The Last Resort

by Ember Leigh

  “We’ll be running low soon,” said Wes. “It takes a lot of food to feed this crew, not surprisingly. But if this doesn’t let up in a few more days, we’re gonna have to go search for supplies either way.”

  Rose’s heart twisted—maybe that eventuality could mean her ticket out of this place. Even a few miles further along the road was better than being stranded up the mountain. She still had no idea what to do about her car—it had probably been smashed to pieces by other traffic by now, or driven off the road, or buried in ice and snow so bad it wouldn’t be discovered until spring. Either way, she’d left the car for dead, and she’d be able to at least jump town with the baby. She’d figure out what to do about the car once Emmy was delivered; maybe buy a new one in Delaware.

  If she ever made it there.

  ****

  A few hours later, Emmy napped peacefully and Rose had free time begging to be filled. Once the boys returned from whatever demolition project they’d started earlier, she figured it might be a fine time to see if she couldn’t con her way into Garrett’s arms again. It would serve a couple purposes, one of them being a fine distraction to her earlier failure, and the other one alleviating a very pressing need between her legs.

  That or go freeze in the snow again, and she wasn’t so eager to stick her legs back into the hellishly cold mess. Besides, her shoes hadn’t even dried after sitting on top of the heater for a couple hours. It wasn’t just snow out there—it was melt-resistant snow.

  She slipped out of her room, unsure where she might find someone but hoping they’d lead her straight to Garrett.

  In the foyer, a small cluster of men were gathered around a table saw, none of whom were the brothers. She cleared her throat as she sauntered up to the guys she recognized as the Pipefitter, the Welder, and Fuzzy. Though their few days together had allowed for plenty of dinnertime conversations and goofballing, her instincts demanded defensiveness. Finding out where the weaknesses would be if it came to hand to hand combat was always a priority, if not something of a hobby. She’d start with the guy on the left, kick around to the far right one, then knee the last one in the balls.

  They turned to her, nodding. Fuzzy’s trademark chest hair coiled out from the top of his work shirt. “What’s up, squirt?”

  “Has anybody seen Garrett?”

  “He stopped off in his room.” The Welder nodded toward the hallway behind her, leaning against the table. “Probably to go dick around for a while.”

  “Or wash that filthy mind of his.”

  She grinned, not bothering to add she’d prefer it if he left it exactly how it was. “Thanks.” Hurrying down the hall, she knocked on his door before she’d even thought of a reason to be there. Because I want to have sex? Ear to the door, she listened for footsteps, sighs, or any sign of Garrett.

  Nothing.

  She tried again, and the door creaked open under the knock. She pushed it open, not sensing anybody on the other side.

  Her heart rate spiked the same way it did on a gig, the most recent time being when she’d slipped into the mobile home of Emmy’s father. He’d been there, half asleep on a recliner in front of the TV, cigarette smoke clouding the cramped space. Though some custodial parents made claims that couldn’t always be verified, Rose saw in this case Emmy’s mother was right. Boxes reached the ceiling, filled with prescription pads and unopened packs of prescriptions bottles. The renegade pharmacist, pushing pills from his home, keeping himself and his clients medicated to a dangerous extreme.

  Across the room Emmy had sat in a crib made of blankets and dresser drawers, looking around, touching things and fussing with the sides. Rose had waited a full half hour in the shadows by the front door, breathing into her shoulder to allay the stench of cat piss and long-unwashed body before the guy started a rattling snore.

  She gulped back the memory, brought herself back to the present. She wasn’t on a gig; she didn’t have to be in stealth mode.

  Around the corner, she didn’t see either of the brothers. The shower hummed from inside the bathroom.

  Two options. She pressed her ear against the bathroom door and listened, only hearing the steady rush of the water hitting the wall. She could burst inside and hop into the shower with whoever it might be, including Wes…or she could politely knock and lose all shock value.

  Rose decided the first one.

  She turned the doorknob quietly and pushed on the door. Beyond, she could see the first curve of the sink and part of the trashcan. No feet. No hands.

  A cough from within.

  She smirked—definitely Garrett.

  Inching the door open further, she poked her head in. Garrett’s body silhouetted against the translucent shower door. The image of his chiseled, naked body seared through her mind. Her mouth went dry.

  She crept inside and eased the door shut, body rigid as she watched his shadow move inside the shower. The fogged mirror hid her reflection as the soft mesh shorts slipped to ground, followed by her undies and T-shirt.

  Garrett began humming, out of tune, something that sounded suspiciously like a children’s song.

  Rose grinned, excitement roiling beneath her skin. This not only was going to happen, it needed to happen. Her heart thumped in her chest as she reached for the shower door.

  The door opened a few inches before Garrett’s humming turned into a gasp. He whipped around and pulled aside the shower door, eyes wild.

  “Rose.”

  She grinned up at him, loving the swirls of shock and appreciation in his eyes as he took her in.

  “Can I join?”

  His mouth hung open a moment, gaze sweeping over her naked body, lighting fires on her skin. He grabbed her around the waist and yanked her inside the shower, slamming the door shut behind her.

  The water hit her body in a pleasingly warm rush. He pinned her to the shower wall with his hips. Her breath hitched.

  “I don’t even want to ask why you’re naked in my bathroom,” he said, kissing her neck, “and I don’t even care. Fact is, you’re here, and you’re mine now.”

  She giggled as the kisses dropped between her breasts and then traveled up to her mouth. His hair clung to his face and neck. She trailed her fingers up his arms and around his neck as Garrett sealed their bodies together. Her skin buzzed hot and happy against his.

  “You are one sneaky lady,” he murmured, tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth.

  Contentment surged through her, and she closed her eyes, relishing this unlikely moment. She might never see Garrett again in her life after tomorrow, or the next day. How did she even find her way to know him? It was all so impossible. It was time to make sure neither of them ever forgot—or regretted—meeting the other.

  “I know how to get what I want.” Her hands made slippery patterns over the wide expanse of his back, down the valley of his spine until she reached the tight arc of his ass. She grabbed a handful.

  He laughed low and guttural; his cock was hard as a rock against her hip, and she nudged against it, watching his eyes flash with desire as she did so. Her pussy screamed for attention, but she clenched her legs together and braced herself to wait a bit longer. The pleasure would come.

  Rose reached tentatively for his cock, both thrilled and scared to make the contact, knowing this would signal the point of no return. She savored the moment, every second was completely new and gratifying in a way she’d missed for far too long. Her fingertips connected with the head of his dick, smooth, meaty, completely perfect. Something inside crumbled and drifted away.

  His breath came out shaky as she caressed the tip of his penis.

  “Mmm,” she said, glancing down. The man had a majestic cock, fully the soldier’s helmet she had been hoping for. First-time encounters with foreign penises were usually awkward and with plenty of room for disappointment. But not Garrett. She wanted to take a picture.

  Instead, she fisted the length of him, loving the heat of his cock, the fact he was so hard he could use it as a weapon i
f needed.

  Garrett squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. “Oh, Rose…”

  She continued working him, loving the look on his face as she jacked him off. His cock pulsed hot and eager beneath her hand.

  “You like that?”

  He nodded and groaned again in response.

  “I bet you’d like something else even more.”

  His eyes snapped open, and they flashed fiery and dark. He nuzzled her neck in response, nipping at her earlobe with his lips.

  “You’re a freaking dream.” His hands slid down to cover her ass.

  His touch both comforted and electrified, igniting her senses down to the core but also probing a level of familiarity that unnerved her. She’d just met the guy—it was nonsensical to imagine this connection.

  “Any chance you have a condom in this hotel?”

  “I already looked.” He smoothed his lips over her forehead. “And we’re in luck. I found the only one on the mountain.”

  Leaning out of the shower stall, he rummaged in the drawer by the sink for a moment before returning with a square foil wrapper. Grinning like a devil, he ripped it open with his teeth and made quick work of rolling it over his cock.

  He hoisted her easily, and she locked her ankles behind his body. She gazed down at him with satisfaction, arms hooked around his neck. A silly sort of happiness reflected from his eyes; whatever swirled inside her also swirled inside him.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve laid eyes on,” he said, voice soft and reverent. He placed a kiss between her breasts and then on her chin. “And I want to fuck the shit out of you right now.”

  She dug her fingernails into his shoulder. Her pussy clenched in anticipation. The tip of his cock brushed hot and anxious against her clitoris, and she thought she might die of delirium waiting for this.

  “Well, fuck me, Garrett,” she whispered into his ear. “Fuck me as hard as you fucking can.”

  They locked eyes, and something dissolved in the air between them. Garrett took a deep breath, kissed her, and then pressed himself into her.

  Rose gasped as his cockhead sunk in, loved the stretching as she accommodated his girth, loved the fact neither had even blinked the whole time.

  Buried to the hilt, his breath slid out shakily. Rose’s chest heaved as she struggled to wrap her mind around the sensations happening right now—burning lust, burning loins, burning everything.

  She whimpered and arched against him, her clit knocking up against the base of his cock.

  “Mmmm.” His voice came out lower than before, like maybe he’d turned into someone else for a split second. He grabbed big handfuls of her ass and gyrated against her, finding a gentle rhythm to start. Rose sighed and clung to him, tingles already churning within.

  His cock plunged so deep, she swore it reached between her ears. The noises were threefold as he fucked her: the steady rush of the water, Rose’s tiny gasps as he pounded her, and the rhythmic slap of slippery flesh.

  Garrett kissed her. She welcomed it and grabbed his chin in her hand, searching for more. They kissed passionately, sloppily. His cock slipping in and out as they kissed sent euphoric shudders beneath her skin.

  He let a shaky breath and rested his forehead against hers. She moved slightly against him, pelvis twitching imperceptibly above him. He groaned, squeezing her ass tight.

  “I’m close,” he whispered, nipping her earlobe with his lips. “I can’t believe it.”

  She giggled, squeezing her thighs around his torso. “I can.”

  “You’re right.” He looked down at her body in his arms and let a low whistle. “Fuck, Rose.”

  “Don’t be ashamed,” she murmured. “This is the warm-up. Real practice begins later.”

  His eyes flashed dark and passionate. He pumped her again, hands burning hot on her ass cheeks as he gripped her, starting slow but working himself up to a frenetic pace. Rose’s back stuck to the shower tiles as he pounded her against the wall. The base of his cock knocked mercilessly against her clit.

  “Garrett,” she gasped out. “I’m close too.”

  He groaned low and gravelly in response, and her body hummed in anticipation, like all her nerve endings and organs and the tips of her hair were preparing in unison for the orgasm. He slowed his pace, rocking against her in slow circles.

  “Come with me.” Her nails sunk into his biceps. “Oh, fuck me.”

  Their eyes locked, and she saw an intense haze of passion there, hanging heavy and clouding his normally clear green eyes. He was both here and not here, a victim and creator of this pleasure.

  Garrett pressed his groin to hers in a spasm, his whole body taut and mouth open but not saying anything. Their intense connection was the final push she needed to fall over the edge. She tensed, her thighs like a vice around his waist as pleasure rocked her body.

  Garrett buried his mouth in her shoulder, muffling a groan. His cock pulsed hot inside of her while her own pleasure rolled in waves, body both screaming and pleasantly mute as her orgasm rocked over and over from within his arms.

  Chest still heaving from a combination of exertion and bewilderment, Rose leaned against the wall and let the water wash her face for a moment.

  “Christ,” Garrett said. He wobbled and straightened himself. “That was…”

  She cracked a grin. “Fucking incredible?” Her orgasm had receded into an omnipresent buzz throughout her limbs, like the taste of a fine dish lingering on her palate. She’d be able to recall this exact sensation whenever she pleased. It was too distinct to forget.

  “Fucking incredible, for sure,” he said. “Also, unforgettable. Mind-blowing. Phenomenal.”

  “And not the last time,” Rose blurted, surprised by the way her heart had twisted. This might be their last real chance to be in each other’s arms. What if she were able to leave tomorrow? This really would be the end.

  “I hope not.” His mouth covered hers, and they kissed deeply. “I’d have no problem satisfying you for…”

  She raised a brow. “For a few more days?”

  He paused. “Yeah. And then some.”

  Garrett lowered her to the ground. The orgasm had really done her in—her ankles were glass, and her thighs trembled as she bore down on her own two feet. She looked up at him; something more than regular post-coital euphoria fluttered through her. She wanted to thank him but already knew how ridiculous that would sound. Thank a guy for boning her? It had been a long time, but she didn’t need to let him know.

  Besides, there was something tender in Garrett. Something that really struck her deep inside. Like a bow and arrow to the chest. Except it didn’t hurt at all—it was comfortable, nestled there.

  They watched each other in silence for a few moments, silly grins on their faces. Garrett’s fingertips made lazy circles over her ribcage, under the swell of her breast, and then up and around a nipple.

  “This was lovely.” Rose brushed her fingertips over his biceps. She got on tiptoes and kissed him. “And believe me, I never use that word.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Garrett existed in a daze that afternoon. Once Rose had excused herself to go check on Emmy, he stood in the shower for an extra ten minutes, staring at his forearms, wondering if the whole thing had been a fantasy.

  From the way his cock throbbed with residual pleasure, this was one fantasy he couldn’t have made up.

  Garrett had been with his fair share of women in his life. He wouldn’t lie about it. But Rose? He’d never been with someone like Rose.

  Knowing she’d be leaving as soon as twenty-four hours from then didn’t make this revelation exactly appealing.

  What was he supposed to do? He didn’t know, and he could barely drag himself out of the shower. Maybe if I stay in here long enough, she’ll show up again. A spine-tingling wave of pleasure passed through his body again, something so deep and sincere it might as well be his first time again. Fuck, Rose.

  Getting out of the shower would be a fine first step. He sh
ut the water off with a sigh, the same odd conflict swirling deep in his gut. What was he supposed to do? What could he do?

  He’d continue with his life as normal. Pretend like Rose the Dream Woman had never shown up in his hotel. So when she disappeared the next day, or the day after, it would be a piece of cake to continue with life as usual.

  Besides, why was he getting all worked up about having sex with a woman? He’d done that plenty in his life.

  But he’d never quite had this level of connection with someone before.

  He’d turned into a goddamned hippie—the “connection,” getting lost in her eyes, having these emotions swirling inside when logic sat back and laughed at him. But that orgasm didn’t lie, and no matter how stupid it sounded, he’d never been with a woman where he felt so free to be himself.

  You’re a nut job. He toweled off quickly, steeling himself to return to the workday. The extra-long shower had been a welcome departure from the routine of his regular life, but it wasn’t going to be a game changer. Three days with a woman and one explosive sex session did not mean anything, except for maybe he was more sex-starved than he thought.

  And with the way Rose refused to release her iron grip on seemingly every brain cell in his skull, he’d do really well to remember it too.

  ****

  Rose spent the rest of her afternoon in her bedroom with the door locked. Not like she thought anyone would come in. She wanted to reinforce the boundary to herself. You will not find Garrett again.

  Emmy had roused from her nap when she returned from the sinful shower break. The baby had good timing, maybe enough time in their company and their cycles had synced up. She liked to think this was one of their unspoken agreements—baby goes down easy so fake mommy can have her copulation time.

  Because copulation was necessary.

  Rose licked her lips, eyes fastened to the bedspread as Emmy played with the pile of squishy balls.

  Copulation was very necessary, a fact Rose had forgotten in her several years of on-again, off-again abstinence and casual sex sprees.