by T. C. Clark
T.C. Clark
Maks: The Mountain Man's Crush
First published by The Invisible Writer's Press 2019
Copyright © 2019 by T.C. Clark
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
T.C. Clark asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
T.C. Clark has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.
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The Wallflowers Series
Nikos: The Greek’s Mistress September 2018
Luca: The Italian’s Secret October 2018
Dmitri: The Russian’s Christmas Baby November 2018
Julian: Taming The Fighter December 2018
Alex: The Beauty and the Greek January 2019
Maks: The Mountain Man’s Crush February 28,2019
Aidan: One night with the Doctor March 28, 2019
The Sanctuary Series:
The Librarian and the Sandman April 2019
The Surgeon and the Hunter May 2019
The Forecaster and the Mechanic May 2019
Contents
Acknowledgement
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Acknowledgement
Thank you to every person who has followed these books. Writing has become a true passion for me and its thanks to all of you. I appreciate it and I have many more stories to come, so please stay tuned…..
One
Chapter 1
How long did one need to recover from a traumatic event? At what point were you officially allowed to move on? Leslie Parker contemplated these questions as she reworked her outline for her romance novel. She’d been forced into going on this brief vacation by her boss and his new girlfriend.
To be fair, she’d been shot while trying to protect his beautiful companion from a serial killer. That was probably why they were so insistent on her having time to recoup. She sighed as she retyped another sentence for the tenth time. She would have words with Ursula when she got home.
Her next-door neighbor had encouraged her to write a book; she’d also informed her that it wasn’t that hard. That was a bald-faced lie if she’d ever heard one. She chose romance because she was a voracious reader of the genre herself, but it was proving difficult—she’d never been good at romance. She wasn’t a virgin, but she wasn’t dating, either. She was right in the beginning stages of being what her cousins called a “spinster.”
She hated that word—spinster. It suggested that the value of a woman was completely dependent on her relationship with a man. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried to date; she had…sort of. She was quick to bolt, and some would say she was too sensitive, too awkward, and they weren’t wrong. She was sure if she saw a therapist, she would tie the cause back to “daddy issues” or something like that.
But she wasn’t here to reflect on her personal life—or lack thereof. She was here to create a fictional one. A story with a sexy man who wanted a heroine with flaws. A man who was tall, strong, and handsome who could be compassionate and an alpha male at the same time—in other words, one that didn’t exist.
She closed her laptop and walked into the kitchen to start another round of French pressed coffee. She smiled as she took in her luxurious surroundings. She couldn’t really be angry while staying in a place like this. She was currently nestled on a mountainside in northern Colorado. It would be perfect if it wasn’t for the fact that it was owned by her nemesis; a nemesis who didn’t even know how he’d gotten the name.
He didn’t even remember how much he’d hurt her. She had an excellent memory, and it never let her rest, especially when it came to replaying the worst events in her life. They could make a comedy show out of all the adventures she’d gone on in her short life.
She’d decided a few months ago that it was time for a life reboot. She’d let herself go. She was woman enough to admit that. She’d joined the gym, started going back to church, and even set out to complete one of the goals on her bucket list—write a book.
She still needed to complete the makeover with a new wardrobe. Contrary to popular belief, she knew she had zero style. She’d never had any. She’d been lucky when she was younger; her mother had taken care of that for her. As an adult, she struggled with finding things that looked good on her. She knew when she got back to the city she would ask Tara about it. Clearly, she knew what looked good. Tara had personally picked out all the clothing Leslie had brought on this trip and, looking in the mirror, she had to admit the woman had great taste.
Today she’d chosen a black soft-knit oversized sweater and caramel leggings. The combination made her look graceful and stylish at the same time. When Tara and Alex arrived at her apartment a few days ago to convince her to go on this trip, they’d only given her a few minutes to find something to wear and grab her essentials.
She’d been swept up and delivered to this beautiful cabin in such a whirlwind she’d barely had time to catch her breath before they disappeared. She shook her head. She needed to enjoy this time. This was her opportunity to do something for herself. So she needed to stop complaining and appreciate where she was.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For the next few weeks, she was free to discover what she wanted in life. She knew she needed a change. The first thing she could remember feeling when that bullet had entered her body was regret. She’d prayed for more time to experience the world and God had given it to her. She would start doing so today.
* * *
Maks stood outside Leslie’s door. He was trying to figure out what to say to her after he knocked. For some reason, Leslie didn’t like him. He didn’t know why and, to be honest, he’d never experienced it before. He’d been lucky when it came to women. He’d never had to try—they just came to him. People thought he was a player because of it, but he knew better. He was searching for that elusive thing that his brothers had found.
The first few times he’d met Leslie, he hadn’t noticed her. She was quiet and often cold whenever he came upon her. But a few months ago he’d stopped by his brother’s office unannounced and found her consoling a janitor who’d lost his wife. She had been so kind, so sincere, that something had clicked in his brain. He didn’t know what was driving him now.
She wasn’t a woman who invited attention. She tended to down play her looks, opting to blend into the crowd in place of standing o
ut; and still people flocked to her. It was her smile. It was sincere and kind. When she asked a person a question she was genuinely interested in the answer. She was the kind of woman most men overlooked until they grew up and he had definitely grown up.
He knew he wanted her, his body reminded him of that every time they got close. Everyone kept warning him to stay away from her, but for some reason, he couldn’t. He’d made plans to pursue her before all hell broke loose with his brother. A few weeks ago when she was shot, he’d held her limp body in his arms and decided if she survived, he wouldn’t let her walk away again. He would figure out what was going on behind those mysterious brown eyes. He took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock…
Leslie jumped as a loud banging rang out through the cabin. She got up and walked slowly to the door. For a moment she thought about getting one of the guns Alex had told her about, the memory of the shooting fresh in her mind.
Instead, she stopped and took a deep breath. She needed to get over this fear. Josh was gone, and, from what Alex had told her about this place, this mountain was safe. As she got closer to the knocking, she picked up her stun gun from the counter. She could hear her mother’s voice saying, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Who is it?” she called out as she got closer. The cabin which once seemed enchanting and elegant now felt creepy. It was definitely too big for one person. She moved quietly over the wooden floor, giving whoever it was enough time to respond before she reached it.
“It’s me, Maks,” a voice boomed from the other side. Leslie stopped and had a mini panic attack. What in the hell was he doing here? She shook her head to clear the building panic. She was a grown woman. She could deal with this. She was the type of woman who could deal with anything, even the appearance of a man whom she did her utmost to avoid. She put the stun gown down on the small table next to the door.
Fucking Tara and Alex. Somehow she knew this was their doing. What was it about couples that made them believe that everyone should have a partner? Once upon a time, she would have appreciated their interference, but right now, at this moment, she wanted to plan their demise. She’d asked Alex repeatedly if Maks was going to be here and he’d said no. A liar, she sighed, why did all men have to be liars?
The knocking continued, and she knew Maks wouldn’t leave until she answered. She took a deep breath and opened the door. She braced herself against the inevitable attraction that hit her every time she laid eyes on him.
She closed her mind off to how handsome he was. His big frame took up the entire entryway. He had on denim jeans, a red flannel shirt and a sheepskin coat. It wasn’t just what he had on; it was how he wore it. He felt like a man. The kind of man you could call on if you were in trouble.
His large muscular frame was clearly made from work, not repetitive routines at a gym. Throw in the fact that he was a painter and a lot of panties just slipped off. But she wasn’t a girl who gave into infatuation that easily—at least, she wasn’t anymore.
He was charm personified, down to the sinful smile he displayed with ease. He surveyed her with a casual male arrogance that got on her nerves. Okay, so this was why Tara had picked out her clothes. She’d wondered why her clothes mattered in a place like this. She was supposed to be secluded here. They were going to have some words when she got back. Women were supposed to stick together when it came to the opposite sex, something about “bros before hoes,” or whatever the female version of that was.
“Hello, Maks,” she said with a forced smile. His cologne tickled her nose as he leaned down closer to speak to her. His gray eyes surveyed her like she’d come to expect. His scent hit her first, unique to him. He smelled of the wilderness.
He looked at her as if he couldn’t quite figure out how she worked, as if he’d never seen her before. She ignored the fluttering of her heart and focused on getting him out of here so she could call her two new enemies and give them a piece of her mind.
“Hello, Leslie,” Maks said, ignoring the cold snow falling on his back. She was short and standing barefoot definitely made him more aware of her size. She looked beautiful in her casual winter clothes. He could finally make out her delectable curves underneath. Thank God for sturdy denim jeans; they must have been created with women in mind.
He searched his mind for something to say. He saw a flicker of interest in her eyes before the cold mask slid back into place. He needed to figure out why this particular woman seemed to touch him in a place that no one else had ever reached. Why her?
There were plenty of women out in the universe who’d found him attractive and actually wanted his interest. He didn’t understand why she was the one who kept him up at night. It made little sense, but he trusted his instincts, and his instincts told him to pursue her.
“How are you settling in?” he asked, his thick brows furrowed in concern. He looked behind her at the messy cabin and smiled. He would never have guessed Leslie was a messy person.
“I’m fine. What are you doing here? I thought Alex said you were away in Paris for a showing.”
“Ah, you asked about me.” He moved closer.
She looked away from him for a moment, clearly trying to figure out a polite way to dismiss him. “Not like that. I wanted to know who would be here that’s all.”
“You’re not even a little happy to see a familiar face?” he asked, a little put off by her attitude.
“If you’re asking my honest opinion, I think I could enjoy this place more if you weren’t here,” she explained in an unapologetic tone.
“Leslie, what’s your problem with me?”
“That you can’t remember leads me to believe that it needs to be left in the past.” She sighed and took control of her temper. “I’m being rude. I know better than to be rude. Listen, we’ve met before and it wasn’t a good meeting, and that makes me act differently with you than with other people. I apologize. But whatever you think is happening between us… isn’t.”
“Don’t I get a chance to defend myself at all? If I can’t remember it, could it have really been that bad?”
“It’s unnecessary, Maks. You don’t owe me anything. I get weird around you, and I hate that. I think we work better apart.”
“So you would rather I left you alone,” he asked bitterly.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. He did not understand what she was thinking or why she looked so depressed. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Okay, I don’t want to ruin your experience here. But it’s not fair to hold something against me that I can’t even remember, Leslie. You won’t even give me a chance to fix it.” He turned to leave, and then suddenly changed his mind. He’d seen it on her face, a flicker of interest every time their eyes met; it was there for just a second. How could he convince her to give him a chance?
He wished he had the words to explain what he was feeling, but he was a painter, not a poet. The only thing he knew for sure was that this would probably be his last chance with her. He didn’t know what she would do when she contacted Alex, but this was his one shot. Leslie could freeze someone out better than the heart of winter in the mountains.
When Alex told him of his plan to give Leslie a few weeks off to recuperate, he’d asked for him to send her to one of his cabins in Colorado. His brother had argued against it at first, but he’d made it clear that he wasn’t here to play games. Alex explained to him that this would be his final chance with Leslie. After this trip, he would do whatever Leslie asked and if that meant keeping Maks out of her vicinity then he would.
What the hell did he have to lose? He was already the villain in her story why not steal a kiss? He waited for his moral code to argue against it, but it was silent. He didn’t know any other way to break through to her.
He moved slowly, intentionally giving her time to push him away. But she just stood still and waited. He captured her lips with his own. That is the only way to describe the kiss. His tongue slipped past her lips and tasted the essence of her mo
uth. For a second, she stiffened and, once again, he waited for her to push him away. It surprised him when she didn’t. She moaned as he deepened the kiss.
His arms tightened around her as she responded. Her tongue moved sensuously against his. He tilted her head back for better control. This was why he was pushing her. This magic that existed between them. He’d recognized it once he’d really seen her. He pulled her closer, and she responded to the reaction of his body, moving against him. Suddenly she tensed and pushed at his chest. He let her go.
He examined her then. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing as heavily as he was. And it was there in her eyes the same desire that must show in his.
“If you want me to believe you want nothing to do with me, you will have to do better than that.” He backed up slowly. It was hard to leave her, but he wanted her to think about the kiss. Whatever she thought he’d done, he believed they could figure it out. He knew himself; there was no way he would intentionally hurt a woman.
Maybe he said something stupid—he did that a lot—but this feeling that churned between them was too complex to walk away from. He couldn’t believe that he didn’t remember. He had a feeling that whatever she was referring to must have happened early last year. That had been the darkest time of his life; a time that he didn’t want to reflect on.
* * *
Leslie watched him go. She tried to control the anger coursing through her veins, losing her temper wouldn’t solve anything. Her dark brown eyes followed his retreating figure down the road. He took a right and walked into the cabin that was closest to her. She slammed the door hard behind him. She leaned against it and reflected on her stupidity.
