“You’re her boss, right?” I asked him, staring at his sniveling face. He was exactly the kind of guy I would have hated in school—stuck up and oblivious, completely useless in every situation.
He nodded.
“Partner at Ross & Ross law firm,” he said proudly. I somehow avoided rolling my eyes. “Um, I was just coming to you man-to-man to say—”
I snorted and he shot me an irritated look.
“—I’m kind of trying to get lucky this weekend, if you know what I mean. I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of the way.”
I stared at him without answering, amazed at the balls it must have taken to say something like that to a much bigger man. He didn’t look ashamed or bashful, but satisfied when I didn’t reply, as if somehow my silence was an agreement to his request.
“Not that I think she’d be interested,” he added. “You’re a construction worker, right?”
“Yes,” I said, trying to keep my voice patient and calm. I was used to people talking down to me, but coming from this guy, it was more irritating than it usually was.
He smirked at me, then walked away without a further word. I stared after him, glaring daggers at his back. I shook my head, knowing if I’d made an enemy of one of the guests, I was in for a long week.
3
Lilian
I got up early the next morning, eager to get out and about before the rest of the crowd. The sun hadn’t even risen yet, and I dressed warmly before heading outside, glad that the retreat center was mostly empty. I made my way outside and away from the building, down the path that led to a patch of forest nearby. I breathed in the scent of the fresh snow that had fallen the night before, the pine scent of the trees and the fresh air. It had been a long time since I’d really spent any time outside, and it seemed like just being out there was cleansing me as I walked.
“Lily.”
I turned around to see Logan jogging toward me up the path. I kept my eyes on him as he moved toward me, taking the chance to look him over. I’d never seen a bigger man in my life—his arms seemed as big around as my leg, his chest massive and broad. I’d almost drooled when I’d first seen him; along with the fact his body was something to marvel over, he was gorgeous, too. He had green eyes that were darker than usual, with a hint of blue in them, almost turquoise. His features were fine and straight, a short beard growing on his face that only flattered the strength of his jawline. His hair was the color of honey, wavy and kind of a mess on his head.
“Hi,” I said as he caught up with me, standing still. I met his eye and he grinned at me, something that made me feel warm from the inside out.
“Hi,” he said. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m good. I love it out here,” I said.
“I can tell,” he said, studying my face. “You look happy. It suits you.”
I blushed at the compliment. “Did you need something?”
“I actually did need to talk to you about something,” he said, looking almost bashful as he ran his hand through his hair. The look was sexy on his face somehow, charming. I licked my lips as I stared at him, having to tilt my head considerably to do so. I was tall for a woman but still nearly a foot shorter than he was. The brief thought crossed my mind that I would have to stand on my tiptoes to kiss him, but I disregarded the thought and instead looked at him curiously.
“Do you, um—do you want to talk while we walk?” I asked. He nodded and we started down the path, his hands in his pockets.
“Your boss came to talk to me yesterday,” he said.
I nearly groaned in annoyance. “What did he say?”
He was quiet for a moment. “He said he was trying to get laid this week. He asked me to leave you alone.”
“Oh,” I said. I felt the anger growing inside of me, mixed with the embarrassment of being put in this situation in front of a man I didn’t even know, one who had been kind enough to come to my aid. “What did you say?”
“Well, that’s the thing,” he said. “I kind of told him that I was your ex.”
“What?”
“It just came out,” he said, giving me a nervous glance. “I thought that if he thought we were somehow involved, he might stay away from you.”
“We wouldn’t be involved if we were broken up,” I pointed out.
He took a deep breath. “I told him we never really broke up,” he said.
I looked up at him. “That’s actually a good idea,” I said after I’d thought for a moment. “You’re… big. He’ll definitely be intimidated by you.”
“I don’t think that he was intimidated by me,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I’m not even sure he believed me.”
I bit my lip. “Maybe—maybe we could convince him?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I could pretend to be interested in you,” I told him, then quickly added, “You don’t have to pretend to be interested in me, of course, but if I seem distracted with another man…”
He studied my face, then his eyes flickered to my lips. “I don’t think pretending to be attracted to you is going to be very hard at all, Lily.”
“So that’s okay?” I asked. I barely knew the man, but looking into his eyes, I felt like I could trust him. His expression was genuine and kind, and I was desperate for a way to get Michael off my back for the week. I didn’t think I could put up with a full seven days of his persistently trying to sleep with me, no matter how patient I was.
“You’re asking me if it’s okay to be somewhat affectionate with a beautiful woman?” he asked.
I looked at him, unable to keep myself from smiling.
“Are you always up this early?” I asked him.
“Yes,” he said. “I don’t really sleep much, honestly.”
“I’d think your job would wear you out,” I said.
He grinned. “It takes a lot more than that to wear me out,” he said.
I felt a heat spread through my hips when he said that for some reason, felt my whole body grow flushed even in the cold.
“What exactly do you do?”
“I’m a logger and I do construction,” he said. “A handyman.”
“Are you any good?”
He chuckled. “I am pretty good with my hands,” he said. “I’ve never gotten any complaints after the job is done.”
I bit my lip as we walked, listening for a moment to the birds chirping around us. It was quiet as he walked close to me. Once, the back of his hand brushed against mine, and I shivered and moved a couple of inches away. The feeling of his skin lingered on mine even after he’d stopped touching me, a feeling that was almost electric. I didn’t understand why my heart was racing on such a calm morning, but it made me somewhat nervous, worried that my interest in this man was something potentially dangerous. I hadn’t had a good track record with men—I seemed to attract creeps like Michael, men who just tried to get in my pants by any means possible. The thought of even being touched by a man after how much I’d been harassed made me shudder, though I hadn’t felt that way at all when Logan had touched my hand.
We got to the end of the circular path and started back toward the house. I felt somewhat hesitant to part from Logan but had planned to work all day. As we were walking, I caught a glimpse of Michael up ahead. Logan saw him too, because he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. I felt my heart speed up as I caught a whiff of his scent, masculine and rich as pine, almost intoxicating. Michael’s eyes found us and they narrowed in anger as Logan lowered his lips to my ear.
“I think I’m supposed to whisper something sexy,” he said softly.
“I think so too,” I said, despite myself.
He grinned at me and brushed his lips over the skin below my ear. I shivered, surprised at the touch, but found myself leaning into him.
“I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but I’m more than willing to kiss you if that’s what it takes,” he said. “Just so you know.”
“I’ll keep th
at in mind,” I said as he pulled back to look into my eyes. We lingered for a moment, unable to look away from each other before I broke our gaze and started to walk back toward the building. I glanced at Logan when we walked past Michael to see that there was a sexy smirk on his lips. The look on Michael’s face made me grin to myself—I had a feeling he wasn’t going to challenge Logan for my attention, and even if he did, there was no way he would win in a confrontation with the massive lumberjack.
When we got to the retreat, we lingered outside for a moment. He leaned against the wall, giving me that half-grin capable of driving me crazy if I let it.
“So what are you doing today? A spa treatment? Pedicure?”
“I’m working,” I said.
He raised his eyebrows at me. “You’re not supposed to be working out here,” he chided. “This is a relaxation retreat.”
“I have a lot to do,” I said, waving him off. “And I don’t like wasting time sitting around. I like to keep busy.”
He studied me for a moment. “Why is that?”
I didn’t answer. The truth was, I kept busy so I didn’t have to think. I was ambitious, and I worked hard to rise to the top of my game. That was what I wanted in my life, and I wasn’t going to stop until I achieved it.
“I just like my job,” I answered.
“Why don’t I believe you?”
I smiled at him. “I’ll see you later, Logan.”
“See you later,” he said, his eyes on my face before I left. I went upstairs and into my room, preparing to work, hoping it would help take my mind off the sexy man. I found myself fantasizing rather than getting any work done, wondering what it would be like to be with such a large, strong man. I bit my lip, pushing the thought out of my head. I had no business thinking about any man like that, least of all a stranger I was only going to know for a week. I forced myself to work for the rest of the day, not looking forward to the banquet later, hoping it went better than I thought it would.
4
Logan
I stood and wiped the sweat from my forehead, taking off my helmet and relishing the feel of the cool air on my skin. I sat down next to the massive truck—I’d been lifting all morning, pulling chains and hauling logs, and though my body felt tired, I enjoyed the rush I got from the physical work. It was part of the reason I’d become a logger in the first place—I got to work outside and use my hands, use my body for something useful. I’d always had a lot of pent-up energy in my life, so this line of work suited me perfectly. No matter how much money I earned, I would always do the hands-on work. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else with my life.
I took a sip of my water bottle and looked around, drinking in the natural beauty. The remaining trees were tall and glorious. They were plentiful, and all of the wood we took was used to improve the retreat. A large chunk of the forest would remain untouched, preserved for the surrounding wildlife and the beauty of the wilderness.
I heard a noise behind me, on the other side of the truck. I turned around, glancing underneath it to see a pair of men’s boots.
“Hello?” I called out in the silence. “Gabe?”
There was no answer. There was another noise, a snapping sound, and at the last moment, I lunged to the side and out of the way as the chain on the truck broke and the large logs began to roll out and down the hill. They thundered as they crashed against each other and into the trees below. I tried to take a deep breath, my eyes wide as I stared at the logs. If I’d moved only a second later, they would have crushed me. I remembered the man on the other side of the truck and tried to get up and go after him—he’d definitely snapped the chain, trying to kill me in the process. I scrambled to my feet and ran around the truck, but whoever the man had been had disappeared into the trees. I scanned the forest but saw no hint of movement. I shivered as I looked around, staring down at the fallen logs that had almost killed me.
I got in my truck, deciding to leave it behind and come back with help. I didn’t know how I’d explain the situation to my men. When I’d looked at the broken part of the chain, it was clear it had been cut, that it hadn’t simply snapped by itself. I didn’t know what that meant and I didn’t want to know—I only knew it would be best to get away from the site, especially if I was scheduled to be there alone.
As I drove, my mind went to Michael. I thought about the anger on his face and wondered if he was capable of something like that. I decided to bring it up with Lilian later. Truth be told, I wanted to see her again anyway. I’d been thinking about her the entire time while I’d worked, how easy it was to make her smile despite the fact she was clearly wound tight. I wondered what it would be like to unwrap her and see inside of her, though I knew it was hopeless to wonder. She would only be here for a week, and I had no interest in getting involved with a woman who would just be a fleeting thing, no matter how much fun it would be to see her sweet smile as I made her come.
By the time I got back to the retreat, it had started to snow again, and I knew it was going to be a bitch to dig those logs out later. I didn’t look forward to doing it, not after what had happened, but I knew I couldn’t let my crew do it on their own.
I got inside and went into the office set up on the top floor of the retreat. I sat down at my desk, trying to relax before I went to see Lilian. I wanted to be calm when I explained it to her so that she wouldn’t get too worried or paranoid.
I was about to get up and go to her room when there was a knock at the door. I stood up and opened it, frowning when I saw who it was.
“Richard,” I said, filled with loathing as usual at the sight of the man. He’d always brought a nausea to my stomach, but after the incident, seeing him had become even worse—he wasn’t even supposed to be here and he knew it.
“Logan,” he said back, his voice cold. “Can I come in for a moment?”
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice coming out full of poison. It didn’t matter how much time I spent in his presence—he was able to wind me up just by existing, a rare feat for anybody given I was pretty laid back and easy to get along with.
“You know what I want, Logan,” he said.
I sighed, opening the door to let him in. I shut and locked it behind me, then went around the desk and sat down, staring at the man with what I knew was loathing on my face.
“I told you not to come here again,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying at the retreat,” he said, giving a wolfish smile.
“No, you’re not,” I said.
“Oh, but I am,” he said in that devilish voice as if he were smarter than me. “And you’re not going to do anything about it.”
“I can kick you out of here,” I said through clenched teeth. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
“You won’t,” he said casually, his voice flippant.
“Why are you here, Richard?” I asked him impatiently. “Speak or get out of my fucking office.”
“So much rage,” the man said, clicking his tongue. “You really need to do something about that.”
I glared at him without answering. Truthfully, I wasn’t an angry person in general, but Richard had always been good at getting under my skin.
“I want my money,” he said. “The money you owe me.”
“How many times do I have to tell you that I owe you nothing?” I hissed. “Yet you keep coming back here—”
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” he said, his calm demeanor flaring up into anger. “You owe me thousands of dollars. And I’m going to get it.”
“And how are you going to do that?” I asked him. I stood up, looming over him as I held his eye with steely resolve. He grinned at me in a way that made me shudder, almost too wide for his face.
“You’ll see,” he said, standing up as well. He buttoned the jacket that he was always wearing and gave me a small bow, a sardonic smile on his face. Then he disappeared, leaving me alone to seethe in my office. Richard had be
en hassling me about the money since he’d been fired from the board, though he hadn’t done anything to earn a single penny. I refused to give it to him no matter what he did, but I couldn’t help but wonder what he was capable of or what he would do in order to get his hands on the money.
I left the office, wanting to see Lily even more than before. There was something about her that made me feel lighter than I usually did, like all of my problems were just vague memories in my head. I went to her room and when I saw her door, I froze. Written in marker, in all capital letters, the word slut was scrawled on the door. I shook my head, gritting my teeth as I knocked on it. I decided not to tell Lily about it, hoping that she wouldn’t come outside before I had a chance to get it cleaned off.
She answered it a moment later, dressed in one of the short, soft robes that had been provided for her. I forgot for a moment what I’d gone there for, forgot the message on the door, the moment I saw her. I could see her long legs under the robe, long and lean, and my eyes traveled up her body and back to her blushing face.
“Hi,” she said. “Um, I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I didn’t expect to come by, but there’s something I thought I should talk to you about,” I said.
She raised her eyebrows. “Again? Did you spread another rumor about me?”
I laughed. “No, something happened today. Can I come in?”
“Sure,” she said, moving aside to let me move past. I could smell her shampoo and saw her hair was wet and falling down her back, longer than I had thought it was.
“So what’s going on?” she asked, standing near the doorway as I stood by the bed.
“I was working today outside and somebody snapped the cable holding the trees in place,” I told her. “Nearly killed me. If I hadn’t moved in time, it would have.”
Mountain Lumberjack Page 2