by Lily Thorn
“Tess!” Cade cried out.
She barely heard him. They were both so slick that she slid onto him like they were made to be together. And as she sank onto him, drawing him deeper and deeper until she threw her head back and stars danced behind her eyelids, Tess thought that maybe they had been.
He was perfect for her.
His cock left room for nothing else. Tess gasped, exulting in the feel of him inside her, his skin against hers. His hands were on her hips, and sparks seemed to crackle from his fingertips. They were electric, the pair of them.
She thought she would be able to ride him, to slide up and down his dick until he had to come. But then Cade thrust, driving all thought from her mind. Holding her in place, he pounded into her from below, and all she could do was hold on.
It was like trying to ride an earthquake. Tess’s knees buckled, her muscles trembling. Soon she was helpless to do anything but hold tight to him as waves of pleasure rocked her core.
The orgasm swept through her, fast and unrelenting. Tess was powerless to stop herself from screaming his name. His fingers dug into her flesh, knuckles white as he groaned. She felt him empty into her, and the sensation sent fresh shockwaves through her.
Gasping, Tess lowered herself onto his chest. Her arms were shaking. Slowly, Cade stroked her back.
Her breathing gradually evened. Closing her eyes, she nestled into his carved chest.
“You’re not going to run away this time?” Cade murmured.
Tess snuggled closer. “I’m never going to run away from you again.”
She was rewarded with a bear hug. Tess laughed, showing her delight by showering him with kisses.
That night was a cold one on the mountain, but Tess had no way to tell. Cade ensured that she stayed quite warm—and very satisfied.
***
Her cell phone’s annoying ringtone sliced through her dreams. Tess rubbed her eyes, blinking into the light that streamed through a gap in the curtains. She felt a stabbing sense of disappointment. Had last night all been a dream?
Someone shifted on the bed beside her, and a heavy arm slid over her waist. Tess turned to find Cade there, still slumbering.
She grinned sleepily as the memories came flooding back. She always knew he was an amazing man, but three times in one night? Her man was dedicated.
The phone shrilled again, shattering her certainty. Was he hers? As if he could sense her doubt, Cade pulled her closer.
“Okay, okay,” Tess said. She would stop questioning it.
Stretching over to the nightstand, she was able to flip the phone open before it could blare again. She recoiled when she caught sight of the number. Maybe she should have let it go to voicemail.
“Hey, Mom,” she said.
“Oh.” Her mother let a long, dramatic pause hang in the air. “I thought you might be ignoring me.”
“I’m not ignoring you.” Tess tried to keep her annoyance out of her voice. Obviously, she wasn’t ignoring her mother. If she were, she wouldn’t have picked up the phone.
Not like she could say that out loud.
“I found some more of your dad’s crap in the closet. It’s a tripod and a camera bag.” Her mother sighed, like the gear was an incredible imposition. “I think there’s an old lens in there. Probably a shit one, the bag was open and it’s covered in dust.”
“Really?” Tess sat up. “What kind of lens?”
“I don’t care. Come get this stuff if you want it.”
Tess glanced over at Cade. “Can I pick it up this weekend?”
“It’s Thursday, Tess. I want this trash out of my house. If you don’t pick it up today, the garbage men are getting it tomorrow.”
Tess took some deep breaths. Was her mother trying to antagonize her? “Okay. I’ll be right over.” Gently, she flipped the phone shut, if only to keep herself from hurling it at the wall.
Beside her, Cade burrowed into the blankets. Tess smiled. He made everything better just by being here.
She laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered.
Cade mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over.
Though she wished she could lie here all day with him, Tess needed to get her father’s things. Dressing quickly, she threw her keys and phone in her bag. Then, closing the door slowly so that Cade wouldn’t wake, she walked out into the hall.
The drive to Big Meadows felt annoyingly long, especially with the new rattling noise her car was producing. As Tess flew down the highway, she realized that she was getting more irritable with every mile farther she got from Bearview—and Cade.
Tess laughed at herself. She would return shortly. And in the meantime, she could use the knowledge that she’d be back with Cade soon to fortify herself against the terrible things her mother would be sure to slip into their conversation.
By the time she pulled up to the little yellow double wide, Tess had made up her mind. She wasn’t going to let her mother drag her down with any of her criticisms or scorn. Right after this, she would see Cade again.
Tess knocked on the door.
“There you are.” Her mother let the door swing open. “Took you long enough.”
Don’t rise to her bait, Tess told herself firmly. Just get Dad’s stuff, and get out.
The porcelain dolls watched her reproachfully.
“Thanks for letting me know about Dad’s gear,” Tess said. “I’m happy to get it out of your hair.”
“I bet you are,” her mother muttered. “How soon before you pawn it?”
Tess resisted the urge to clench her fists. “I don’t need to pawn anything. I have a job.”
“Oh.” Her mother raised an eyebrow. “At Foxxxie’s?”
“No, Mom. I didn’t apply to be an exotic dancer, but thanks for asking.”
Her mother lifted a shoulder in an elegant shrug. “I saw their wanted ad the other day. Don’t bite my head off for asking.” She sighed. “I guess I should have known you couldn’t get a job like that, not with those thighs.”
Tess let out a long breath. “Where’s Dad’s gear?”
“It’s in the closet. And don’t get short with me.”
Tess opened the door, rolling her eyes as she moved several piles of junk aside. There was the gear, a rickety tripod and a dusty bag. Tess pulled them out. The tripod didn’t seem very sturdy—she wondered if it was one of her dad’s earlier purchases—but she’d still take it because it had been his. The lens inside the bag was dusty as well, an old fisheye lens. She could see why her dad had shoved all this into the back of a closet.
Hoisting the bag over one shoulder and grabbing the tripod, she emerged from the closet.
“I don’t know why you have to be so snippy,” her mother said. “I’m just trying to help you. You don’t have much in the way of looks, so you should at least be nice.”
“Wow,” Tess said. “Thanks, Mom.” She walked toward the front door, but her mother blocked her path.
“I just want to help you, Tessy.” Her mother ignored Tess’s scowl at the hated nickname. “You’ll never get a man if you don’t slim down.”
That was it. Tess whirled on her mother. “For your information, I have a man. And the size of my thighs doesn’t seem to bother him one bit.”
Her mother snorted. “He can’t be anything special, then.”
“He is,” Tess snapped. “He’s handsome, and charming, and loving—which you could learn from, by the way.”
“Honey, I know men. He’s just like all the others. You don’t have looks, so he’ll want you for your money. I guarantee it.”
Tess scoffed. “What? I don’t even have money.”
“And if you sold all that camera gear?” Kim let the silence stretch between them. “You have enough.”
Tess stared at her, stunned. “I’m not arguing with you. This is ridiculous.”
“You’re just upset because you know I’m right.”
“That’s enough.” Holding the tripod out like a sh
ield, Tess pushed past her and through the door. She hurried down the overgrown path and jumped into her car, ignoring the cross-armed figure of her mother on the stoop.
Her car gave a few feeble noises, then roared to life. Tess drove out of Big Meadows without a backward glance. She knew Cade. He wasn’t like the men her mother spoke of.
Tess sped toward Bearview. She would feel much better once she was back on Mount Bliss.
That she was sure of.
Chapter Fifteen
TESS STOOD ON a rock in the middle of the stream, trying for another picture. Cade called to her, but she didn’t seem to hear. She crouched to take a photo, ignoring his shout of warning. Then she slipped, tumbling into the stream.
But it wasn’t a stream of water. It was a stream of documents, the pages rustling as they coursed along. Cade grabbed one to find it was a building permit.
“Help!” Tess was disappearing beneath the weight of ink and paper.
“Tess!” Cade dove in after her. He searched for her, frantic, the permits slicing him in a thousand places as they whipped past.
They circled around him, their ink blending and blurring. Cade kicked through the torrent, fighting past them.
“Tess!” he shouted again. “Where are you?” It was hard to breathe. Tess was nowhere to be found. The pages piled on top of him, and his bones creaked under the weight.
It was hopeless. There was no way Tess would survive. They would both be buried under the mountain of permits.
Pages closed in all around him, until all he could see was ink. This was it. This was how it was all going to end…
Cade sat up, gasping. Clawing at the tangled sheets, he slumped against the headboard. He drew in a shuddering breath. It had all seemed so real.
His first rational thought was that Tess was gone. That was obvious enough, as the room was empty besides him. The second was that he had no money for the permits. He didn’t know which made him feel worse.
Stumbling out of bed, Cade went to the door. The last thing he needed was someone seeing him in a staff member’s room.
The hallway seemed clear. Ducking out, he took two huge strides and entered his own room.
Luckily, no one had seen.
Safely inside, Cade gathered himself. Dating Tess—were they officially dating?—was the least of his worries. Sure, his mother might be annoyed that he was fraternizing with an important staff member, but she would get over it eventually.
Padding to his sink, he splashed cool water over his face. He had to take care of the permits. The damn things were consuming his dreams.
But what could he possibly do? Drying his face, Cade mulled over his options. He had nothing to sell, no time for another job. Maybe he could ask the bank for a loan, and put the lodge up as collateral. No, that could get them into an even worse situation than they were in now.
There was a soft knock at his door.
“Come in,” Cade growled.
Behind him, Tess appeared in the mirror. His heart clenched. She looked even worse than he felt, with red-rimmed eyes and tousled hair.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, turning to her. “You look upset.”
“I just went to my mom’s place.” She set her bag on his bed. “That always makes me upset.”
Cade leaned against the sink. “Want to talk about it?”
“It’s nothing.” Tess traced the wood grain on the headboard. “I feel better now that you’re here, anyway. Let’s focus on more important things.”
“Like what?” Cade could only think of permits.
“Like the wedding. That’s tomorrow, right? Do we need to clean out the honeymoon cabin or anything?”
“Oh, right.” Cade frowned. “I forgot about that.”
“How could you forget about that?” Stepping forward, Tess laid a hand on his arm. “Is everything okay?”
He had sworn to himself that this was his problem to fix, but something in her touch made him crack. He let out a long, shuddering breath. “Building permits,” he said. “We can’t build the new lift until I get them.”
“That’s all?” Tess smiled. “Talk to city hall, they can’t be that hard to get.”
“Not hard. Expensive.”
Tess’s brow crinkled. “What?”
“They’re going to cost ten grand, Tess.” Cade rubbed his face. “I don’t have ten grand. I don’t have anything.”
He thought she would comfort him, tell him that everything would be all right. But instead she stiffened, her expression turning from confusion to anger.
“Is that what this is about?”
Cade blinked, confused. “The permits?” Was she mad he’d kept that news from her?
“This is because I told you about my father’s gear, isn’t it?” She was practically bristling with rage.
He tried to take a step back, but was blocked by the sink. “What?”
“I’m not stupid, Cade. I know this isn’t some big coincidence. I told you last night that I could get five grand for my dad’s lens, and you gave me five grand for this gig. So you know I have the money you want.”
Was his nightmare not over? What was even happening? “That’s not—”
“Don’t even bother. I trusted you. I thought you were better, but obviously you’re just like the rest of them.”
Whipping around, she stormed into the hall.
Cade managed to follow her. This really felt like some bizarre dream. This wasn’t the Tess he knew at all.
In her room, Tess was hurling clothes into her bag. Throwing it over her shoulder, she grabbed the case of camera gear.
“Where are you going?” Cade heard himself ask.
“Anywhere but here.” With her hands full, Tess was unable to wipe the tears from her eyes. Cade had the perverse desire to do it for her.
“Can I at least carry something for you?”
Tess swiveled away from him, guarding the case. “Stay away from me.”
Cade held up his hands. “All right, all right. I just don’t understand. What is this all about? I don’t want your money, I swear.”
“It’s too late, Cade. I don’t believe you.” Stalking past him, she ran down the stairs.
Cade watched her go, stunned. He had so many questions to ask her. He felt that he should stop her, try to reason with her, but his feet were rooted to the ground.
The double doors swung shut.
Cade sat heavily at the top of the steps. One minute, things had been fine. The next, his life lay in ruins. It felt like invisible shrapnel had ripped through the lodge, through him. What had gone wrong? Why had she been so angry about the permits? She didn’t really think he had been asking her for money, had she? Had he said something wrong?
He stared at the double doors, willing them to swing back open, for Tess to come flouncing back and announce that everything had been an elaborate practical joke. But she was gone.
The wedding. Fear swept through him. The wedding was tomorrow, and their photographer had just walked out on him. He lowered his head to his hands. How was he supposed to fix that? Everyone would be furious—the bride, the groom, the mother of the bride, and most of all, his own mother. She had trusted him to take care of this, and it had crumbled in his hands.
What was he going to do? He thought he could trust Tess. Cade gritted his teeth. He had hired her, vouched for her. He had even given her the entire stipend upfront, money he could have used to hire another photographer, or at least pay off a chunk of the permits.
But no. He had spent all of the family’s money on a lift system they didn’t have permission to put in, and hired a photographer who bailed on him after one wedding.
This was a nightmare, but a waking one. They were going to lose Bearview. Worst of all, it was all his fault.
The double doors stood firmly in place. She was gone, and she wasn’t coming back.
Feeling hollow inside, Cade forced himself to his feet. He didn’t know if he could forgive her for this.
***
In the backseat, the camera case thudded against the car door as she took a turn too fast. Tess gripped the wheel, blinking tears from her eyes.
She thought she knew Cade. How could she have been so wrong?
The tears started again. Angrily, she brushed them away. Worst of all, this meant that her mother was right. She was a fool to think that love could have lasted, even for a short time.
Worried that she might wrench the steering wheel clean off, Tess relaxed her grip. This was fine. In fact, she felt better with every mile that she drove away from Mount Bliss. She had been under a spell earlier—that was all. Cade had come so close to fooling her. But now she knew the kind of man he really was, and every moment from here on out would be better than the last.
Tess sniffled. If that were true, then why did her chest ache so much?
Keeping her eyes on the road, she tried to focus on nothing but the white and yellow lines. All she had to do was get to Aubrey’s place. Her friend would help in a way that no one else could.
Somehow, Tess made it to Shady Pines in one piece. She screeched to a halt in the parking lot, not caring that she wasn’t parked between the lines. Throwing open the door, she raced up the steps.
Tess knocked on Aubrey’s door. “Come on,” she muttered. “Open up.”
There was no answer. Tess was about to knock again when she realized that it was a Thursday afternoon, and Aubrey would still be at work.
Tess cursed. Digging her cell phone out of her bag, she called Aubrey with shaking fingers.
It rang three times. Four. Five. Tess dabbed her eyes on her sleeve. She didn’t think she was capable of leaving a voicemail.
“Hello?”
“Aubrey!” It took all of Tess’s strength to keep from instantly collapsing into tears. “I left Bearview. I really need a place to stay. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“Tess, slow down! I can barely understand you. Let me go out back.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Tess put a hand to her mouth to try and keep the sobs at bay. She was only partially successful.