He opens the door of his truck for me, and I climb in. Soon, we’re off into town.
“Do you have a curfew?” he asks as he pulls out onto the main highway that leads into Cunningham Falls.
I laugh, but when I glance his way, I see that he’s being totally serious.
“No, no curfew.”
“Good. You may not make it home tonight. Just thought I’d warn you.”
I raise a brow, but he just keeps driving as if we’re talking about something mundane like what kind of toppings we like on our pizza.
“Perhaps I should have packed a bag?”
“I have everything you’ll need.”
Before I can ask any questions, Seth parks his truck in front of Ed’s Diner. “I haven’t eaten here yet, but it’s been on my list.”
“I hope you’re hungry and that you don’t have a problem with greasy burgers and fries. Because this isn’t a health food place,” Seth says with a grin.
“I’m okay with all of that.”
He nods, jumps out of the truck, and hurries around to open my door. He takes my hand, links his fingers with mine, and leads me inside.
“Hi, Shirley,” he says to the waitress, who greets us. “Two of us tonight.”
“Sure, hon. Take that booth over there.” She points to the far side of the room. “I’ll be right over to take your orders.”
“Thanks,” Seth says and leads me through the restaurant. It’s an old-fashioned diner, the kind with a long, white counter that seats at least a dozen people on glossy, red-topped stools. I can see into the kitchen where an older man bustles about in a white apron, filling orders.
The white tables sit on a black-and-white-tiled floor, and the chairs have the same red seats as the stools. The booths match, as well.
“Is that an authentic jukebox?” I ask and point to the corner where a colorful jukebox is lit up with vinyl records hung on the wall above it.
“It still plays,” Seth confirms.
“This place is something out of a movie.” I pick up the menu that sits tucked behind the ketchup against the wall and immediately feel my mouth water. “And I might gain fifteen pounds tonight. I’m not sorry about it.”
Seth laughs, and I notice that he doesn’t bother to look at the menu. Before long, Shirley circles around and pulls a pad and pen out of her apron.
“What can I getcha?” she asks.
“My usual,” Seth says and then looks over at me.
“I’m going to do the cheeseburger and fries. And let’s be crazy and add a Coke.”
Shirley nods, jots it down, then winks and hurries away to put in our orders.
“So, you must come in here a lot.”
Seth nods and reaches over to take my hand. “My Aunt Cara brought me in here when I was a surly teenager, and Ed made me wash a whole bunch of dishes. She was teaching me a lesson that day.”
I blink in surprise. “Did it work?”
“Oh, yeah. I still had my moments, but I curbed the attitude a bit after that. I was an angry little shit.”
I smile and try to picture this big, strong man as a hurt little boy. “I think most of us were a challenge as preteens.”
“True,” he says. “Okay, tell me about your hikes. Where have you been going?”
We settle into a nice little rhythm of my talking about where I’ve gone and what I’ve seen.
“When do the bears go into hibernation?” I ask, just as Shirley sets our plates in front of us. “Holy shit, that’s a cheeseburger.”
Seth and Shirley laugh at me as I goggle at the monstrosity in front of me.
“There’s only one patty in there, right?”
“One patty and all the fixins,” Shirley confirms. “Can I bring you anything else?”
“Please don’t,” I reply, shaking my head. “This might kill me.”
“But what a way to go.” She winks and walks away, and I shake my head as Seth takes a huge bite out of his own burger. Instead of a tower of fries to match mine, there’s a pile of crispy onion rings on his plate.
“Will you slap my hand if I steal an onion ring?”
“No, I’ll trade you for some fries,” he says, and we make the exchange. “November.”
“Huh?”
“The bears are usually hibernating by the end of November,” he says. “But grizzlies don’t always sleep all winter. Sometimes, they get up and wander around a bit.”
“That’s terrifying.”
He laughs and munches on his onion rings. “It can be a surprise, yes. It’s not often that they don’t sleep all winter, but they’ve been known to do that. Most bears stay in their dens until about March, when things start to thaw. Why do you ask?”
“I’m just wondering how long I have to carry the bear spray. It’s added weight.”
“You always have to carry it.” All humor is gone from his face now. “It’s a permanent accessory if you’re in the outdoors here for any amount of time.”
“Even in the heart of winter?”
He nods. “Yep. Because what if Yogi decides he’d like to take a mid-winter walk?”
“Great.” I sip my Coke thoughtfully. “Do you get a lot of wildlife at the ranch? Besides wolves?”
“We get everything,” he says with a smile. “I had moose in my yard this morning.”
“That’s cool.”
“They’re beautiful. And can be scary, too. Any wild animal with babies is dangerous.”
“Right.” I watch him for a moment. “You’d be good at giving educational courses in the park. Or even at schools.”
He smirks, but I insist.
“Really. You’re smart, easy on the eyes, and fun to listen to.”
“Easy on the eyes, am I?”
I wrinkle my nose. “I mean, you’re okay.”
Hotter than hell. He’s sexy as sin.
“Uh-huh.” He glances around and then slips into the booth beside me and leans in to whisper in my ear. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I can’t wait to get you alone.”
He nuzzles my earlobe, kisses my temple, and then returns to his own side of the booth.
It’s suddenly so hot in here, I have to take another sip of my Coke. Seth just smiles happily from across the table like he has the best secret ever.
But I’m going to make him ask for the sex first because I’ll be damned if I don’t get him to hike with me to that damn glacier in the spring.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks.
“I’m finished.”
He stands and offers his hand.
“Don’t we have to pay?”
“They run me a tab,” he replies as I stand next to him.
“It really is 1956 in here.” I chuckle and follow Seth out of the diner and to his truck. Once we’re settled inside, he pulls away, and I recognize the route to his house.
I’m not insulted at all. It doesn’t make me feel weird that he bought me dinner and now assumes that I’ll just go home with him.
Because I want to go home with him.
I got a taste of what sex with Seth will be like when we were up at that chalet, and damn it, I want all of it. Every inch of him. Every sigh and nibble and thrust.
I. Want. Him.
And after days of aching for him, I finally get him.
The artist on the radio croons softly in the background as he drives the miles away from Cunningham Falls, but the silence between us is comfortable. When he turns off the highway and onto the road leading to his house, I’m not nervous at all.
I’m excited.
I’m ready.
I have visions of him yanking me through the front door and pushing me against the wall just inside, his mouth and hands hot with need.
I can’t wait.
But when Seth finally does lead me inside of the house, he doesn’t attack me. He doesn’t kiss me or urge me back to his bedroom.
He tosses his keys into a bowl and turns to me from about ten feet away.
�
�Stay there,” he says sternly but winks at me before hurrying away.
“Did he just tell me to stay like I’m a dog?” I whisper as I glance around. The two times I’ve been here, including today, his house has been so clean. Is he a neat freak? Does he have a housekeeper? It’s a mystery to me because I always think of a bachelor’s place as being sparse and probably messy. Full of beer cans and flannel shirts all over the place. I don’t know why flannel shirts are in this fictitious picture in my head, but they are.
But Seth’s home is tidy. And beautiful, really, with gorgeous caramel-colored leather couches and nice artwork on the walls.
It’s just…nice.
“I like your couches,” I say as Seth walks back into the room.
“Thanks. I do, too. Now, come with me.”
He takes my hand and leads me down the hallway, through his bedroom, and into the master bathroom, where candles are lit, and the tub is full of steamy water.
“Alexa, play the first date with Remi playlist.”
“Playing first date with Remi playlist.”
Adele begins to croon softly through the speakers, and I turn to Seth in awe.
“You said that you liked the tub. You should soak and relax for a while.”
I blink at him. “You want me to take a bath.”
“Well, sure. If you want to, that is. If it’s a stupid idea, I can drain the tub—”
“No, don’t drain it.” I put my hand on his arm and then boost myself up on my tiptoes so I can kiss him lightly. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. I thought you were bringing me out here to seduce me.”
His lips curve up into a little smile. “Maybe later. You’ve been hiking a lot, and I thought you could use a soak.”
“It looks and smells like Heaven,” I admit. “Okay, get out so I can get naked and sit in there. Do you want to join me?”
He frames my face in his hands and leans in to kiss me again, deeper this time. More intense than before.
“Next time,” he whispers, then turns and walks out.
Good God Almighty, he does things to my libido that could be illegal in Montana.
Or any state, actually.
I strip down and set my clothes on a bench, then sit in the gorgeous copper bathtub that’s been on my mind since the first time I saw it.
It’s luxurious. It makes me feel…spoiled.
I’ve just leaned back and closed my eyes when there’s a knock on the door, and Seth pokes his head in.
“Wine,” he says and sets the glass on the table next to the tub. “And a little something sweet.”
Chocolate.
Seth King just brought me wine and chocolate. In the bathtub.
And then, after a quick kiss and a lingering look at my body in the water, he walks back out again and closes the door behind him. Good God, that look could melt the ice caps.
“Did I stumble upon the perfect man in Montana?” I wonder softly as I sip my wine and listen to the music he curated just for me.
I just might have.
And the biggest question of all is: When spring comes, am I going to be able to leave him behind? Will I want to? Starting a relationship wasn’t on my radar. Especially not since the idiot in LA.
Okay, there might have been a few idiots.
Not that Seth has given me any indication that he wants a relationship. We’re dating. Seeing each other. And, if my suspicions are correct, we’ll likely be bedmates before the night is out.
That’s not a relationship.
I lift my hand in and out of the water and watch the droplets break through the surface.
“Then what’s your definition of a relationship?” I ask myself as Coldplay comes out of the speaker. “Because dates, sex, etcetera, are all indicators of a relationship.”
And I’m wasting this gorgeous bath by overthinking the whole situation. I always overthink. I need to simply enjoy, take a deep breath, and deal with the rest as it comes.
Chapter 9
~Seth~
I only have an hour, tops, to get everything set up just the way I want it. That’s if Remi lets herself relax with her wine. Soak in the hot water.
Just be. Which I don’t think she does often. Though if I spend too much time thinking about her in that water, I’ll throw my plans out the back door and go climb in with her.
I’ve never had the urge to spoil a woman the way I do Remi. And I come from a family of men who pamper their girls. Treating a woman like she’s a queen, with the utmost respect, has been drilled into me since I was twelve.
So, it’s coming naturally to me. I guess I just never had a person in my life before Remi that I wanted to invest in like this. I’ve dated nice girls, enjoyed the hell out of them, and treated them with kindness and integrity.
But I didn’t want to move Heaven and Earth to see them smile.
Because Remi’s smile can knock me on my ass from twenty paces, and I’d do anything in my power to keep that smile on her gorgeous face.
I have the fire lit in the fireplace. It’s not nearly as big as the one up at the chalet, but it’s all I have to work with.
I’ve just finished dragging all the cushions and pillows onto the floor. I could get a mattress, but this will be fine.
Besides, I have plans for the mattress later that don’t include the floor.
I’ve barely set the bottle of wine on the floor with some more chocolate when I hear footsteps behind me.
I look back and just about swallow my tongue.
Remi’s in one of my T-shirts. The hem skims her thighs, and her long legs glow in the firelight.
“My God, you’re beautiful.”
A smile tugs at her plump lips as I stand and take her hand in mine, lifting it to my lips.
“How was your bath?”
“I almost fell asleep.” She leans in close but doesn’t kiss me. She skims her nose over my cheek and buries her face against my neck as I pull her in for a hug. “Did you recreate the chalet?”
“Sort of,” I admit, pleased that she noticed. I kiss the ball of her shoulder and then turn to survey the scene. I turned the lights out, so the only illumination comes from the fire. The pillows and cushions look inviting to me. Maybe I went over the top. “We didn’t have wine up there, but we’ll pretend.”
She sits on the cushions and stretches her legs out to soak up the warmth of the fire. “This might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
I sit next to her and take her hand in mine, linking our fingers. “Well, this is pretty simple, really.”
“It’s thoughtful.” She turns her face to me and smiles softly. “You’re a thoughtful guy, Seth King.”
“I have my moments. Sometimes, I’m a jerk, and my mother would likely tell you that I’m a handful.”
“Mothers are supposed to think you’re a handful,” she says with a laugh. “I think especially when it comes to boys.”
“And she has three. But my sister can hold her own.”
“With three brothers, she has to.”
“You’re not wrong.”
We’re quiet for a long moment as we watch the fire pop and crackle in the hearth.
Finally, I break the silence.
“So, we need to talk about this bet.”
She slowly turns her head, and I feel her stare on my profile.
“Are you begging?” she whispers.
“No.” I swallow and meet her gaze with mine. “No. Neither of us is going to beg. Because we don’t have to.”
She nods once and licks her lips. “That’s fair.”
“I was always going to take you up to that glacier, Rem.”
Her eyes narrow. “And I planned to treat you to ice cream.”
“See? There’s no need for a bet.” I kiss her hand and then let it go to rub my fingers up and down her back and over her spine. “I think you’re incredible. And I know we don’t know each other that well yet, but I’m mind-numbingly attracted to you.”
She’s quiet for
a second and then lets out a long sigh. “You’re sexy, Seth. You have to know that. With all of those muscles and the chiseled jawline, it’s almost ridiculous. But it’s more than that.”
She whispers the last sentence. I wait for her to continue.
“It’s like I recognized you. Like part of me thought: Oh, there you are. And that sounds so…cheesy.”
“I like cheese.”
She lets out a startled laugh. “I’m not usually the cheesy type. I don’t like mushy greeting cards. I roll my eyes at all of that stuff.”
She shrugs as if she doesn’t know what else to say.
“Well, sometimes mushy stuff is fun,” I remind her. “Like when it’s just the two of us, and we’re sitting by a fire and establishing that we’re attracted to each other. And that we have some feelings for one another.”
“You have feelings?” she asks.
“Have you not been paying attention?”
She grins again, and it makes my stomach clench.
“Okay, so we’re all up in our feelings tonight.” She swallows hard. “Now what?”
“Now, it’s whatever you want it to be,” I reply honestly and refill her wine glass. She takes a sip and stares into the fire.
“Tell me you have condoms,” she says at last, making me chuckle.
“I won’t be caught unaware again,” I assure her.
“Do you want to know what the best part of being at the chalet was?” she asks and turns her head to me.
“Tell me.”
“Your hands on me.”
I feel the smile spread and know—without a doubt in my mind—that this is the invitation I’ve been looking for.
I take the wine out of her grasp and set it aside, then guide her down onto the cushions the way I did in the chalet just a week ago.
“The best part,” I say and kiss the inside of her ankle, “was exploring you. Every single inch of you. And I intend to do the same tonight. I’m taking it slow with you.”
“So, you’re trying to kill me, then.” She gasps when I lick the underside of her knee. “Death by torture.”
“I want you to lie back, empty that busy brain of yours, and just enjoy yourself. Enjoy us.” I kiss her calf as I press my thumb into the arch of her foot and make her moan deliciously.
And when I kiss the inside of her thigh, and she arches her back, gripping a pillow like a lifeline, I can barely hold myself back from taking her right here and now.
Shelter: A Heroes Of Big Sky Novel Page 8
