Hungry Mountain Man

by Charlize Starr

  “Let’s not lose our heads.” He let his hands fell away from her and she leaned back, chewing on her bottom lip. He could still taste her mouth on his.

  “Why not?”

  “For one thing, I want to know this is what you want.”

  Olivia got up and walked to the big glass window at the front of the house. “I’ve spent my whole life waiting for the right man. Right now, I want you and I’m sick of waiting.”

  She turned back to face him. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect a commitment from you. We’ve just really gotten acquainted and I don’t think I’ll be wanting a commitment from anyone ever again. But… there’s something here, between us, isn’t there? Or am I making an idiot of myself?”

  Her answer satisfied him. He’d never encountered love in his forty-two years on this Earth. There was no reason to think this would be any different, and he was thankful they were on the same page. So, she was younger than him. And his best friend’s daughter. They were alone for the next several days. Who would ever know?

  She may be younger, but she was an adult, capable of sleeping with whoever she wanted. And, somehow, this beautiful woman wanted him. “Come here.”

  Eager to please, she crossed the room to stand in front of him at the hearth. He put his hand out on her thigh and slid it up to cup her ass. Her lacy thong teased his fingers. “There’s something here, between us.”

  She put her hands on his shoulders and her throat worked. His mouth had suddenly gone dry, too. She didn’t know what to do, what came next. He’d have to show her. Teach her. It was a lesson he would enjoy giving.

  ***

  Olivia nearly died when Flynn Wilder put his hand on her near-naked ass. Heat pooled between her legs, and she ached inside for something she didn’t even understand.

  “Kiss me, Liv.” His voice was husky, his eyes half-lidded and dark. She loved the shortened version of her name from his mouth.

  She leaned forward at the waist until her face was level with his and grazed his mouth with her lips. He snagged her bottom lip between his playfully and ran his tongue across it, sending a shiver down her body.

  Her backside was exposed, leaned over this way. It was obscene, and she felt deliciously dirty with the window behind her. He moved his hand down an inch, inward a bit until his fingers gently explored her opening.

  She turned her head to look at what he was doing to her. A thrill shot straight to her center, and she inhaled sharply.

  His mouth was against her ear, breath hot. “Take off your shirt,” he whispered.

  Her cheeks flamed, but the idea of standing before him in nothing but her wedding thong made her dizzy with excitement. She grabbed the hem of the oversized t-shirt and lifted it over her head quickly, like ripping off a bandage.

  There. She stood before him, nearly nude, as the sun streamed through the big window, casting shimmery lights to bounce off the snow onto her body.

  “You’re breathtaking.” He tugged her hand and she went onto his lap, willing. His jean-clad erection pressed hard into her bottom and she wriggled on him, meeting his gaze. “And learning fast, you wicked woman.”

  She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and leaned in to nuzzle his neck with her lips. Pulling his shirt aside, she lapped at the sinewy muscle of his shoulder with her tongue.

  His breath came in short pants as she nipped at the skin behind his ear. It gave her a delectable sense of power to know she could turn this man on, easily the most well-known player in town.

  A hand came up to fondle her breast, molding it in his hand then flicking his finger over the nipple.

  “Oh!” she said, shocked at the way her muscles pulsed inside her. She’d never been this aroused, never dreamed it even possible. She arched her back, giving him better access.

  “You like that. Let’s see what else you like.” His hand traced its way up her thigh to the tiny white lace triangle covering her. He shoved it aside and skimmed his thumb across her clit. Her head fell back on a moan and he took the opportunity to sink a finger inside her.

  Legs parted, her breathing sounded more like sobs as he added another finger. “Flynn,” she ground out. She could think of nothing else to say.

  “Kiss me while I make you come, Liv.” His lips sought hers and she met his mouth, giving him what he wanted. God, she’d always give him whatever he wanted. He owned her in this moment.

  He toyed with her clit as he stretched her with his fingers. She felt full and on edge. Something inside her began to build and she rode it, climbing higher. Her hips thrust forward of their own volition.

  Pleasure pierced her from within, sending her flying, and she cried out, her mouth against his. He kissed her harder, pumping his fingers in and out until she slumped against him.

  “Let’s go up to the bed.” He touched her with the hand he’d used to get her off and she was embarrassed to find it soaked with her juices.

  Her legs were shaky beneath her when she stood. “I’m not sure I can take the stairs just yet.”

  In a heartbeat, he’d lifted her up and over his shoulder and strode up the stairs. He was in amazing shape and she got a great view of his ass on the way up.

  He settled her on the bed. “You good?”

  “Better than good. Perfect.”

  He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, pushing them down with his boxers and stepped out of them. She stared at him, larger than she’d imagined a man should be. Was he actually going to fit all of that inside of her?

  “You look a little alarmed. You sure you’re okay?” He stretched out beside of her and placed a chaste kiss on her bare shoulder.

  “I’m really okay. This is all just new and more than I expected.” He let his mouth roam over her collarbone and down to the outside curve of her breast. “Flynn?”

  “Mm-hmm?”

  “Will it hurt much?” She touched his face so that he looked up and met her gaze.

  “I don’t know. But even a little pain can feel good when it’s coupled with pleasure.”

  She really had no idea what to do next. Part of her wished she could take control, then the idea wouldn’t seem so scary. She took a shuddery breath and placed her hand on him. His dick twitched and she glanced up at him.

  “I promise, we’ll take it slow. More fun that way.” He kissed her forehead and they both looked on as he rolled a condom from the bedside drawer down his erection.

  He seated himself at her entrance. She was wet, she could feel that, and she wanted him inside of her in a desperate way.

  Slowly, he pushed his way in. Her body stretched to accommodate him, and her walls seemed to clamp down. When he had penetrated her fully, he began to pump his hips, moving above her. He used his arms to hold himself up, and she ran her hands up and down his naked torso.

  It didn’t hurt. It burned a few minutes and then it was gone, replaced by a sensation of fullness, of completeness—as if she’d only just been waiting for this moment her whole life. If she’d just met Flynn sooner. She wanted to do this a thousand more times.

  He thrust harder, seating himself and then drawing away from her, and that pull in her center began to build into something more. Pleasure radiated where the two of them met, out to her arms and legs, making her dizzy.

  Their breath stammered out in bursts. When she wrapped her legs around him, he groaned, his eyes closing for a moment. She experimented with movement, lifting her hips to meet him, and their bodies collided, over and over in a rush of sensation that left her whimpering.

  Lowering his head, he sank his teeth into the side of her neck and her legs tightened as she came, throbbing around him. She was lost to it. Her head fell back on the pillow and he quickened his pace, driving her insane with pleasure.

  With a grunt, he propelled himself inside as deep as he could, and his cock spasmed within her. Then he collapsed on her and she held him close. She didn’t think she could let go, just yet.

  Chapter Three

  Two days later, Flynn was carryi
ng in more firewood from the porch. If anything, they were more snowed in than they had been that first day. The day he’d made love to Olivia for the first time. She’d been refreshingly passionate and eager to please for someone with no sexual history of any kind.

  Since, they’d fallen into an easy pattern. They made love in the mornings, then they’d drink coffee until around noon, then have sandwiches and talk. Then she’d clean the dishes while he made the bed and swept the floors. He’d load up on firewood for the day to keep them warm. Then they would cook dinner together, wash up, and go to bed. He’d given up any pretense of sleeping on the couch after that first night.

  He’d been honest with her. “I want to have you in as many ways, as often as I can, before we have to go back to real life. You’re bewitching,” he’d said as they lay in bed, after that first time.

  “That’s exactly what I want, too.” So far, he’d had her on the butcher block table and on the stairs. They just hadn’t been able to wait until they got to the top. She was passionate, eager to learn, and easy to please.

  He dropped the firewood beside the large stone fireplace then turned to find her in the kitchen. She bustled around the small galley kitchen, pulling out plates and clean coffee mugs.

  “I made our sandwiches and a fresh pot of coffee. Do you want to grab it?”

  He tended to put the percolator in the fire to brew. It just tasted better that way. Using a pair of tongs, he pulled it out, then used a mitt to pick it up and carry it into the small kitchen. He filled both their cups to the brim.

  By another set of windows on the side of the house sat the large butch block table. Unmatched stools completed the dining area.

  “Come and eat.” She pulled a stool out and sat down. She’d created a heaping roast beef and cheddar sandwich for him, with less meat for her.

  “Thanks, Liv. You didn’t have to do all this by yourself.” He took a bite and the sandwich was delicious. It was the perfect ratio of ingredients. “But your sandwiches are much better than mine.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him and took a sip of her coffee. Settling into domestic bliss suddenly made him a bit uncomfortable. “We should have a conversation.”

  “Oh, damn. What’d I do wrong?”

  “Not a thing. You’re exactly right, all the time. Which sucks that I have to say this, but here goes. This is temporary, you know that, right? We get off this mountain, we part ways. We can enjoy each other in every delectable way we can come up with, but once it’s done, it’s done.”

  She slid her eyes to the left, not quite meeting his gaze. “You’re sure I didn’t do something to trigger this discussion? I know we’re not a long-term thing, but I’m just wondering why you needed to say it. Right now.”

  “I always say it, at the beginning. Usually before the sex, but I think you knew then I wasn’t planning on making love to you for the rest of my life.” Not that he’d mind a perk like that. He just didn’t trust himself not to grow weary of the same woman and want someone else. Even someone as beguiling as Olivia might not hold his interest forever. “I know what it feels like to be left behind, and I never want to make someone feel that way. When it’s over, it’s an amicable, friendly parting.”

  “In general, you mean. You give this talk to all your lovers, I take it. Why do you know what it feels like to be left behind? Did someone break your heart?”

  “No.” There was a lot they didn’t know about each other. This would continue to be one of those things. He never talked about his parents or life in a system designed to meet a child’s physical needs but ignored their emotional ones. “So, what’s your next step? The snow melts—what’s your plan?”

  “Well.” She finished chewing and swallowed, staring out at the snow. “I’m not going back to Jared, I know that. I couldn’t stay with someone who did that to me. My dad did that to my mom and I couldn’t live like that.”

  Flynn winced at the mention of her father. His best friend. “Your dad gets around, I’ll give him that.”

  “To be fair, so do you, from what I hear.”

  “Yeah, but I never cheat. I end one relationship before I begin another, and I never have a relationship based on feelings and all that bullshit. It’s purely sexual for both of us.” He put down his sandwich, wondering why she wasn’t meeting his gaze. “Don’t you agree?”

  “I agree that my father is a philanderer.” She lifted her mug in a toast to him before taking a sip. “And I appreciate your honesty.”

  “I know it’s an uncomfortable conversation to have, but if you never plan to be in a serious relationship again, you should get used to it.”

  “I suppose so.” She pursed her lips and shrugged. “It’s a small town and I don’t think I’d be comfortable with the reputation you have. It’s entirely different for a man to be known as the town bad boy than for a woman to be the town slut. Besides all that, after disappearing for a week with you, I may have that reputation anyway.”

  He ran his hand through his perpetually messy hair, his appetite suddenly gone. She was right. It left her with far fewer options. That sucked but he didn’t know of a thing he could do about it.

  ***

  Olivia was sitting on the kitchen counter that faced out to the windows, marveling at the snow. It was slowly melting in the sun and warmer temps, but it would still be a couple more days before they could leave. Which suited her fine. She wasn’t done with Flynn Wilder by any means and he’d already made it clear—when their stay ended, so did the affair.

  He was walking by the window, a huge pile of firewood in his arms when he suddenly went down on the porch. Firewood flew into the air, going everywhere. She jumped off the counter and ran forward in time to see one piece come down and conk him on the head.

  He just laid there, dazed, not moving. She grabbed his hoodie and put it on over her purple tank top. There had been only summer clothes in the box, so she had on a pair of denim cutoffs. She dashed to the door and pulled on a pair of his boots there.

  Opening the door, she almost turned right around and went back inside. It was maybe forty degrees out, but the wind blew hard up here, cutting into her bare skin. Instead, she clomped with the boots around the side of the house.

  Flynn was just sitting up when she cleared the corner.

  “My God! Are you okay?” She ran forward and took his hand to help him up.

  “What the hell are you doing, Liv? Get back in the house before you freeze.” A big knot was popping up on the left side of his forehead where the wood had hit him.

  “Oh, shut up. I’m trying to help.” When he didn’t take her hand, she gathered up the firewood. “Stop treating me like a little flower that might wilt. I’m fine.”

  He stood, putting a hand out as he wavered in place. He had to feel a little woozy after a knock on the head like that. All the same, the two of them got all the firewood and took off around the corner of the house to the front door.

  Once inside, Olivia still shuddered from the cold air. She’d left the front door open when she lit out to help and now the cabin was considerably cooler. They’d need the extra firewood. She tossed down her load on the hearth, then threw two more pieces on the fire.

  “Sit,” he ordered her. She settled in front of the fireplace, wishing her legs and face would stop being so numb from the cold.

  She figured he was going to scold her again for going outside in so few clothes, but instead, she looked up to find him shaking with laughter. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “You, running around in shorts and those boots, easily four sizes too big for you, bending over and exposing your ass cheeks for the world to see so you could pick up the firewood.”

  She quirked her lips to the side, trying not to grin. “It was hardly the world—there’s no one here.”

  “And me.” He laughed out loud then. “That piece of wood knocked me silly. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. I’m surprised I didn’t see little birdies flying around my head.”

 
She did laugh at that, she couldn’t help herself.

  Sitting down beside her, he rubbed her legs with his hands, trying to warm her up.

  She appreciated the gesture, but his touch was starting to arouse her. “I wish it weren’t so cold out. I’d love to go make it outside where the world could see us come together.”

  “You’ve got a bit of a wild side.” He nuzzled her throat with his cold lips. “I like it.”

  Olivia twisted around, throwing a leg over him, and straddled him on the hearth. He wrapped his arms around, cupping her ass in his hands so she wouldn’t topple off.

  “Let’s go get naked, get under all those blankets, and warm each other up.”

  He tugged on her hair, pulling her head back to give him better access to her lips. He plundered her mouth, making love to it with his tongue. He darted in and out, suckling on her bottom lip in a sensuous game that had her buzzing from head to toe.

  “You really are wicked, you know that?”

  “I’m just me. Unleashed, unrestrained, unafraid me.”

  He stood with her and she wrapped her legs around him. He headed for the stairs. “You’re exactly right. Don’t ever change, Liv.”

  ***

  A few nights later, Flynn was teaching Olivia how to make vegetable soup using ground venison. She hopped up on the counter by the stove, wearing a blue pair of shorts and a t-shirt. A fire roared in the big stone fireplace.

  She hated to see the snow melting. Flynn had said they’d be able to make their way home tomorrow. She still had a week of vacation left, but she should really get home and start dealing with details—like returning all the wedding gifts. She was sure Jared hadn’t bothered to do anything. Even more sure he’d let her take the fall for disappearing, even if Tara told him what she’d said to Olivia. That Tara had the audacity to slap her.

  That still stung, the betrayal and violence from her best friend since childhood.