Stone Heart_A Single Mom & Mountain Man Romance

by Rye Hart

  I smiled at him as he craned his head back to look at me and I could’ve sworn I saw a glint of mischief in his eyes.

  “You’re bad, Miss Whitney,” he said.

  “Hollis,” I said.

  “What?”

  “Miss Hollis. My name is Whitney Hollis.”

  He turned around fully and raked his eyes down my body before he nodded his head.

  “Liam Canter,” he said.

  “I think we’re doing this a bit backward but we’re getting there,” I said.

  The chuckle that fell from his lips curled my toes as I stood in the kitchen and watched him take care of the dishes. I watched his muscles twitch with movement underneath his clothes as his large hands dried the dishes he’d soaked in soapy water. His skin glistened with the water running up his forearm and I snuck a peek at his pert ass as he stood at the sink and cleaned up.

  Oh, yes. I was really going to enjoy tomorrow now.

  CHAPTER 21

  LIAM

  “You know, I’ve never been to a resort before,” I said.

  “Really?” Whitney asked.

  “Yeah. My family and I couldn’t afford vacations like that. There was one vacation where my father borrowed a tent from a friend of his and we all packed up like we were going camping. Only we walked a mile back into the woods and found a clearing before we set up.”

  “That actually doesn’t sound so bad,” she said.

  “It was so much fun as a kid. We watched the stars and ran around. There was a creek not too far away that I’d swim in and throw rocks into.”

  “Is that where you get your love of the outdoors?” she asked.

  “Yep. Because we were so poor, I spent all my time outside. My father was a farmer and my mother raised the animals on our farm, but it wasn’t anything that raked in any good money. We had enough to keep rice and biscuits in the house. Then, we ate the produce we couldn’t sell. Any of the animals we couldn’t unload, my mother butchered for meat and, at any given moment, something was being shut off in our house. We only ever had enough money to keep one thing on at a time.”

  I could feel Whitney’s gaze on me while we slowly diverted onto the back road that would drive us right up to the resort.

  Right up to the stop sign where I’d first seen her crossing the road.

  “It’s odd that I still enjoy the outdoors, honestly,” I said.

  “Why’s that?” she asked.

  “On one of our vacations, I fell out of a tree and hurt myself pretty bad. Dislocated my shoulder and had one of the limbs of the tree drive right through my side.”

  “Oh my gosh, Liam.”

  “It would have been a lot worse had it not been for the doctor that was on call that night,” I said. “Our town didn’t even have a hospital but our regular doctor was out of town for some conference and he had a friend of his filling in whose expertise was actually in trauma. He was able to get me stable in the doctor’s office until an ambulance could get to us.”

  “I can’t believe you still want to be surrounded by trees,” she said.

  “That’s actually the memory that came to my mind when I was enlisting in the Navy. When they first asked me if being a medic was something I was interested in, I laughed at them. Until I remembered that doctor. That man saved my life that night. He helped me in ways I didn’t understand at the time and that’s all I wanted to do. I wanted to help people.”

  I drew in a deep breath before I flicked my gaze over to Whitney, who was smiling brightly and studying my face closely.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I know I haven’t known you for long,” she said. “But I’ve never seen you light up like that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That little moment there when you were talking about becoming a medic and all of that stuff. Your eyes were just sparkling. Were you even aware that you were smiling?”

  I furrowed my brow and turned my sights back to the road.

  “Have you ever considered getting back into the practice now that you’re no longer in the military?” she asked.

  “I won’t,” I said.

  “Why not?” she asked. “It’s obviously something you’re passionate about. Why not continue to help people on the other side?”

  The other side. The other side. I felt my hands grip the steering wheel tightly as we slowly approached the stop sign. I rolled to a stop before I got onto the freshly-plowed roads of the resort but I could feel Whitney’s stare, hard on the side of my face.

  That was what I’d done in the fucking Navy. Helped the other damn side.

  I was a traitor and she had no fucking clue.

  “Where should I go from here?” I asked.

  I heard her sigh before she turned her gaze out toward the road in front of us.

  “Keep going straight,” she said. “We need to get to the main lodge so we can get you a parking pass.”

  All I could do was take in the sights around me. This place was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. The cabins were luxurious and the main lodge was massive. I studied the chandelier hanging from the ceiling as I walked in with Whitney. Then she took my hand as we walked up to the front desk.

  “Miss Hollis, we are so glad you are okay,” the front desk woman said.

  “That’s very kind of you to say, thank you,” she said.

  “That employee should’ve never let you go out with that impending storm looming over our heads. She should’ve directed you straight back to your cabin.”

  “Trust me, you wouldn’t have been able to control what she did,” I said.

  Whitney snickered and shook her head while the front desk woman continued to look at us with worried looks.

  “Nonetheless, please accept our complimentary upgrade in your stay,” the woman said. “We took the liberty of moving all of your food and your suitcases into your new cabin suite.”

  “I promise you, that’s not necessary,” Whitney said.

  “Plus, there will be a complimentary dinner waiting for you this evening in our five-star restaurant, right here in the main lodge. Please accept our deepest apologies.”

  I watched Whitney take the two dinner vouchers, as well as the new key to her cabin before she threw me a surprised smile. I could tell she was trying to stifle a bit of laughter as the woman continued to rattle off things about the new cabin, but neither of us was listening.

  “Do you have any questions?” the woman asked.

  “Nope,” I said. “I think we’re all set.”

  “Wonderful. We hope you enjoy your stay, Miss Hollis.”

  We walked back out to my truck and Whitney couldn’t stop giggling. She was holding my hand tight within hers and all I could focus on was the warmth radiating from her body. Now, she was in her element and she was visibly relaxing. There was a sparkle of joy in her eyes while we climbed into the truck.

  “They actually thought they could’ve stopped me from hiking,” she said

  “I almost laughed out loud,” I said.

  “Come on,” she said. “I’ll show you where to go from here as best as I know how.”

  There were massive two-and-three story lodges that were dotted all around the sprawling countryside. We wound our way through them all as we continued back into the resort property and I was absolutely stunned. The trees that lined this little valley were blanketed with snow and all of the chimneys were pouring smoke into the sky. I’d only ever seen this resort once and only from the outside.

  Never in my life could I have imagined the beauty that existed within it.

  We wound through cobblestoned streets until we finally found the cabin number we were looking for. It was a ranch-style cabin with a beautiful darkened finish on the outside. I pulled my truck up to it before Whitney got out and, the moment we stepped into the place, it took our breath away.

  The decadent furniture was all handmade. The cushions were soft and the fireplace was already prepared for starting a fire. Crystal glasses and posh chin
a sat on the kitchen table and, as Whitney looked around the room, I could see her eyes sparkling.

  Her entire existence lit up when she was in her element.

  We ventured down the hallway and pushed open all the doors. The bathroom was extravagant, with a massive walk-in shower, as well as a jet bathtub. There were two separate bedrooms, each boasting a king-sized four-poster bed. Whitney walked into one of the rooms and pulled the curtains back, squealing as she took in the view from the room she’d picked out for us.

  I walked up behind her and took in the forest while the snow glistened underneath the sunlight in the sky.

  “This is beautiful,” she said. “Look at this view. I can’t imagine how much this would’ve cost someone otherwise.”

  I took in the landscape out the window as Whitney turned to face me. She craned her neck back while my eyes danced along the hillside, taking in the rolling, snowy hills of the resort. It was picturesque, like something you’d find on a postcard in a gift shop.

  But I was ripped from the view when Whitney placed her hands on my chest and pushed me back toward the bed.

  CHAPTER 22

  WHITNEY

  There was something about watching the shock roll over his face that ignited a fire in my gut. The way he was gawking at everything and taking it all in for the first time. I wanted this to be a moment he would never forget. I wanted this time together to be used to its fullest extent.

  I pressed him back onto the bed before I slid off his body. His eyes were heating underneath my gaze as a flush overtook his skin. Slowly, I removed every single layer of my clothing while he watched, his fingertips trembling as he removed his own. I held his gaze as his cock grew thick against his pants but, the moment he discarded he shirt, I couldn’t wait any longer.

  I threw myself at his body and we fell back onto the bed.

  His chest was broad and strong. My tits pressed into it as our lips collided in a sensual kiss. Our tongues lapped at one another’s like flames licking up a chimney and, instantly, his hands were all over me, digging into the thickness of my body and caressing the dip in my waist.

  But the moment I broke the kiss and placed my knees on either side of his head, I grinned down at him.

  His hands slid up my ass before he pulled my pelvis down to his lips. His beard tickled the insides of my legs while his hands kneaded the excess of my ass. I rode upon his lips, bucking and writhing as I massaged my tits. His tongue felt so good between my legs and his beard stroked me in ways I had never felt.

  He hummed in excitement and I shivered with delight. His lips puckered around my clit and I lost control of my body, bucking harder into him as I chased my own ecstasy. I rode his lips and silenced his grin while my hands rushed down my body. Then, I wrapped them in his hair as I felt my pleasure crash over me. Lobbing my head back, I called out into the room, moaning and groaning as my hips shook upon his face.

  He flipped me over onto my back before he kept going.

  “Liam. Please. No, it’s too much. Oh.”

  His hands bent my knees back to my chest as my entire pussy opened up for him. His tongue took long, strong strokes up my slit. I could hear him drinking my arousal down, swallowing deeply before he began flicking my clit once more.

  It was all too much and it was all so wonderful.

  Instantly, I began to climb that hill again. He rendered my body immobile while his lips devoured my essence. Winding my hands into the sheets of the bed, he finally let my legs go, and I wrapped them around his face and bucked wildly into his lips.

  It gave him just enough time to get his pants off before I reached my second climax.

  “Liam! Fuck! Yes, shit!”

  He rushed up my body and slammed his lips down onto mine. Without one word or sigh exchanged between the two of us, he plunged his cock deep into my body. I arched into him, feeling the electricity ignite on the tip of my tongue. I pulled his entire body down onto mine as he bucked relentlessly, pounding his hips with mine as his cock grew against my dripping wet walls.

  The way he groaned into my mouth made me smile and, soon, my name was dripping from his lips.

  “Whitney. Yes. Holy fuck, you’re incredible.”

  My hands rushed up and down his body as his cock dove in and out of my depths. I peppered his neck with kisses and raked my fingernails down the bulging muscles of his back. It was intoxicating, the way he felt against my skin. It was addicting, the way his breath fell perfectly into the crook of my neck. It was astounding how good his cock felt sloshing around in my depths.

  I felt light-headed while my body slowly grappled its way through the mire and chased yet another orgasm.

  “Liam. Don’t stop. Please. Holy shit.”

  My body was shaking and my limbs were wrapping around him. His cock was growing so big it was beginning to become painful. I wanted him to explode inside of me. I wanted him to fill me with his cum. I wanted to ruin the beautiful sheets of this bed with our scent before we went and had dinner tonight.

  Then I wanted to come back and do it again.

  I bit down into the meat of his shoulder and that was it for him. He slammed into me one last time, his cock pulsing and twitching with his climax. It threw me over the edge, feeling him pulse against me, and, suddenly, I was filled with a euphoria I’d never experienced before. Stars burst in my vision, just before my eyes rolled into the back of my head. The room felt like it was spinning as Liam’s lips caressed up against mine. I clung to him tighter than I had any person in my entire life and, when I collapsed onto the bed, his body came with me.

  His weight felt so good against my body. We lay there, panting with one another, before he slowly pulled out. A stream of arousal was released and it gushed out into the sheets. I giggled and felt myself blush in embarrassment before Liam rolled over and, when he did, he wrapped me in his arms and took me with him.

  I was suddenly on top of his body and looking into his beautiful blue eyes as my hair shielded us from the rest of the room.

  Without another word spoken, he reached up and slowly brushed at the hair on my brow. He tucked it behind my ear before we settled onto the pillows and, for a while, we simply lay there and looked at one another, our fingers intertwined and my leg snaked between his. We scooted closer as the smiles on our faces grew bigger. And, then, Liam spoke.

  “Excited about dinner tonight?”

  “I am, but that means we’ll have to leave this bed soon,” I said.

  “Why?” he asked. “It should only be, what, a little past lunchtime?”

  “The dining in the restaurant is formal dining. That means you’ll need a suit.”

  “A suit?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’ve got something I think will pass, but I have a feeling flannel isn’t considered formal here.”

  “Such a shame. It’s damn near royal where I live.”

  I let out a giggle before he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

  “Five more minutes,” he said into my skin. “Then we’ll go suit shopping.”

  “Will you let me buy it for you?” I asked.

  “Why would you wanna do that?”

  “You took care of me while I was in your world,” I said as I looked into his eyes. “Time for me to take care of you while you’re in mine.”

  The smile that crossed his face brought a little more sunshine into my life before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips.

  “Deal,” he said.

  We pulled ourselves from bed and I decided to forego the shower for now. I slipped into the bathroom and quickly cleaned myself up, trying to make myself presentable for the public. I wanted to get Liam a nice suit. Something that would cling to his body in all the right places and make him feel good about himself. I wanted it to be a suit he could use for other occasions, should he need one, and I wanted it to be a reminder for him.

  A reminder of the time we were spending together.

  Fluffing my hair in the mirror, I took one last look at myself.
There was something different about the person I was staring at. She seemed to have a bit more color to her skin. There was a grin on her lips I hadn’t seen in quite some time and she even stood a little taller than I remembered. It took me a second to realize that the confident, beautiful, excited woman in the mirror was me.

  “Whitney, you ready?” Liam asked.

  “Yeah! Almost finished.”

  I smoothed my hands out along my shirt one last time before I drew in a deep breath. Dinner tonight was going to be fantastic and I already had plans for us for when we got back to the cabin. It required a roaring fire, a bottle of wine I knew I had in the fridge, and a fun little outfit that required me to steal another article of his clothing.

  It was going to be a wonderful night.

  CHAPTER 23

  LIAM

  I’d never owned a suit before. I grew up too poor to have one as a child and when I enlisted in the Navy, I simply wore my dress whites to formal events. I’d been to a couple of balls and guarded a couple of charity events but nothing spectacular. I’d never been to a fancy dinner or anything like that. I drove us into town but, beyond that, I had no idea where we were going. Whitney was pulling up something on her phone as I drove along the slushy roads and, soon, she began giving me directions.

  “Turn here. Pull over there. Get in the left lane; you’re about to miss it.”

  With every turn, she grew more and more excited and I smiled at her reactions. When she got excited, her cheeks turned rosy. Her voice got louder and louder and she wiggled around in her seat. It was like she turned into this joyful little child and, as we pulled into the parking lot of a place I didn’t recognize, she practically threw herself out of my truck.

  “Come on!” she exclaimed.

  Shaking my head, I followed behind her into the shop. Coats and pants and button-down shirts covered the entire place. There were rolls of fabrics attached to the walls and ties that hung off racks. There were even shoes that lined an entire wall toward the back of the shop. Taking my hand, she pulled me to the front of the store and up toward the counter where a man dressed in a three-piece, all-black suit was there to greet us.