She had no idea what it was really like at that cabin—nobody did except for the two of us that spent time there. The chill of winter was in the air and the cold made me think of him. I had thought time would separate me from those feelings, but it hadn’t done anything to pause the longing I felt when he crossed my mind. When he entered my thoughts, my heart shuttered. When the thoughts got a little hotter, I got so wet and excited I had to satisfy myself just to maintain my sanity.
I drove in silence as I approached my apartment. I could have gone to the mountains with Amelia and the rest of my friends, but Wolf Creek almost felt like it occurred in another lifetime. I wasn’t sure I could see a mountain cabin and not go rushing off in the middle of the night to find him. He might not be there to save me if I got lost again.
I parked in the back of the apartment building and walked around the corner to the front door. It would be a lonely night, a lonely winter break—a continuation of what had become a lonely life. When I got to the top floor, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to see my neighbor, Paul, opening his door. He stopped when he saw me and gave me a slight nod.
“I know you keep telling me no, but the invitation is always open.” He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “One night out wouldn’t kill you, you might even enjoy yourself.”
“You’re sweet.” I smiled. “I’m just not looking for that right now.”
“You can’t blame me for asking.” He turned and walked towards the elevator.
Paul wasn’t the first guy to ask me out, but he was the most persistent. The problem with all of them was they barely even compared to Shane. I couldn’t take them seriously when I was certain they didn’t know how to build a fire, much less protect me. They were nice enough, but there was just something missing in every one of them.
I didn’t feel like I could just settle for a lesser man. The fact it would be settling was the worst part. I had tasted something that couldn’t be replicated, which meant I was always going to compare them to the man who showed me what it meant to be a woman. I sat down on my couch and turned on the television, trying to find something decent to watch.
I poured a glass of wine and sipped it while I skimmed through the television. A yawn confirmed it would be a short evening, and I didn’t care. Sleep sounded better than the meaningless rattle of the television and it came quickly once I turned the television off.
I WOKE UP THE NEXT day and showered, putting on my makeup just for the sake of going out to get food. I checked my mail and headed towards the exit, when I saw the man at the front desk waving towards me.
“Ms. Westbrook.” He smiled when I approached.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“This came for you. I was supposed to give it to you last night, but I was on break when you arrived. I hope it wasn’t time sensitive.” He grimaced as he handed me a folded piece of paper.
“Thanks.” I took it from him and held it up to the light.
I had no idea who could have left something for me at the front desk. Everyone I knew would call or text before they would bother with the trouble of pen and paper. The front was scrawled with ‘Heather’ in dark black ink. I turned it over in my hands and then started to open it, trying to figure out exactly what it was.
Across the top of the paper were the words Wolf Creek, faded but clearly visible. It was a map. I continued unfolding it and I saw a red line drawn from my apartment to a spot in the mountains. My heart started to beat hard in my chest when I realized exactly where it was pointing.
Holy shit…Is this?
It felt like a dream suddenly manifested in real life. I walked over to the light and unfolded it completely on a table. It was the size of two regular sheets of paper with my apartment on one side and Wolf Creek on the other. I traced the line, one that led straight to Shane’s cabin.
I looked over at the man at the desk to ask him who left it for me, but he was already gone. I stared at the paper and then I noticed there was writing along the bottom. I traced it with my fingers as my eyes opened wide.
You know where you belong.
Chapter 12: Shane
Someone once said that if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, then it was meant to be. That person was a fucking idiot. There was no glory in letting love slip away over a proverb.
There was certainly no excitement in spending the long months alone in my cabin once Heather was gone. I missed her every day. I craved her. Each day we were apart drove me mad and I simply couldn’t allow the madness to consume me. I considered getting a cell phone, but I didn’t even know her number.
I knew I could probably find out if I tried, but embracing technology wasn’t me, even if it meant I got to hear her voice again. It was strange to try and comprehend how a few days together turned me into a monster hellbent on possessing my blonde goddess once again, but I couldn’t get her off my mind.
I need you so fucking bad.
The idea of her finding another man and giving herself to him made me angry when there was no evidence it was even happening. I knew it was only a matter of time because time was the ultimate enemy. If I didn’t do something, she would move on. I had to connect with her again, to show her why she belonged with me for as long as we both drew breath.
“Have you heard from that girl?” Mr. Blanchard asked as he ran up my purchase at the local liquor store.
“No.” I shook my head.
“That’s a shame.” He sighed. “Maybe one day.”
Very soon if I have anything to say about it.
I found myself buying more and more liquor each time I went to town. It wasn’t because I was drinking more, I just didn’t like the questions. I only made trips when I had to. Mr. Blanchard always asked about Heather. I couldn’t even stand to go to the diner and have a Country Fried Steak because someone was always there to ask more fucking questions.
Our story may have passed from the world’s voice and the evening news, but she was still a celebrity in Wolf Creek. She had only spent a few nights there, but they were ready to adopt her as one of their own. They would have probably thrown her a parade if she showed up again.
Business had been booming since the town became famous and I hated every bit of it. Occasionally, a group would get a little too close to my cabin and I would have to send a warning shot their way. When the months started to wear on, I decided it was time to move. I started building another cabin nearby, far enough away from the one we spent our time in, but close enough to easily walk there if you knew the way.
It was a little fancier than the first one, with a few modern upgrades to make life a little easier. It even had doors on all of the rooms. I worked on it most days, just letting the toil take my mind off the things when it could.
“I’M SORRY, WHERE DO you want me to put this?” The older man wiped his brow as he delivered a load of materials.
“Just up the hill is good.” I pointed in the direction of the new cabin, which was hidden from his view.
“If I get stuck, you’re paying for a wrecker.” He spat on the ground and climbed back into his truck.
When the winds of winter came, I felt a desire for Heather’s touch that couldn’t be simply washed away with a night of drinking. The new cabin had been completed and the old one was just a shell. The upgrades I made were nice, but they just couldn’t distract me from my thoughts.
I need you so fucking bad.
I woke up one morning with a new conviction. I wasn’t going to wait around for the world to spin in my direction again. I was going to take the motherfucker by the balls and do something about it. I was going to hold her again.
I got in my truck and drove. I passed landmarks, small towns, and even a city before I rolled into her bustling college town. It took some time to figure out where she lived, but it wasn’t difficult. She was a student and practically a celebrity.
A few harmless questions brought me closer and eventually I figured out which apartment building she lived in.
I sat in the parking lot with my truck running, just trying to figure out how I was going to approach her without seeming like a crazy person. I might have been going crazy without her, but I didn’t want to seem like the desperate asshole I was. As I sat there in my truck, I saw her turn the corner. My chest started to tighten.
Damn, you’re even more beautiful than I remember. How the fuck did I make it so long without you?
It took everything in me not to open my door and walk over to her. Watching her enter the apartment and disappear into the sea of humanity was a struggle, but I couldn’t put her on the spot. I had to give her a choice, even if I wanted to take control of the situation.
I devised a plan and pulled out an old map. I tore a square that connected the place she was to Wolf Creek and drew a line to connect them. Once I was satisfied with my work, I dropped it off at the front desk and asked them to deliver it to her that evening. Despite my possessive nature, I knew it was the right thing to do.
It has to be your choice, blonde goddess. You know where you belong, but you have to be the one that decides to come to me.
If she understood the message and followed the directions, she would be in my arms before the first snow fell. It wouldn’t be anything like the storm I saved her from, but it would coat the ground. I got back into my truck and drove home, hoping she cared enough to find me. If she didn’t, I had to be man enough to let her go forever.
The miles I put between us felt like lifetimes, especially after seeing her in person. I had made the first move, the move that would bring her back to me if she had the same feelings inside that resonated in my heart. If she didn’t come to me, I would die alone in the cabin after thinking about her every single day.
“ANY TIME NOW…” I muttered as I sipped my drink.
The sound of tires on gravel brought a smile to my face. At first, I feared it was another group of tourists determined to see where we spent our time. The car approaching my cabin wasn’t the one I saw her drive away in.
I held my breath as I stared, letting my finger rest on the shotgun by the door just in case. I had no problem firing a warning shot if it was needed. When the car came to a stop, I knew it wasn’t a tourist. There was too much determination. The door opened and my beautiful blonde goddess stepped out from the driver’s seat.
She is mine.
I pulled open the door of the cabin and our eyes met. There were fireworks before we ever started walking towards each other. I had never felt happier than I did in that moment, a few feet away from the woman I had missed so much. I wrapped my arms around her and our lips met, an immediate rekindling of the fire we had left burning the day she drove away. I lifted her off the ground and spun her around for a moment, feeling more happiness than I even knew was possible. When our lips finally departed she had tears in her eyes.
“Damn.” She smiled. “I’ve missed you.”
“Not as much as I’ve missed you.” I took her by the hand and walked towards the old cabin.
I wanted to show her the new cabin, but I wanted something else a whole lot more. I pushed open the door and led her inside. The second the door closed, our arms were around each other again. I pulled at her clothes, wanting to feel her naked skin against mine.
She did the same, pushing me towards the bedroom. I had left the old bed and most of the old furniture when I relocated, which was a great decision considering the circumstances. We undressed each other as the fireplace roared, our bodies reflecting the flicker of the flames. I quickly began to explore her body with my tongue.
It was familiar, yet the time we spent apart made it foreign and it almost felt like the first time. I wrapped my arms around her again and moved towards the bed. My cock was already hard and begging for her touch, even if it was just foreplay for the inevitable.
We sank into the bed, her legs around my waist. I ran my hands across her naked body, feeling those familiar curves I loved so much. It was like our minds connected with the same hunger, desperate to satisfy a craving we both desired. I wrapped my hand around my cock and guided it towards paradise.
“This was the best treasure hunt ever.” She giggled excitedly.
“What took you so long?” I asked rhetorically.
I pressed my cock against her pussy for a moment and then slid it inside. She was wet and practically saturated with her desire for me. She lifted and pressed her hands to my stomach as my dick penetrated her for the first time in almost a year. She was as tight as she was the first time I entered her, but she stretched out to accommodate the only cock she had ever known.
This is where I belong.
I kissed her with more passion than I had ever felt in my life and I got the same response from her. My gorgeous blonde goddess wasn’t lost. She was exactly where she was supposed to be. I started to slowly move my cock inside of her, feeling her body react as I thrust against her g-spot.
As I started to feel my urges grow, I knew it wasn’t the only thing I missed. I missed the closeness, the embrace, the way she became mine to begin with. There was a new drive in her—something I hadn’t felt when we were together before. I met her desire with my own lust, thrusting quickly into her pussy. Her face slipped into ecstasy and mine mirrored the expression. I squeezed her breasts and kissed her neck, continuing to drive my cock into her pussy with the fury of a man who hadn’t tasted paradise in ages.
“This is better than I imagined.” A moan escaped her lips.
“You don’t have a very good imagination.” I lifted her legs a little more and pressed myself against her thighs.
Neither do I apparently, because this is beyond imagination.
My lust for her was stronger after nearly a year apart than the need I felt after being alone for six years. I didn’t hold anything back. I pounded her as hard as I could, my needs taking over rational thought. My balls were tingling and tight, begging for the triumphant release. Her body was moving in perfect harmony with mine, building towards the moment of bliss while satisfying every second of the prolonged excitement.
She bit down on her lip as the pleasure intensified and I kissed her, our lips interlocking between the passion. They formed the perfect seal I remembered, the one that made me never want to break it. I lifted up as I continued to drive my cock inside of her, squeezing her breasts and staring into her eyes. I had missed her gaze. I had missed the innocence reflected in her eyes. I felt her pussy start to squeeze on my cock and I knew she was as close as I was.
This is going to be a big one.
I furiously pounded myself into her as she gasped with pleasure. A few seconds passed before I heard the first moan of her orgasm. I wasn’t far behind and my cock started to throb with pleasure when her pussy started to spasm. I unloaded inside of her—a year without her touch, all culminating in a series of thrusts. Cum surged from within me and exploded out of the end of my cock. Her body quivered and she squeezed my arms as she shuddered in unison with my ejaculation. We lay there for several minutes, exhausted from the experience.
“I’m sorry I stayed away so long.” She crawled into my arms when I finally pulled my cock free and dropped down beside her.
“It’s okay…” I looked into her eyes and ran my finger along the edge of her chin. “You’re here now.”
“The cabin seems different.” Her eyes darted around the walls.
“Yeah…” I nodded. “I’ve got something to show you.”
“Now?” She asked.
“Soon.” I smiled. “Let’s just enjoy being here together for a little while.”
We lay in the embrace of skin on skin for a long time, our fingers tracing each other. The only sounds we heard were the sounds of the logs crackling on the fire and the wildlife outside the cabin.
It was such a surreal experience to have her here with me again. Eventually our embrace broke and we shared a drink. It didn’t taste as good as it once did because what I really thirsted for was there with me. I was excited to show her the new cabin with some modern upgrades I
thought she would like.
I didn’t know how much time we had together, and I was afraid to ask. If she told me it was only one night, I knew I would lose my mind. I wasn’t sure I could go through the separation again and maintain the control I exhibited for so long.
She was mine and while I lost her the first time due to happenstance, I had to find a balance that would maintain my sanity. Those were thoughts for another time because she was in my arms and I didn’t want to waste the time we had together, regardless of the duration. Our lips met again and I moved my fingers down her abdomen towards her legs. They instantly parted and I knew the yearning was burning within her again.
Chapter 13: Heather
The drive to Shane’s cabin was one I struggled to make. There were times when I considered turning around, but I pressed on because my heart told me it was the right thing to do. We had been apart for nearly a year and the anniversary of the day he saved me was approaching—as was the anniversary of the first time we made love.
I still felt the same way about him, even if it was extremely complicated to try and figure out what that meant. The moment I saw him, I knew he was right—I knew where I belonged. I belonged with him. I belonged in his arms. We were right for each other, even if we came from very different worlds.
I lay there in his embrace for the rest of the night, sleeping better than I had in a very long time. When the morning finally came, I stood up and walked into the main part of the cabin. Everything was missing. I hadn’t noticed it when I first arrived, but it wasn’t the same cabin I remembered. The television was gone, the things on the wall were removed, and it looked like a shell. I turned towards the bedroom and saw him standing up. He walked towards me and took me in his arms.
“Where is all of your stuff?” I looked over at him in confusion.
“Get dressed.” He smiled. “I have something to show you.”
I walked back into the bedroom with my eyes heavy from sleep and a strong need for coffee in my veins, but curiosity pushed me forward. He picked up my bag and we put our coats on, walking along a path that led up the mountain.
Mr. Mountain: Alpha Protector & Virgin Romance Page 10