by Maine, Miley
Now my future was uncertain. Maybe I should look at it like freedom. There was nothing that said I had to live the life my parents did. I adored them, and their lives were admirable, but I didn’t have to follow that script.
But here was a man who lived on a mountain, who was obviously living his life on his own terms. Yeah, maybe he didn’t want us here.
But maybe I could change his mind.
6
Logan
Fucking hell.
She’d said her name was Bethany. I’d never seen anyone like her before.
She was short, maybe only 5’2” and she had creamy skin and wavy red hair. She was also gutsy, in a way I didn’t often see, not outside of my former colleagues.
I’d pointed a shotgun right at her face, and she hadn’t frozen. She’d grabbed those two friends and yanked them to the ground.
It was a good reaction. Screaming and running would have been good too, but most people froze. The other two had frozen -- the ones she called Mia and Emma. In fact, even now, they were both staring at me with open mouths and glassy eyes.
I still couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t?
Was she a plant? An informant? A spy from another agency?
As I stared at those clear green eyes, I was certain the answer was no. Her eyes held an innocence that was impossible to fake.
I’d thought for sure one of the terrorists had finally caught up with me again. I figured he’d knocked just to add a little spice to the already fucked situation.
But no. It was three young women. Three young, fancy looking women, who looked like they’d never seen a gun before, much less had one pointed at their faces.
I could tell from a glance that their clothes, gloves, and boots were expensive. When I’d first received training in spotting socioeconomic status based on clothes, I’d rolled my eyes. But it had come in handy on more than one mission.
These women really were tourists. And what the hell was that pub owner doing telling people where I lived?
Had she really been so dense that she couldn't tell I wasn’t safe for people to be around? Especially not these silly girls. Hell, I’d probably traumatized them for life. They were the kind that waltzed through life, oblivious to what was really going on in the world. Their lives were safe, and predictable, and that’s how it should be.
That’s why I served, both in the Air Force and in the CIA. To keep people like them alive. To let them have their lives.
God knows I’d never have one again.
Bethany blinked up at me, and I had another thought. It was far worse than the pub owner simply being an hapless idiot. Had she been trying to set me up?
These girls were twenty-one or two years old, at the most. I was thirty-four. Way too fucking old for any of them.
But they’d worked hard to get to the cabin. I’d take them up. Once. Then I’d have to tell Ruth no more set ups.
“Be here tomorrow morning at 9:00.”
* * *
As I was getting the plane out of the hangar, my phone lit up. Shit. It was a text from my brother.
Are you coming home for Christmas?
I was pretty sure he already knew the answer to that. I deleted the text without replying.
The girls arrived at the airfield early. I was still going through the pre-flight checks.
I was not your typical tour guide. If they thought they were going to get a bunch of useless chatter, they were sadly mistaken.
On most of the missions I'd been on for work, I was usually trying to gather information. Sometimes I was meeting an asset or an informant. I'd been on a few for pleasure, but they hadn't been pleasurable. The tour guide had talked so much that I couldn't absorb the scenery I was there to observe.
They usually had insufferable personalities too. But apparently I was the only person that felt that way. Any companions I was with always thought that they were funny and informative.
When I flew people around to their destinations in South America, I had not offered any commentary. One reason was because I didn't want to. The other reason was because I didn't know jack shit about the country.
Before everything went to hell, I liked learning about every country I visited. I wanted to absorb everything. That was over.
But now that I was in Utah, I knew more about the area. I'd grown up skiing in this area. My grandfather had owned a cabin here, and we visited every summer from our home in Wyoming.
As we got started, I gave the girls a rundown on the safety features, and let them know what I wouldn’t be doing.
“I just fly the plane. I don't provide information. Don't bother calling the owner to complain.” I was half hoping my curt demeanor would scare them off.
The one named Bethany smiled at me. “Is that because you were the owner?”
“You got it.”
The girls were quiet as we climbed to the cruising altitude. Every now and then one of them would point something out. But mostly they kept their voices to a low murmur.
Bethany, the redhead, kept looking at me. I had no idea why.
7
Bethany
Logan clearly did not want us on his plane. I wasn't sure why he was offering scenic tours because he sure didn't want to do any guiding. Maybe he hadn't intended to. He’d certainly tried hard enough to run us off. But I had been undeterred.
But his reluctance to speak to us didn't really matter. We were up in the air looking down at the Utah landscape. It was so different from Arkansas. Parts of Arkansas were hilly and green. We even had a few decent mountains in the Ozarks. But it was nothing like the Utah landscape. We didn't have snow like this, and we didn't have jagged mountain ranges.
It was cool enough seeing it from the ground. But seeing it from the air in a small aircraft was so much better.
“That was amazing,” I said once we were done. “It makes me want to get my pilot’s license.” There was no reason I couldn’t. I didn’t have to try and convince my father to do it, I could take the lessons myself. I didn’t even need my own plane.
I felt invigorated. “I think we’re going to try some extreme skiing next. We’re going to go to the summit of Spruce River Mountain,” I said to Logan. There were no roads or ski lifts to the spot I wanted to try. “I noticed you had a snowmobile. Would you be willing to take us to the summit?”
Logan glowered. “No.”
“What?” Surely I’d misheard. “Excuse me?”
“You aren’t going.”
Why did he care what we did with our free time? “Why?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“That’s the point.”
“No. It’s not dangerous in the cute way that roller coasters are dangerous. People die. And if they don’t, they get frostbite, or hypothermia, or they end up with a broken neck.”
“Only a few!”
“A few is too many. They aren’t trained for that. That part of the mountain isn’t regulated. There are no patrols. Its a fucking terrible idea.”
“Why do you care?”
“Because I’ve watched people die.” His voice went dangerously low. “It’s not worth it.”
I blinked. I hadn’t been expecting that. And from the looks of Logan, neither had he. His face shuttered and he stepped away. “Suit yourselves. But you won’t get any help from me.”
“Fine,” I yelled. “Maybe we’ll get a helicopter to drop us off.”
He turned his back and walked away.
* * *
I could not stop thinking about Logan. If he’d looked that good in his long-sleeved t-shirt, and his frayed jeans, what would he look like underneath?
I wanted to find out.
“Wow, he had a really strong reaction to you saying we were going to ski,” Mia said as we stomped our way back down the path toward the shuttle stop. “I think that was more words than he said at any one time today while we were in his plane.”
“Maybe that means we don’t need to do any extreme skiing. The regular ski lifts
are scary enough,” Emmaline added. “Did you see the pile up today? Several people fell off as they disembarked!”
I waved them off. “They were all fine. And we’ll be fine. We’ve been skiing all of our lives.”
We all stuffed into one of the open seats on the shuttle and rode back to our lodge.
Emmaline and Mia promptly said good night and went to their rooms to text their parents, but I wasn’t tired.
I sat in the living area of the lodge and sipped a mug of hot apple cider. I had seen a spark of attraction coming from Logan. I just knew it. I’d seen him looking at me in the plane. And yes, he was rude about skiing the summit, but he obviously felt like it was important.
I was going to go back to his cabin. The shuttles ran until 11:00 p.m., so I had another hour. I rushed to my bathroom and brushed my teeth and put on some lip gloss.
I looked over at the bathtub. I wasn’t exactly dirty, but I hadn’t showered since that morning. What exactly was I planning? I’d been with Winston for years, and we hadn’t slept together.
I didn’t have to plan anything. I just wanted to smell good. I dumped a capful of eucalyptus bubble bath in the hot water, and stepped in. After trudging through the snow, I was still chilly so the warm water felt amazing.
I sank down into the bubbles, letting the warmth seep into my skin. Once I was warm, I grabbed a razor and started shaving my legs. As I smoothed my hand over my skin, I imagined Logan’s hands on my legs.
What would it feel like for him to run his hands over my thighs?
My stomach flipped over and the space between my legs ached. Winston had touched me there, over my panties, but it hadn’t been good. It hadn’t been bad either. It had just been nothing special. I had not had an orgasm with him, not even once.
I was twenty-two years old, and it was past time for me to have a good orgasm with a man. Could Logan give me a good orgasm? I wasn't sure, but maybe I would find out.
After my legs were silky smooth, I dried off. I skipped the scented lotion but I put on my sexiest bra and panties. They were pale pink, and covered with lace. I’d shown them to Winston when they were still in the bag, and he’d barely reacted. Now I knew why. He’d been fucking someone else. Maybe for years. And he likely would have continued to do so, even after we were married.
I was going to have to thank my friends for packing my sexy undergarments. Apparently they knew what they were doing after all.
I dressed in my cutest jeans and my most fitted sweater.
This time I ditched my bulky ski coat in favor of my black pea coat. I found my bright green knitted ski cap and pulled it down over my hair and wrapped my cream-colored scarf around my neck. I’d been told over and over they made my green eyes stand out.
I was on the pill for hormone reasons, so I should be safe from pregnancy. I didn’t have any condoms, but Mia did. I found her purse on the kitchen table, and I took two of them with me. I knew she wouldn’t mind.
I grabbed a piece of paper from the kitchen drawer and left a note, just in case one of my friends decided to have a late-night snack and thought I was missing.
If I told them now what I was doing, they would come crashing down the stairs squealing. They would absolutely encourage me to have a one-night stand, but they probably wouldn’t approve of Logan. They would want me to find someone my own age, and someone who wasn't so openly hostile.
But I didn't want someone my own age. I've had someone my own age. And he turned out to be a massive disappointment. I wanted a mature man. I wanted Logan.
Dear Mia and Emmaline,
Don't worry if you can't find me in the lodge. I have left to go back to Logan's cabin. I don't know what will happen, but he is another adventure I'm looking for.
Love, Beth
Finally, I was ready. My body was a constant jangle of nerves. I couldn't stand to wait for the shuttle so I called a ride share. My parents would freak out if they knew I was riding around with a stranger this late at night on a dark mountain. But at least my driver was a woman.
We chatted on the way over to Logan's cabin. The ride was far too short. I didn't have time to pull myself together. But it was too cold for me to linger outside for long. I walked the distance up the path to his home, and this time I wasn't even cold. My entire body was flushed from the inside out in anticipation.
But as I neared his door, I stumbled. My knee hit the snow and my cute knitted hat fell forward into my eyes. My jeans were soaked, and the cold crashed over me. I brushed myself off and rushed the last few steps to his door.
My teeth chattered as I knocked. I had hoped to show up looking sexy, with flushed cheeks and windblown hair, but now I was just going to look disheveled.
The door flew open.
Logan stood glowering in the doorway again. He was holding his shotgun, but it was at his side not pointed at my face. He wore the same jeans, and the same snug henley shirt. I licked my lips. It looked just as good on him as I’d remembered.
“Hi,” I said.
“What the hell are you doing here again?”
“Can I come in?”
“No. Does my place look like a hotel? Don't tell me you've been locked out of your room.”
All my bravado dissipated. Now all my teeth were chattering so hard I could barely form words. Why hadn’t I thought of a reason that I was back at his cabin?
I couldn’t very well tell the truth, could I? That he was the hottest man I’d ever seen, and I wanted to see him naked!
I wasn’t sure he’d react well to that.
God, what if he was married?
I had not thought this through well at all. I opened my mouth. “I. Um.” I’d never been at a loss for words. I was often the one chosen to speak at our fundraisers and handle TV interviews because I was articulate and well-spoken. Right now, that was not the case at all.
He shook his head in disgust. Then something I didn’t expect happened.
He grabbed my arm and tugged me forward. I didn’t know what was happening, so I didn’t move my legs in time.
I crashed into his chest.
Wow. He smelled nice. Like fresh lumber and pine needles.
Against my cheek, his shirt was soft, and his chest was firm. I could feel his defined muscles.
He grabbed me again, this time under the arm and tugged me inside. He dragged me to a chair. “Sit.”
I did as he said. He put the gun up high, on a rack in the kitchen. I guess he liked to keep it handy.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I realized I was staring at him with my mouth open.
He crouched down in front of me. “Bethany. Did Something happen?”
His concern surprised me. I thought he’d be angrier than this.
“No. Nothing happened.”
“You’re all wet. Was someone chasing you? Did they hurt you?”
I sat up straighter, alarmed by his tone of voice. “No. No one chased me. I fell in the snow.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re sure.”
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
“You need to get dry.”
Once again, he was hauling me forward. This time he yanked me toward the fireplace, where there was already a fire roaring. “Your lips are purple. You need to get those jeans off.”
I’d convinced myself I was ready to strip naked and hop into bed with him, but now that I was faced with taking off a pair of icy jeans that clung to my already freezing skin, I freaked out a little.
I swallowed hard. “I doubt you have anything that will fit,” I said.
He stalked off and came back with a thick towel. “Here. Wrap that around your waist.” He looked at my coat. “And take off those gloves.”
Even in my coat, I was still shivering.
He scowled down at me, then came back with a blanket. “Take that coat off. Wrap this blanket around you. It’s down.”
This was encouraging. I’d done nothing, and he was already paying more attention to me than I’d expected. When he
sat down on the hearth beside me and pulled my sleeve off, I leaned forward. I got right in his space and I pressed my lips to his.
I don’t think he had any idea that I was going to do that, because he yanked his head away from me.
“Dammit girl. What are you trying to do?”
“What did it look like?”
“You’re playing with fire.”
“Good.” I let my coat fall all the way off my shoulders. “That’s what I want.”
“You might get more than you bargained for. What are you going to do then?”
Just being this close to Logan was heady, and I felt dizzy from wanting him. “I don’t know.”
“You’d better know.”
“I want to know. I want to find out.” I put my hand on his thigh. “With you.”
8
Logan
What the fuck was I thinking?
When I heard the knock, I had not expected it to be Bethany.
She was a temptation sitting there in front of me. She had on a green hat, and her wavy red hair spilled out from under it. The hat matched her eyes, and so did her scarf.
And her legs were bare, thanks to her wet jeans. She’d wrapped a towel around her waist, but I could see her skin peeking out around her toned calves.
As soon as I’d seen her standing there on my porch, with her cheeks pink from the cold, and her full lips all bitten, my cock was hard.
There was no way she really wanted this.
I needed to scare her off.
I took her by the shoulders. “You say you want to play with fire. Do you even know what that means?”
Her eyes were half-lidded. Her tongue licked over her full lips. “No,” she whispered.
“Did you come here for this?”
