“Hey,” he said as he threw down his backpack and made his way over to the side of the tub.
“Hey,” Poppy smiled from behind her sunglasses. “How was the hike?”
“Lame,” James said. “It’s stunning scenery out there, but I’m bored.” He leaned back onto one of the sun loungers and yawned.
“Did Mom and Dad go with you?” she asked.
James shook his head. “No,” he said. “They argued on half of the walk there and then Mom stormed off into town.”
Poppy rolled her eyes. It sounded like typical behavior from her mother.
“Do you think she’s changed?” Poppy asked.
James thought for a moment and then shrugged. “She definitely isn’t as kind as she used to be,” he said sadly.
Poppy nodded in agreement. She couldn’t help but feel that her mother was just sick of them both and was more than ready to enjoy her adult life, kid free. But Poppy was an adult, she didn’t need her parents and the sooner she could get out of their house, the better.
“Maybe I really shouldn’t have come here,” she said as she trailed off. “Maybe I should have just stayed at home.” Even as she said it, she knew that she didn’t really feel that way because of Arlo. Now that she had met him, she knew that she would be forever grateful that she had come to Lost Creek.
“Nah,” James said. “I’m glad you’re here… Keep the old bag in check.”
Poppy burst into laughter and so did James. Even though they had had their moments when they had been growing up, she could see now that he was on the brink of adulthood too. She knew that when she did finally leave and get as far away from her parents as she could, that James would be just fine. He could handle himself and he had shown a certain maturity of late that had made Poppy proud to call him her kid brother.
“Right,” she said as she stood up and reached for her towel. “I better get sorted, I’m heading out tonight.”
“They’re having dinner here,” he said. “And I met some skaters when I was down in town earlier so I may go back to Main Street and hang out.”
“Sounds good,” Poppy beamed. “We can walk down together.”
James nodded and smiled.
They walked down the mountain road and butterflies began to form in Poppy’s stomach. Even though she felt as if she knew Arlo already, it still made her giddy to think about seeing him again. James walked along with his hands in his pockets and his skateboard under his arm and when he saw the group of guys he had been chatting to earlier, he made off, throwing a casual wave over his shoulder as he went.
Poppy could see that Arlo was waiting outside the diner for her and she couldn’t help but grin. He looked so handsome leaning there against the wall, a cigarette clenched between his fingers and a wry smile on his face.
“Hey,” she said as she got closer to him.
“Hey you,” he replied as he wrapped a big arm around her tiny waist and pulled her in closely. He threw his cigarette down on the ground and stared deep into her eyes. When he kissed her, she felt weak at the knees and she ran her hands through his wiry hair.
“It’s so good to see you,” he breathed. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“Likewise,” she smiled as she bit her bottom lip playfully. And it was true. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind. From the second she had woken up, she had been thinking about this moment and what it would be like to kiss him again.
“Who’s the kid?” he asked as he nodded toward the direction that James had wandered off in.
“My brother,” she said.
Arlo’s eyes thinned as he tried to focus on who he was with.
“He’s with some of younger Lost Alpha’s,” he said almost in a whisper.
“The what?” Poppy asked as she spun around to see what he was talking about.
“They’re just kids like him, but their older brothers and fathers are connected to this side of town. What I was telling you about last night…”
“Should I be worried?” she asked with panic.
Arlo paused for a moment. He watched the way the group of teens was just acting like normal. Surely they wouldn’t do anything stupid to a tourist and risk the town’s good reputation.
“No, of course not,” Arlo said with a smile. “I was just letting you know.”
“Okay,” Poppy said with confusion.
He slid his arm around her shoulder and then he began to walk with her away from the bar.
“So,” he said, “I want to take you somewhere special tonight.”
“Oh yeah?” she asked playfully. “And where would that be?”
“My house,” he said mischievously.
Poppy’s heart jumped in her chest and she brushed her hair behind her ear nervously. She wanted to go to his home more than anything, but she didn’t want to act too keen. She wanted him to fear that she would say no.
“What do you think?” he asked cautiously.
She bit the inside of her cheek and looked up at the sky.
“Hmm, let me think about that…” she teased.
He nuzzled into her neck playfully and pulled her into the street.
“That’s it,” he said with a sexy growl, “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
Poppy laughed and let him drag her away jokingly, it was almost like he was pretending to be a caveman dragging his woman back to his cave.
As they walked off into the forest and they were properly alone, she couldn’t help but undress him with her eyes. Each bulge of muscle was so tight and pronounced it was driving her to distraction, and he was so perfectly sculpted and tanned.
“I don’t live far,” he whispered in her ear as they continued walking along the forest path. The scent of pine was heavy in the air and it was so fresh and clear that it heightened her senses and seemed to make everything feel more real.
As they rounded a corner and the big, split level log cabin came into view, Poppy’s breath was almost taken away again.
“Wow,” she whispered as she looked up into the trees and saw how modern and immaculate it was. It almost looked like a wooden space ship, half timber and half glass peeking out of the tall evergreen trees.
“I designed it with my friend,” he said. “He’s an architect who moved back to town after college. He’s built a lot of the properties around here, especially for my crew and me.”
“Your crew?” Poppy smirked.
Arlo looked down at her and gave a wry smile. She jabbed him in the ribs to mock him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close and ruffled her hair.
“You’re a piece of work,” he laughed. “You always have a question and a challenge. You never just let me tell you a story.” He laughed and kissed her on the top of her head.
“Well, it wouldn’t be any fun if I just listened, nodded and smiled, right?” she quipped.
“Damn right,” Arlo smiled.
He led her up to the entryway of the house and it was perfectly secluded and hidden by trees. Poppy ran her fingertips along the woodwork and when she glimpsed through the tall windows and sliding glass doors, she could see a wonderful fire burning inside.
“It must be really peaceful living out here,” she said as she looked out into the forest. “It’s perfect.”
“I do love it,” he said. “But I guess it’s like anywhere, once you’re used to it, its shine slowly goes.”
Poppy nodded. She knew that feeling all too well. Arlo took hold of her hand and led her around onto a long, stretched out wooden deck that ran along the length of the house and was raised up on stilts. It joined the kitchen and had a blazing fire pit that was already lit and a comfy garden couch and seats around it. He motioned for Poppy to sit down and when she did, he disappeared inside and returned with a bottle of champagne and two glass flutes.
“Are you trying to make a good impression?” she joked. “I think you’ve already got my attention.”
“I’ve been wanting to drink this for a whil
e,” he laughed. “And what better excuse than to celebrate with a beautiful woman.”
Poppy felt herself blushing again. Even though she had already let her guard down with him, she still found it hard to accept a compliment when she was so used to being bashed and brought down by her mom.
“Cheers,” he said as their glasses clinked. “To another wonderful night.”
“Cheers,” she smiled.
She nuzzled up under his arm and he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. It was such a strange feeling to be so close and comfortable with someone after spending so much of her life alone. But it felt so right, so natural.
“Why aren’t you tied down?” she asked. The words seemed to fire out of her mouth before she was even aware that she was saying them.
“I’ve just never met the right girl,” Arlo said. “I always wanted to feel something so powerful and intense that when I found it I would instantly know. And that’s never happened before… Well, it hadn’t until yesterday.” He looked at her deep in the eyes and ran one of his fingers down her cheek. Poppy was a tangle of nerves and desire, and she wanted to tell him that she felt exactly the same way, but she didn’t know how.
“It’s going to take someone very special to love and understand me,” he said almost sadly. “And having lived all my life in Lost Creek, I know that person doesn’t exist here.”
Poppy wanted to ask him why, but she was too nervous. She wanted him to continue, to open up, to tell her it all.
“I know this is crazy,” he said as his lips grazed against hers. “But the second I saw you, I knew that you were going to be mine. I was drawn to you in a heartbeat and I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind ever since.”
She pulled him close to her and kissed him again. This man was so big he could crush her with both hands, but his words were so soft and gentle and full of love that she couldn’t control herself. He was like no one she had ever met before, and she knew that she would never find anyone like him again.
“Arlo,” she whispered as she looked into his eyes. “I’m so glad I came here to Lost Creek, you have no idea.”
They sat together and looked up to the stars. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. Everything about their time together felt so right, but there was still something that she couldn’t put her finger on. What was it that was making him so different?
“Why aren’t you with someone?” he asked her.
Poppy thought about it for a moment, and she realized that she didn’t even know herself.
“After college, I moved home and I’ve been stuck in a rut ever since,” she finally admitted. “I just haven’t had the confidence or the drive to try and meet a man.”
“No confidence?” he asked. “But you’re stunning.”
“Thank you,” she said shyly. “I just don’t know. Maybe I’ve needed someone to pursue me like you have. For it to just feel right like this.”
“Maybe we’ve been waiting for each other,” he said as he wrapped her hair up in his big, rough hand and pulled her face close to his. He was so strong she felt weak in his arms and as he kissed her again and laid her down on the cushions of the couch, she opened her legs wide and invited him to climb on top of her. His touch was incredible, and with each gasp of breath and kiss from his lips, Poppy felt herself opening more and more to him. She wanted him, she needed him, and each time his hand found another part of her, her nipples hardened even more.
The stars above them twinkled high in the sky and as their bodies came closer together, Poppy was always melting into his arms and ready for anything. She wanted him, and as Arlo pulled his t-shirt over his head and revealed his huge, heaving muscles, Poppy couldn’t help but suck in a lung full of air. He was so much bigger than she ever could have anticipated, it was almost frightening. And as her eyes searched and explored each part of him, she saw his tattoo for the first time.
There, right in front of her, was a big, grizzly bear right over his heart. Its claws and jaws were dripping with blood and its snarl was so ferocious she could almost hear it growl. Arlo followed her eye line down to it and picked up her hand and placed it over the bear.
His skin was so hot it almost could have burned her and she realized, in that moment, that there was something very different about him indeed, something powerful and animalistic.
“What are you?” she whispered bravely, but Arlo just smiled at her wryly, lowered her hand and moved forward to kiss her again.
As his kiss hardened and his breathing became more rapid, Poppy knew that there was no way she could pull herself away. She was dripping wet with desire and her body was aching for him. She could feel the sharp poke of his cock on the inside of her leg and she was desperate to touch him. Arlo pulled roughly at the straps of her dress and ripped them down over her shoulders, exposing her perfectly pert and firm breasts. They were swelling with arousal and she held her breath as he lowered his head down and took one of her nipples roughly in his mouth. As he sucked and bit her gently, she gasped and moaned with pleasure. She hadn’t been with a man in such a long time, and he was so much more of a man than she had ever known, she was almost on the verge of unraveling before he had even gotten anywhere near her engorged sex.
He came back up to her face and cupped her chin in his hand before he kissed her hard on the mouth. His tongue searched against hers and he moved down to her neck and squeezed her gently on the throat.
“Arlo,” she panted, almost unable to take it anymore. She dug her nails into the skin of his shoulder and pulled them slowly down his back. “I need you to fuck me,” she whispered.
He flashed her a wicked smile and pulled her leg up and bent it around him and in one fluid motion, he hooked his fingers into her panties and ripped them off, tearing them in two. Her cunt was so slick and juicy as he slid his finger inside of her she moaned and threw her head back, in ecstasy. He worked her over with his hand and she bit her lips to stop herself from screaming up into the night. But when she couldn’t take it anymore she bit him lightly on the neck and begged him to put himself inside of her.
Arlo leaned back on his haunches and reached down for his belt. Poppy was squirming beneath him, panting and aching for his cock, and as he snapped his belt open and pulled down his jeans, all eleven inches of it sprang free.
“Oh my god,” she whispered as he took hold of it in his hand and moved closer to her.
He was so big, so fat and throbbing, she knew that he was going to hurt her, but she didn’t care. She had to have him.
Her pussy dripped with excitement and as he teased her with his thick, red tip, she opened her legs wider and held onto his arms.
“I hope you’re ready for me,” he grunted as he wrapped his free hand up into her hair and kept tight hold of her.
As he pushed himself fully inside of her, Poppy gasped with delight. A sharp pain shot through her but it was gone in seconds as the intense pleasure warmed her insides and started to rocket through her. No man had ever made her feel so good. The sensation was so incredible it was overtaking every inch of her and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from cumming.
She dug her nails into his back and gripped his huge frame tightly with her feet as he powered into her again and again. His breathing was frantic and his moans and growls so loud they were filling the forest around them. Poppy moaned into the night and as her release tensed up inside of her, she knew that she couldn’t keep herself back from the edge, she had to let herself fall over into a sweet ecstasy.
As she unraveled beneath him, Arlo’s thighs tensed and his thrusts became harder. Seeing her convulse because of him, and knowing that he had done that to her was too much for him to bear. As he shot his hot, thick load inside of her, he groaned and felt as if part of his soul had been taken. He collapsed on top of her with his immense weight and kissed her neck as the last spurts of his release powered out of him.
“Fuck,” he panted into her ear as he kissed her cheek. “That was far
too good.”
Poppy looked up at him and tried to regain her breath. She had never been screwed so expertly in her life and no one had ever made her cum like that.
“It’s like we were meant to fit together,” he panted.
Arlo kissed her again and wrapped his huge arms around her.
And even though she was far too exhausted to reply, she knew exactly what he meant.
8.
“I don’t want you to go back to your cabin tonight,” he said as they lay in his bed several hours later.
After they had recouped from their crazy fuck under the stars, Arlo had swept her up in his arms and carried her into the house, to his room and made love to her again. Poppy was curled up into the nook of his arm, and they were both completely worn out and sticky with each other’s sweat.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she smiled.
She drifted off to sleep with the sounds of his breathing getting heavier beside her. It was so gruff and low, she was more sure now than ever that he was growling.
Poppy awoke with a start in the middle of the night. She sat bolt upright and looked around the room. It took her a moment to remember where she was, but it was with relief that she realized that she was at Arlo’s and not in some stranger’s bed. She reached out for him but found her fingertips stroking the mattress instead.
“Arlo?” she whispered as she looked around, realizing that she was alone.
The moon had come out from behind the clouds and it was casting silvery light all down the decking, shining in through the huge glass doors and into the room. She was naked but she wrapped the bed sheet around herself and shuffled over to the doorway and looked down the hall. The house was completely silent and there wasn’t any sign of him in the front room or the bathroom.
“Arlo?” she called again. But she knew that she was alone in the house; he was gone.
She made her way quickly back to the bedroom and looked out the doors again. She slid them open slowly and stepped out into the night. It was chilly out there but she still felt warmed through and she was about to turn and begin to walk back toward the couch and fire pit where they had started their evening when she heard the sound of branches snapping in the woodland behind her.
GUNNER: MC ROMANCE (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 4) Page 117