“I have some water and a few snacks,” I reply. “You don’t think there’s any canned food stashed away here, left over from the summer, do you?”
“I doubt it, but we’ll look. They don’t usually leave stuff up here because of the wildlife. There are bedrooms upstairs with lots of blankets and pillows, though. I suggest we gather some and bring them down here in front of the fire.”
“Good idea. You’re really good at this survivalist stuff.”
“It’s my job,” he reminds me. “If you want to stay here by the fire, I can manage with the blankets and stuff.”
“I can help.”
He’s so damn good-looking. I thought maybe my brain had done some fine-tuning and made my memory of him hotter than he really is. But no. He’s just hot. He’s ridiculously tall, well over six feet, and has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and sun-kissed skin. He’s bundled up in cold weather gear but takes off his puffy jacket and loops it around me.
“It’ll be cold up there,” he says softly as I push my arms into the coat and soak in his warmth. “Bundle up in this for now.”
“Thanks.” I offer him a smile, and his eyes flick down to my lips before he pulls away and leads me, with the help of his flashlight and the one I found in my pack, to the staircase. I can see my breath as we climb, and he opens the first door we come to.
There’s a simple queen-sized bed. Blankets and a quilt are folded and lying on the simple mattress, covered in plastic.
I grab the blankets and pillows, plastic and all, and hurry down to set them in front of the fire, then hurry back up for more.
“You take these, and I’ll be right down,” Seth says, passing me more linens. I turn and immediately follow directions. My fingers and toes are damn cold, and I’d like to huddle by the fire to warm up.
Once I reach the fireplace, I turn back to the stairs and see Seth coming down with a mattress on his broad back.
“Holy shit, Seth.”
“This will be more comfortable,” he says and drops the mattress about six feet from the fire. “Better than a hard floor, anyway.”
Before I can say anything, he marches away again and grabs a couple of chairs, bringing them to our makeshift living room before setting them down.
“In case you don’t want to sit on the floor,” he says and then hurries off once more. I scurry along after him, wondering where he’s going.
“You move really fast for a big guy,” I inform him as I follow him into the kitchen.
“Yeah, well, it’s move around or be cold. And I don’t like to be cold.” He opens cupboards, but they’re all empty. He stomps over to a pantry and lets out a long, low whistle.
“Jackpot,” I whisper.
Cans of vegetables, tuna, and other staples line the shelves. There are even some granola bars, candy bars, and soups.
“I guess they haven’t been up yet to take all of this down,” Seth says. “Looks like we won’t starve.”
“I mean, if we’re only stuck up here for twelve hours, we definitely won’t starve, Seth. I have jerky and protein bars and stuff.”
“The storm is supposed to last that long,” he reminds me. “It’ll pass in the middle of the night. Once it does, there will be up to two feet of snow. It’s going to take a while for us to get out of here. So, you can bet your pretty little ass that I’ll be taking some of this food with us.”
“I really messed up, didn’t I?”
“Well, on a scale of one to ten—one being a tiny little thing and ten being the end of the world…” He sighs and looks up like he’s thinking it over. “I’d give this about a nine-point-five.”
“Wow. That’s pretty bad.”
“If it was a ten, you’d be dead.”
He grabs a few things off the shelf, and then we hurry back to the fire, which already needs another log.
I spread the blankets across the mattress, then take off my shoes and sit on the bedding, facing the fire.
We can hear the wind whipping around outside, and something slams against the outside of the building, startling me.
“Probably just a tree,” Seth mutters as he takes a bite of a candy bar. “Well, I suppose since we’ll be holed up here together for the next couple dozen hours or so, we should get to know each other better.”
He takes another bite.
“Why were you so hell-bent on coming up here today?”
I scratch my chin and look him in the eyes. “Because someone once told me that I couldn’t. And that pissed me off.”
Chapter 3
~Seth~
I still want to paddle her ass for putting us both in this situation. The entire hike up, every single mile, I cursed her for being stubborn and potentially putting herself in danger.
When the snow started to fall, my heart lodged itself squarely in my throat.
I know how dangerous these mountains can be. They’re merciless. I’ve been on more search and rescue missions, that all ended badly, than I care to count.
And now that the adrenaline has died down, and we’re settled in front of the fire, safely riding out the storm, I could still choke her.
But she apologized, and I know she feels foolish. I just hope she never tries anything stupid like this again.
Not that it’s any of my business what she does once she leaves my park.
The firelight dances on her skin, and her dark hair looks black in the dimness of the room behind her. Her throat works as she swallows some water, and I want to lean in and kiss her there.
Jesus, I’ve thought of little else since I saw her in the bar the other night.
And I only know her first name.
“So, who was the asshole?” I ask to distract myself from the long line of that neck.
“Huh?” Her gaze whips over to mine in confusion.
“The jerk who told you that you couldn’t climb this mountain.”
She shrugs a shoulder and turns back to the fire. “Someone I used to know a long time ago. I’ve always loved hiking, biking, rafting. You name it. If it’s an outdoor activity, I want to do it. It’s my jam. And this guy I dated once must have been intimidated by that because he mocked me. Said I was probably raised by wolves or something.”
“And you dated him?”
“I was, like…nineteen,” she says with a disgusted eye roll. “And he was kind of hot. Anyway, swimming is my weakness. I’m not a strong swimmer. We were out on a boat with friends one time, all talking about bucket-list trips. And while most of the others were talking about things like Paris and Tahiti, I said I wanted to hike through all of the national parks. Some of the others nodded or said that sounded cool. But the asshole that I thought was hot? He scoffed and said, ‘Whatever. You won’t do that. You won’t even jump off this boat.’”
“He sounds like a winner.” I shake my head. I hate guys like that. “And what did you say?”
“I don’t remember,” she says. “I just remember being so pissed that he said I wouldn’t do what I’d dreamed of. And I didn’t give a shit about proving anything to anyone in regards to swimming.”
“Yeah, you don’t seem like the type to give in to peer pressure.”
She snorts and sips more water. “No. I’m not.”
“So, you don’t like to swim, but you do like rafting?”
“As long as we’re doing things right, I don’t have to swim,” she reminds me. “But if I have to, I can. I just don’t like it.”
“Gotcha. Are you close with your family?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I think we’ve talked about me enough for one night. What about you?”
“What about me?” I feel my lips twitch as she lets out a laugh. God, she has a fan-fucking-tastic laugh. Throaty and sexy. I bet she makes all kinds of great noises. And that dimple in her cheek just begs for my attention.
“Tell me a little about you,” she says.
“I’m from Montana. My family has a ranch outside of Cunningham Falls, and I live on the property. I also like to be o
utside. I love animals, and I work here in the park. That’s about it.”
That doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend the night baring all of my secrets from my shitty early childhood to this woman.
“I grew up in LA,” she says, surprising me.
“And you love the outdoors? City people are usually…indoorsy.”
She grins. “Well, there are places to go near LA that are fun for outdoorsy things. I’ve liked to hike from the time I was small. But I’m dying to know what it’s like to grow up in a tiny little town in the middle of all of these stunning mountains.”
“I had the time of my life,” I reply without thinking about it. “Fishing, hunting, running around. We skied, we played on quads, we chased wildlife off the property. Still do all those things, now that I think about it.”
“You hunt?” Her violet eyes round, and she sounds appalled. “Like, innocent animals?”
“We hunt legally.” I frown at her. “Do you really want to have this conversation? Because I can go into a ton of things like controlling animal populations and the need for families to eat, which will make your eyes glass over.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Okay, I probably don’t need the lecture. I just could never shoot at an animal.”
“So, hunting isn’t something we’ll do together.” I make a check mark in the air. “Check.”
“The rest of it sounds fun, though,” she says and leans back on her hands. “I’ve never spent a full winter in the snow. You know what the best thing about your house having wheels is?”
“You can avoid tornadoes?”
“That, and I can do pretty much whatever the hell I want. So, maybe I’ll stick around for winter. It’ll be interesting. And I haven’t skied in forever.”
“We have some of the best skiing in the world.” I grin when she looks at me like, really? “I’m not exaggerating. People train for the Olympics here.”
“It’s something to think about,” she muses while rubbing her hand through that gorgeous, thick hair. “Ugh, it’s hot in here. Turn around.”
I quirk up an eyebrow. “No.”
“Don’t be a jerk. Close your eyes.”
I sigh but do as she asks. When I hear the mattress and blankets rustling, I crack one eye open in time to see Remi stand and shimmy out of her thick hiking pants, leaving her long legs bare. I see a flash of white panties before she sits again and covers her lap with the blanket.
“You looked.”
“I’ll apologize if it makes you feel better.”
She smirks again and then smiles as she shakes her head. “I’ve been dying in those things. They’re great for the trail, but not so much in front of a roaring fire.”
She pulls one long leg out and plops it on top of the blanket, and I feel everything in me tighten.
“Now you’re just taunting me.”
“Serves you right for looking when I told you to close your eyes.”
I take a sip of water and find myself reaching for her foot with a scowl. “You have blisters.”
“Oh. Yeah, it happens sometimes.”
I examine her heel where the blood has dried, and the hot red spot on the ball of her foot. Then, I dig my thumb into the arch and watch as her eyes practically roll into the back of her head as she lets out a long groan.
“If I pay you ten thousand dollars, will you do that until the end of time?”
Her feet are small, her legs lean and toned—I assume from years of being active.
And her skin is warm and smooth.
I move up to her ankle, slowly massaging around her ankle bone, and then smile when she whimpers.
“When was the last time you slowed down long enough for a little self-care, Remi?”
“Yesterday. I even took a nap and everything. Today was my reward for relaxing.”
I’m not good at slowing down either.
I watch her face as I slide my hand up her leg, looking for any sign that she might not be comfortable.
Or might kick me in the face.
But she just bites her lip and lets out a little sigh as I massage her calf.
“Your calves are as big as mine, and I mean that as a compliment.”
She smiles dreamily. “Thanks.”
“Remi, if you want me to stop touching you, you only have to say so.”
“Did you bring me up to this chalet and arrange for a snowstorm so you could take advantage of me?”
I bark out a laugh. “I’m not that damn creative.”
“The ten thousand dollars is still on the table,” she replies and shifts so I have better access to her. God, she’s just…beautiful. And when she finally lies on the mattress, flings her arms over her head in a stretch, and lets out a long, deep sigh, I know I’m a goner.
I want her.
I want every damn inch of her.
But I need to take my time. Besides, we’re in no hurry. We have all night while the wind howls and the snow falls, as we simply wait in the safety of this place, in front of this fire.
With my eyes on her face, I lean in and press my lips to her knee. She doesn’t jerk away or demand to know what the hell I think I’m doing.
No, she bites that plump lip again and, with it caught between her teeth, lifts her head and smiles down at me.
“You okay?”
“It’s turning out to be a great day, thanks for asking.”
I love her smart mouth. Her sass and sarcasm turn me on just as much as her firm, sexy body.
So, with my hands still roaming and kneading the muscles of her leg, my mouth wanders, pressing light kisses to her skin. And when she pulls that second leg out from under the blanket and spreads herself before me, wearing just those little white panties and a black T-shirt, I feel like I’ve won the damn lottery.
“You’re beautiful.” My voice softly cuts through the silence around us, grabbing her attention. “You know that, right?”
“I’m okay,” she says, her breath catching when I gently bite the inside of her thigh. “Oh, that’s nice.”
So, the woman likes some teeth. I can work with that.
As the fire roars nearby, I take my time exploring her legs. I kiss her calves, under her knees, and up the inside of those thighs until I’m mere inches from home plate.
And then I scoot up closer to her, clutching the hem of her tee in my hand, and push it up her stomach so I can uncover the skin there and continue my exploration.
Her fingers dive into my hair, and her breath comes faster. She’s so damn responsive, so amazing. I want to strip out of my clothes and plunge so deep inside of her that I make us both see stars.
But I’m taking it slow.
She shoves the shirt over her head, and with her lavender-blue eyes hot on mine, she slips out of her bra and lies back once more, offering herself to me in the most stunning display I’ve ever seen in my damn life.
“If I wasn’t already on my knees…” I have to swallow, unable to finish the thought before my mouth fuses to one perky nipple, and my hands take over, finished with the whole going-slow idea as Remi’s hands pull on my clothes with impatience.
“Wanna see you,” she says breathlessly. “You’re just so tall and tanned and hot.”
I grin down at her. “You think I’m hot?”
“What do you think? I don’t tear my clothes off for just anyone.”
With a satisfied smile, I help her with my shirt, but before she can make a beeline for my pants, I cover her once more and kiss her long and slow, sinking into her softness. She’s sweet and so damn potent, I have to pull back to catch my breath.
“Christ, I’m about to take you here on the floor, and I haven’t even kissed you properly.”
She licks her lips. “You can do that again.”
“Gladly.”
We become a frenzy of lips and hands, and she manages to get my pants undone, sliding her hand down into my underwear, wrapping a magical hand around my dick, and holding fir
mly.
“Well, hellllllo,” she says in satisfaction.
“He says hi back.” I nibble her lips, worry her nipple between my thumb and forefinger, and when her hand starts to move faster, I pull back and spread her legs wide.
If I let her keep jacking me off, I’ll make a damn fool of myself.
Instead, I tug her panties to the side and lean in to tease. To taste. To make her fucking crazy.
“Seth!” Her legs start shaking as an orgasm moves through her, and I grin against her, pleased as hell to watch her fall apart. “Holy crap.”
“Again.” This time, I sit up, plunge two fingers inside of her, and press my thumb against her hard clit. “Come again for me, Remi.”
She shakes her head, but she can’t control it. Her pussy pulses around my fingers as she flies even higher than before.
“Holy crap,” she says again, completely out of breath. “Your turn.”
Before I can reply, she attacks my pants, yanks them down my hips, and when my dick springs free, she wraps that sweet mouth around the head. With those magical lips, she proceeds to give me the best damn blowjob of my life.
She has the right touch, the right…everything. But before she can make me come, I push her back again because I want to see her face when I slide inside of her. I press her hands against the mattress and align myself with her hot, wet pussy—and then I freeze.
“Oh, fuck.”
“What?”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“What is it?”
I grit my teeth and close my eyes. “I don’t have a damn condom.”
I open my eyes and look down at her, finding a disappointed Remi.
“Oh. Yeah, that’s probably smart.”
I kiss her lips. Her neck. I nibble down to her breasts.
“I thought you said no condom?”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t do a whole host of other fun things.”
“But I came twice, and you—”
“I’m fine.” I push back up her body and kiss her lips, more gently this time. “Honest. I’m not a jerk or a kid. I can handle it.”
Shelter: A Heroes Of Big Sky Novel Page 3