by C. D. Gorri
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“I don’t think so, but these jeans are cutting into my waist. I have a pair of yoga pants in my backpack.”
He grabbed the backpack and opened it, finding the black stretchy pants among her things. She sure had packed lightly, and not at all for the rough terrain. Definitely a novice. Again, he wondered what had made her climb up this way.
“If you could hand me that blanket,” she pointed to the crocheted afghan that sat on the armchair facing the fireplace, and he moved quickly to grab it.
He waited as she draped it over her waist, not telling her it was useless since not seeing her didn’t stop him from scenting her, and it was her scent that drove him wild with need. He swallowed down his baser instincts and concentrated on helping her get comfortable.
“How can I help?”
“I think I can lift myself up if you wouldn’t mind, tugging down my jeans? I am so sorry to ask-”
“It’s no trouble,” he cut her off, waiting for her nod as he reached beneath the blanket to hold on to the denim at her waist.
He closed his eyes, praying for patience, and pulled the material carefully so as not to rip it clean off her. Fuck, he’d never had his control tested like that before. The sound of her pulse racing when he put his hands on her, the warm breath that tickled his ear lobes as he leaned in, and her honeyed scent that increased with his nearness.
She wanted him. Keeton cursed the Fates even as the knowledge made his chest, and other parts of him, swell with Pride. It was the way of these things he’d often heard from other Shifters, even if he never experienced it himself. When the Fates matched up a pair, desire and need would often increase until they consummated the relationship and claimed one another.
Mating fever, or so it was termed between Shifters. He never realized a human could feel some of the effects as well. Why else would this beautiful woman even consider him? A whimper escaped her lips as she lifted onto her elbows and her one uninjured foot, and the leash he held on himself broke.
“Let me help,” he grunted and wrapped one arm around her waist, lifting her and tugging on the jeans the rest of the way past her hips.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“No need. Better now?” he asked as he slid the fabric carefully off her bruised ankle.
“Yes,” she nodded and grabbed for her other pants.
“Wait. Let me make sure you aren’t cut first,” he waited for her assent, then lifted the blanket to her thighs.
Keeton frowned at the myriad of scrapes marring both her knees. He grabbed the first aid kit and cleaned them first with antiseptic wipes before applying antibiotic ointment and one large bandage on each.
“That should do it,” he murmured.
“Thank you,” she said, and he noted her breathing was easier.
Next, he helped her guide her legs into her pants, but she stopped him before he could lift her again. He frowned, but did as she asked, turning around to give her some privacy.
“I’m so sorry for all this, and I can’t thank you enough. Maybe I could write you a check?”
“You want to give me money for helping you?” he asked, a little shocked.
“Well, in my experience no one does anything for free-”
“I don’t expect a reward for simply being decent.”
“Most men I know would,” she replied, and his beast came roaring to the surface once more.
“What men do that?”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Men like who?”
“My ex-fiancé, for one. He’s a slimeball attorney.”
“A lawyer? No wonder,” he murmured.
“I know, right? My mom introduced us. I should’ve known better.”
“How did you get engaged to him?”
“I don’t know. He asked, and I was so surprised I said yes. I think I thought it was my only shot. Doesn’t matter now. It’s over. I, uh, caught him cheating.”
“Fuck. Look, I’m sorry, but it seems like his loss.”
“Yeah, right.” She snorted.
“I don’t know who you’ve been dealing with, but real men don’t take money from women just for helping them out. And they don’t cheat. Not ever.”
“I suppose you’re right about that. Still, I feel like I should do something for all you’ve done,” she shrugged, still blushing prettily.
“How about you rest here a minute? Let me fix you dinner, Marilena. Afterwards, we can talk.”
He handed her the ice pack before leaving the room. Keeton was sure it wasn’t her attention to flirt, but that vulnerable look on her face as she asked him if there was something she could do for him damn near set him off. The bulge that was hopefully hidden behind his zipper and flannel was begging him to take her up on her offer, but he cursed himself ten times a fool.
She wasn’t offering to sleep with him, for fuck’s sake. Even if she was, he would not treat her that way. Besides, if Keeton allowed his desires to take over, there was no way he could guarantee he wouldn’t claim the female.
Keeton was too fucked up to inflict himself on anyone permanently. Look at him. Like a fucking coward he ran to the mountains, hiding away from the entire world because some asshole discovered his secret and blackmailed him.
No. that was only half the reason. It was the disdain on the now dead man’s face, the way his lips had curled, and eyes filled with hatred when he spat the one word guaranteed to pain any Shifter. Animal. He’d called Keeton an animal while demanding money to keep silent.
The Shifter secret was too big to let pride stand in his way. And it was not his alone to keep. So, he paid, then told his commanding officers about the situation, fully expecting to be kicked out of the unit. But he wasn’t, and the other man had died in battle, not trusting Keeton to keep him alive cause he was just an animal.
No, he would not inflict himself on this beautiful woman. He couldn’t live with the possibility of her rejecting him. He was man enough to admit that, even if only to himself. Not a chance. He would simply have to content himself with feeding her and tending her injuries.
It was all he had to offer the lovely human female.
Chapter Five
Lena looked around the sparsely decorated living room. The cabin was beautiful, but it felt so lonely, she thought, and a pang of sadness constricted her heart. There were no photographs or paintings, no color to break up the monotony of browns and tans.
Her eyes kept returning to the raging storm beyond the enormous floor to ceiling windows that faced the covered porch and the grassy field beyond. She heard Keeton moving about the kitchen. Quiet and self-assured, she couldn’t imagine the mountain man needing anything at all, but still. She seemed to sense his loneliness, and it hurt her.
Silly, she knew, but she wanted to help somehow. Whatever had caused him to run away and hide from the world couldn’t be that bad, she mused.
But what if it was? Truthfully, she knew nothing about him. And yet she had never felt so safe in her life. She must be really desperate for attention. Lena cursed herself for that thought. It was her mother’s voice, not hers, that crept into her thoughts. Worming its way in whenever she was feeling peaceful or at ease.
“I hope you like stew,” Keeton’s voice penetrated the stark silence, and she jumped. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No, no, please, you are fine. That was my fault, I got lost in my head,” she shrugged and sat up, breathing in the aromatic stew he set on a bed tray over her legs.
“This smells wonderful!”
“Thanks,” he shrugged, clearly embarrassed by her praise. “Nothing to it.”
“I smell fresh rosemary and is that cinnamon?”
“Yeah, just a pinch.”
He was really blushing now, but Lena was in her glory when discussing food. The first bite was heavenly. She could not stop herself from moaning aloud. The meat was tender.
“Is this rabbit?”
“Um,
yeah. Is that okay?”
“Yes,” she grinned. “I like rabbit. I imagine you do a lot of hunting up here.”
“I do,” he replied, and she smiled at him, hoping to ease some of his tension.
“It’s delicious. So, is this like a weekend getaway?”
“The cabin? No, I live here.”
“Like year-round?”
“Yes,” he said, placing his fork down beside his large bowl. “I built this place about two years ago and have been living here ever since.”
“You never go into town?”
Keeton shook his head, and Lena’s heart squeezed once more. Whatever ghosts filled his past and sent him running for the hills, she sure as hell hoped they would let up and leave him be. He was a good man. She could tell. Lena was sort of an expert after wasting so much of her time with the wrong kind of man.
“What’s so funny?”
He seemed genuinely curious, and she realized then she’d snorted aloud at her own self-critique. There was something so open and honest about him, although she could tell he was keeping something to himself. It wasn’t her business, she knew, even so, she was curious.
“I was just thinking that I wasted a lot of time on the wrong man, and for the first time in a long time I feel, well, un-anxious, if that’s even a word.”
Thunder crashed outside, the storm turning violent as she ate her dinner with the mysterious mountain man whose dark green eyes held such secrets she could hardly even imagine. Maybe she was wrong to trust him so blindly. But what choice did Lena really have?
“I think it’s good that you feel at ease, Marilena,” he said after a brief pause.
She could tell she’d pleased him with her statement, though she had no actual idea why. What should he care for her comfort, or discomfort for that matter? And yet, this stranger had showed her more kindness since she’d met him than Cary had in all of their months of living together and being engaged to be married.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt that. My mother is always telling me how foolish I am and constantly correcting me. She doesn’t necessarily approve of my life’s choices.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, for one thing, I’m overweight and had to be unforgivably obvious about it by going into the food industry. You see, I run a catering business, and I am not sure what she finds worse, that her fat daughter likes food or that she’s made it her life’s work.”
“Apologies to your mother, but she doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about,” he replied in a firm tone that made her heart skip a beat.
“Well, you hardly know me,” she shrugged.
“I know we don’t really know each other, Marilena, but it doesn’t take a lifetime for me to look at you to see you’re beautiful.”
“Ha, now you’re being nice,” she said, embarrassed now that she brought up her looks.
“Even if I was, it’s true,” he returned earnestly. “From what I can see, you look exactly how a woman should. The fact you are passionate about your work only makes you more genuine, and damn lucky too. Few people can say that.”
“I guess that’s true. I mean, my mother has never worked a day in her life, so I don’t expect her to understand how I feel when I am on a job. I mean the feeling I get when I am catering a wedding or anniversary party, something that brings people together to celebrate, is simply unparalleled. My food helps those families enjoy themselves. Food brings people together, and I am proud of my work.”
“See right there,” he pointed with his fork. “I’m looking at you, watching you talk about your work, and you are radiant.”
“Oh, um, thanks,” she licked her lips, a bit shy of his praise.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped,” he blurted. Again, she’d swear he sounded sincere. “I think anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable or like doubting yourself isn’t worth your time. You shouldn’t even consider them.”
“You know, you are really easy to talk to for a giant mountain man.”
“Um. Are you finished?” he asked abruptly.
Lena nodded. Cheeks flushed, she wiped her mouth on the napkin and replaced it on the tray. Watching him walk away, tray and empty bowls in hand proved more interesting than the storm, despite the brilliant flashes of lightning that illuminated the sky.
OMG, I can’t believe I said that. She scolded herself silently. Lena really had a way of sticking her foot in her mouth time and again. Brilliant. Truly.
Full and no longer in pain, she lay back and sighed. It was foolish, silly, and a little naïve on her part. Totally unreal that she felt so perfectly peaceful with the enormous stranger, and yet, as her eyelids grew heavy, she realized quite unsurprisingly that she trusted Keeton Grey.
Trusted him to keep her safe and dry from the storm outside, but, a little nagging voice whispered inside her sleepy head, who would keep her safe from the storm of emotions threatening to burst free inside her?
Chapter Six
Keeton returned to the living room to find the object of his growing affection sleeping soundly on his sofa. Much as he’d like to leave her be, the couch was no place for a lady to slumber.
He steadied himself. Touching her was like holding a live wire, asleep or not. Every single inch of him seemed attuned to her body. He wanted to make her feel good, to satisfy her every desire and craving, and yet it was not his place. She was not his. He would not claim her.
He’d staked out his life in the Panther Mountains long before he’d ever stumbled upon the gorgeous creature, and there he would stay, long after she’d gone. Back to the world where she belonged. But while she was there, he could at least make her comfortable. He owed her that.
Keeton leaned down, scooping her up gently, so she snuggled closer into his chest, sighing contentedly. The soft sounds stroked his cat and his ego. Both beast and man proud that she sought him out, even in sleep, for comfort.
We could give her more than just comfort. We could bring her to such heights, show her pleasure she’s never experienced.
No. He shut down that train of thought. Keeton was far more interested in her own well-being than in his carnal desires. The beautiful Marilena deserved more than he could deliver in the one night she would share a roof with him. It was better this way.
All night long, Keeton paced the cabin. He was restless, emotions a mess. She would be gone soon, and he could get back to his own secluded lifestyle.
He brewed some coffee and turned on the small radio he used to keep up with the world whenever he felt too isolated. But the news was not good.
That night had brought down part of the mountain in a mudslide the likes of which he’d never encountered. The pass was unreachable until further notice. Fuck, he hadn’t counted on that complication. And what was worse, the thunderstorms currently raging were soon to become ice and possible blizzard conditions.
It seemed an unseasonably cold front was hitting the Garden State, and the Panther Mountains were going to see the worst of it. Fuck. He should have gone out in the rain last night and called a rescue team to come get her. What was he going to do now? Stuck inside with her for days was going to be a veritable nightmare.
He banged on the counter and sucked in a breath. He couldn’t do this. Couldn’t be trapped inside with her for the unforeseeable future. It was impossible. Keeton just wasn’t sure he could control himself, much less his beast.
“Is everything okay?”
Fuck. When had she come into the room? He turned around to face her, unprepared for the concern marring her otherwise soft features. Cursing himself a fool, he walked over to her and held out the chair.
“What are you doing out of bed?”
“How I got in bed is the real question,” she said with renewed laughter that lightened his heart.
“I didn’t want you to get a cramp on the couch,” he murmured as she eased into the chair.
Keeton grabbed a stepstool and a few clean kitchen towels and propped her injured foot on top. Lena tucked h
er hair behind her ears, looking anywhere but at him. At first, he was confused, then he realized he was shirtless.
She likes my body. He thought with pride, and something else swelling inside him.
“Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
He grabbed a mug and poured her some, offering her the can of evaporated milk he’d recently opened. He preferred it to powdered creamer. Though he had fresh supplies brought in every few months, it had been a while between deliveries.
“Thanks,” she replied shyly. “So, any news about getting someone up here to get me out of your hair?”
“Oh, um, actually, I was just listening to the radio. It seems the storm brought down some of the mountain. The path where I usually get reception is unreachable. I mean, I could try-”
“No! I mean, no, please, I don’t want you getting hurt. But, well, do you mind? ME having to stay another day?”
“Truth is, Lena, you might be stuck here for more than a day. We’re getting a cold front too. They are predicting snow and sleet. A couple of feet of it by tomorrow night.”
“What? I mean, I wasn’t even wearing a jacket last week!”
“I know. It’s global warming. Too much stress on our planet is wreaking havoc with weather patterns. I promise, I’ll keep you safe,” he said, meaning to assure her.
“I know that, but I feel so bad intruding-”
“Don’t give it another thought. It’s the least I can do.”
“I swear I never met a man like you. Look, I am going to take you up on your offer because I have no choice really,” she said and laughed a little. “I will be undoubtedly cutting into your supplies, so I insist you take me up on my offer to pay you.”
“I won’t take money from you,” he growled, cutting off the sound so as not to frighten her.
He could not help it though. His cat was incensed that she would try to pay him. It was his honor and privilege to care for her.
Mine. Mate.
Shhh. He quieted the angry cat and refocused his attention on her. Not hard to do since she was the only damn thing he’d been thinking about for the last eighteen hours.