by Jenika Snow
He liked that she was curious about his life. She kept looking around the cabin as if it would transform somehow. He had a small pot of stew bubbling on the stove.
“This must be really nice,” she said. “You know, get away from … life, I guess.”
“It is. No one is here to tell me what to do or how to live my life. I’m free.”
“Free?”
“Yes, free.” He glanced over at her and in the candlelight, he saw the curiosity.
She’s yours.
Take her.
Own her.
Make her want you.
“There’s no one here to tell me what to do or what to say. I’m free to do what I like. There’s no restrictions up here to have what you want. To be who you want to be.”
“That must be really nice.” She ran her hands up and down her arms. “You don’t have any family?”
“None?”
“Me either. It’s why I was getting away. To just escape everything and to not care.”
He poured her stew into a bowl and walked up to her. Taking the cell phone from her hand, he looked it over. “This is what keeps you out there. You’re more than welcome to stay until the storm passes.” He wanted her to stay far longer than that, but he wasn’t about to press her. Hell, she’d run screaming if he told her what he really wanted with her. Able stared at her, wanting to touch her, to stroke her hair back and to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. What he didn’t want to do was totally freak her the fuck out.
She’d clearly had an ordeal and now he had to show her that she was safe.
“It’s a shit phone anyway.”
“Then why keep it?” he asked.
“Habit I guess.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome to crash here. I can take you into town after the storm passes, if you like.”
“You’d be okay with that?”
“I can’t exactly have you out there, now can I?” He smiled. “You can take the bed, I’ll have the couch.” He held up his hand, stopping her when she would have protested. “I insist.”
“Thank you,” she whispered and he could see she wasn’t used to this … interaction and kindness from a stranger. Maybe she wasn’t so different from him after all.
“Don’t thank me yet. Lots of hard work goes into keeping this place manageable. Hope you’re up for that while you’re here?"
“I can live with that,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I can certainly live with that.”
Her gaze ran up and down his body.
It wouldn’t be long until he had her screaming his name. Damn, just the thought of the sound echoing off the walls was enough to make his cock rock hard.
“The name’s Shea, by the way.” She held her hand out.
“Abel.” He’d just found his woman.
3
The sound of the fire crackling, and the light from those flames moving across the ceiling and walls should’ve been able to lull her to sleep. But Shea couldn’t rest, even if she was exhausted.
The cabin was small, with the lower part being an open concept. There was a small loft that held the only bed in the house, the one she was currently tossing and turning on. The bathroom was the only room in the cabin that had a door for privacy. But she supposed Abel wouldn’t need closed-off rooms when it was just him living here.
The main living area, which was composed of the living room and kitchen, was rustic in the appearance. It was quaint and cozy, comforting almost. Although the storm raged outside, pellets of rain slamming against the windows, Shea could envision herself staying here permanently.
Although maybe not in this particular cabin with Abel—even if a part of her didn’t object to that idea— but a set-up like this, as well. She wanted to be on her own, to get away from everyone and everything. Abel already had that, lived it.
She shifted on the bed and turned onto her side, but no amount of trying to relax was going to have sleep take hold.
She’d been tired enough that she had excused herself to the bedroom pretty early in the night. It was strange and a little bit uncomfortable for her to be sleeping in Abel’s bed, a man she didn’t know, but she couldn’t help the instant attraction she’d felt for him. He was like her, lived his life with simplicity, and wanted to be left alone.
Maybe she could talk to him about it all, the process, how to go about doing it. Because aside from buying a piece of property—which she was diligently working toward—there was still the cost of the cabin. But Abel knew what he was doing and that gave her hope that she could have this simple life, as well.
She pushed the covers off of her and sat up, her feet dangling off the bed and barely touching the cold wooden floor. Standing, she grabbed a throw blanket off the back of the chair by the bed and wrapped it around herself.
Walking over to the banister, she leaned against it and stared down below. The sound of the fire crackling echoed off the high ceiling. She could see Abel sitting in the torn and tattered leather chair, his feet kicked up on the ottoman, and a book in his lap. He had his head resting back and his eyes closed. The book looked just as old as the chair, faded and dog-eared.
She couldn’t help but appreciate the way he looked. Abel was big and strong, with a powerful body that was made up of muscle from working day in and day out. He had to if he wanted to keep this place running, if he wanted to survive winters up here.
Shea let herself think about him in ways that she probably shouldn’t have, ways that had them naked and in the bed behind her, his big form over hers, his muscles contracting as he thrust in and out of her.
Her pussy became wet, her nipples hard. She shouldn’t have this kind of reaction to a man she didn’t even know, but there was something rugged and almost dangerous about Abel. He knew how to survive and that turned her on immensely.
Swallowing roughly, she pushed away from the banister and headed down the steps to the living area. He shifted on the chair but stayed asleep. Shea walked over to the kitchen window and pushed the curtain aide. The rain was violent as it slammed against the glass. Abel had said it could last for days, that the roads flooding would make it impossible and unsafe to try to venture down the mountain to the main road.
And as much as she should have been worried about that … she wasn’t. The only issue was work, which she was due back for after the weekend. And as much as she hated her job it was a means to an end. Without it her dream of living in the middle of the woods would be pushed back even further. And that thought alone was just too damn depressing.
She didn’t know how long she stood there, her hands curled around the edge of the sink, watching as the rain slammed against the window. It looked angry outside, Mother Nature having a fit and refusing to calm down.
But the heat at her back had her entire body tensing. Her heart started beating faster, sweat forming between her breasts. She turned around, a gasp leaving her when she saw Abel standing just a foot from her. His short dark hair was disheveled, his equally dark eyes watching her intently.
He was so much bigger than her, his masculine body making her feel feminine. She had to crane her neck back just to look at his face, the beard covering his cheeks and chin making him look like a caveman. But she couldn’t deny she liked that, felt herself become more aroused over the sight.
“The weather is a bitch this time of year,” he said in that deep, gravely voice. She swallowed, her throat feeling tight, her mouth dry. All she could do was nod her response. “But even if the weather this high up gets intense I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
She licked her lips and nodded again. “Yeah, I would love to have my own place out in the middle of nowhere, away from everyone. Being around people makes me twitchy.” She laughed softly, her nerves taking over. God, she was already having a reaction to this man, her body betraying her. It confused but excited her all in the same breath.
If she already felt this way about him after only being in his presence for a few short hours … what would ha
ppen the longer they were trapped in here together?
4
Abel wondered if Shea even realized she was giving him fuck-me eyes. She kept biting her lip, her gaze landing on his. She wanted him. There was no doubt about that.
Her nipples pressed against the front of her shirt and his cock hardened. With how close she was, it was like he could smell her arousal. He could imagine she had a beautiful pussy. A nice wet cunt that he could slide right inside.
It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman and right now he couldn’t imagine being with anyone but this one. She was so fucking stunning. Women were not exactly giving when it came to having a life out in the middle of nowhere with no real amenities at hand.
He forced himself to look away even though all he wanted to do was to take her in his arms and to fuck her so hard that she couldn’t walk straight for days to come.
Another gust of wind pulled her attention away from him.
“Wow, it sounds so violent,” she said.
“Yep, it can get pretty dangerous around here at this time of year. Especially with the trees. They can tip over, damage houses and stuff. Then of course you’ve got the sudden snow storms as well. We’re quite high up so there’s a higher chance of that.”
“I bet it looks incredibly beautiful out in the snow.”
“It’s certainly something to behold that’s for sure.” He stared down at her neck. Leaning in close, he inhaled her sweet scent. She smelled so good, so feminine.
When she turned around, he took a step back.
He’d not been out in the world for a long time but he figured some girls wouldn’t take too kindly to men sniffing their hair.
“Do you ever get lonely up here?” she asked.
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“The kind of loneliness you’re talking about.”
“Well, give me an example of the stuff you don’t miss.”
“The shit I don’t miss is assholes and dicks messing with my business. Being out in that big ol’ wide world, I realized a lot of people have an opinion on shit that’s none of their concern. I don’t miss them and I can’t be bothered with their brand of bullshit. Friends come and go.”
“What about the companionship of a woman?” she asked.
Her cheeks were a pretty shade of red, which he found utterly cute.
“I miss that sometimes.”
“You don’t have a wife or a girlfriend?”
“Not a lot of women would appreciate what I’ve got to offer.”
It would be so easy to take her to bed right now and show her how a real man was but he couldn’t do that. He’d offered her a place to stay to protect her from the storm.
Besides, he didn’t want to completely terrify her.
“What are your plans after the storm passes?”
“To be honest, I’ve not really got anything other than to fix my car.” She shrugged. “I don’t really know what to do. I just packed everything up.” She groaned. “I left everything in my damn car. My purse. My money. Everything. I just grabbed my stupid cell phone and came here. I’m so damn stupid.”
“With how bad the storm is going, I’m sure your stuff will be more than fine. Do you want a drink?”
“Hot chocolate? Do you have that?”
“I can make it.”
“You have chocolate?”
“Yeah. I buy a small bit of it now and then. I’m not addicted to it but a nice hot chocolate when a snow storm hits is great.” He walked past her because he had to do something with his hands, otherwise he was going to take her in his kitchen. He wasn’t an animal and he didn’t not have manners. He knew how to be nice to a woman, even if his dick was rock hard. She hadn’t stared down at his crotch yet, so that was a plus.
The longer he stood by her side though, the harder it was getting to deny this need building within him. She had this air of vulnerability and innocence around her. He wanted to protect her. He could see her making a good life here with him.
She was a total fucking stranger.
Clearly it had been too long since he’d been with a woman because he was building a life in his head with this sweet woman.
“Have you ever thought about sharing this with someone?”
“Nope. Like I said, I’m a one of a kind man. Not many women would like me.”
“You’d be surprised. You’re very … erm … caveman looking.”
He glanced over at her. Again, her cheeks were on fire and his gaze landed on her beaded nipples. He’d love to strip away those blasted clothes and suck on those pink beauties. Would they be pink or a darker shade? He wanted to see her naked. Her body on his bed, legs spread so he could see her pretty soaking wet pussy.
Before he fucked her, he’d open her pussy lips and see that pretty clit, sucking the swollen nub into his mouth, biting down, bringing her to the edge of orgasm but keeping her there so she had no choice but to beg and scream. Only when she could take a man of his size would he give her his cock. He’d slide in deep and feel her tighten around him, her moans echoing around the room, driving him to take her harder, deeper, to pound away within her until he couldn’t control himself and come.
Just the thought of filling her with his spunk made him ache to touch her, to show her just how good it would be between them. He’d fill her and breed her, and take her every single way he could because a woman was to be cherished, loved, and fucked on a regular basis to let her know that she was wanted.
“Erm, Abel, you’re spilling the milk.”
He looked down at the pan to see the milk was overflowing. He kept his back to her, his cock standing right out, stretching the front of his pants.
5
She sat in front of the fire, her legs kicked out on the ottoman, the flames hitting the soles of her feet. Shea had a thick blanket wrapped around her, the sound of the flames licking over the logs almost mesmerizing.
It was late, and although she hadn’t been able to fall asleep earlier, the heaviness of exhaustion was finally settling in her bones. She shifted on the chair so she could rest her head back on it. The leather beneath her was buttery soft, lived in and well taken care of.
Looking over at where Abel sat, on a rather stiff-looking loveseat, she couldn’t help but smile as she stared at him. He was a large man, burly and gruff looking, dwarfing the small couch as he read an almost fragile looking book. His arms were thick and bulging with muscles, his legs as thick as tree trunks. His shoulders were broad, his hips narrow. She had no doubt that if he didn’t have a shirt on she’d be able to see the defined muscles of his abdomen.
Her body started to heat and she swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat start to form. She thought about earlier in the evening when he’d made her the hot chocolate, how he most definitely had been affected by her presence.
He’d had an erection, and although she’d wanted to tell him he affected her as well, that he turned her on, she’d been embarrassed. The truth was Shea was a virgin, so inexperienced that it was almost laughable.
And so she’d turned away quickly and made her way over to the chair in front of the fire. But the truth was her entire body had been hot, electricity moving through the very tips of her toes and fingers, making her feel alive.
It was also weird to be here, this man a stranger yet she was so comfortable and felt like she was right at home. Maybe that was dangerous or stupid of her, but it was reality and she couldn’t shake it. To be honest, she didn’t want to.
Closing her eyes and just letting herself relax, she knew she could fall asleep. With Abel sitting next to her she felt safe, protected.
That was the last thing she thought about as she let herself drift off.
Abel glanced over at Shea, her body so small compared to the large worn leather seat. He curled his hand into a tight fist and rested it on his leg, wanting to go over there and pick her up, hold her as he took her to bed.
From the moment he saw her standing on his porch, her
hair soaked, her clothes plastered to her, his heart had started beating. He didn’t mean that in the literal sense, but in the sense that he had finally found the one. It was an instant, almost primal reaction, as if he’d imprinted on her from that very moment.
But as much as he’d wanted to have her sleep in the bed, making sure she was comfortable, warm, he didn’t get up to move her. He knew she’d been having trouble sleeping, knew that it was probably due to a mixture of fear and apprehension about the situation.
Maybe she didn’t trust him? Although she had nothing to worry about. In fact, he would do everything in his power to make sure she was safe, protected. He’d already decided she would be his. It was just a matter of convincing her to stay with him.
Abel stood and set his book aside. Walking over to her, he tucked the blanket more firmly around her body. She shifted on the chair but stayed asleep. The scent of roses lifted up and made him feel intoxicated. She was beautiful, with full lips and defined cheekbones, her hair a mass of waves that fell over her shoulders and down her back.
And her body was one that made every male part of him stand at attention. She was all lush, full curves. Her womanly body had his dick harder and thicker than the redwoods that surrounded them.
Closing his eyes and rubbing a hand over his face, he felt the stubble that covered his cheeks and jaw scrape along his palm. He turned away from her and walked over toward the window, pulling the curtain aside and staring at the angry weather outside.
The tops of the trees swayed, debris slamming against the ground and cabin. This was one of the worst thunderstorms he’d seen in quite a while. There was no doubt that they would be flooding.
Maybe this was a sign, fate that had her landing on his doorstep. She’d be here for a while until it was safe to take her to her car, or back to town.
But how perfect was that?