Kept by the Woodsman: An ex-MMA Fighter Mountain Man Romance

by Ambrielle Kirk

  “No, you’ve got the wrong guy.” I ran my fingers through the back of my hair and planted a grin on my face. “So, since it’s gonna be raining, looks like I’ll be here for a while.” I glanced at her name tag. “Vanessa”

  “Yep, that’s me.” The receptionist bit her lip in a flirtatious way that I decided to use towards my advantage. “We can chat or something while you wait around for your friend.”

  “Here’s the thing, Vanessa. Time’s not on my side today. I have my friend’s room number. I’m sure he’s on the phone or something and can’t come down. You wouldn’t mind if I went up there, would you?”

  She looked away shyly. “Weelll, I guess you can this time, but next time he has to come down to get you. My boss is really strict about non-guests lingering in the hotel. It’s just a safety policy.”

  “Understood, Vanessa.” I patted the counter and beamed. “You have yourself a lovely day.” Before she became suspicious of me and changed her mind, I hurried toward the elevator.

  On the ride up, I worked myself up again, and it showed in my reflection of the shiny metal elevator doors. This wouldn’t be the first time I had confronted someone about something they did to anger me and probably wouldn’t be the last. In my past, I had confronted and stood up to numerous criminals and mobsters. It was just the name of the game back then when I worked on the side for the syndicate. Whenever they needed somebody silenced, they sent me.

  I made a bad decision when I was young and got tied up in some things I never should've been involved in. I'd inadvertently buried myself in a career that I didn't ask for. I'd wanted to be an MMA fighter since I was a kid. My father owned a fencing construction company. At the time, I wanted nothing to do with the business. We didn't always get along, my father and I. My father had been a drunk and we were just shit stains to him, so when he suggested I take up ownership with my younger brother, I stepped away from the business. I wanted to do other things. My brother wanted to make the business his own anyway. He liked controlling the money. He was good at ordering people around and telling them what to do. I wasn't that type of man. If I wanted something done, I did it myself. I didn't rely on anybody to get it done for me.

  I loved fighting at the time. MMA fighting was my passion. I got along with most of the guys outside of the ring even though we beat each other to a bloody pulp in the ring.

  Unfortunately for me, the MMA operation I’d been involved in had linked me up with a syndicate against my will. The syndicate apparently owned the whole goddamned thing. At the time, I’d had no choice but to do the work. I had signed a contract and I wanted to fight.

  The bell dinged and I stepped out of the cab. I looked at the room number on the key balled up in my fist and then used the brass signs posted on the wallpaper cover walls to guide me.

  When I approached the hotel room a few seconds later, I took a deep breath. The past was behind me, but here I was reliving some of the same gruesome tasks as before. I pounded my fist against the side of the door and waited.

  After a couple of minutes of nobody responding, I took the liberty of letting myself in with the key. The guy hadn't given me any common courtesy, so I didn't feel the need to provide him with any. I let the door swing open hard against the inner wall and waited before crossing the threshold just to be sure some crazy maniac didn't come flying off the rails at me.

  When no one approached me, I walked inside. The bed was made as if room service had just finished tidying up. A pink cardigan was draped over the desk chair in the middle of the room.

  Wait a minute! This was a girl’s room.

  A floral-patterned suitcase sat on the floor. It was open and revealed female clothing. There was no sign of a male being in this hotel room. I lifted up and inspected a few of the garments. There were black and red lacy bikini-type panties and thongs and a couple of bras that were black and one that was pink. I glanced at the size and grinned. A C-cup. I imagined her having sexy, perky breasts.

  The faint smell of perfume wafted through the room. I thumbed the black thong in between my fingers and crouched down when I spotted something royal blue inside of the suitcase. I plucked it out. A tiny, travel-sized vibrator was wedged in between a compartment of the suitcase in an effort to stay hidden.

  She was a dirty little thing, whoever she was.

  My cock hardened at the thought of her naked, imagining watching her use the sex toy on herself.

  I shook my head and groaned. I needed to pull it together. I couldn’t be so weak and easily trapped. This woman was out to destroy me and had invaded my privacy and life.

  What had she been doing in my cabin? Why did break inside and look through my letters?

  I stuffed the vibrator back into its hidden pocket, rose, and then snatched a pen and pad from the nightstand.

  I wanted her to know I had been here. I’d never hurt a woman before and today wasn’t going to be the start of it either. I just wanted to send her a message, to get that sneaky little bitch to stay as far away from me as possible.

  I scribbled a note and left it in the middle of the bed along with the keys she dropped, so she’d be sure to see it.

  Chapter Six

  Tyra

  I was in high spirits when I arrived back at my hotel room that evening. Humming happily, I swung my shopping bags back and forth as I walked down the long hallway to get to my room. I had already decided not to stay up too late tonight flipping through all the photos I took and trying to decide which ones to upload to my new blog. I still hadn't made contact with Saul Krewe yet, and that was my main reason for being here. I loved snapping candid photos of people, nature, and whatnot, but I still had an assignment to complete. I wouldn't give up. I knew I'd get to talk with Mr. Krewe somehow.

  I’d just come from the lobby where the friendly and chatty Vanessa at the front desk gave me a new key. I still couldn’t believe I had lost the first one. I figured that I misplaced it while I was out and about, digging through my purse. It was so careless of me to have misplaced the hotel key. Even though I paid the fifty-dollar fine to replace it, I hoped someone was kind enough to turn the key in if they found it.

  I pushed the heavy room door open, elbowed my way inside, and dropped my bags on top of a writing desk. I sat down in a big leather chair, kicked my shoes off, and rubbed my aching feet. Maybe I should have gotten better hiking boots from the shopping mall instead of more jeans.

  As I thought about my crowded closet back home, I looked down at my suitcase and noticed that several of my garments and underwear were hanging out. I didn’t remember leaving my suitcase open like that.

  “That’s odd…” I trailed off, speaking to nobody but the room and myself.

  I stood up wearily, almost in slow motion. Had that nosy housekeeper gone through my things? No, she couldn’t have. Maybe she just tripped over my suitcase and didn’t have time to fix what she messed up. Rude.

  I stuffed my stuff back in my suitcase, then walked over to the window and peered outside. I had a decent view of the mountains on the horizon. Everything looked quiet and peaceful out there. I began to relax again. It was great being away from the noise, traffic, and chaos. Born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan, I was a city gal through and through, but I always wondered what it would be like to live in a place where you couldn't rely on quick access to public transportation to get you anywhere you wanted to go.

  I spun around and was about to collapse on the bed when I saw a key and a small slip of paper on top of the duvet covers. I took a step towards the bed and my breath caught in my throat. Was this the key I had lost? How did it get in here? The receptionist had assured me that no one had turned in my key and was adamant about me paying for a replacement.

  I picked up the note and read it.

  Stay out of my house.

  and don’t come back through my woods.

  I gasped, horrified at what I read. My heart raced. My pulse noisily swooshed through my ears. Panic formed beads of sweat on my forehead and
armpits. The threat was ominous, but it was enough.

  I knew exactly who had been here.

  Dear God, the man knew I had weaseled my way into his home.

  I sat down on the bed and dropped my forehead in my palm. “This is so embarrassing,” I mumbled.

  The threat was pale in comparison to what could have happened instead. This guy could’ve easily called the cops on me.

  I had to make this right.

  Chapter Seven

  Saul

  Later that night when I was lying in bed trying to sleep, my mind wouldn’t shut off. I just couldn’t stop picturing the mystery girl from the hotel room. I wondered what she looked like. I imagined her being curvy in all the right places but with a tiny little waist that I could grip onto while I pounded her from behind.

  Her scent lingered in my brain. It was sexy, like wildflowers or something, fresh and clean and feminine. I grabbed my hardened cock and began to stroke it, pumping up and down. I groaned and leaned back on my pillows, shutting my eyes. I imagined her crying out with moans of pleasure.

  I wanted to tease her. I was in sensory overload and I’d never even met the woman. My cock tingled. Pre-cum oozed down my thumb as I groaned, getting closer to the peak of orgasm. I came a few seconds later while I pictured her legs spread wide open and her vibrator tickling her engorged clit.

  My hot load of cum sprayed all over my bed sheets. I lay back, dripping wet and heart pounding. My heart wanted to find this dirty little bitch, but my mind told me to steer clear of any outsider.

  After cleaning up, I drifted off to sleep pacified by my orgasm. I hoped it wouldn’t be a fitful slumber, wondering about the mysterious woman in the hotel.

  Chapter Eight

  Tyra

  The shrill sound of my phone ringing harshly through the hotel room launched me out of dreamland. I jolted up in bed, on high alert. I'd slept all night fitfully, tossing and turning with grief and worry.

  The moon had taunted me, pouring in its glowing white light that kept me awake and sat as a reminder that the current had shifted. I was in deep shit. How could I get Saul Krewe to talk to me after what I did?

  I groaned and fumbled to find my phone. My fingers searched the sheets. I finally grabbed onto it, holding it up to my face while I pulled the sleep visor from my eyes.

  “Oh no,” I breathed out. It was Peter. I knew exactly what he would want me to report, but I didn’t have good news to relay to him. I wasn’t even halfway done with this assignment.

  I stared at the number on the screen, debating whether I should answer or not. He wanted my progress. I didn’t know how he’d react if I divulged this new turn of events. The sound of the phone wailing was enough to make my skin crawl with fresh worry. I’d just have to call him back later when I had something newsworthy to report.

  Finally, the phone stopped ringing. I paused, holding my breath while I waited to see if he’d leave a voice message. After a few minutes of laying there immobilized by fear, I breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t leave a message this time.

  I shuffled to the bathroom to pee, pondering my next move. In the end, I opted for the more professional route.

  I grabbed my phone off the bed and punched in a text to him. I’m on the assignment right now and can’t answer the phone. I’ll catch up with you for an update later today.

  So I'd just given myself a new interim deadline, and I knew I'd have to exit my comfort zone and risk it once more.

  Chapter Nine

  Saul

  I squinted in the sun and grimaced, drawing my arm up to my forehead. A hawk circled overhead. Beads of laborious sweat had pooled on my skin from physical exertion. I wiped away the excess perspiration with my gloved hand.

  The sky was beautiful in comparison to the weather that slid through last night. Buckets of rain fell, washing the earth and overfilling the surrounding lakes and rivers. I knew better. It was the calm before yet another storm, or so the forecast had predicted.

  It was just that time of year. Sheets of rain would pour in for days on end, relentless to the point where you became crazy indoors and wondered whether the monsoons would ever yield.

  The rain would eventually ease up, and the rays of soft, splattered light would begin to trickle in and seep through the windows, cascading a blanket of light across the cabin floors.

  For now, I had to be prepared for the inevitable. The downpours were coming whether I wanted them to or not. I also had to be careful of mudslides since the cabin sat perched on a hill.

  I would have to make a mental note to tie my truck to one of the sturdier pines in the yard to ensure it wouldn’t slip away when the soil softened and then cave when it lost the battle to the water drenching the ground beneath it.

  Make preparations now folks, this one is going to be a doozy. A male voice rang from the little radio perched on the porch. That’s right. They are telling us not to take this storm lightly. Stock up on your canned goods. Make sure your bathtubs are filled with water in the event that you lose power for a number of days, a female voice chimed, adding her two cents.

  I groaned and pitched the axe I was wielding high above my head, scraping the air with it on the way up. They were predicting twelve inches of rain. That might be a record for me in my time living up here in the mountain.

  I’d seen my fair share of torrential downpours, but twelve inches was a monumental amount of liquid to have to recover from after the storm had plowed through and spun us on our axis, leaving in its wake enough water to form a new river or lake.

  I was gearing up to bring an exorbitant amount of firewood into the house. Sometimes when the rains came, they brought damp, chilly weather with it. A crackling fire would calm my nerves on the coolest of nights.

  "Arrgh!" My ax came pounding down with brutal force, impacting the wood underneath it.

  Chunks of wood from the pile went flying about upon strike and impact. One impaled me in the cheek, but luckily, I was wearing protective eye goggles. The sting only lasted a second or two after I gave my cheeks a few light pats.

  I propped the ax against the side of the house. That was enough for now. I would still need to haul the lumber onto the porch. I'd bought some sandbags when I was in town, so I began the rhythmic motion of lifting them and hurtling them to the sides of the house. There was always something to do around here, keeping me preoccupied. Just last month, I had built a tool shed from the ground up.

  The unmistakable sound of gravel crunching beneath tires shifted my focus. I spun around and dropped the bag of sand I’d been holding directly on my foot. “Fuck,” I mumbled under my breath as a dash of pain shot through my foot.

  An unfamiliar SUV pulled up into my driveway. My muscles tensed as I stood on guard, waiting to see who would emerge from the driver side door. A woman with sleek dark hair the color of chocolate peered at me through the windshield for about a minute before climbing out.

  My eyes wandered up and down, drifting from section to section of her tantalizing body. Perfect poise announced itself when she smiled. My eyes trailed up her tan, toned legs.

  “Hi.” She waved.

  I gulped and shifted my weight, wondering if she were lost or something. My heart pounded in anticipation as I waited.

  She was beautiful. Even if I wanted to talk, her presence left me breathless. She began taking weary steps in my direction. Odd. I had seen the shirt she was wearing somewhere before. The words ‘Make it snappy!’ was printed on the front. I’d seen the same mint green shirt stuffed in the suitcase back at the hotel.

  This minor detail helped me identify her immediately. My intruder in the flesh. She had some nerve coming back out here. Whatever she needed from me must be important.

  Even through my confusion, I had to take a deep breath to satiate the eager bulge growing in my pants in the form of instant arousal, seeing how sexy she was in the flesh. And those sexy green eyes of hers just about did me in.

  Chapter Ten

  Tyra

 
; I did my best not to become distracted by the sexy, tall, brooding man leering down at me. He was built like a Mac truck, with corded muscles that would put some bodybuilders to shame. His stormy blue eyes were narrowed in suspicion. I supposed I deserved that. I’d broken into his home unannounced, after all.

  I wished he would at least put on a shirt or something. It was like staring directly into the sun. I couldn’t peel my eyes away from his rock-hard muscles and the chiseled biceps that lured me closer to him.

  Every time he moved, a muscle would tense somewhere on his male perfection of a body. I had to stifle the urge to gasp. He was so handsome and sweaty and incredibly appealing to my sexual senses.

  “I’m really sorry about the other day. I shouldn’t have gone into your house like that. I didn’t realize anyone still lived here until I unlocked it.” I swallowed hard.

  “You mean, broke in?”

  “Huh?”

  “You didn’t unlock the door, you broke in.” His voice dripped of sexiness, an orgasm for my ear. He was rugged and manly in every sense of the word. Jesus Christ, the blue-collar men in this town were eye-candy. Especially this one.

  The sexy stranger stared at me, but his demeanor wasn't as aggressive as I had anticipated, so I continued to explain myself.