Mountain Man's Bride

by Lauren Wood

  “So you want to use me for the skill of my hands?”

  She had an exasperated look on her face. “Still just as one-tracked as ever before. How are you not married?”

  “Never found anyone that compared to you Molly.”

  “You must not have been looking all that hard.”

  Molly didn’t get it, she never had. She was the rare beauty that was drop dead gorgeous in everyone’s eyes but her own. I don’t know what she saw when she looked in the mirror, but it wasn’t reality. The reality was that every woman wanted to be her and every man wanted to be with her. And Molly was oblivious to it all.

  “So are we really going to do this?”

  She stood up and nodded her head that we were. Molly moved towards me when I stood up as well and I thought for a moment she was going to hug me. It had been so long since we had seen each other and she was a hugger. Or maybe it was the fact that I wanted to touch her because when she took a step towards me, I took one towards her and pulled her close.

  She felt good in my arms, really good and I took the situation a little differently than I was supposed to. I don’t know if I could have seen it any other way. She was smiling at me and then she was touching me. The smell of her sweetness surrounded me and took over my senses.

  The next thing I knew, I was pulling her closer and bending her neck so that I could give her a kiss. Her lips were so enticing and I got ahead of myself for a minute. But she did as well because I could feel Molly responding and settling in my arms. She had been there so many times before. It just felt right.

  When I felt her tongue moving in against mine, I was sure that I was right where I needed to be. Molly was the only woman that made me feel anything. She had always been the only one and now that she was back in my arms, I swore that I was never going to lose her again.

  Then I felt her hand push against my chest and my lips left hers. They didn’t want to, but there was nothing that I could do about it. She needed a moment to breathe, while I was trying to make her breathless. Molly was always thinking and the only way I had been able to stop that was to turn her on to turn it off.

  Her blue eyes were glittery and a little darker. She was breathing a little faster and I could have guessed that her body was revving up for what would be next.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too Chris, but it has been a long time and a surprise that you are even here. I don’t think I can do this. My body just reacted like it always did. Being with you is like human nature.”

  It was not a complete refusal and I had learned patience in my time away from her. I had learned that I was able to live without her. I just didn’t want to anymore. I was not going to move too fast and scare her off. I was determined to make it work and I broke a grin. I was going to get Molly back into my life and it was good that she had a little reminder of what it was like when we were together. It felt just as good as it had before. Molly couldn’t ignore that any more than I could.

  “I don’t know what came over me. Just feeling you in my arms again and I must have flashbacked a little.”

  “It’s okay.”

  She touched her lips as if they had been scorched.

  “It is getting late. I should be going anyways. I will see you tomorrow?”

  It was a question that I was quick to answer. I wanted to see her every day, but for now, tomorrow was going to have to do.

  “Good, I’ll call you in the morning and you can come by. Tell your aunt that I said hi.”

  Chapter 8

  Chris

  I didn’t want to wait for her to call, so I did a little packing before going up on the mountain to see an old friend of mine. It had been a while since I was up there and I wasn’t sure that he would be still there, but Bill was there with his new wife. I couldn’t believe he was married, but seeing how happy he was made me realize that somewhere along the lines, my priorities had changed. I don’t know when or where, why, any of that, but I was thinking more and more about settling down. Molly always did do that to me.

  “Where the hell have you been man? I haven’t seen you in a long time. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Saw Molly yesterday.”

  Bill shook his head knowingly. He knew that I had loved her, but he also knew how it ended all that time ago. I had a lot on my mind. Everyone that was around back then knew what happened. I was thought of as a traitor for leaving home and her. I was in a stage of my life back then where I didn’t think Nome was big enough for me. I had left it all behind.

  “She has been real good, but she still has that temper when you get her riled up.”

  I smiled because I remembered the temper very well because it was directed at me more than once in the past.

  “Yes, I haven’t gotten that side of her yet.”

  “Good because I have business with her and she drives a hard bargain when she is mad.”

  “Going to go stay with her for the week while I’m here.”

  “Getting all domestic huh? Never took you as the domestic type. Hell, you got more ass in a week than most of the rest of Nome did. Before you met Molly and it all changed, every man here in town wanted to be you.”

  “Now I hear they want to be you.”

  “Hell, Ayla is fine. I am not going to deny that, but she is mine.”

  “I also heard.”

  “For a guy that just got back, you sure do hear a lot.”

  “You’re an interesting kind of guy.”

  “Well I’m not near as interesting as you and Moll getting back together. They will all be talking about the two of you again soon enough.”

  “It won’t be the first time we gave them something to talk about.” My mind shifted to a particular randy night where we had been caught in our car by several people.

  I could see the look in Bill’s eyes. He was one of those people and I still didn’t like that he had seen so much.

  “Yeah, you two were legendary. I still don’t know how she got in that position. She is like a damn contortionist or something.”

  I felt a chill run through me. He was putting thoughts in my head that weren’t going to help me out. I had to take it slow and thinking about all of the ways that I used to bend her was not going to make it easier at all. I needed to get Molly off my mind for a while.

  Bill had a beer ready and we talked for a while. He caught me up on everything that had been going on here in Nome and for a little while, I forgot all about the big city and everything that I had there. I remembered well when shooting the shit with Bill was as good as it got and it was still pretty damn good even now. The beer was colder and it actually tasted better for some reason.

  “It’s been too long Bill. How long are you in town for? Did you finally figure out that the city life sucks yet?”

  He was just as bad as Molly. “Nah, I’m not here for too long. Got to get back.”

  “Yeah, I bet. She really missed you when you left. You left her in some sort of way Chris. I don’t think she has ever been the same. I’ve never seen her with someone else since. That is a long time to wait for someone, so you better stay around a little while longer or let her go for good.”

  I knew who he was talking about. It was back on Molly and I wished once again that she wasn’t here and me in New York. If we were close, I know that I would have been pushing to be with her. I had missed her as well, but my life wasn’t here anymore and memory lane was closed.

  “It’s not like that Bill. We’re done.”

  “Well then what is it like? She is hot as hell. We’ve gotten older, but I swear that Molly hasn’t aged a day. I would have tried for her years ago if it wasn’t for you. Some of the guys around here would be quick to jump on it.”

  I shot him a dirty look and he chuckled. “Yeah that’s what I thought. You and Molly aren’t ever going to be done.”

  Chapter 9

  Molly

  I lay in bed for a while. I had stayed up way too late the night before and I m
ay or may not have had a little too much wine. It was hard to say because my head was hurting so much, but I figured that was an indication that I had.

  There was a lot going on in my mind and after seeing Chris and the kiss, it was all just more than I could handle. I had taken a break from it all for a night, but now I was regretting it. The same problems were still there, facing me in the morning when my eyes squinted to the glare coming in from the window blinds.

  I got up and checked the clock. It was almost noon. I never slept in this late. I had never been late to get to the restaurant, but things were different now. I didn’t know how it was all going to change, just that it was. It was already changing and I remembered that today was the day that Chris was going to move in. I was supposed to call him when I was ready, but I was still unsure if I was or not. He must have thought that I had changed my mind as late as it was.

  When I called, he was spotty and I heard that he was with Bill and that was about it. They were old friends and the mountain had horrible reception. He called me back after a few minutes and told me that he was on his way down the mountain and to my house. I had this nervous energy as I waited for him and I sucked down a big cup of coffee while I waited. It was to calm me and hopefully take away this headache that was driving me crazy.

  I saw him pull up and my eyes took the man in. He looked damn good and I tried to ignore the attraction that I had always had for him. His confidence was easy to see in the way that he walked. He was so sure of himself, just like he had been so long ago. The only difference is now we were older and wiser.

  “Hey Chris. Do you want me to help you with anything?”

  Chris nodded that he was fine, so I waited for him to get a few suitcases and then led him towards the room I’d prepared for him the day before. I didn’t know what kind of place he had lived in before, but since both of his very rich parents were dead and he had only one other sibling, I was sure it was a big one. The family was loaded and I started to feel a little self-conscious.

  He must have known that something was up because he grabbed me softly with his hand and told me that he was glad that I had invited him. “It’s good to be here with you Molly. Just like old times.”

  I smiled at Chris because sometimes it was really impossible not to and my heart melted. He was still touching my arm and only when he released it was I able to feel like I could properly breathe again. I was so nervous, but at the moment I wasn’t thinking of much else further than his touch and what else I wanted from him. That damn kiss had thrown me off balance so now a mere touch was enough to get me going.

  “This place is cute. It reminds me of that bungalow that we stayed in on that weekend getaway. Do you remember?”

  My cheeks got red and I shook my head that I did without looking at him. I don’t know if he meant to or not, but his comment made me think of our first time together in that bungalow. The place was a bit of a mess, but we never once left the bedroom. It was all I remembered about the place. That bedroom that was so secluded and the bed that was so soft when he was on top of me, pushing me down on top of it.

  I really needed a moment. The man was driving me crazy and I didn’t know if he was doing it on purpose or not. Didn’t matter either way because the result was still the same. I was still caught up in the past and Chris.

  I don’t know what I was thinking inviting him here. Chris always had been hazardous to my health and from what I could see; he was far more dangerous than ever before.

  “Well look, I’ve got to run down to the restaurant. Do you want to stay here and get started on the molding or what?”

  “I would like to go with you. I need to get a few things at the store and maybe grab something to eat at the restaurant. I forgot a lot of things that I’m going to need while I’m here and I’m starving.”

  I agreed and went to get my coat and to pull my hair back. I was still trying to wake up and I didn’t want Chris to know that I’d been drinking the night before. I didn’t want him to now that he was affecting me in such a way. Chris already had a way of knowing and I wanted him to not know that I was wet just thinking about being in his arms once more. Why did he have this damn hold on me? I was trying to keep him here, but I still was unsure why.

  Chapter 10

  Molly

  Chris was messing with me, I was sure of it. He had the charm turned way the hell up and still to this day it was hard to resist. I wanted him, badly and by the end of the ride to town, I was wet from all of his talk. He was definitely trying to make me think that there was something still between us, but I was doing my best to forget how great it was back then. It was all a lifetime ago.

  We got to the restaurant and he picked the same booth he had before. The waitress came and I chatted with her for a few minutes. Chris was closer to me when the young woman walked away and I was debating if I should scooch over a little bit to give him some room. He was most likely always that close, but the heat off of him finally reminded me that I needed some space.

  When I decided that I should and started to move away, Chris put his hand on my thigh and shook his head not to. “Where are you going?”

  “Just wanted to give you a little room.”

  Chris disagreed and I could see there was a change in his eyes. He had that look like he was going to eat me up and it made me shiver. My eyes went to his lips and I had a flashback of what they could do to me with them.

  “Is that what you want?”

  I had a feeling that the question was more than it appeared. I wanted many things from him, but more space wasn’t one of them. We’d had enough space for enough time. I was worried that it would end as badly as it had before, but I had to remind myself that it was so different now. I wasn’t the same young girl that would let someone tell me what to do and he wasn’t the same young man that ran scared. Could it really be something different now?

  “Honestly Chris, I don’t know what I want. You came out of the blue and I thought I would never see you again.” My voice died off because I was thinking about the past. I hadn’t been prepared for it.

  “Until you decide what it is that you want Molly, why don’t you let me help you out with it? I can think of many things that we could be doing.”

  “I have an idea what you are talking about. You’ve never hid that well.”

  He chuckled and I felt his hand on mine. He started to pull it towards him under the table and I knew where it was going, but I still let him do it. I wanted it just as bad as he did. I always wanted Chris and all of the years between seeing him the last time had changed nothing. My body still craved him and my mind still loved him.

  “Chris…”

  I felt the hard knot that he had wanted me to feel and instead of pulling my hand away, I touched the shaft and pulled my nail down the length of it and then grabbed it gently in my hands.

  “How did I know that this is what you were talking about?”

  “Because it is all that I can think about with you Molly. Ever since I came back, I’ve wanted you. Ever since I left the first time, I have wanted you back. You have to know how I feel about you. It’s never been a secret.”

  I pulled my hand back and put it on the table so that it wouldn’t be tempted to go back.

  “It was a secret when you left. I can’t do this Chris.”

  “Then let me.”

  His words didn’t really register until his hand was back under the table and I could feel it on my thigh. He was dressed a little different, but Chris was still the same man that I had always known and he knew that my weakness was him. It always had been. Chris could give me pleasure that I had never felt before and now that he was touching me, I was sure that he knew that as well.

  The hand creeped up my thigh and the skirt I was wearing started to move up with it. I looked around at the people and wondered if anyone knew what we were doing. I felt the touch on my panties and I breathed out quickly. The sound had Chris chuckling and I wanted to stop him because I knew that he felt like he had
won.

  But it felt too good and it had been so long since I was touched so expertly. I didn’t want to say no. I wanted more. So much more and the damn man knew it. It was like Chris always knew what I needed most.

  Chapter 11

  Chris

  There was a whine in the back of her throat and she was so damn hot. I mean, heat was emanating off of her core and it was the only sign of permission that I needed. If that wasn’t enough, the burning need for me, her thighs opened a little wider so that I could touch her more comfortably.

  Her eyes closed and her head moved to my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

  “What you need. Molly, you are on fire right now.”

  “You and your compliments.”

  I pressed against her panties and pushed in a little to hear her make a whimpering sound.

  “No, I mean this is so fucking hot. I think you have been neglecting yourself.”

  Molly’s face was turning red and I think it was more from being turned on, then being embarrassed. I moved the cotton swath of fabric from her center and slid my finger up against the hard little nub that was also a good indication that I was right. We had a very sexual relationship before and I knew what it was she wanted and needed. I also knew that Molly had a hard time telling me no and right now I was going to take advantage of it.

  Pushing a digit in, her hand moved to my thigh. It wasn’t to stop my hand, but to squeeze it like she needed a grasp on real life before she shot off into the distance. Molly needed a grounding feeling while another finger entered inside of her.

  I moved to her ear and told her how tight she was. Her insides were clenched on my finger and it was hard to stop the ideas of how she was going to feel around other parts of me. I still remembered her velvet folds like it was yesterday.