Mister Big Stuff: A Single Mom Friends to Lovers Novel

by Parker, Weston

  Without warning memories of another egotistical male sprang up, and Dani groaned, scrubbing her face with her hands, wishing it was as easy to scrub away her thoughts. Damn you, Dean Fischer , she thought to herself, replaying their awkward afternoon meeting.

  Fischer had taken Janna's departure as his cue to assume the seat in front of Dani's desk. He'd settled in, crossing one slender leg over the other and picking an imaginary piece of lint off of his slacks. His gaze then scanned her office, taking in the piles of books and papers haphazardly stacked around the room and interspersed with jars and cases displaying her specimens. "I somehow expected your office to be more organized. Aren't women supposed to be better nesters than men?"

  A good old-fashioned chauvinistic comment was a sure-fire way to start an argument in Danielle's book, but in the interest of career advancement, she decided to ignore it. "Dean Fischer, how can I help you?"

  His customary smirk reappeared on his face. "Please, call me Jeffrey, as I've said before. No need for excessive formality between colleagues."

  Dani didn't like the predatory element in his gaze. She swallowed nervously and continued. "Dean--er--Jeffrey, what can I do for you?"

  "I was hoping we could discuss your fieldwork, but in a more casual atmosphere. How about dinner tonight?"

  Dani's eyes widened. She'd often get a strange vibe from Dean Fischer--er--Jeffrey, but he'd never asked her to meet him "in a more casual atmosphere" before. Her brain had searched frantically for an excuse to avoid the situation.

  "Thank you for the invitation," she'd said, unable to meet his self-assured gaze. "Unfortunately, I have to finish packing and gathering equipment for my trip. I leave tomorrow, so I don't have any time to spare." And that had been when her trouble began. She'd recklessly revised her schedule in the hopes of avoiding a dinner date with the dean.

  However, he wasn't one to take no for an answer. "I understand that you're busy. Nevertheless, it's for your benefit. After all, your tenure review is coming up, and as Dean of Sciences, my opinions can be valuable. Perhaps you could make some time?"

  Dani wanted to howl in frustration, but she didn't have the luxury. And it was evident now that she couldn't afford to get on his bad side either, not after his not-so-subtle hint. She had glanced at her watch, then held in a sigh.

  "Well, I've got about 45 minutes before a meeting, if you have time right now. Maybe we could grab a coffee at the Union?"

  His smile resembled a shark's. "Very good. Let's go."

  ***

  The Union had been crowded, which suited Dani fine. Although it might be irrational, she had no desire to find herself alone with Dean Fischer.

  "Danielle," he'd said, his voice attempting suave sophistication, but his vowels taking on a distinct nasal quality that Dani associated with imitated intellectualism, "I'm glad we have a moment alone to talk."

  Dani had almost snorted at his definition of 'alone,' as crowds of undergrads milled around, looking for their caffeine fixes and loaded burritos. She reined in her negativity and plowed ahead, wanting to finish up this meeting before things could get intimate.

  "Dean Fischer, you mentioned wanting to discuss my fieldwork. As you know, I've been awarded a grant to study the Pacific Treefrog, or Pseudacris regilla , in the wild. In my dissertation, I proposed that what we currently believe is one species of the Northwestern Pacific Treefrog is actually two distinct species that are able to cohabitate peacefully. Now, the idea of peaceful cohabitation between species is not new, but for frogs, it is highly unlikely for two species to work together as one usually tries to eat the other. However--"

  "Dani," he had interrupted, raising one hand, palm outward, while his other hand brought his coffee cup to his lips for a drink. "I’m very familiar with the research. I'm here to talk logistics. Your proposal states that you'll be living in the forest for the next few months. I wondered what your specific arrangements will be."

  "Of course," she'd said, tamping down her anger at his interruption, and his interest in what she considered the basics of fieldwork. "I'll be camping in a tent within a developing state park. There is a ranger onsite who will assist me with any questions or issues I might have while I'm there. I've done extensive reading on biological field work and believe I have all the supplies I need."

  "Excellent," he'd said, setting his cup down and reaching across the table to touch the back of Dani's hand. "You seem quite prepared. However, I am aware that this is your first time in the field. It can be a frightening experience, all alone in the woods. I want you to know that I'm here for you if you need me. Don't hesitate to call."

  Dani fought to control the heat rising to her cheeks. She'd pulled her hand back and slid it under the table to join the other on her lap. Keeping her eyes on her coffee cup so that he wouldn't see the anger rising in them, she'd thanked him. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

  Now here she was, alone in a tent in the middle of the Oregon wilderness, wondering if she really would be as fine as she hoped. Anything could happen out here in the woods, and she hadn't been lying when she'd called herself a camping greenhorn. She remembered the ranger's laugh when she'd said those words. His blue eyes had lightened then, and his patronizing demeanor had disappeared for a moment.

  You're not alone , she reminded herself. You've got a sexy ranger nearby, in case you need help. Or at least something virile to look at . The thought of Caleb being out here in the woods with her finally calmed her riotous thoughts enough for her to slip into sleep.

  Chapter 3

  Sunlight burst through the cabin window onto an empty bed. Caleb had been up for hours after a night chasing sleep. Chasing but not catching. His coffee sat untouched before him as he stared into space, his thoughts consumed by his guest.

  She was hotter than any professor had a right to be. Like a scientist in a cheesy spy flick whose white lab coat and clipboard disguised a dangerous body and willing sexuality.

  Such thoughts had plagued him for hours. Even now he wanted to take his ATV down to her campsite and check on her. She would be snuggled in tight, her limbs wrapped around her body pillow. Caleb had never wanted to be an inanimate object so badly. To feel those smooth legs wrapped around him...

  The ringing of his cell snapped him out of the fantasy. He grabbed the phone and glanced at the number. Brice Masterson. Fantastic.

  "I thought you trust fund babies didn't get out of bed before noon."

  "That's usually true," Brice answered with a chuckle, "but I couldn't sleep amid the tangle of supermodel limbs, so I decided to give you a call."

  "And I'm so glad you did. I wanted a chance to thank you for the little gift you sent."

  "Gift? I don't know what you mean."

  Caleb smiled. "You sure? She couldn't be more perfect if you wrapped her."

  Brice's voice lost its playfulness. "You met Dr. French. She's not a gift; she's a biologist, one we've given a hefty grant for research in my park."

  "Your park?" Caleb didn't hide the smile in his voice. Brice Masterson was the closest thing to a friend he had. While working together on plans for the park, they had developed a relationship of sorts, based on mutual teasing and a shared interest in kayaking.

  And women.

  "Yes, the Masterson Memorial Parklands Project, the one intended to honor my dear departed parents' memories, and the one I'm currently allowing you to develop because we both share a passion for the outdoors, among other things."

  "I can tell you one thing I've got a passion for right now. And that makes me wonder, is it one you share?" His tone was good-natured, but the question was significant.

  Brice sighed, his voice taking on a serious tone. "Cut the shit, Caleb. She's not like the women we usually bag. She's an academic--"

  "And a damn sexy one," Caleb interrupted.

  "That may be true, but she's not there for you. She's there for frogs. So leave her alone and let her work."

  Caleb felt a twinge of jealousy. Was Brice into her, was that why his frie
nd was warning him off? Even if he was, Caleb wasn't sure he could resist the temptation. "What do you want, Masterson?" he said, hoping the man hadn't called to lay claim to his professor.

  "Just a question for you. Have you noticed anything unusual around the park? Any strangers? Loud noises?"

  Brice wasn't fucking around. His tone put Caleb on alert. "No. What's the situation?"

  His pal sighed before answering. "My family was less than pleased with my donation of the land for the park. Fortunately, my parents' will was iron-clad. All family and corporation assets went to me in the event of their deaths, and the courts have upheld the will despite several challenges."

  Brice continued, his voice taking on an edge as he laid out his suspicions for possible retaliation by displeased family members. A frown spread across Caleb's features as he listened. The millionaire wrapped up his debriefing with a final warning. "Keep your eyes peeled for any unusual activities, and I'll do the same on my end." Brice's voice became stern. "And that means you'll be too busy to bother our dear Dr. French."

  "Don't count on it." Caleb ended the call and tossed his phone onto his table. How had things gotten so complicated so quickly? He'd hoped for a quiet place in this world, one where he could live his life in privacy, in solitude. But it seemed the world, and Brice's overly-entitled family weren't ready to grant him peace. His thoughts turned to his own family before he could stop them.

  His childhood was nothing like the fantasyland that he assumed his friend's to be. His parents' marriage had been a nightmare, one that he couldn't escape, asleep or awake. They had tortured each other emotionally for years until the venom they'd built up inside had leaked outward and destroyed them both. He could remember his mother's screams on that night, his father's furious face but strangely sad eyes...

  No, he wouldn't go there, wouldn't remember. He'd moved to the park to escape a similar fate, and he wouldn't allow such negative thoughts to infect his new life here. He stood up swiftly, nearly banging his head into the lantern that hung above him. He turned it off and headed for the shower, forcing his mind away from his family, away from the threat to his park and his dream. That left only one available avenue for his thoughts, one that led straight to the desirable little professor a few miles away.

  His cock woke up as he thought about her in her own shower. The air would be crisp, the water cold. Her nipples would bead under the chilly spray, her skin breaking out in goose bumps as the water flowed over her breasts and smooth belly, lower down to her most intimate part. Would she be covered in dark hair, or would she keep herself smooth?

  Caleb groaned and took himself in his hand. Thoughts of her rubbing soapy water over her flawless skin made him ache. He imagined her hands making tiny circles, down her neck, over her shoulders, across her breasts, sliding down her stomach, then lower to cup her slick, wet lips.

  He gripped his cock tightly and pressed forward, forcing himself to move through his fingers over and over until the room grew dim. How good it would feel to take a woman slow and hard. Or fast and furiously. Hell, anyway she wanted it.

  A few moments and an unsatisfying orgasm later, Caleb was out of the shower, dried, and fully dressed. His mind wouldn't leave the professor alone, however, and he began to worry. He'd been attracted to women before, and most had been attracted right back. This mutual attraction usually led to a night of steamy sex, followed by a quick departure in the morning. No follow up phone calls, no texts, no reconnection.

  He didn't do relationships, that was something he and Brice also had in common, another reason they'd become pals. They were good for one night of pleasure, and no woman had ever held his interest beyond that. None had ever once tempted him to break his own rule, perhaps because he'd never allowed them to. It was safer that way, easier.

  Maybe that was the problem with the professor. He just needed one night to get her out of his system. Then he could ignore her, and she could do her research in peace, then get the hell out of his park.

  Decision made, he moved toward the door to try to get some work done on his trails. It would give him time to plan the best way to get her beneath him, and quickly. Grinning wryly as his dick began to swell again at the thought, he pulled on a jacket and headed out of the house, hoping that hard work would give his body the release it needed.

  ***

  Dani was freezing cold. The portable shower was handy, but the ice-cold water she'd pulled from a pond was not an easy thing to take this early in the morning. Her teeth were chattering as she dried herself vigorously, hoping her goose bumps would subside once she got dressed. She fled to her tent, struggling to get it unzipped as she stood freezing in her towel. Finally, it gave way, and she rushed in, diving back onto her bed and burrowing under the blankets until she stopped trembling with cold.

  Finally, she felt warm enough to brave dressing, which she did clumsily from underneath her sleeping bag. She then scooted out of bed and unzipped the center divider in her make-shift tent, a thin wall that separated her "bedroom" from her "office." She went directly to the table she'd set up yesterday and the propane stove that lay atop it. She filled her camping coffee pot with her favorite brew, lit the stove, and put the pot on the burner to boil.

  Dani opened the two windows within the tent to make sure there was proper ventilation. Before long the water was boiling, and she could see the coffee percolating through the glass dome on top.

  Pouring her first cup of coffee she smiled, adding a sugar cube and a packet of creamer. If there was one area in which she accepted the label obsessive , it was in regards to her coffee. Dani sat down, put her feet up on the table, crossing one leg over the other, and took her first sip.

  She gave a choked gasp and spit the coffee out in an arc that sprayed all over her legs. She hissed, being careful to set down the cup before she stood and wiped up the mess. It tasted like pond water, pond water and frog shit.

  It took a minute for Dani to recover her confidence, but she wouldn't let a cup of terrible coffee destroy her excitement. She needed to scout out the area and determine the locations of amphibian colonies. Maybe she could even place some of her cameras if she got lucky and spotted some frogs.

  Gathering her supplies, she placed them carefully into her backpack. Dani made sure to input the location of her campsite into her GPS so that she wouldn't get lost while exploring. Finally, she stepped out into the sunlight and sped down the slope, heading off to the ponds and adventure.

  By lunchtime, Dani was sweaty and miserable. She'd found no evidence of her frogs and felt the first tendrils of doubt beginning to climb her insides. Having read about a colony not five miles from this park last year when she'd been crafting her grant proposal, she knew this area should be home to the species as well. But she couldn't find even one frog, despite her best efforts.

  She swatted at the gnats that flew around her face as she splashed through yet another puddle. Having placed no cameras, she plodded back toward her camp, burdened by all of her gear and the weight of failure.

  In the distance, she heard the sound of a motor. The idea that it might be Caleb's ATV made her quicken her pace, and she almost jogged back to camp. He was nowhere to be seen, but something seemed off about her campsite. She was sure that she'd zipped up the tent completely when she'd left, but it was now partially unzipped, as were her shower and bathroom.

  Dani wondered if Caleb had come to call and been snooping while she was gone. She approached her tent, attempting to determine if anything had been disturbed, but she could see nothing out of the ordinary. Unzipping her tent, she slipped inside.

  Although her "office" was necessarily small and low-maintenance, it was clear that a few things had been moved around. Papers that had been neatly stacked slid haphazardly across her desk. Her laptop, which she had closed down before departing this morning, was now propped open. Even her coffee cup had been moved and set down in a different position. Strange.

  Stepping back outside, she listened for the motor sound that
she had heard heading back. It was gone. Dani sighed, wondering what to do about this invasion of privacy. If Caleb wanted to know something about her research, why didn't he just ask her? What was with the snooping? She remembered that she was alone out in the woods, the closest human a couple mile's hike away. And that human was not necessarily someone she trusted. She barely even knew him.

  Dani hated feeling afraid, and her anger at the invasion of her privacy quickly burnt the thin thread of apprehension to an unrecognizable crisp. There were still several hours left before the dusk, more than enough time to make the hike to his cabin. Dani took a moment to refill her water bottle and secure her campsite, then set off down the overgrown hunting trail.

  It led up a series of hills and back down through pleasant green valleys. The short climbs had her heart pumping, but the adrenaline in her veins was fueled by her anger. It hadn't been easy, fighting her way through graduate school, sometimes not being taken seriously because of her gender, size, and appearance.

  She'd worked hard to prove that big brains could come in small packages, and still jerks like Dean Fischer ignored her intellect in favor of her more physical charms. She couldn't stand being taken advantage of, which was exactly what Caleb was doing by invading her privacy. He thought she was just a weak and witless woman, one who'd let him walk all over her while digging through her personal stuff with impunity. Well, she'd show him, she'd...

  Her anger petered out as she crested a hill and took in the view around her. It was stunning, the way the rays of sunlight pierced the clouds and shone down on the forest laid out around her. Trees in every shade of green carpeted the valley, a clear blue river making its way between them, its fast-moving water bubbling up white in spots. Dani could make out a couple of eagles circling the treetops, and she smiled without thinking. It was magnificent, and she felt some of her tension fade.