Stranded: A Mountain Man Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  She was wearing a grey designer skirt and white blouse. It was traditional office wear, but she could not hide the fact that she was all woman, not that she would care to anyway. She was very comfortable in her own skin and exuded the easy-going confidence that other women tried to emulate but so many ended up over-doing, making themselves seem brash or even lewd. Kathryn had no need to resort to such tactics to draw male attention. And to be truthful, she really didn't have time for men in her life right now.

  Her career was taking most of her energy at the moment. She had recently started practicing real estate law at a busy law office. The firm’s clientele mostly consisted of wealthy real estate investors buying and selling large commercial properties. Between her attention to detail and her natural charisma, she was doing extremely well and her clients were very happy. So happy, in fact, that many worked exclusively with her.

  Recognizing a rising star when they saw one, and the threat she could represent to their bottom line should she start her own firm and take those clients with her, they had offered her a junior partnership. Of course this didn't sit well with some other members of the firm, who had been practicing there for years. The one who stood out though was Todd, the misogynistic prick, she thought with derision. He couldn't imagine that a woman would possibly be better than he at anything that didn't require a spatula. He attributed her success to a willingness to use her more obvious assets to her advantage. Nothing could be farther from the truth of course; she was damn good at what she did.

  The worst part was that Todd believed that he was the only male in the office who hadn't gotten his shot at some action with the curvy bombshell and he was convinced of his own irresistible charm. This had led to some very awkward moments when she had been forced to fend him off, both physically and verbally. Unfortunately, this just seemed to increase his interest. If she had to deal with it one more time, she was going to lose it.

  She had a meeting this morning at 10 am, a new client that had been referred to her by a colleague who regularly did business in Africa. Evidently, he was looking to purchase several warehouse properties to accommodate a small import/export business that already enjoyed success in other locales. Having never worked with an African before, she entertained a picture in her mind of a tall, thin, black man wearing flowing robes, a round little hat, and carrying a zebra-tail fly swatter. Ridiculous of course, the stereotypes we get from modern media, but she had trouble picturing anything else. She hoped that they were able to work without an interpreter, at least. It was always cumbersome to work through an intermediary.

  If she was going to make it to the office on time, she needed to get her ass in gear. She scooped up her purse and keys and snatched her coffee off of the kitchen counter on her way out the door. She had just enough time to catch her train, if she was lucky.

  Chapter 2

  “Why would people build such monstrosities?” Jelani thought to himself as he looked through the window of the apartment his family kept in the city. Concrete as far as the eye could see, relieved only by the corner of Central Park he could just glimpse from his small balcony. Being so separated from the earth, particularly his native soil, for an extended length of time, caused him anxiety. Indeed, it was one of the few weaknesses that afflicted his species, and was the main reason their range didn't extend further than it did. The longer they were separated, the more stressful it became. The condition could be relieved for a short time by reverting to his lion form, and by contact with a more natural environment. Eventually however, the pain would be too much and his irascible nature would come to the fore; all the more reason to keep this trip as short as possible. Hopefully the properties he was sent to procure would prove to be acceptable, and the lawyer he was to meet with, proficient at her work. There were no real worries on that score however, the lawyer came highly recommended from a trusted source.

  Jay was feeling uncharacteristically restless this morning. He had slept poorly and awakened early with a pounding headache, courtesy of a long flight and a case of jet lag. He had showered and donned his human camouflage, a Hugo Boss suit tailored to his muscular, six foot four-inch frame. Nothing could truly make him blend in here though. His obvious height, broad shoulders, and handsome face were only a part of what caught people's attention. Less obvious, but more compelling, was the way he moved: like an arrogant predator among sheep, supremely confident in his ability to master anything under his golden gaze.

  Now here he was, pacing with the nervous energy of a caged animal, his long strides carrying him back and forth in front of the large window overlooking the city. It was almost two hours before his meeting so Jay decided to walk the ten blocks or so to the office building where his meeting was to take place. Hopefully he would be able to sit still through what promised to be a tedious morning and afternoon.

  Jay stepped past the doorman dutifully holding the door for him to exit, and stopped to get his bearings just short of the stream of humanity bustling passed on the sidewalk. The sheer volume of people, the noise, and odor of vehicle exhaust threatened to overwhelm him. He had an animal’s inherent mistrust of anything that drowned out the senses he depended on for survival. Once he felt like he had a handle on the sensory input, he joined the river of people heading the direction he needed to go. There was nothing outwardly threatening about him, but even in the crush of New York City pedestrian traffic, people unconsciously allowed him extra space, a small buffer between themselves and the man who seemed to radiate an aura that repelled casual touch.

  Jay strode along the streets of New York, carried about by the flow of the crowd, in no real hurry to get to his destination. He had plenty of time to take in the sights of the morning commuter crush: the blaring horns from the traffic, the people engrossed in their phone conversations, or just staring mindlessly at their smart phones, totally unaware of their surroundings. The one thing he did enjoy was the smell of exotic foods coming from small eateries and carts spaced out along the streets. They reminded him of the fact that he had left the apartment with an empty stomach and it took a lot of food to fuel an animal his size. He was only a couple of blocks from his destination and still had some time to kill, so he decided to find something to quell the gnawing in his belly.

  He scanned the small establishments that catered to the on-the-go crowds and chose a bagel shop based on the pleasant aromas wafting through its door. As he entered, he breathed deeply of the smell of coffee and baked goods. Stepping into the long, but swiftly moving line of people awaiting their turn at the counter, his eyes fell upon the woman at the front of the line. She was tall for a woman, dressed in a form fitting skirt that did nothing to hide the fact that she had a gloriously shapely backside. The fall of her rich, auburn hair reached nearly to the nip of her waist, accentuating her hourglass shape. If there was one thing he had a real weakness for, it was a woman with soft curves and a lush figure, and from behind, this woman fit that bill perfectly. As she turned toward him, juggling her purse, a cup of coffee, and a pastry, he noticed that the view from the front was excellent also. He appraised her from the floor up, her gloriously lush thighs, the generous swell of her hips, and good god, those breasts! He ached to feel the weight of them in his hands. What really stopped his heart though, were her eyes. They were watching him with frank amusement at his not so subtle appreciation of her figure. If he had not been so stunned, he would have thought to feel chagrin for being caught so obviously ogling, like someone’s lost village idiot. As she passed him, headed for the door, he couldn't help but avidly watch her progress. She paused in the doorway, turned, and flashed him a sunny smile. She stood there just long enough for him to think to himself, “Go after her, you idiot!”, when she was suddenly jerked through the door with a loud yelp.

  That broke his paralysis, and he leapt for the door after her, jerking it open on to a scene that momentarily baffled him. She was standing on the sidewalk clutching the straps of her purse with her left hand and thoroughly beating the piss out of a man who
was desperately clinging to the rest of her purse. He wasn't a large man at all, barely five foot seven, and scrawny. He had chosen his victim poorly, as she outweighed him by a good forty pounds, and obviously was not going down without a fight.

  Jay was stuck behind her in the doorway, unable to assist without knocking her down. She didn't really look like she needed much help though. She was glorious in her ferocity, and he couldn't help but watch with admiration as her assailant absorbed blow after blow while stubbornly tugging to wrench the purse from her hand.

  Just when Jay thought the man was going to give up, one of the straps on the handbag gave way, giving him enough distance to avoid the blows raining down on him. Fortunately, this also allowed him to back away at an angle, clearing the way for Jay to act. Reaching past the woman, he casually cuffed the man under his left ear. What was a casual blow for Jay was anything but for a human, and the purse-snatcher was sent sprawling several feet away, stunned.

  Chapter 3

  Dammit! She knew better than to not check her surroundings when she left a building! Now here she was, fighting with a mugger because she had been distracted by that gorgeous man in the coffee shop. She was SO not going to let this happen! This asshole was not going to strong-arm her! She almost had him beaten when the strap on her purse broke, giving him more control over the bag, and enough distance to avoid her fury. She was trying to figure out how to overcome this sudden disadvantage when the tension was suddenly released from the other end of the purse and she was sent hurtling backwards into a solid wall of male flesh. The seemingly immovable mass quickly enfolded her, bracing her until she regained her balance. She was still angry and full of fight though, so when she saw her attacker scrambling to pick himself up from the ground, she lunged forward to finish him off, only to be brought up short by strong arms encircling her waist.

  “Easy, fierce one, your fight is already won.” His voice rumbled in her ear, with a mixture of amusement and admiration.

  Indeed, the mugger was already staggering from the scene. She turned to face her new-found ally and found that he was the beautiful man she had caught staring at her with open appreciation. It was pausing in the doorway, giving him a chance to approach her, which distracted her enough to walk into the mugger.

  “Hell, maybe it was worth it.”’ she thought as she turned in the circle of his arms and saw him up close for the first time. He seemed reluctant to release her from his embrace, but she didn’t mind. He took a half step backward to look her over for injuries but left his hands burning at her waist while he did.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, with an accent she hadn't heard before. His voice had a deep resonance and an almost musical quality that was pleasing to the ear. The vibration of his voice struck her like a tuning fork, vibrating through her body, which responded with an enthusiasm that left her stammering.

  “I'm fine, really,” she said, somewhat breathlessly. She was more than willing to let him believe it was from the exertion of defending her belongings. “Thank you so much for your help, I thought for sure I was going to lose it there at the end.”

  “You were admirably ferocious,” he said with a smile on his face and admiring gleam in his eye. “Most people would not have fought so well! Are you sure you are not hurt?”

  “I seem to be all in one piece, though my hand is a little sore.”

  He reached down to examine the reddened appendage, lifted it to his chest and manipulated each of her fingers. “It does not appear to be damaged.” He said as he lifted her hand and pressed her knuckles lightly to his lips.

  A warm tingle suffused her at the contact. He did it so casually that it was impossible to be offended by the forward act. He stood looking at her and said in that warm voice of his, “I am Jay,” and then stood simply holding her hand to his chest, looking at her quizzically.

  His eyes were so mesmerizing that for a moment she lost track of everything else. They were rich amber with flecks of gold, ringed by brown the color of melted milk chocolate. She had never seen anything like them. It finally dawned on her that he had spoken to her. “Oh, yes! I’m Kathryn,” she blurted out apologetically. “I really should get to work; I'm going to be late.” She was internally kicking herself for even suggesting there was any place in the world she would rather be. “Thank you so much for your help. This city is famous for people just watching things like that happen. Or recording them on their smart phones,” she added wryly.

  “I am sure you do not require defending very often, but how could anybody stand by and watch such a beautiful woman in such a situation without wanting to play the hero?” he said seriously.

  She blushed prettily at his compliment. It was not unusual for her to draw male attention, even cat calls from a distance, but seldom did men approach her at close quarters. Most were just too intimidated or had to augment their courage with alcohol, and she wasn't interested in drunks or men who weren’t confident enough to go after what they wanted. As she struggled to find something coherent to say, he seemed to come to some decision.

  "Miss Kathryn, it would be my pleasure and honor if you would join me for dinner this evening.”

  How could she possibly turn him down, especially after he had come to her aid? “I would love to,” she said, “but please, allow me to take you to dinner as a thank you for your help.”

  He beamed a huge smile at her, and replied, “I would be happy to.”

  They exchanged information and promised to finalize the details for the evening later in the day.

  “I really do have to run now though,” She said regretfully, “but I look forward to seeing you again.”

  Jay once again lifted her hand to his lips, and kissed the back of her hand both more formally, and more firmly, leaving the impression of soft, full lips that warmed her and created an aching, liquid desire in her loins. She had to resist the urge to clamp her thighs together and squirm to quell the throbbing his attentions were causing in her pelvis.

  “Until tonight then,” he crooned. He watched her turn and disappear into the mass of pedestrians, craning his neck to watch as long as possible. She tuned, just before she was lost in the crowd, to see him standing in the same spot watching her walk away. Again with that awed expression on his face. She smiled, inside and out, and with a buoyant feeling carrying her forward, she gave a small wave and continued on her way.

  Chapter 4

  “Good lord!” Jay exclaimed to himself, turning to re-enter the coffee shop. He was surprised at himself. He was a true lover of women, but none that he could remember could hold a candle to this one. It was as if she was created just to tempt him. He tried to remind himself that he was here on business, and that he couldn't afford the distraction from his duty to his family. He purchased his bagel and coffee mechanically; just enough of his brain was functioning to count out the money for his transaction. He couldn't stop thinking about Kathryn with an anticipation that was making his cock ache; a mental picture of her stretched out, with her hands grasping a headboard, large breasts thrust upward and exposed to his view, squirming as he dipped between her generous thighs and pleasured her with his mouth…

  “Holy shit! Get hold of yourself man, you cannot walk around the streets of New York with a hard on threatening to tear its way out of your pants!” He did his best to keep such carnal thoughts out of his mind as he continued to his destination.

  He found the address he was looking for, entered the building, and looked for a wall directory. He found the office he was looking for: Ross, Ross, & Sharpe, and entered an elevator to make his way to the twelfth floor.

  Upon exiting the elevator, Jay found a receptionist sitting primly behind her desk; he approached her and told her he had an appointment with Ms. Sharpe.

  “Certainly, Mr…” She said as she uncrossed and re-crossed her legs, leaning forward toward her appointment book and looking up at him expectantly.

  “Contee,” he supplied.

  “Mr. Contee, Ms. Sharpe is expecting you,”
The pretty brunette chirped. “Her office is the third door on the left. I’ll let her know you’re on your way in.”

  “Thank you, Miss…” He paused for her to give her name.

  “Leanne, please,” she said.

  “Thank you Leanne,” he said with an earnest smile, and turned to find the door he was looking for. He didn't notice Leanne fanning herself with a sheaf of papers and staring after him. She reached forward to hit the intercom button that would allow her to warn Ms. Sharpe that her client was on his way in, but there was no answering ping when she pressed the button. “The intercom system must be malfunctioning again,” she thought, and began to dial the number to a repair man that they had used in the past.

  Jay found the door he was looking for and, expecting to walk into a foyer, he simply turned the knob and walked right in to what was evidently Ms. Sharpe’s office. What was even more surprising was the scene that unfolded before him.

  He was astounded and confused to discover Kathryn, the woman he already thought of as his fierce goddess from the bagel shop, but she wasn't alone. A fairly large man, probably in his early thirties and sporting a slight paunch, had her backed into a credenza that struck Kathryn just above mid-thigh. The man had his hands low on her waist, and appeared to be leaning in for a kiss. Jay thought he had interrupted a private moment until he realized that Kathryn had both hands planted firmly on the man’s chest and she was leaning backwards over the credenza to avoid contact with the man as much as possible.