she turned to face him fully.
“Thank you for that,” she whispered. “I hope you’re right.”
“You’ll get what you want out of life if you focus,” he promised and a renewed sense of hope filled her. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
He’s right. I need to focus on writing that story and see where the chips land.
Chapter Eight
The Calm After the Storm
Vivian slept in his arms that night and although the generator remained working, she had insisted that they turn out the lights and remain in candlelight.
It proved to be a good call and Vaughan spent the night watching his new lover sleep, his heart filled with something he had never experienced in his life.
I can’t be in love with her. I don’t even know her last name, he growled to himself but nothing he thought could stop the feeling of affection he had, staring at her lovely face, her naked form rising and falling in even rhythm against the comforter he had wrapped around them.
As night fell, the storm seemed to pass and the realization that the rain was clearing gave Vaughan a deep sense of apprehension.
She’s going to leave me soon, he thought, his jaw locking. But that was the only way. He knew that he had stayed awake not only to savor the final hours he had with Vivian but to ensure that he did not shift in his sleep.
What would she do if she ever found out what kind of beast lived inside me?
Vaughan had no doubt what she would do—run screaming and probably turn him in to the pitchfork-wielding villagers. For almost a decade he had managed to avoid bullets and bear traps, the stories about his existence spreading down the mountainside to the point where he had narrowly missed being discovered by the skin of his teeth.
No, Vivian had to go and he needed to return to the life he had known before she had stumbled into his life.
And who says she wants to be a part of your life? This is probably a one-time thing for her. As she said, she’s just trying to escape her own life. She doesn’t want the reality of mountain life. But what if she did…?
He knew he was talking himself in circles. It didn’t matter what Vivian wanted. No one could ever accept that he was a monster, no matter how real the moments they shared felt in that time.
As dawn neared, he reluctantly peeled himself from Vivian’s slumbering side and ventured into the living room. The dogs waited patiently by the door to be let out and Vaughan knew for certain that the weather had turned better.
“Don’t go far,” he warned the canines, slipping into his steel-toed boots which sat on a rubber mat near the door. “I’m not chasing you through the muck.”
They bounded from the front porch and disappeared across the sopping clearing into the woods beyond. The rain had certainly saturated everything in sight but there was no obvious indication of flooding as far as he could see. Vivian’s car was only a mile or so away. The chances that the road had been washed out didn’t seem high but they would have to see when they got there.
Vaughan moved toward the small shed at the side of the cottage and opened the door, his eyes adjusting to the dark easily.
His eyes fell on the red gas can instantly and he reached for it.
It was half-full.
I’ll drive her back to her car and then go into town for more, he thought. I’ll follow her down the mountain so she gets back safely.
He knew it wasn’t going to be easy to let her go but he didn’t have a choice.
It’s not like I can stay awake every night and what will happen on the night of the full moon when I have no control over what happens?
“What are you doing?”
He turned toward her voice and she stared at him through the doorway, her brow furrowed in confusion. She had thrown on one of his flannel shirts and it hung alluringly just above her shapely knees, her feet crammed into another pair of his boots she had found inside. Wilderness gear had never looked so sexy.
“I’m right here,” he assured her. “See?”
“I woke up and you were gone—I freaked out,” she confessed, an embarrassed look on her face.
“I’m just getting the gas for your car,” he told her, holding up the cannister. “There’s enough here to get you back to town.”
A look of hurt flashed over her face and she gaped at him.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“I just—never mind.” She whirled and moved away from the shed, leaving him to stare after her.
“Vivian?”
He hurried to catch up with her and by the time he did, she was already back in the house, snatching up her discarded clothes from the floor. She stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door as he stood outside, uncomprehendingly.
“Uh, hello?” he called. “What is going on?”
“Nothing!” she yelled back. “Nothing is going on apparently.”
“Vivian, are you going to talk to me or make me guess through the door?”
There was no answer and for a moment, he considered simply walking in on her but a sensible part of him held back. Even with his limited experience with the opposite sex, he had a fair handle on the idea that when a woman wanted to be left alone, it was best to adhere to that.
“Vivian, please talk to me,” he sighed, standing back. “What’s the matter?”
Suddenly, the door opened and he was staring at her glowering face. She was fully dressed in her own clothes, her shoes on.
“Let’s go,” she snapped. “Since you seem to be in a big hurry to get me out of here.”
He stared at her in disbelief.
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you sit up all night, praying for the rain to stop and the second it did, you ran for the gas?”
“You—you’re being crazy,” he muttered, finally understanding why she was so upset. “You need gas for your car, remember?”
“Yeah, I also remember you and I getting it on until the wee hours of the morning but I guess that was just something to do while killing time.”
His jaw tightened.
“You’re mad at me because I’m trying to help you get your car working,” he told her flatly. “Who’s being unreasonable?”
She scoffed and threw her hands up.
“If you don’t get it, I can’t explain it to you. Let’s go.”
“Don’t you want breakfast?” he asked but she didn’t stop and she stalked out of the house purposefully. As she exited, Murphy and Chase entered, wagging their tails.
“I have to feed the dogs!” he yelled after her but he had no idea if she heard him.
Well there’s one reason not to pursue a woman, he thought grimly. The crazy always comes out sooner or later.
But as he poured the dog chow for the mutts, he understood exactly why Vivian was acting the way she was—she felt used, like what had happened the previous night had meant nothing to him.
And I can’t even tell her how wrong she is.
It took every fiber of his being not to grab her by the shoulders and tell her how much he wanted her to stay but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe letting her think he was a prick was the right course of action.
We had our moment but I can’t let her come back here. This is for the best, even if she is completely misguided.
Maybe one day, when he learned to control his shifting, he could try to find her again.
Yeah. Maybe.
He snorted at his own idealistic thought and
shook his head, swallowing the lump of regret forming in his throat.
It’s no big deal. You really don’t know her at all. Just say goodbye and be done with it.
“Don’t tear this place apart when I’m gone,” Vaughan warned the dogs but they ignored him as they inhaled their food.
Vaughan stepped onto the porch, expecting to see Vivian stalking about the damp yard but when he looked about, he did not see her anywhere.
“Vivian?” he called. “Where are you?”
He glanced to where he had left the gas can and saw it was still on the side of the porch.
“Vivian?”
A slow wave of exasperation trickled through him as he realized that she must have gone through the woods to find her car.
Dammit, woman, what is wrong with you? Didn’t you see my truck right there?
He moved toward his vehicle, keys in one hand, gas can in the other. After placing the gas cannister in the bed of the truck, he jumped in the cab and headed down the laneway leading to the road.
In minutes he found Vivian’s car but she had still not made it to the site.
Vaughan decided to wait, knowing that if she had managed to orient herself in the woods, she was probably only minutes away. If not, he was going to have to go trekking for her in the muddy woods.
Like one of his own dogs, he found himself staring out the driver’s side window expectantly and he realized how much he wanted to see her face.
Am I going to be like this once she’s gone?
He already suspected he knew the answer but he pushed it aside, not wanting to second-guess what he was going to do.
After a few minutes, he heard the crunch of branches, indicating that something was coming his way. Vivian’s tense face materialized a moment later.
“You know, I have a truck,” he told her dryly. To his chagrin, she didn’t respond. Instead, she unlocked the car and flipped the switch to open the gas tank.
Sighing, he grabbed the can from the back of the truck and poured the contents into the car.
“That’s all of it,” he told her, a word still not falling from her lips as she stood by watching. “Try to give it a start. It might take a couple tries before it happens.”