by Lauren Wood
“Oh Charlie, when did you get so shy? I am starting to think that I am back in the bottom of the boat and this is a dream. Where else would she come from?”
“I don’t know where she came from, but this isn’t a dream. She is your new diver.”
I saw the look on Kevin’s face and I can’t say that he looked like he was too impressed. It wasn’t how I had meant to meet my boss, pulling another man’s pants off, but Charlie had taken over and I handed him a blanket before I went to my new boss with an outstretched hand. I wanted him to know that this wasn’t how I usually was, but I was afraid of Charlie getting sick. Hopefully he would see it as fast thinking, but when I got to Kevin, it was clear that he was looking at me about like the other guy had.
“So you are my diver?”
“Yes Sir. Merle Clannahan. We talked several times on the phone. I was waiting out here for you because I didn’t realize that you were on the boat. Nice nap?”
Kevin’s eyes moved over my body and I can’t say that it was the most comfortable assessment that I have ever had. I felt like I was being weighed and measured and I hoped that he saw enough in me to be found approving.
“Why yes, I remember talking to you, but I don’t remember you being a girl.”
I sighed to myself and nodded my head. Did he want me to apologize for it or something? I wasn’t really sure, but I was sure that I didn’t want to let him know how aggravated with it all I was. Yes, I was a girl. Was I the only one there that wasn’t male because both men were acting like I had horns on my head or something and I was a bit surprised by the reaction. I thought this was a state that was used to going against the status quo.
“Well, I am a girl. I thought that my voice would have given it away.”
The man looked at me sheepishly and I paid attention to the other man that was covering himself in a blanket from out of my bag. Charlie had refused it at first, but I could see that he was at least not shaking as badly as before.
“Girl or not, can you dive?”
It was a question that he had asked me before and since I had answered it several times already, I was going to chalk it up to something that he wanted to make sure of because of my gender. I told him again that I could and I tried to ignore the half-naked man that was standing next to me. Charlie was huge and when he had gotten down to his skivvies, there wasn’t much left to the imagination. I tried not to let the sight of him bother me, but it really was impossible not to let it. He was distracting and when he smiled at me in such a disarming manner, I knew that I was going to have to get it together.
“Yes I can dive Kevin. I was hoping that we could get out there and do a run before the sun goes down today. No time like the present.”
Kevin agreed, but I could tell that he was hung over. I was going to have to be careful working for him. I turned to Charlie and told him to keep the blanket and clothes that he had managed to find that fit him. I was glad that I had kept some of my ex’s things now.
“I can’t take your supplies.”
“Well then find me later when you don’t need them and you can give them to me then.” I waved to the distraction and tried my best not to think about the hard lines he possessed. I was going to be surrounded by hot, rugged men. I was going to have to do a better job of hiding my lust if I was ever going to make it here.
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MOUNTAIN MAN’S BEAUTY - SNEAK PEAK
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A MOUNTAIN MAN ROMANCE
Chapter 1
Ayla
I was on an adventure, or that is what I told myself anyways. This wasn’t the kind of adventure that I had really planned for, but it was the kind of adventure that I had read about in books. This adventure was one done out of desperation and opportunity that sort of fell into my lap and I was left to navigate it on my own.
I was freshly divorced from a bad marriage and when my great aunt Angie died and left me a plot of land far to the north of where I lived in Seattle, I was quick to jump on it. But now I was wondering if I had made the right decision after all. It was June and all I could see was snow all around me. This didn’t seem like the start that I’d envisioned for myself.
It didn’t seem to be the start of an adventure, but more of a start to a nightmare that I hadn’t seen coming. The snow was everywhere and so bright that it hurt my eyes when I was driving. I knew that I was going to have to figure this out. I had sold my house and most of my belongings to make the trip into the unknown wild part of the country. I was starting to wonder if I had just plain lost my mind and this was what I got for leaving Washington. I had never seen so much snow and such a desolate place in my life. Bad part was I still had a ways to go before I was at my destination, though I wasn’t really sure how far. A mile up here seemed like ten.
Looking around me, I felt the nerves go higher as the road started to get a little worse for wear. I had gotten new tires on the old VW van that I was driving up in and the only reason that I was getting so nervous was because I wasn’t used to this weather.
Checking the GPS, it told me that I only had a few more miles to go, but I saw nothing in the wide open white space around me and that made me a little worried about everything. How was I going to live in a place like this? I had read all that I could about Alaska and I thought I was prepared as best as I could be, but I was wrong. Nothing could prepare me for this, no matter how much I had read. The book didn’t tell me that I was going to get this sinking feeling when I got there and I was going to wonder what the hell I was doing. That’s all I could think of now. What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to this? Why didn’t I just sell the land and the small cabin that was so remote and go on about my life? Had I really had to go so far to get away from it all, to get away from Dennis?
I was a woman of extremes and quick decisions. This was one of those times that I had done a little of both and I wasn’t sure how it was all going to turn out. I’m afraid that this time around, I had made a bad decision that was going to haunt me unless I turned around right now. Even as I thought it though, I knew that I had nothing and no reason to go back.
I never did listen to the smart side of my conscious. A person would think that I would have learned from the same streak that had me married after 6 weeks of courting, but they would be wrong. I obviously never learned my lesson.
Paying far too much attention to the little box that was stuck to my windshield, telling me where to turn, I ran off the road a little bit and overcorrected too much. The tires spun and before I knew what was happening, I was in a snow bank and quickly realized that I couldn’t get out of it. I cursed at my bad luck of my driving skills, not sure which one was worse and sat in the van for several moments, trying to figure out what it was that I was going to do now. I was screwed and it was getting late and it was getting cold. It was the beginning of summer in the rest of the world, but here is just felt like the middle of winter and I was never going to be able to get warm again.
Going to the back, I got on another coat and tried to find my boots. I was bent over, rummaging through a suitcase when I heard a loud knock at the van door and the sound startled me so much that I was unable to stop myself from jumping.
“Miss, can I help you?”
I didn’t know who the rough, gravelly voice was that was asking, but I did need help. I went back to the driver’s side and sat in the seat, opening the door in a rush. I had only socks on and I couldn’t find my shoes that I had just taken off in the dark. It had gotten dark so quickly and it was scary to me how fast it had all happened.
“Um, yes please. I think I am stuck. Do you have a way to pull me out?”
He said that he didn’t and I couldn’t see much about him from the heavy coat and the hood that cast his whole face in shadows. I knew that I must look a wrec
k, but when I saw what he was driving, I kind of sighed to myself. I may get some help, but this van wasn’t going anywhere tonight. The snow mobile was probably more practical, but not with what I was wearing. I had on leggings, no shoes and a very large coat that made it hard to maneuver.
“No, no way to pull this van out tonight, but I can give you a ride to wherever it is that you are going. I would suggest you get dressed a little warmer though and maybe get some shoes on.”
I could hear mirth in his voice and I wasn’t honestly feeling very happy about his pleasure in what was going on. I tried not to be rude, he was trying to make light of the situation and that was nice of him in a way, but at the same time, I felt like I was at the end of my rope. There was a big part of me that wanted to say something smart, but I was afraid that he would be offended and leave. So I told him that I was in the process of finding my boots so that I could get out and start walking.
“You don’t want to walk around here at this time of night miss. I will give you a ride home and then we can figure out a way to get your van out in the morning. I have a truck that will do it, but not tonight.”
“Thank you Sir. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along. I haven’t seen a car in a long time.’
“Well you are on the main thoroughfare, so you are lucky you hadn’t turned off yet. Where are you going?”
I didn’t know the address, but I squinted at the GPS and pushed a couple of buttons to give him the address.
“You’re going to Angie’s old place?”
Angie was my aunt and I felt a little better that he knew who she was. It made it all seem a little less scary that I was going to be riding into the cold, winter night with a complete stranger.
“Yeah she’s my aunt. Well she was my aunt. I got her cabin in her will, so I’m up here to make a go of it.”
“Oh, well I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I doubt you’re going to be able to stay there tonight. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to the cabin to get it ready for winter.”
“It’s June though. I figured that I would have time.”
He looked at me dubiously and I tried to ignore the look as I made my way to the back again and tried to find some boots. I knew that I had brought a pair, but after a few minutes of searching, I gave up and slid my tennis shoes back on. They were just going to have to do.
“That is what you are wearing?”
“Well it’s all that I can find at the moment and I don’t want to keep you waiting.”
“I don’t mind.”
But I did, so I told him that I was fine and that we should get going.
“Okay, suit yourself.”
He had that tinkling sound to his voice and told me to hold on tight when I got on the snowmobile. As I got out of the van to go to him, I was overwhelmed with how much he towered over me and it was hard to deny how it made me feel. I felt like I was a child next to him and he was just so big. It was more than I was willing to think about, though when he got in behind me and wrapped his arms around me to steer the snowmobile, I was almost instantly warmer. He had opened his jacket so that I could tuck into it and it made a big difference. I was thankful for it and when I leaned back against his chest, I was surprised how hard it was against me. There was something about this man that was hard to deny and I wished now that I had been able to see his face. When we started to go though, it became impossible because I had to keep my head down. The cold air and snow whipped at my face and I wanted to burrow into his shirt and jacket even more.
“We will be there in a few minutes, though I don’t think you’re going to like what you find.”
It had to be better than the van. That’s what I kept telling myself, sure that he was just being overly cautious or something. I wasn’t as delicate as I looked. I was going to make this work, one way or another.
All of that bravado changed when we drove up to the cabin. It wasn’t at all what I had expected and I was a little scared. The windows were broken in the front and it looked like there was a door, but it was pushed open so much that I couldn’t see it. All I could see was snow had filtered and piled in, as well as several animal tracks as the headlights hit the front of the cabin.
The porch was small, but it was rickety as well, the stairs were broken and my heart sank into my chest. I had sold everything to come up here and now I had to wonder how much of a mistake it was going to be. What the hell had I gotten myself into? It was clear now that the man whose name was Bill was right. I wasn’t as ready for this as I thought I was. There was no way that I was going to be able to live here and sleeping here tonight was not at all a thought in my mind. What had I done?
“As you can see, Angie’s place has been taken over by critters and I think that there were a couple of kids up here drinking that got a little too rowdy. Ayla, I don’t think it would be too safe for you to stay here tonight for many reasons. It is going to be cold.”
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t have anywhere to go and the van was looking like my only viable option as I stared at reality.
“Is there any way you can take me back to the van? I knew that it wasn’t going to be like a hotel, but I didn’t think it was going to be this bad.”
“Nonsense. You can come stay the night with me and we will figure it out in the morning.”
“Why are you helping me Bill?”
“Because that’s what we do up here Ayla.”
I wasn’t sure about his answer, but I needed help and I wasn’t going to turn it down. I couldn’t because apparently my life depended on it. Not the best way to start this adventure, but it could have been worse, I was sure of that.
Chapter 2
Bill
We got back to my house and I was still a little bothered by the beautiful young woman that I had picked up on the side of the road. She was too pretty to be in Alaska and I had a feeling that she wasn’t going to be here too long. It was hard to tell her the truth, but girls like her didn’t last very long in the wilderness and even though her aunt was one that was able to, I didn’t think she was going to have the same grit as Angie did. Angie was admirable for how she had toughed it out up here alone all of these years. I didn’t think that her beautiful niece was going to be the same.
“Here we are. It’s not much but it will be warmer than your van and you don’t have to worry about being bothered by anyone.”
“Who would bother me? There aren’t any people around here from what I have seen.”
“There is actually. Quite a few men live in these parts but they don’t come down from the mountains very much. You’d be a sight for sore eyes for most of them.”
My words seemed alarming to her and though I was only semi joking, I realized that she was most likely feeling vulnerable in her current situation. I can’t say that she hadn’t been a sight for sore eyes when I had stopped to see what was going on. I had seen the van tags and figured that it was just a tourist that was passing through, but the sight of her had been alarming.
She had red hair that was flaming and bright green eyes that complimented the streak of freckles on her face. She was pretty petite, but it was hard to tell what she looked like under the two coats that she had on. The leggings were tight though and I could see a round ass and long legs that I could only imagine would be perfect wrapped around me. I was just as bad as any other man here. She was going to have her fill of suitors once people knew that she was here and I was thankful that I had found her first.
I got off of the snowmobile and helped her off as well. The snow wasn’t packed down that well so it was still pretty high and I didn’t want her to fall. I was trying to be chivalrous, but in the end I was trying to get her to see me as less of a threat because what I had in mind was going to need it. I wanted Ayla, it was just that simple. I didn’t imagine she was going to be staying long after she seen the state of her inheritance and I was an opportunist. I wanted to make the best of her short time in Alaska and her being under my
roof and hopefully in my bed was going to make that easier.
She didn’t have anything with her and that was going to make it easier to carry out my plans. As soon as I saw her, I knew that I was going to find a way to make her mine and everything seemed to be working towards this cause. I couldn’t have been happier and the more I thought about it, the more I was sure that it was meant to be. I was meant to run across her and she was meant to keep me warm tonight. It had been too long since I had seen someone as pretty as her and even longer since I had had my hands on a woman. I was one of the mountain men that I had warned her about, though I wouldn’t say it out loud. I wasn’t that stupid.
“So how far are we from my aunt’s cabin?”
“Just a little over a mile. We were neighbors by Alaskan standards.”
She smiled at me in a way that made my heart melt a little bit. God, she was hot and I was ready to get her inside where the wood stove would get her out of all of those coats and I would be able to see what I was working with. Though Ayla was still nervous, I could tell that she was trying to at least pretend like she wasn’t afraid of me. That was going to have to be enough. I had her by a foot at least and I tried not to tower over her as much as I helped her off of the snowmobile and walked behind her to the cabin door.
The heat blasted our faces as we entered the cabin and her red cheeks were easier to see then. It was better to see her as well and I could tell that she was noticing the same thing as I was. She was looking at my face and it was the first time that I wished I had shaved this morning. I hadn’t in days and it was somewhat a strange thought to have because I never really thought much about my appearance all that much.
“Thank you Bill. I didn’t expect this adventure to go like this. I was hoping for something different. I was hoping that Alaska was going to be the answer to all of my problems. I guess I was more wrong than I could have guessed. I don’t know what Angie was thinking living all the way up here.”