Mountain Man's Bride

by Lauren Wood

  “I think for the first time in my life I’ve found a passion for something. I love putting pen to paper even when I’m typing on a keyboard. I just think that there is a more lucrative way to do this than to wait for the table scraps to land in my account. I’ve been researching and I’ve seen a trend that leads me to believe that sports is the place where I want to be.”

  “You can’t be serious. You don’t even like sports. How the hell are you going to write about something that you’re not even remotely interested in? I don’t think that you’ve given this enough thought and maybe you need time to sleep on it. I want nothing but the best for you. Sometimes I don’t think that you’re living up to your potential. You’re street savvy and whatever you put your mind to you can become a success. If you insist on going down this road, then I would strongly stress researching the subject until you know it like the back of your hand.” Travis was trying to give her all the tools that she would need. He was even willing to stand by her to give her the necessary advice to help her succeed in the sports reporting field. He may not have looked the part, but he loved the roar of the crowd and the spirit of competition in the air.

  Natasha was an only child and she had everything given to her on a silver platter. Her parents doted on her hand and foot until they divorced a few years before she was ready to leave home. She learned how to manipulate and was now turning it into a career. “I want Travis to teach me everything that he knows and whatever else I need to know, I can always learn on my own. There are many research tools at my disposal. The one that comes to mind is the Internet. I’ve watched a certain basketball player rise to stardom. There are still a lot of questions and he’s not willing to listen or to talk to any one.” “Anything that you can tell me would help to go a long way. I want to meet him, but not as a reporter. I know that this might sound a little deceitful, but I can’t help that. You know better than anyone that I can be a force of nature. I’m more than willing to sleep my way to the top of that glass ceiling.”

  “I’ve never seen you like this, Natasha. You have this fire for this subject matter and it’s very rare when a student comes into my class that shows that kind of enthusiasm. I can’t condone trying to trick him into telling you his deepest and darkest secrets. I can only give you fair warning that secrets have a funny way of not staying in the shadows. If you can live with the possibility that he will learn of your duplicitous nature, then by all means let us play this game together.” Travis was anxious to get started. He finally had somebody that he could talk to about sports. It didn’t matter to him that she wasn’t as invested as he was. He was convinced that she would be blown away by the sport that made such greats as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

  “I think that it goes without saying that the red dress that I’m wearing is my secret weapon. I’ve had several guys that were unable to resist my considerable assets. I have the booty that would make Jennifer Lopez jealous. I enjoy getting a man’s attention and I doubt seriously that Ethan Banner is gonna be able to turn all this down.” “I know what I bring to the table. I also know that he is a bit of a womanizer. He can’t keep it in his pants more than 24 hours. I am going to have to stand out from the rest of the crowd and I think that I can do that more than anyone. I will find out what he has been hiding and I will be the first one to pull back the curtain on the scandal.” Natasha knew exactly where he was going to be.

  “There are a few Internet sites that you should frequent. It gives you the basic summary of what you should know about the sport and the person that you have targeted. I know that you are persistent, but you’re going to have to show amazing willpower when dealing with Ethan. He’s only going to see you as his next conquest. That notch on his belt is the only thing that he cares about off the court. Critics have described him as the next white hope for the sport. They fear that he’s going to get somebody in trouble and that his life will swirl down the drain with a gold digger sticking her hand in his pocket. I don’t know what he’s hiding, but if anybody can find out, I’m sure that you will be able to do that. I think that you need a bit more incentive than an encouraging word. To keep you on the right track, I am offering $25,000. I do believe in you, but sometimes you need that fire underneath you to complete a task. Think of the money as a bonus for a job well done.” Travis had seen Natasha grow emotionally and even though they didn’t match up on paper, didn’t mean that their friendship couldn’t endure.

  “That is an interesting wager. What exactly do you get if I don’t follow through? I’m sure that you have something in mind. Maybe a home cooked meal with the recipes that I have gotten from my grandmother on her deathbed.” “My parents were no longer with me, but my grandmother was still living on borrowed time. I could certainly use the money and that would give me that kick in the ass. If I can really get this scoop, then there would be plenty of offers to come to work with any publication. I may not like sports, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t fake it like the best of them. It wouldn’t be the first time that I faked something for a man and it won’t be the last time. Why they can’t tell is beyond me and if I were to really have that moment of bliss they would know it down to their toes.” She had a date with a guy that was known as a lothario. He was scheduled at a book signing. He was only 27 years old and already he had signed a multiyear deal with a publishing company for the rights to his story.

  “I would be the first in line to get that book, but unfortunately, I have a class to teach. Let’s meet up later and compare notes. I would really like to know what you have learned. I’m going to try to stump you and you’re going to have to make me believe that you know the sport and have a passion for it. Let’s call this first meeting a test phase and one that is meant only to get his attention. You need to leave him wanting more and the best way to do that is to become his Cinderella. Leave behind something to make him want to track you down. Every guy likes the hunt, but ultimately it’s getting the prize that is the reward. It’s been like that through history and I think that the quest for dominance over a woman has been built into the DNA of man. I’ll tell you later what I want if you were to lose.” They were always wagering on something and the win-loss ratio had been 5050.

  “I have to say that you have piqued my curiosity. I’ll stop by later tonight and we can have a glass of wine before I turn in for the evening. I don’t think that I’m gonna have all that much of a problem getting his attention. This dress has made many a man walk on broken glass to be with me. I will have to give it some thought about what I’m going to leave behind in the wake of shaking my ass in his face.” She picked up her black leather jacket. It was the perfect color combination that had that classic feel. The red dress was meant to be a focal point to draw the eye away from those girls that were wearing pastel colors. “I’ve had this dress lying on a man’s floor after a night that had the both of us smiling. I’ve never been shy about my affections and I’m not going to start now. He thinks that he has a hope in hell of resisting me. I’m not going to come on too strong and the best way to handle someone like him is to make me yearn for it. Teasing and pleasing will go a long way to sealing the deal between the two of us. He’s running out of time and he doesn’t even know it. I want it all and I won’t settle for those sound bites that others have received when he was pressed for more details about his contract with the pistons.” She was ready to go into battle and she had the crimson lipstick and the twinkle in her eye. She was ready to put to work her flirting skills.

  “I need to remind you that this guy thinks that he is god’s gift to any woman. You leave him wanting more and he will pant after you like an animal in heat. Don’t make it easy for him and he’s going to want that challenge. You may not think that I know what I’m talking about, but I’ve been teaching social studies for over 20 years. I don’t even know why we are even friends. I’m a lot older than you and I could be your father. I’m happy to report that I didn’t have an affair with your mother before her untimely demise. I want you to treat me
as a confidant. People may not know that about me, but I’m an encyclopedia when it comes to sports. I know practically everything there is to know including stats and those that are making their mark as we speak. Ethan is growing in popularity, but that fluff piece that questioned his ethics has raised a lot of suspicion about how he got to where he is.” Travis followed her out and watched her shapely ass.

  He couldn’t help himself. He tried to do it without being too obvious. He could imagine what they would feel like pressed up against him and that was the wager that he was going to propose. He wanted her and had always felt that they had something special. He wanted to transform this friendship into fuck friends with the benefits that would go a long way to satisfying both of their cravings.

  “I know that you’re looking at my ass. I appreciate the compliment, but I think we both know that nothing is ever going to happen between the two of us. I would never want to give you false hope. I’ve never been attracted to white men and I’ve always been into the brothers. I’m not saying that the day won’t come that I’ll be curious enough to try something a little pale in color. It’s just that I’ve never wanted anything more than that what is between a brothers legs. They know how to hit it and really work me into a sweat.” “I’m going to pull out all the stops and Ethan has no idea of what I’m capable of. I’ve seen the way that Travis looks at me. I’m sure that he would love one night with the object of his desire. I do have to wonder if maybe my ass is truly on the line. Could it be that he has finally reached the end of his rope and is looking at this wager as a way to do what he wanted from the moment that we met.” She turned and hovered over him by a few inches in her high heels.

  “It’s not gonna be easy and you have never been known for one that is subtle. Take my advice. I don’t even know why I am helping you to win this wager. I think that you should have all the facts before going forward.” Travis had respect for her.

  Chapter 2

  Ethan was in this cramped elevator with his pants down around his ankles and his cock deeply rooted in this woman’s mouth. She had cornered him on his way down to the main lobby for a required book signing. The alarm was going off. He looked up at the camera and shrugged his shoulders towards the security guard that was no doubt watching and getting a unique thrill.

  “Damn it…you really make it difficult for me to close my eyes. I’m guessing that you don’t just want my autograph. I have to say that it’s the fans that make it all that much more special to stand on the court to put one through the hoop. Whoa… Watch the teeth and you’re holding something that I would like to keep.” Ethan looked down at her head and he had to blow a few strands of blond hair out of his face to watch those pretty ripe lips travel up and down the length of the shaft.

  Sheila had been thinking of getting with him for quite some time and decided that it was either now or never. She had a book of names that she considered her bucket list and those that she would sleep with regardless if she was involved with anyone or not. It was a list that she was happy to show her husband who never thought in a million years that she had a chance to be with any one of those celebrities. She proved him wrong. This was a secret that she was going to take to her grave.

  “Fuck… You really do know how to take it deep. I can feel your throat wrapped around my cock head and the first couple of inches. I love the way that I slide across your tongue and into your throat and back out again. For an older woman, you really do know how to outshine those little girls that have no idea what they’re doing. There is nothing like experience.” He was thrusting his hips and giving a thumbs up to the security guard.

  They were not alone and an older man with no hair and spectacles was standing there off to the side with a briefcase in his hand. He was not shocked by this behavior and being Ethan’s agent had certainly been one for the record books. He had on speed dial a fixer that would come in handy to sweep things underneath the rug. He would never condone this action from any of his other clients, but they weren’t the next going concern when it came to basketball. Ethan was the one that was going to send his kids to the best private schools and make it a reality that he would have a yacht in his name docked outside of his summer place in Miami.

  Ethan looked over at Gerald and was thrilled to see that he was not showing that shocked expression on his face anymore. This was not the first time that some girl had thrown herself at him. It was the first being in an elevator, but it was something that he found quite enticing.

  His balls were slapping up against her chin and the sound was making him eager to spell out his name across her tongue. He had both hands on her head and was busily using her mouth to please his pecker. “Open up your mouth and show me your tongue. That’s it…that’s what daddy likes.” Ethan was a gangly kid growing up, but after hitting the gym and getting these muscles, he had seen a real shift in the attention of the ladies. High school was ripe with that sweet pussy begging for him to give it his all. He lost his virginity to his aunt and to this day his mother had no idea that her sister was the one that took her baby boys virginity. He had found her frigid, until he was balls deep inside that cunt.

  Sheila was very good at deepthroating. It took some practice, but she had many a man willing to let her perfect her skills. There was one celebrity chef that was always known as a family man but that didn’t stop him from having a go with her. She’d found that monogamy was for only those that were willing to settle for just that one person in bed every night. She loved Brent and she didn’t want to hurt him, but variety was what made her life worth living. She had felt stagnant like she was drowning in quicksand.

  “Damn…you know more about oral sex than most women that have been in your position. I wish that I had more time to take you up to my penthouse and show you the sites while taking you from behind. After we are…ahhh…done here, maybe you can… fuck…fuck… sign your digits on my hand. If you’re lucky, I won’t wash them off.” He went off with a splash of his thick seed across her pink tongue. He knew that he was in the presence of someone that knew what they were doing by the way that she continually slipped her mouth back and forth over the head to maximize the sensitivity of the moment. He grunted and groaned his response, until finally he had to pull away.

  “I think that we could arrange something. You should never offer to sleep with me, unless you’re willing to back it up.” She scrambled forward on her knees, taking a hold of his cock and producing a pen with this evil glint in her eye. “I think that we can do a whole lot better than writing it on your hand.” She scribbled her phone number that was in her name onto his spent package. It was indelible ink and would take a lot of scrubbing to clean off of his shaft. “I know that this is not normal, but I’ve never been considered the conventional kind of girl.” Her flaming red hair was not exactly coif. It was haphazard and looked like she had just had a cock in your mouth and a pair of hands gripping her hair follicles. She liked being used and celebrities were more prone to wanting to be in control

  “I don’t suppose that you would have enough in you to give my friend the same kind of treatment. I’m only asking and you really don’t have to do it. I just think that it would be a shot in the arm to see you go down on him. He’s always been straight laced and I would like to see a weakness in his armor to indicate that he’s actually human and not some kind of robot.” Ethan was staring at Gerald who was shaking his head in disbelief that he would even mention that. “If you do this, I would not be taking no for an answer. He really needs to get that stick out of his ass and you’re just the kind of girl that can loosen him up.” He liked to fuck with Gerald’s head.

  Sheila was tempted, but that was not the name of the game. “If I didn’t have that ring on my finger, I would take both of you on and leave you exhausted and unable to move for hours. I only sleep with those that are on my list of freebies. My husband stupidly played this game and we both have a list of people that we can sleep with without the guilt. I’ve been able to cross off at least 20 of my 50.
Actually, it’s more like 21, but maybe I can’t count you among them, until you saddle up big boy.” Sheila wanted to put a smile on the old man’s face, but on further inspection, he wasn’t as old as she believed him to be. There was a youth in his eyes and the premature balding was probably a hereditary illness that had followed him through the DNA of his family.

  “That’s perfectly fine young lady. I really have no interest in going against my sacred vows.” Gerald could say that, but he knew if given the chance that he would gladly take one of Ethan’s sloppy seconds. “I should really say something, but its better that I keep my mouth shut.” He knew where his bread was buttered and there was no way that he was going to risk that kind of payday over getting into a heated argument about his unseemly behavior.

  “I’ve always said that you were a smart man, Gerald. You know that I take a dim light on anybody trying to tell me what to do. Those reporters are always trying to get into my business. I have myself to blame and I will never allow a reporter to get that close again.” He remembered the blond hair and the porcelain skin with the Chinese dialect that was hard to resist. He had alluded to the fact that his rise to stardom was not by pure talent alone. He did not elaborate, but that story had gone national and now every reporter was clamoring for the real story.