by Haley Travis
Then I took a good, long look at those beautiful puffy pink lips, and felt my knees twitch as I tried to hold myself back from kissing her. My wet jeans were becoming tight, and it wasn’t from the hot water.
“I think I’m okay,” she said. “I just…I just need…”
My left hand dropped, cupping her soft round ass as I held her tighter against me. “Tell me what you need.”
She bit her lip, then tilted her head back to let the warm water spray straight across her face. Tilting her back a little, she laughed as she shook the water from her eyes.
“I need…” She looked up at me with a strange expression, then nodded to herself as if she had just made a decision. “Will you forgive a naughty kitten?”
Jesus, this young lady was pushing every single one of my buttons and I needed to get her the hell out of here right now before I did something completely inappropriate.
“I think you should be a good little kitten,” I said firmly. “We’re going to get out of the shower, and I’m going to bundle you up in some nice dry clothes, all right? Then after we get some food into you, I’m going to take you back to your cabin.”
“That’s not what I need,” she whispered.
I knew the right thing to do would be to shut off the water and wrap her in a towel. Instead, I leaned down to breathe into her ear, “Tell me what you need.”
Her beautiful face turned to me, crushing her lips into mine as both of her hands circled the back of my neck. Before I even knew what was happening, I was kissing her back, my tongue gliding seductively into her mouth as she moaned for me.
With a little jump, as if she knew I would catch her, my arms scooped under her hot ass as she wrapped her thighs around my waist. Pinning her against the shower wall, her wild moaning echoed off the tiles.
My cock was grinding into her panties through my jeans. Three seconds. In three seconds I could unzip them, tear her underwear off and be balls deep in this gorgeous, sexy girl. Her hips began to writhe, rubbing against me as if that was precisely what she wanted as well.
With a growl, I managed to tear myself from her lips. She blinked up at me with wet eyelashes. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “Did I do something wrong?”
Switching off the water, I held her against me as I walked out of the shower stall, setting her on her feet and wrapping her in a huge towel.
“You’re far too tempting, my sweet little kitten,” I said, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. “I’m going to hand you some clothes in a minute, and I don’t want you to come out until you’re dry and dressed. Okay?”
“Okay.” Her voice sounded tiny, as if she was nervous that I was about to scold her. I hated to think I might have done that.
Grabbing a towel for myself, I went into my bedroom, stripping off my soaking jeans and rubbing myself off briskly, dressing in dry clothing as fast as I could. I found a pair of track pants and a soft t-shirt for her. Tapping on the bathroom door, I turned away while opening it just wide enough to get my hand and the clothing through.
“Thank you,” she said.
I quickly put the kettle on, and looked for something warm and comforting to feed her. Luckily I had made an amazing pot of chili two days before, so I heated that up, finding some fresh rolls and garlic butter.
When Kate walked slowly out of the bathroom, she looked so adorable swimming in my huge clothing that I wanted to pull her into my arms again. But instead I pointed to a chair, placing a mug of ginger tea in front of her, along with two capsules and a glass of water.
“Vitamins C and D,” I said before she asked. “You just had a terrible chill, and you need your immune system boosted right now. There’s a ton of onion and garlic in this chili, so that should help too.”
“Thank you,” she said with a smile I could feel in the pit of my stomach. She took the pills immediately, and I realized with great relief that she trusted me. I also realized, as she looked up at me with those radiant green eyes, that I was already helplessly under her spell.
CHAPTER THREE
* Kate *
For half a second, I couldn’t believe that I had just swallowed pills given to me by a strange man. On the other hand, he was the same man who hadn’t taken advantage of me when I practically jumped him in the shower.
My head was still spinning a bit from the fall, and that nasty chill, but even more from the way we had kissed. I had no idea that it could be that intense. I’d never felt absolute lust before, and it would have almost scared me, except it felt absolutely perfect.
Ray dropped to one knee in front of my chair, quickly rolling up the bottom of each track pant leg for me. Then he sat in the chair beside me.
I took a look around the quaint cabin, noticing that the furniture in here was truly high end. My cabin was full of nice pieces, but fairly simple and cheap. Everything in this place could have been at one of the fanciest shops where you needed to book an appointment just to look around.
He cupped my face in his large hands, looking deeply into my eyes as he tipped my chin up to the light a little. I felt my thighs tighten and I hoped he was about to kiss me. But then I noticed he was looking into my eyes with concern, not passion.
“Slowly look to the left, then to the right,” he instructed. I did exactly as he said, then looked back into that gaze of deep, mystical blue.
His hands slid up the back of my neck, gently probing the back of my skull under my hair. “Does anything hurt?” he asked softly.
His fingers found a spot that made me wince, just behind and above my left ear. “I’m sorry, just take a deep breath,” he said. Closing my eyes, I breathed slowly as he carefully ran his fingers around the area.
“There are no cuts, but you might have a bruise there. Do you have a headache? Do you feel dizzy?”
“I think I’m okay,” I said. There was no way to tell him that I was a bit dizzy from the strange electricity running through me every time he touched my skin.
He nodded, his face turning from stern and rugged to absolutely gorgeous as he smiled. “Let’s get some food into you, and see how you feel in a bit.”
He stood up and turned to the stove, scooping out two bowls of chili and placing a basket of rolls on the table. I took a sip of tea and instantly felt a little brighter.
“That ginger is amazing,” I said.
“Good,” he nodded as he sat down close beside me. “Now don’t be shy, eat up. A little fuel and a good night’s sleep and you’ll be right as rain.” His eyebrow raised. “Nice, pleasant rain.”
He made me smile so easily. “I didn’t want to be any trouble. Thank you for finding me, and for taking care of me.”
He nodded. “It’s no trouble. But we’re going to have a talk tomorrow about maps, and why guests should stick to the trails. I’ll also teach you how to watch the sky, so you can keep an eye on the weather and not get caught next time.”
“To tell you the truth, I’m kind of afraid to leave my cabin again,” I said, blowing on a steaming spoonful of chili. “I should be working more than hiking anyway.”
“What is it that you’re working on?” he asked.
“I am a singer-songwriter. I’d like to start performing my own music on open stages and as an opening act someday, but I need more songs.”
His eyes lit up with excitement. “You’re a singer? That’s amazing. And you write your own songs?”
I nodded, then saw out of the corner of my eye that he had a CD rack that took up half of the living room wall. “I take it you like music,” I said.
“Absolutely,” he nodded. “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but I admire people who can.”
“This is amazing, thank you,” I said, digging into my dinner.
“Glad you like it. I always cook a big batch of something when I’m out here alone, and eat it for days at a time, so it’s nice to have someone to share it with.”
“Um, are you always out here alone?” I asked. With a pang I realized I didn’t even know if he was marri
ed or something.
“My brother and I own this land, and he runs the cabin rentals for most of the year,” he said. “I give him a month off in the summer and take over so that he can do some traveling. The rest of the year, I live in the city and make furniture.”
“That’s where I live too,” I said, wondering whether I should ask him more personal questions or not.
We ate in silence for a while, dipping chunks of the rolls into the chili. Between that and the ginger tea, I was actually getting overheated. Ray must have noticed I was becoming flushed, as he went over to the wall and turned the heat down. Staring at his huge shoulders and tight, firm ass certainly didn’t turn down the heat inside me.
“Would you like some more?” he asked, eyeing my empty bowl.
“No, thank you. I had two bites too many.”
“Perfect, because I don’t really have any dessert to offer you,” he chuckled. “My grocery run is tomorrow.”
I jumped up and took the bowls to the sink, rinsing them as I looked around for the dish soap.
“Thanks, but I can’t have you cleaning up,” he chuckled.
“You saved my life. The least I can do is wash the dishes,” I smiled.
“Actually, I want you to rest.” He stood up and came right beside me, his arm sliding around my waist. “Kate, I know I should walk you to your cabin, but I don’t want you to be alone tonight, just in case you do have a bit of a concussion.”
Ray’s strong profile wore a strange expression that I couldn’t quite read. “I’m feeling strangely protective of you. Does that scare you?”
I shook my head.
“How can you trust me if you don’t even know me?” His slightly crooked smile was overwhelmingly charming.
I realized that I had already taken a half step closer to press against his side, my chin turning up to his. “When I threw myself at you in the shower, you were a gentleman about it.” I paused, feeling my cheeks flaming. “I’m really sorry about that.”
His hand drifted down to grip the side of my hip. “Kitten, I’ll be honest. Cutting things short in the shower was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.”
“Really?” I blurted.
“I’ve never met such a beautiful, sweet girl as you, Kate,” he said softly, his other hand reaching up to graze his fingertips tenderly along my cheekbone as he tilted my chin up further.
“You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, and far too gorgeous to be around me. So there’s no way I could possibly have taken advantage of you when you were half delirious.” His eyes closed for a moment. “In fact, I’m truly sorry I let it go as far as I did.”
“That was completely my fault,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.”
His smile made his eyes glow. “Don’t be sorry, kitten. You were running on instinct. You have no idea what it does to me to know that part of you had those sorts of urges toward me.”
“Um, so… What do we do now?” I whispered. I needed him to hold me, and do...whatever came naturally. I was flooded with the urge to be naked while he showed me how he wanted me to touch every part of him. I needed to please him, and I’d never even imagined feeling something like that so deeply.
His lips brushed against my forehead. “Now you go sleep in my bed, and I will go to the couch, and we’ll chat about maps and weather in the morning.”
Ray led me to his bedroom, taking the spare pillow and a blanket out to the living room as he shut the door, calling out, “Sweet dreams, Kate.”
As I crawled into his bed, it smelled like Ray – woodsy and warm and deeply seductive. As exhausted as I was, I didn’t know if there was any way I could sleep knowing he was in the next room, when he could be beside me.
CHAPTER FOUR
* Ray *
The couch was lumpy, and far too short for my frame. Knowing just how comfortable I could be stretched out in my own bed with my arms around Kate was enough of a distraction that I tossed and turned for a while. The interior walls were thin here, and I thought I could hear her move a few times as well.
It would have been so easy to have taken her in the shower. It would have been so easy to have taken her right after dinner. But it wouldn’t have been fair to her.
I was a loner. Always had been. I didn’t know a damn thing about relationships, and I’d never wanted to compromise for anyone.
It drove my brother nuts whenever we stayed together for a few days. I would eat when I wanted, sleep when I wanted, leave the room in the middle of a conversation if I got bored. It was just the way it always was with me.
I tried dating a few times years ago, but women always seemed so fussy. Dinner had to be at seven, not when people were hungry. They had all of these rules of how they chose to live, and how they thought things should be. It was maddening. It was exhausting. It just wasn’t me.
Yet from the split second I looked into Kate’s eyes, I wanted to be with her. It was an urge as natural as breathing. Not just for an evening of lusty bliss, although that was definitely on my mind.
I didn’t know how to care for a girl beyond the basics. If she was cold, I’d warm her up. If she was hungry, I would feed her. But what the hell is a man supposed to do if a woman is crying and upset? If she had a problem at work, was I supposed to go down there and crack somebody in the head?
My time was spent in my new workshop, putting in ten- to fourteen-hour days, creating any sort of wooden furniture I desired. It was a hobby I began in my teens when I wanted a sturdier nightstand. Two decades later, by all accounts, I was damn good at it.
Somehow I had lucked out and found several high-end furniture stores who went crazy for my pieces. I simply sent them a photo, and a truck showed up to take it away, leaving an extravagant check in its place. I’d even had sneaky interior designers show up at my studio, begging for specific items. If they went to that much trouble, I gave them what they wanted, but charged them triple for annoying me. They never even blinked at the price.
So I was used to doing whatever the hell I wanted. My life was set up for productivity and comfort. That was it.
What would a woman say if she saw my little house, where everything was blue, brown, and gray? The kitchen was laid out for efficient batch cooking, not dinner parties. Just the thought of a woman coming into my home and telling me that everything was “wrong” made me uncomfortable.
But Kate…she wouldn’t judge me. I didn’t even know why or how I knew this, I just did. There was something about her that was more deeply sweet than any other woman I’d ever met. She was logical. Open-minded. She seemed to really listen, and I noticed how her eyes darted around, observing details.
She was also tougher than most women. Even when she was injured and chilled to the bone, she didn’t cry. She didn’t want sympathy.
A shudder ran through me and my cock began to stiffen at the thought of what she did want. I knew it was probably some survival instinct kicking in, but as she had writhed against me in the shower, kissing me with that astounding fire, I could feel how much she wanted me.
I couldn’t tie down such a sweet young thing with a relationship. Especially not with an older guy whose habits were practically set in stone.
A rustle from the bedroom made my ears perk up. There was a little thump, and a click. By the time my eyes fully opened and I saw that there was light coming from under the bedroom door, I was already on my feet.
Opening the door gently, I whispered, “Kate, are you all right?” As I inched the door open, I saw that she had turned on the dim bedside lamp. Her covers were kicked off, and she’d taken off the track pants, wearing nothing but my t-shirt that was absolutely huge on her like a shapeless dress. My mouth fell open as I took in her toned legs, thick thighs, and a flash of that round, sexy hip.
She turned to me, her hair slightly messy, cheeks slightly pink. “I’m sorry if I woke you,” she said softly. “I thought I heard an animal outside.”
I couldn’t help thinking that she should be more afraid o
f the animal who was in the room with her. My feet moved before I could stop them, as I sat on the edge of the bed.
“The only animals out there are squirrels and raccoons,” I said. “We see foxes from time to time, but they don’t come near people. And they certainly don’t come near gorgeous girls who are safe in bed and supposed to be sleeping.”
Her eyes flashed when I called her gorgeous. Surely every man she'd ever met must have told her that?
“I didn’t wake you up, did I?” she asked. “I’m sorry – you’ve been so nice to me, and I’ve been nothing but a bother.”
