by Amy Brent
It didn’t take me long to reach the Gabe’s house. There was smoke rolling out of the chimney, which told me he was home and obviously just fine. When he opened the door, I felt a huge sense of relief. I had been a little worried about the guy. He wasn’t all that much older than me, but he wasn’t in the best of health.
“Well, hell, it’s about time you made it. I was beginning to wonder if you had fallen off the face of the earth,” he greeted. “I thought you would have been over earlier.”
“Nah, been busy,” I answered.
“I bet you have. Come in, get out of the cold.”
I took off the snowshoes and walked inside, Casper on my heels. Thankfully, Gabe liked the dog and welcomed him inside.
“Want some coffee he asked?”
“I brought some along,” I said, pulling out my thermos.
He grinned. “Need a little something to warm it up?”
I smiled. “Damn straight.”
He poured us each a glass of strong bourbon, the coffee ignored.
“How’s it been going with your lady?”
“She’s not my lady.”
Gabe guffawed. “You keep telling yourself that. I saw the way you looked at her. I saw the way she looked at you. Don’t try and tell me you two ain’t been fucking like bunnies over there.”
I considered denying it, but finally admitted my sin, without actually saying the words. It was a slow nod. While I didn’t really know much about fathers and sons, I had a feeling this is what it would have felt like to be called out by a dad. The man was a straight-shooter.
“Tom come and pick her up? Is that why you finally came over to check on me?” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
I shook my head. “No. She was still there when I left. I assume Tom will be by soon enough. Maybe already has been.”
“Why are you over here then? You could have radioed me,” he asked, surprise on his face.
I took a sip of the smooth bourbon. “I did. You didn’t answer.”
He laughed. “You could have tried again. I would guess that would have been easier than hauling your ass here.”
I shrugged. “I figured I better get over here and check on you. You’re old and damn near decrepit. Can’t have your dead body stinking up the mountain.”
He scoffed at the thought. “Running away from your lady, huh? I get it. You did your thing and now you’re running away. You don’t have to lie to me. Too bad, though. You need to find yourself a good woman to settle down with.”
“She’s got a life back in the city. It was a nice day or two, but it’s time for her to go. I don’t want her to be there when I get back, and I definitely didn’t want to deal with any weird goodbyes,” I lied. “It was a fling. It’s over.”
He nodded in understanding, but I knew he didn’t believe a word I was saying.
“I think you need to finish your drink and then haul your ass back home. You’ll regret not saying goodbye.”
“We already did,” I explained. “Neither of us expected anything more.”
He nodded his head and I knew he understood. “Thanks for checking on me, but I’m good. I got everything I need.”
“Good. I’m going to finish my drink before you push me out. You okay with that?” I said, with a scowl.
I finished my glass and held it out for a refill. When he didn’t move to pour it, I reached for the bottle and did it myself, filling his as well.
“I thought you were going home,” he grumbled.
I smiled. “Nope. This is really good and I’m going to mooch off you for a bit longer. Deal with it.”
He chuckled. We leaned back on his couch and chatted about nothing in particular. I was glad he didn’t bring up Calla again. My goal for visiting him was to forget about her. When my glass was empty he took it from me, not giving me the chance to ask for a refill.
“Go. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. Tell your girl goodbye the right way. You may just decide to ask her to stay,” he said with a wink.
I laughed and stood up, feeling a little woozy for a split second. “I doubt that. Thanks for the drink. Damn good stuff there. I owe you.”
“Yes, you do. Be careful out there. You never know when that storm is going to sneak up on you.”
I put my gear on and headed back. The temperature had dropped with the sun slowly fading. I would be alone tonight, and was only a little surprised to find I was anxious to get back, hoping she was still there. I knew it was unlikely, given the late hour. I had purposely stalled as long as I could. As I walked through the trees, I thought about Calla naked on my bed. She was a beautiful woman and I couldn’t shake her. She was under my skin, in my every thought. I could smell her even when she wasn’t near me.
Jesus, I had it bad. I could recognize that. It was an infatuation, though. It would pass, I just had to give it some time. Once I didn’t have to see, hear or smell her, I would forget all about our time together. I would go into town and find a woman to help me erase the memory of sinking into Calla’s tight pussy. There were plenty of women who would be more than happy to invite me into their beds. I had a bit of a reputation around town as a really good lay.
The thought made me grin. I hadn’t purposely set out to earn such a reputation, but I didn’t go out of my way to deny it either.
“Almost there, buddy,” I said the words aloud, meaning to comfort Casper, but they were more for me.
The bourbon was making me feel warm on the inside. Mingled with memories of Calla, I was downright warm. I silently prayed she was still there. I shouldn’t have left things the way I did. It was a cowardly thing to do. I didn’t know exactly what we were, but there was something there.
When my cabin came into view, I picked up the pace, anxious to see if she was still there. I steeled myself for her to be gone. When I pushed open the door, a sense of relief washed over me when I saw her leaning on her elbows on the kitchen counter. Her ass was in the air and my mind immediately went to sex.
I froze when I heard a man’s voice come through the walkie, which I saw her holding in her hand.
“I will,” she replied, looking over her shoulder at me. “Blake, I’m fine.”
I could see guilt. I knew the look well.
The male voice came over again. I didn’t know who Blake was, but I didn’t like him. He sounded like one of those guys who had a man bun and wore scarves as a fashion accessory. I didn’t like him, even though I’d never met him.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Is that man making you uncomfortable?” the squeaky voice came through again.
Calla looked at me, rolled her eyes and once again assured Blake that everything was fine. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Blake. I’ve got to go now.”
“I’m worried about you,” the man whined.
I couldn’t stop the inner caveman inside me. I found myself gritting my teeth and growling low in my throat. Who the fuck was Blake?
“Blake, stop. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She put down the radio and picked up a glass of what looked to be straight whiskey.
“Sorry, about that,” she mumbled.
“Who was that?” I said, kicking off my boots.
“Blake. I only answered the radio because it was someone from the lodge looking for you. Once I figured out how to work the thing, I was able to talk to some guy named Tom.”
I nodded my head, slowly stalking towards her.
“He said they won’t be here until tomorrow morning. I hope that’s okay?”
I watched as her lips closed over the edge of the glass. She gulped down the last bit of whiskey in the glass, and I could tell she was a little buzzed.
She looked at the glass and then nervously looked up at me. “I helped myself. I was a little bored and figured what the hell. I’ll pay you back,” she promised, biting her lower lip.
“Tom had a message?”
“Yes. He told me to tell you their snow cat broke down and the roads were too treacherous to put the snowmobiles on. I assure
d him I was okay. And then my assistant, Holly, well she was having a panic attack, so I had to let her know I was okay. She tends to get a little freaked out if I don’t check in,” she rambled.
I could see she was nervous, which confirmed my suspicion that she was feeling guilty about something. The moment I got close to her, she spun around and went into the kitchen, pulling the whiskey bottle off the counter.
“Want some?” she asked.
I glared at her and I could feel the green eyed-monster rearing its ugly head. I wasn’t a man prone to being jealous. I had never really cared about anyone enough to be jealous. If a woman I was fucking stepped out with another guy, that was fine by me. I didn’t care. This was different. Calla was different.
“Okay, well, I’ll pour you a bit. I don’t have any coffee on the stove. I didn’t know when you would be back,” she carried on.
She filled her glass and took a shot.
I stared at her, waiting for her to tell me who the fuck Blake was.
“So, looks like I’m crashing at your place again,” she said, with a fake smile. “What’s for dinner?”
I walked into the kitchen, cornering her for a split second before picking up the glass she had poured for me and slamming it down in a couple large gulps. I slammed it on the counter and looked at her. She was practically sweating under the cloak of guilt I could see clinging to her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Calla
He was pissed. I could see it. Hell, I could feel it. The man looked as if he wanted to tear me limb from limb, as slowly and painfully as possible. I took another drink, the buzz would give me courage, I hoped. I considered moving out of the kitchen, but he had me cornered. The way he was looking at me was only a little frightening. I knew he would never hurt me, but it was clear he would like to.
“Blake?” he said again. The question hanging there.
I cleared my throat. “He’s a man that I, we, well, we’ve been off and on for a couple years.”
His eyes dropped to small slits. “He’s who?”
“We were together a couple years. We broke up and have tried to get back together off and off over the past several months. Holly called him. I don’t know why. It was stupid, but she tends to do really dumb things when she is freaking out. She told him about me getting lost and he showed up at the lodge. He’s up there raising hell and just being a bit of a dick in general. It’s what he does.”
“Blake is your boyfriend?” he asked, in a way that made me want to deny it. I couldn’t lie to the man. He would see right through it.
“It’s complicated,” I tried to explain.
The man stepped closer. I could feel his breath on my face as he towered over me. His size was intimidating. I knew he was big, but in that particular moment, he felt huge.
“You have a boyfriend, but you’ve been here fucking me?” he seethed, through clenched teeth.
Suddenly, I felt very small. It was a novel feeling. I wasn’t used to feeling small. Technically speaking, I wasn’t small. I was bigger than the average woman.
“Jake, it’s hard to explain. He’s not my boyfriend, we broke up months ago. He’s more like a bad habit. I try to get away and he’s right back, pulling me in,” I explained in a soft tone, like I would talk to a frightened animal.
I could feel him trembling with anger. I was trembling as well, but it wasn’t out of fear. Seeing him so primal, so jealous was making me hot. Blake was not the kind of guy who would fight for me or defend my honor. Jake made me feel like the classic damsel in distress. He made me feel valuable, as if I was worth fighting for. I didn’t consider myself an old-fashioned girl or a raging feminist, but I really liked the idea of a man like Jake being jealous and angry over the idea I had another man who wanted me. This week, anyway. Jake didn’t seem to hear the part about the off and on thing.
I stepped back, my butt pressing against the kitchen counter. I wasn’t going anywhere. Jake’s body was pressing into mine.
“I’ll help you break that habit. By the time I’m done with you, Blake will never measure up again. He will be a distant memory. You’ll never be able to fuck another man without thinking of me.”
His voice was husky, his words brushing across my face, sending a shiver down my spine. I could smell the liquor on his breath and was eager to suck it from his tongue.
I opened my mouth to try and explain that Blake wasn’t competition, but he took that as an invitation. His mouth slammed into mine and his hands were on my waist, yanking me against him.
He moaned as his lips crushed against my own, slamming my lips against my teeth. His tongue was halfway down my throat, and his hands were moving to my butt. He made fists in my flesh as he held my pelvis close against his. I could feel his erection pushing against me but was unable to move to grind against it.
Jake’s hands dropped my ass and moved to grab my hair with both fists, yanking it back, driving my chin up with the force. His mouth left mine and devoured my exposed neck, sucking hard before biting my flesh. I couldn’t move my head with it controlled by his hands in my hair.
My body was under the loveliest assault and I was helpless to do anything. I didn’t want to stop him. The man was moving hard and fast and I was more than happy to go along for the ride.
“Jake,” I cried out, when I heard my shirt tearing from my body.
He had grabbed the collar and ripped. I gasped as the cold air in the room washed over my skin. His hands yanked my bra up, freeing my breasts a moment before his mouth clamped over one nipple—his hands roughly kneading and pulling at the sensitive flesh.
“Say my name,” he growled, pulling my nipple between his teeth.
“Jake,” I yelled as he suckled hard. I could feel the painful pleasure in my toes.
“Say it again!”
“Jake,” I moaned under his aggressive ministrations.
His hands were pushing my leggings down over my hips. I tried to help, partly out of fear he would shred them. In one move he ripped them off my legs before spinning me around, using a knee to force my legs open and pushing my face down to the cold, smooth surface of the counter. My bra fell to the ground, the remnants of my torn shirt ripped away.
“I’m going to fuck you so hard you don’t remember your name,” he growled.
I flinched when I felt the head of his penis, edging closer. I was wet, but I didn’t know if I was ready to take his girth.
“Jake,” I said his name in hesitation, but the word ended up being torn from my mouth as his dick pushed inside, splitting the folds and driving in with such force I nearly slid across the counter.
I screamed as he pounded my body with his. My body clenched and spasmed around him. One hand was in my hair, pulling my head back, up and off the counter as he drove into me.
“Say my fucking name!” he shouted.
I felt paralyzed, my mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. Sensations were spiraling throughout my body as my mind tried to put together the appropriate response to what was happening. It was too good, too hot and too fucking mind-blowing.
His hand in my hair pulled me back, lifting my torso from the counter. His other hand reached around, grabbed my breast and pinched my nipple.
Another scream tore through my throat as the orgasm washed over me.
“One, that’s one,” he whispered in my ear before dropping my hair.
His fingers trailed down my spine as he pulled out. I sucked in gulps of air, assuming he was finished. A hard, open-handed smack on my ass sent me reeling forward.
“Ready for two?” he growled, shoving a hand between my legs and pushing in two fingers.
I wanted to say yes and no at the same time. My pussy was tingling as was the ass cheek he had slapped. My breasts were throbbing in the best way as well. He didn’t wait for an answer. He pulled his fingers out, grabbed my hand and pushed me to the floor between the kitchen and the living area.
“Get on your knees,” he ordered.
I did as I was told, the cold, hardwood floors a shock to my knees. I heard his pants hit the floor and shook in anticipation. He was kneeling behind me. I prepared myself to be entered. When he slid his cock inside, I clenched my jaw. The position was erotic. He was in full control. I was submitting to him and he knew it. I knew it and I didn’t care. I wanted to. I wanted to give myself completely to him.
He thrust inside and when he was deeply seated, he pushed a little higher.
“Cum. Now,” he ordered.
I wanted to tell him it wasn’t quite like that, but I was wrong. I could feel my body adjusting and clenching his cock. I looked over my shoulder to see him high above me, looking down at my ass as he gently rubbed his fingertips across the wide expanse of flesh with his body pressed against me. His dark gaze met mine, sending bolts of lightning through my body at the intimate connection. I felt his cock throbbing deep inside, sending me to the edge of another climax.
My back rounded and then arched, taking him all the way as my body began to weep around his dick. I had thought to stop the orgasm, but I was lost, riding the wave all alone without him even moving. He pulled out, pushed me to the floor and rolled me over. His mouth slammed over my breast, where he began to nibble on my nipple, his hand between my legs.
I whimpered when one finger stroked over my clit. “Jake, I can’t,” I moaned. “Wait, I can’t,” I pleaded. My pussy felt swollen and raw in the best way.
He ignored my requests, fingering my clit and pulling another orgasm from my exhausted body. He rose to his knees and slid down my body. My eyes were squeezed closed, my head rolled back and forth against the hard floor as my body writhed. I had lost all semblance of control over my body.
“Jake,” I whispered.
“Say it again,” he whispered, his mouth over my pussy, the words sending tingling sensations down my legs.
“Jake, I’m spent,” I told him, knowing there was nothing more to give. He had wrung me dry.