Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection

by Crowne, K. C.

  “You think I’m beautiful and smart?” she asked. Her smile grew wider.

  I probably shouldn’t have said that. The place had emptied, and I noticed the time. It was five minutes past closing, and even though the wait staff would never kick us out, I could see the exhaustion written on their faces. Perfect excuse to change the subject.

  “Alright, I think we should head out,” I announced, dropping cash on the table for a tip and the check. “Before they lock us in.”

  Madison looked around, and it was obvious she had no clue the staff was ready to close. She almost looked disappointed.

  We stepped out into the cool, night air. It was early June, which meant the days were warming up, but the nights were still a bit crisp at times.

  “If you want to continue the conversation, there’s a bar down the street,” I said. “We could grab a drink.”

  Madison bit her lip but continued to smile. “As much as I’d like that, Sheriff, I don’t drink. I’d prefer not to be around people drinking either.” She tilted her head. “Considering my family history and all.”

  “I respect that. Very admirable, actually.”

  “Nah, I just don’t like to be reminded of my mom and dad’s drunken fights. Too many bad memories.”

  We were within walking distance to her hotel, so I decided to walk her back. She stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face me.

  “Did you mean what you said back there?”

  “About what?”

  “That I’m beautiful.” She stared up at me, standing almost a foot shorter than me. The streetlights glistened off her eyes, and she batted thick lashes at me. She ran a tongue across her lower lip, almost like she was begging for a kiss.

  “I did,” I murmured, standing tall. All the blood was rushing south, and I prayed she didn’t see the bulge in my jeans.

  She moved closer to me, her curvy, petite body pressing against mine as she stood on her tiptoes. I should have pulled back, but I leaned closer instead. Her lips pressed against mine, and her mouth opened for me. She tasted of peppermint candy, and her lips were as soft as they looked. Her taste and everything about her was intoxicating.

  I took her face in my hands, pulling her closer to me and kissing her deeply.

  I don’t know how long we kissed in the middle of the sidewalk underneath the Utah skies, but Madison pulled back abruptly, her eyes wide.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, stumbling back and away from me. “I don’t know what got into me, Teddy, but I can’t do this.”

  “Madison, it’s—”

  Before I could finish, however, she jerked around and rushed towards her hotel. She was running as fast as she could.

  She was running away from me.

  Madison

  “Madison, wait!”

  I heard him call my name. He was chasing after me, and even though I had a head start, with his long legs, he was faster than I was. I made it to the hotel and fumbled through my purse, searching for my room key, feeling like a jerk for running off after kissing him.

  But I couldn’t do this.

  I shouldn’t.

  “Madison—” Teddy was beside me before I could open the door.

  Shit.

  “Let’s talk about what happened,” he said. “I’m sorry…”

  “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you,” I whispered. “I have no idea why I did that.” She scoffed, shaking her head. “I’m not staying in Liberty. I can’t start something I don’t intend to finish.”

  I finally found the room key and slid it into the card reader. There was beeping as the door unlocked. Before I entered, I turned to Teddy. I don’t know why, but I had to see him one more time.

  And that was a mistake.

  He took my face in his hands, stroking my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. His hands were rough but gentle. They felt safe.

  “Madison,” he said softly, my name in his voice causing shivering. “If anything, I should be sorry, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

  “Me neither,” I murmured, lifting my head and opening my eyes. “I don’t know what got into me. I just couldn’t stop myself.”

  “Then don’t,” he said, his voice gravelly.

  It had been so long since I’d been with someone. I craved his touch. I needed comfort. Why deny myself? He knew I wasn’t staying; there was no deception.

  I let myself go, and our lips pressed against each other’s again. Teddy’s hands moved over my body as I walked backward into the room. He followed, kicking the door closed as we entered.

  He pulled at my shirt, lifting it over my head and tossing it to the floor as we continued toward the bed. My jeans were unzipped before I fell back onto the mattress, and they fell to the floor.

  This was the man who used to give me so much hell when I was younger. Had you told my younger self I would be falling into bed with him years later, I wouldn’t have believed you. But it was happening.

  “You’re next,” I said breathlessly. I leaned forward and pulled at his button-up shirt. He had to remove it himself, and he stood up, giving me the best view of his body.

  He stripped in front of me, and I admired that hard, ripped body. Every inch of him was strong and ready, his muscles tightening under his flesh. My gaze moved down the length of his body as he removed the last of his clothing - his boxers. His cock sprung free, and it was hard and dripping with pre-cum.

  My mouth opened wide as I saw him, amazed at his length, but even more so at his girth. My hand, which was small, granted, probably wouldn’t fit around him, and he was going to put that large appendage inside me. A younger me might have been nervous, afraid it would hurt. But I didn’t have a chance to be worried about that - I was too excited and dripping wet for him. I had to have him, and I would find a way. I’d have him inside me.

  He fell to the bed beside me, wrapping his arms around me and unhooking my bra. My breasts fell into his hands, overflowing in his palms. He kneaded them and played with them as his lips explored every inch of my neck and face.

  One of his hands moved lower, and he spread my thighs apart. I still had on my panties, and he rubbed me through the thin fabric. I was so wet and ready for him; there was no need for foreplay.

  He slipped my panties off me and spread my thighs again. His fingers grazed my clit, causing me to shudder against him.

  “I need you, Teddy,” I whimpered. “I need you inside me.”

  He grabbed my ample hips and rolled me over on top of him. I could feel his erection pressing against me, teasing my opening. I rubbed myself against him, savoring the build-up for a few seconds. Enjoying the way his cock felt against my clit.

  I sat up straight, and the way he looked at me, I felt like a goddess. His hands cupped my breasts as I ground against him. I grabbed him with one hand and angled him toward my opening. Just the tip of him, at first. I stared into his eyes as I lowered myself down onto him, slow and steady. He stretched me open, and it hurt…but the brief pain turned to pleasure almost immediately as my body adjusted to him.

  I’d never felt so full in my entire life, and it took me a moment to fully open for him. I sat there, with him buried to the hilt inside me, relishing in the sensation. Then I began moving my hips, rocking back and forth, feeling him press against the walls of my pussy. I rose up, almost letting him slip out before moving back down.

  Teddy groaned and reached for me, pulling me down against him so his lips met mine.

  My tongue moved in and out of his mouth, just as his cock did my body. I rode him harder and faster. He grabbed my hips, and helped find a rhythm, helped keep me moving as my first orgasm approached.

  I bit his lip to suppress the scream building inside me. If it weren’t for him holding on to me, helping me to move above him, I might have flailed too much to keep up the rhythm. But with his help, my orgasm kept going and going, lasting longer than any I’d ever experienced before.

  As my orgasm subsided, I fell against him for a second to catch m
y breath, but I wasn’t ready for it to end yet.

  He grabbed my hips and gently rolled us over, his cock never leaving my body. He hovered above me, his brown eyes full of hunger. He leaned down to kiss me, our lips meeting. He began moving in and out, slowly and gently at first, but that didn’t last long. His movements became more desperate. He buried himself inside me over and over again, going deeper and deeper until he couldn’t possibly go any further.

  I wrapped my legs around him, holding onto him for dear life as another orgasm hit me hard, taking me by surprise. I didn’t suppress the scream, calling out Teddy’s name as my nails dug into his back.

  He let out a deep, guttural groan, and his head fell forward. I felt his cock throbbing inside me as my pussy milked him for all he was worth. We came together, our bodies writhing as one.

  Teddy remained sheathed inside me even after the pleasure faded. He kissed me deeply, passionately, holding my face in his hands. Then he kissed my forehead and the tip of my nose as if he cherished every inch of me.

  He pulled out and fell beside me on the bed. He reached for me, and I nestled my head on his chest. His heartbeat thudded loudly in my ear.

  I felt closer to him than I had ever felt to anyone before, and my emotions got the best of me. I wiped at my eyes, not wanting him to notice me crying. I didn’t even understand why I was crying, not fully. Except that no one had ever made me feel so special, so cared for. And I knew this wouldn’t happen again. I’d never get a chance to feel like this again, and it hurt like hell.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed back the tears, turning to look at him. He smiled at me and stroked my cheek gently with his hand. God, his touch sent shivers down my spine.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can tell something isn’t right,” he murmured, his smile wavering. “What’s wrong?”

  “I—” I wasn’t sure how to tell him what I was feeling. Finally, I just spit it out. “I’m just a bit sad that this is a one-time thing, I guess. I should head back to L.A, and well, this was just so amazing and all, but it can’t last.”

  “I know,” he said, pushing some loose strands of hair back behind my ear for me. “And I think that’s best for you too. You have a life there, a better life than you’d probably have here.”

  “I know,” I said with a frown. “I have so much going for me. A few more years of school, and I can start my own business, hopefully.”

  “You want to start your own business?”

  “Mmmhmm,” I hummed. “I want to start a non-profit.”

  He cocked his head to the side, obviously curious. “Tell me more.”

  “Well, I don’t have all the details worked out, but my goal is to help kids like myself and Jack. I’m going to school for psychology and plan to become a therapist. But in addition to offering therapy, I also want to create programs that can help them see a way out of the lives they currently live. I feel like if Jack had that, maybe…well, you know. Maybe his life would have turned out better if he’d had hope for the future.”

  “That’s amazing, Madison. The more I learn about you, the prouder of you I become.”

  My cheeks burned as I blushed. I buried my head against his chest, trying to hide the smile on my face. For some reason, hearing those words from him meant so much. Maybe because he was the last person I would have thought to be on my side, or maybe there was something more going on. Like maybe I had a bit of a crush.

  Yes, I was a bit smitten with him. I couldn’t deny that. But I had to keep those feelings to myself. I wasn’t staying in Liberty, and I wanted to cut ties with this town completely once I left. I had no intention of coming back unless I had to.

  Teddy ended up staying the night with me, and we stayed up most of the night talking. I told him things I’d never told anyone before - my hopes, my dreams, and everything I had planned for my life. I feared he would laugh or tell me I was thinking too big. After all, I was just a small-town girl who grew up in poverty. But no, he listened and told me he believed in me.

  No one had ever believed in me before.

  The next morning, it was hard to say goodbye. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be in Liberty, but I hoped I’d get at least one more night with Teddy before I left.

  Teddy

  A few days had passed, and I hadn’t really seen Madison around town. I assumed she had gone back to Los Angeles. A part of me was happy that she’d left. Her life was there; she was happy there.

  But another part of me wished she could have stayed.

  I knew, deep down, that I couldn’t get into a relationship. My first love was my job, always had been. My love of the job had been too much for my ex-fiancé years ago. I was nothing like my dad. Instead of being like my father and marrying and having a child I couldn’t adequately care for, I decided to remain single.

  It was for best for everyone.

  Even if I felt something for Madison that sparked my curiosity about where things could go. I knew her going back to LA was good for both of us. So I was surprised when I stepped inside Smothered in Love and saw her sitting in a booth by herself with a laptop open in front of her and a serious look on her face.

  I stood in the doorway for a few minutes, unsure if I should join her or at least say hi. Before I could make up my mind, she looked up and saw me standing by the door. She smiled wide and waved at me, pushing her stuff aside as if to make room for me.

  I walked to her table, still not sure if I should sit down.

  “I thought you were leaving town.” I lifted an eyebrow to convey the question in the statement.

  “I am, just staying a few extra days.” She smiled teasingly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be out of your hair before long.”

  “You know I don’t want you to leave,” I confessed. “I just want you to do what’s best for you.”

  “I know,” she said, waving my comment off. “Join me for a coffee?”

  I slipped into the seat across from her. “Sure. As long as you tell me why you’re still hanging around if you hate this town so much.”

  “Well, for one thing, I’m trying to help Jack. Even though he doesn’t realize it yet,” she announced, pursing her lips. “And I’m hoping to spend more time with him before I leave, but he’s a hard man to track down. In a town this size, you’d think it wouldn’t be so easy to hide.”

  “It’s not easy, I’ll give you that. He’s mastered the art of staying out of the public eye, which is a skill in and of itself.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.” She brushed her hair back, and I stared at her neck, wishing I could kiss it “I can’t find anything - no address, no phone number. Usually, you can ask just about anyone how to find someone in Liberty, and they can draw you a map to their location. But my brother…he’s being difficult.”

  “Maybe it’s for the best,” I said with a shrug. “If he doesn’t want to be found, maybe there’s a reason for it.”

  “Maybe. But that just makes me want to find him even more. I worry about him. I don’t want what happened to my dad to happen to him as well.”

  Her eyes darted out the window, and she stared at something - or someone - on the street. I followed her gaze and saw a car parked across the street from the diner. The windows were tinted, so I couldn’t see inside, except that there were two shapes in the front seat.

  “Everything okay?” I asked her.

  Her eyes didn’t leave the car, but she nodded.

  “I don’t believe you. Are you worried about that car?”

  “It’s probably nothing,” she said with a sigh, turning her gaze back to me.

  “How long have they been out there?”

  “Since I got here this morning. I saw them outside the hotel earlier.”

  “They were at your hotel too?” I asked, my hackles up.

  She hesitated, but then nodded her head slowly. I slipped out of the booth, and Madison looked confused.

  “I’ll be right back.” />
  “Where are you going?” she asked me.

  “To see who they are and what they want,” I said.

  “Can you do that? I mean, they’re not doing anything wrong, really.”

  “Their windows are tinted too dark.” I couldn’t be sure if they were. We did have laws regarding window tints, but they were right on the verge of being too dark. At the very least, I was allowed to take a closer look. And if they were following Madison, that was suspicious enough for me to check on them.

  I walked out of the diner and crossed the street. I expected the car to pull away once they saw me approaching, but it didn’t. Either they were truly doing nothing wrong or they were cocky. I was hoping for the former. I knocked on the window, and the driver rolled it down. A man of about forty-five stared at me. His eyes were dark, but his hair was as white as snow.

  “What can I do for you, officer?” he asked. “Am I parked illegally?”

  While his words were innocent enough, there was a condescending tone to it - almost like he was mocking me.

  “Sheriff, actually,” I stated, bristling. “I need to see your IDs, please.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  “Your windows. They’re tinted pretty dark, and they may be beyond the legal limit here in Liberty County.”

  The man smirked at me. “Oh, we’re just passing through.”

  “I still need to see your IDs.”

  “Sure,” the man said, handing me a driver’s license. I glanced down. His name was Maverick Miller, according to the ID. His friend, a younger man with dark hair and a rat-like face, handed me his as well. Jett Forester.

  “One second,” I said. I stepped to the front of the car and took note of the license plate. I called in their IDs as well as the plates. The car was registered to Mr. Miller, but nothing came up. His record was squeaky clean. With a sigh, I returned to the car.

  “May I ask what brings you in town?”

  “A friend’s funeral,” the man said.