My savior stomped through the snow, using a shovel to push it aside until we approached a very large truck that was still running. Just feeling the heat from the distance felt like heaven.
Heat. Heat!
“You’re probably going to feel a little dizzy.” He put me in the passenger seat and aimed one of the vents at me.
“What? Why—” The heat engulfed me and I passed out immediately when the door closed.
“I WARNED YOU.” I HEARD his gravel coated voice when I finally opened my eyes again.
“Where are we? What happened?” I looked around in shock.
“Intense cold and heat don’t mix. You were in the cold so long that your body couldn’t handle the heat. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” His voice was practically a growl, deep and rugged.
“Did someone send you to get me? You knew my name...” I held my hands to the heater. “Are you a policeman?”
“No.” He chuckled. “They’re talking about you on the news. You probably don’t remember me, but I passed you on the road earlier today. I saw you turn down Devil’s Pass and when the news said a blonde girl in a burgundy car was missing, I figured it was you.”
“Wow...” I blinked a couple of times. “I guess my friends really were worried about me.”
“It’s a damn good thing too. You’re fucking lucky. You weren’t going to survive the night out there.” We reached the end of the road I drove down and he took a left turn. I could hear the snow and ice crunching under his tires.
“I thought it was supposed to be a pretty light storm...” I muttered. “Nothing more than some snow and a little ice. My friends said it would pass by morning.”
“Yeah, that’s what the news said.” He nodded. “Everyone is so fucking surprised it turned into a blizzard—everyone except the locals around here who know how bad storms can get when they hit Wolf Creek.”
“I’m in Wolf Creek?” I looked out the window, not that I could see anything except darkness and snow. “I was headed for Lake Rutherford.”
“You missed that by a few exits.” He laughed and looked over at me. “Let me guess, your GPS quit on you?”
“And my cell phone!” I folded my arms across my chest and shook my head angrily.
“You can’t trust that kind of stuff around here. If you don’t know the area, maps are the only friend you’ll have.” He peered out the window and rolled slowly towards a turn.
“Where are we going, anyway? Is there a police station in Wolf Creek?” I asked.
“There’s a sheriff, but you won’t find him at the station. He’s at home in bed, like everyone else except for the ones out near Lake Rutherford looking for you. I’m sure most of them have given up by now. I’m taking you to my cabin. I’ve got a radio we can use to let people know you’re safe and when the storm breaks, I’ll get you to town so you can get a tow for your car.” He looked over at me again. “I’m sorry about your window.”
“It’s fine.” I muttered, not really caring much about the car itself, but my father’s reaction wouldn’t be quite as nonchalant. “My dad’s going to kill me.”
“Probably, but he’ll want to hug you first.” He pointed at the windshield. “Just a little bit further.”
“Thank you... Um, what’s your name?” I asked.
“Shane.” He replied. “Shane Black.”
“Thank you, Shane.” I forced a smile across my frosted lips that were slowly thawing out.
He is...wow. I’m not sure if it is the delirium in my frozen brain or if he’s the hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
It was a lot to take in all at once. I had been lost in the snow, nearly dead from the cold, or at least it seemed that way. Shane had saved me and now we were on the way to his cabin. It occurred to me that I really had no idea who Shane was. He seemed nice enough and he said the right things, but I was probably delusional from the cold.
Should I really be going with him to a cabin in the woods—alone?
For all I knew, I was on my way to be raped, murdered, and possibly even eaten. I looked over at him and tried to determine if he looked like the kind of man that would eat people. He looked like a mountain man, the kind of man you would expect to live in a cabin, but he was clean for the most part. His dark brown hair was a little long, but it was trimmed. His beard was thick, but it was groomed around the edges and not totally out of control. He looked over at me with a peculiar arch in his brow and I looked away quickly.
I really hope he can’t read my mind—that isn’t possible, right?
No, he didn’t look like a murderer, but what did one look like anyway? It wasn’t like I had researched them or studied them. The truck rolled through the snow, climbing the incline in the mountains easily, and then the headlights illuminated a moderate sized log cabin. It was quaint, but it was a lot better than my car.
“We’re here.” He said as he put the truck in park. “I’ll help you down.”
He pushed on his door and found it frozen shut, so he gave it a hard nudge with his shoulder which quickly dislodged the ice and allowed him to exit the truck. It was a rather large four-wheel drive pickup, so I was happy I didn’t have to get out of it on my own considering I still felt a little weak. He walked around the truck and pulled my door open easily, swinging it wide like it was nothing even as the ice cracked and fell against the ground when he broke the seal that had formed while he drove.
Wow, very strong.
I handed him my bag and then braced myself on the edge as I tried to step out. He took my hand and tried to guide me down the side to the running board, but I felt my feet give way. They were still cold, even with the time I spent in the heat. I went tumbling towards him and grimaced at the thought of hitting the cold ground below, but instead I felt straight into his arms.
Very, very strong—and great reflexes.
He caught me easily, one hand around the back of my neck and one hand firmly on my bottom. I looked in his eyes in shock and he laughed with a shake of his head. He sat me down on my feet and picked my bag up off the ground.
“Thank you. I’m sorry, I am a little out of it.” I held my hand to my head for a moment.
“No problem. Can you walk to the cabin?” He kept his grip on my arm.
“Yeah, I think I’m fine.” I nodded.
I followed him towards the door and he opened it, which cause a wave of heat to rush out towards me. The walk from the truck to the cabin was already giving me chills again, so I was happy to find a fire roaring inside. I walked to it immediately and held my hands out. He walked behind me and put his fingers on my coat. I let him take it from my shoulders and I rubbed my arms, trying to force the chill away.
Murders aren’t chivalrous—I don’t think.
“First things first, let’s use the radio and let everyone know you’re okay. There could still be some people out there searching for you and it would be nice if they could go home to their families.” He motioned me over to an old desk that had a rather ancient looking radio.
“Good idea, thanks.” I walked over.
I didn’t understand half of the lingo he used, but a few minutes later he had someone on the radio who said they had been in communication with my family and friends. I let them know I was safe and Shane gave them my location. They suggested I stay where I was since I was safe, at least until the storm was over. The roads had been closed and travel wasn’t recommended at all.
I could only imagine how worried everyone was. It made me feel sick to my stomach thinking about the repercussions of that wrong turn. The radio went quiet and I walked back to the fire. I was feeling a little better overall, but my toes ached and my joints were still a little sore from the cold. My ears were ringing as well.
I felt like I should be tired, but I just didn’t have the energy for sleep—it was a strange feeling. I sat down in the chair and started removing my shoes. They were not made for walking in the snow, and my heavier bag with actual winter wear was in the trunk. Shane poured both of us
a glass of what smelled like whiskey when he handed one of them to me.
“You should probably drink this.” He motioned to the glass.
“Thank you.” I smiled and sipped it.
It was rough on my throat, but it felt good once it was in my stomach. I was never one to do shots or drink hard liquor but I appreciated the way it started to dispel the chill from the inside out. It was definitely stronger than the wine I had tried to use to keep me warm.
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Chapter 1: Max
I heard the buzz of the crowd as I stepped into the noisy club. The lights were flashing like strobes, illuminating a crowd that was probably fifty percent human and fifty percent ecstasy. It was always like that on Saturday night when the college kids downed their favorite club drug and rolled until dawn. I wasn’t chasing a high—well not that kind of high. I wanted sex and I wasn’t going to wait until the pick of the litter was gone and the hot girls were in bed with someone else. I wanted the best.
“Would you like your usual, Mr. Martin?” The bartender behind the counter leaned over for confirmation, even though he knew the answer would always be the same.
“You got it, Steve.” I tossed a hundred-dollar bill on the counter and my single-malt Scotch was in front of me before he should have had time to pour it. Money could buy anything, even service that was faster than physics.
With the single-malt on my tongue, I scanned the crowd and looked for the right girl. She would stick out like a sore thumb in the crowd of college vagabonds and I would know her when I saw her. She would be the friend, there with someone she thought was prettier than her, or the new girl in town that wandered into the wrong club and couldn’t get to the exit through the sea of dancing idiots. She would be my prey. I would stalk her, take her, and claim her pussy before she really knew what the fuck happened.
“Hey there, handsome.” The aroma of alcohol hit my nostrils even before I heard her voice. “My friends and I saw you come in. Do you want to come hang out with us?”
She was clearly drunk—so drunk that her words were slurred. She had hair that was blonde and as fake as her surgically enhanced tits. Her push-up bra lifted them so much they almost popped out of her dress. She would probably be fun. She looked like the type that would suck my cock and let me fuck her in the ass, but it would matter less to her than it mattered to me. I used to go home with easy girls like her, but I no longer had the patience that. I looked at her friends and they smiled, waving towards me. They were all just like her—so much like her that it looked like someone cloned her and just started changing hair colors.
“Sorry, I’m waiting on someone.” I held up my hand and tapped my wedding band.
“I don’t care if you’re married.” She smiled and reached for my hand.
“I do.” I pulled my hand away at the last second. “Sorry.”
Have you ever heard of a man wearing a fake wedding band to keep women away? I picked up that trick after having it used on me a couple of times. It was just a tool at my disposal. I usually slipped it off and tossed it on the ground before I made my move. I had dozens of them at home in a drawer. I used to put them in my pocket, but I had one fall out right before I got my cock sucked once and learned my lesson. Occasionally, I kept it on and told the story of a tragic divorce and an inability to remove it. That wasn’t a complete lie, even if my marriage had ended nearly five years earlier.
The blonde that tried to seduce me finally gave up and headed back to her group of fem-bots.
“Another drink.” I stared at the crowd and sighed when I pushed my glass towards Steve.
“Right away, Mr. Martin.” I didn’t wait to see if he broke his previous record. I really didn’t care. I had enough booze in me for one evening but I needed to be holding something besides an empty glass.
And there she was.
She lingered at the back of a group of twenty-somethings. She only smiled when someone was looking at her. The instant they looked away, her face retreated to the natural discomfort she was in. She had dark brown hair falling down her shoulders and around her arms. Her dress was so skin tight she constantly shifted and tugged at it. She didn’t buy that dress. She didn’t own that dress. Someone in the group had convinced her to go out with them and loaned it to her. When the waiter brought shots, everyone downed them enthusiastically except her. She took a sip and then held it down by her waist. When the moment allowed, she sat it on a nearby table and walked away.
I had to have her.
She was a good girl. She didn’t know what it was like to ride the cock carousel with a different partner in her bed every time she put liquor to her lips. If I had a fetish, she was exactly what turned me on. I picked up my drink and walked towards her. Her tits were so natural and perfect. They were big enough for me to squeeze, but not big enough to knock her teeth out when I made the bed quake. Her ass might as well have been drawn on her perfect form. An artist would have struggled to draw or sculpt one so perfect without having her right there to serve as the model. When I got closer, I tilted my head to avoid eye contact with her friends. I had to charm her before they tried to talk her out of it.
“Hi, I’m Max—short for Maxwell, but please don’t call me that.” I extended my hand and she nearly jumped out of her sky-high heels when she realized I was speaking to her.
“Uh. Oh.” She turned towards me and blinked a couple of times. “I’m Abby. Are you looking for one of my friends?”
“No.” I flashed her the million-dollar smile—well, I guess it was a billion-dollar smile if you wanted to put a price on it. “I came over here to talk to you.”
Chapter 2: Abby
A few hours earlier
“Abby, come on, it’s Saturday night!” My best friend, Mary-Katherine, was standing in my kitchen with a dress in each hand. “Are you really just going to spend another weekend at home watching movies with your cat?”
“Sebastian likes it when we spend a quiet weekend at home.” I grabbed the orange tabby from the floor and hauled him up into my arms, speaking to him in a baby voice. “Don’t you, Sebastian?”
Sebastian tolerated my attention for a couple of seconds before flipping over and jumping out of my arms. He scurried upstairs as Mary-Katherine extended one dress and shook it at me before doing the same with the other. I hadn’t been out in over a year but the club scene just didn’t do it for me. It was fine when I was in college and had a group of friends to go out with, but doing it as an adult was just annoying. The music was too loud, the drinks were too expensive, and none of the guys ever talked to me anyway.
“Which one is it going to be, Abby?” She held the dresses side by side. “Choose one.”
“You’re really going to make me do this?” I rolled my eyes and sighed.
“Yes, because eventually Rolando is going to propose to me and then I’ll be a barefoot pregnant wife who can’t go out when I want to. There’s a group of girls from work going out tonight, so we won’t be alone. You should wear this dress.” She tossed the blue dress on the table and handed me the emerald green one. “Come on, it’ll be just like college.”
That was what I was afraid of.
“Fine, but only because I know it won’t be exactly like college. You won’t hook up with someone and leave me to find my own ride home.” I took the dress from her and held it up to my body.
“That happened one time...” She wrinkled her nose and pondered what I said. “Maybe twice...”
“What time are you picking me up?” I ignored the fact she was clearly forgetting numerous other times in her attempt to gloss over history and rewrite it in her favor.
“Nobody drives anymore, silly.” She shook her head back and forth. “Get an Uber and meet me there at seven.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” I walked to the door and opened it, giving her a rather clear indication it was time for her to go.
It was the worst weekend to
go out. I was just gaining traction with my career and we had an important meeting with one of our clients on Monday. I wanted to find some nugget of information other people might miss, memorize it, and dazzle my boss with a profound question that provoked thought. Everyone seemed to have one on the edge of their tongue at those meetings except me. While nobody really cared how a company’s business ventures were doing in a random territory in the wake of some various economic shift, the person who posed the question was always looked at like they were a genius for thinking about it. If I wasn’t going to find a way to become a genius overnight, I had to fake it.
“Sebastian?” I called out. “Do you want dinner?”
Sebastian appeared like a rocket and ran straight to his food bowl. He sat down and then started meowing at me because I had called him before the food was served. I poured some food into his bowl and walked towards the stairs with the dress over my arm. It was going to take a lot of pushing and prodding to get my figure into the elaborate fabric, but it was nicer than anything I had in my closet. I stripped down when I got to the bathroom and stared into the mirror. A loose curl drifted into my eye and I blew it out of the way.
I wasn’t getting any younger. At twenty-four, I was probably the oldest virgin left in America—maybe even the world. Everyone always said I was so pretty but I just didn’t feel like I had it—whatever it was. Mary-Katherine could walk into a club, shake her ass, and have a line of guys behind her. I didn’t have enough confidence to walk out on a dance floor and shake my ass. I hardly had enough confidence to go to a club in the first place. I hoped I would meet someone nice at the office, but I seemed to have fallen into the crack where every eligible guy was either a newlywed or a man-whore. There didn’t seem to be an in-between.
“Okay, Sebastian. I’m going to take a shower now.” I started the water and watched him scurry away when he heard it bouncing against the bottom of the tub.
Small Town Seven: Reverse Harem Romance Page 14
