Mountain Man's Bride

by Lauren Wood

  “I do believe that this is my floor. My husband is waiting for me. I’m going to be smiling from ear to ear when we watch you tonight live and in person. I’ll remember this moment and how your seed tasted. I have to admit that going against the grain of what is considered wholesome has really opened up my eyes. I see that I have been wasting my time. My husband was a damn fool for playing that game with me. I have a better chance of sleeping with everyone on my list than he has with just one on his. I know that I’ll never be able to get all of them, but I’m going to do my best to make sure that I get as many as I can.” She watched him pull up his pants, being very careful not to smudge the digits that were written across his Johnson.

  “You have definitely been a great opening act, but now I need something more than just a fluffer. It’s a known fact that my orgasms are legendary. My stamina is that of a god and I have to say that all the girls that I’ve been with have made me the man that I am today.” The elevator door opened on the third floor and Ethan watched as Sheila carried her heels in her hands down the hallway. She stopped at the first door and slipped her card key into the reader. She gave her hand a kiss and then blew it in his direction. He caught it and instead of pressing it against his heart, he put it down where her lips had just been. She tossed her hair and then disappeared within where her husband had no idea that a few mere minutes ago she was down on your knees servicing a man that was known for his exploits.

  “That girl is going to get a four star rating in my book. I don’t suppose you remember her name or did she even mention it before she pushed me up against the elevator wall and went down on me. I think that I’ve lived better than anyone. I never know when something like this is going to unpredictably happen. I like that spontaneous moment where I see the look in their eye and I know that the only thing that’s going to satisfy them is satisfying me.” He was confident and that confidence had given him an awareness of how easily he could sleep with just about anyone. He loved that he had that power. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was those that were stepping out on their significant other that made him want to show them what they were missing.

  “I don’t believe that she said her name, Ethan. If you’re through, I do believe that your public is awaiting you. There have been those that have been standing outside for hours. I don’t know what makes you special, but I do know that having you in my pocket is making us both rich beyond our wildest dreams. I do hope that you have gotten that out of your system and that you’re not going to continue pursuing the next available piece of ass. I can’t always be cleaning up your mess and Terrence is getting awfully expensive to have around. I had to put him on retainer and you should’ve seen the look of dollar signs in his eyes.” Terrence was that fixer who was ex military and had the skill set to put things right with enough intimidation to make people realize that it was in their best interest to play along.

  “I don’t know why you’re worried about the money and it’s not exactly like you are doing all the work. I’m the one that’s on the court putting those asses in the seat. I’m the one that they come to watch as I show boat my talent and give them a show that will have them talking about it over the water cooler the next morning. You’re a great agent and I’m glad to have you on my team, but remember you’re just one piece of the machinery that is constantly moving. Terrence is a necessary evil and one that I find that I have to have. It helps to know that he will be there to make sure that my mistakes never cost me one red cent in advertising dollars. My bedroom activities are not exactly a secret and that’s the reason why I’ve never been contracted by Disney.”

  Ethan was known for his beer commercials and had even done a shaving commercial in Japan. That was still making him residuals every time that it aired which was practically every minute on one station or another. He already had the bonus check in his pocket from the publishing company that said that he was already on the New York’s bestseller list. They were already talking about a sequel. They told him not to let all of his secrets out of the bag. They wanted them to beg for the next book that was considered a continuation of the one that was already getting critical acclaim.

  Chapter 3

  The door opened and he was assaulted with flashbulbs from those camera hungry bastards that were looking to feed their 15 minutes of fame. He feigned surprise, but everybody knew that he was a whore when it came to standing in front of the camera.

  He was making his way toward the front lobby when he saw a vision in loveliness. She had a beautiful body and flowing hair that made her look like a starlet. The red dress had him wondering what it would look like on the floor of his apartment upstairs.

  Natasha had seen him out of the corner of her eye. She had managed to get inside the main lobby by bribing those at the receiving dock in the basement. She didn’t want to wait with those of the public that were here to get that book autographed. She’d always been under the belief that if there’s a will there’s a way. She could tell that he was anxious to meet her and he was coming ever closer to standing within her private space. “I know that I have him. He may think that he has the power, but he’s mistaken. I know what makes a man turn into a gibbering idiot. I can see that his pants are untucked and that could only come from one way. It appears that he has already gotten one out of the chamber and getting his attention is not going to be easy after something like that. I do have to say that I pride myself on my sexuality being at the forefront of any man’s fantasies.”

  “If you would excuse me for a moment, I do believe that one of my loyal fans is calling me.” Ethan felt like he had everything going for him and this girl was just one in a million that he would soon find himself hammering into the mattress. He could tell that this girl was different and that something was driving her more than the others. The only thing that mattered to him was if he could scratch her name into the book that had become synonymous with those of the press.

  The doors were still locked and the fans were plastered up against the glass peering inside to get a glimpse of their hero. He waved to them and sent them into hysterics with them pounding so hard that it was a wonder that they didn’t crack the glass.

  He stepped up behind the woman in red and could smell her perfume like her own personal aphrodisiac. He took a whiff and was transported to a tropical getaway from one of the many islands that he had spent his time on during the off-season. He was never one to settle down in one place. He had a penthouse in this building, but everything else was bought on the spur of the moment.

  “I have to say that you are a sight for sore eyes. That dress really does become you. I think that you wear that with the express purpose of getting a man’s attention. I’m guessing that you know who I am.” He got a nod of confirmation and decided to parlay that into something more physical. “I have to say that you do make some of the girls that I’ve been with seem like they are a dismal comparison to what I’m really after.” He grabbed her ass from behind and could feel the meat on her bones. She had the kind of darkened complexion that made him want to strip her to see all the differences between the both of them.

  Natasha was not going to play this easy and was going to make him work for it. Her libido was still overcharged and felt like she was in the process of some hot flash. Her body was burning up and then suddenly her stomach turned and she launched the contents of her stomach at his shoes. She felt another round coming and she ran towards the bathroom with him cursing underneath his breath. “I don’t know what has come over me. I must be coming down with something and I certainly do have a fever.” She ran into the bathroom and hovered over the sink dry heaving for the next 5 minutes. This was not the way that she wanted this to go and that was the kind of first impression that would stay with a guy.

  She finally got a hold of herself and whatever that was had now subsided for the moment. She had to find a way to break the ice that no doubt turned into a chilly reception. This was not the first time that she had felt this kind of sickness. She was meaning to go to
her Dr. and get a complete physical, but life had a funny way of fighting back at the most inopportune time.

  She came out to see Ethan standing there with the doors opened and people were now clamoring for his undivided penmanship. He sat down and she moved to intervene, but security had been ordered to keep everybody in an orderly manner.

  “I’m afraid that you’re going to have to go to the back of the line, miss. I’m going to have to insist that you cooperate.” The security guard was being paid enough money, but his official title was that of personal security.

  Natasha was in no mood and raised her hand to get his hand off of her arm. There’s no reason to act all macho with me. I know that you have a job to do and I would never try to get in your way of doing it.” She had a moment where she made eye contact with Ethan. She could tell that he was not at all happy with how things had gone between them. “I want him to see me better than that. That did not endear me to him and most likely would not afford me the opportunity to sit down with him on a one and one basis.” Natasha was that spunky black woman that believed that anybody regardless of race or gender had to work very hard to get to where they were in life. She never considered herself to have a handicap and never allowed anybody to tell her that she couldn’t do something.

  She went out beyond the doors and stood there contemplating what to do. Wearing this dress normally calmed her nerves, but this time it was doing anything but. She could still feel his hands on her ass through the dress. It was imprinted on her skin and his fingers did take the liberty of squeezing both cheeks to get a good feel. She could only hope that the brief contact was enough for him to want to continue working his magic. She was never comfortable around white guys and always felt that they were judging her or salaciously looking at her like she was the entrée. “I have no choice but to back off for the moment. I’m going to have to find another way to ambush him. I have a few sources that might be able to help, but it’s not going to be without its price.”

  Ethan saw her through the window and wasn’t even paying attention to what he was doing. Every signature was practically the same with no deviation. These people wanted some kind of human approach and not just somebody that was going through the motions.

  He was disappointing a lot of people not to mention his agent who was standing over to the side looking bored and slightly stressed that there was tension in the air.

  He took a break to get that required caffeine fix into his veins. He was about to go out and approach her. He wanted to tell her that the embarrassing moment was nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, she bolted across the street with her hand up to her mouth. It made him almost sick. It had always been the way. This was the way that he reacted when others were under the weather.

  He motioned for his agent to come near and he whispered to him so that nobody else could overhear. “I want you to go out there and find that woman in red. You’re not to come back without giving her that card. Tell her that I would like her to join me in my suite for dinner tonight. I know that you might think that this is just my lame attempt to get laid again, but I would really like to get to know her on a more than physical level.” He was hoping that his line would pay off and that his agent would see that his intentions were pure.

  Unfortunately, his agent had seen enough to know when he was being played for a fool. Ethan heard him say the only word that had ever gotten underneath his skin. He told him that he could take the card and shove it and that he wasn’t his own messenger service. Ethan knew that it was wrong of him to suggest that. He had enough money that he could convince just about anybody to do is bidding.

  The next girl in line was this redhead with the kind of bodacious body that would have him up all night screaming at the top of his lungs for anybody to hear. He didn’t see the tattoos or the way that she was licking her lips at him suggestively. He did not notice the way that her skirt had risen to show the top part of her red panties that were meant to tantalize. What he did see was a woman that was able to speak the same language as the one that got away.

  “I need you to do me a favor and in return, I will personally sign my autograph with something special just for you. I will even do what I’ve never done for anyone and scratch my moniker on one of your breasts.” This seemed to get this girl’s attention. “I need you to find a woman in a red dress. She just ran across the street to the pharmacy. I haven’t seen her come out and if you are quick, you’ll be able to catch her before she leaves. I want you to tell her that I want her to be my guest of honor in my penthouse suite tonight for dinner. I’ll even sweeten the pot by giving you $300 for your time.” He was blind to the obvious signs that she wanted him.

  Tanya was one of his biggest fans and she had come a long way just to meet the man that had become a focal point for her fantasies in the last little while. She thought that he could be the one that could give her a baby. She wanted to take him for a fortune in palimony money. What she got instead was a guy that didn’t even see her as a sexual object. She tried every trick in the book including bending over and letting her nipples rub against her blue blouse with no underwear to get in the way.

  “I will say that I can use the money. Make it 500 and you have yourself a deal.” If she wasn’t going to get him into bed, then she needed to milk him for everything that she was able to get out of him. It did not surprise her to see five 100 dollar bills slapped down on the table. “I will find her and I will bring her to you this evening wrapped in chains if need be.” She went to grab the money, but he was too quick and snatched it away.

  “I think that it best that I keep this money with me, until you have done what I requested. Have her stand at the window and give me a confirmation that she is going to join me for dinner tonight. Once that has been accomplished, then you can come back in and I will gladly hand you the money for a job well done.” He could see that she was desperate for cash and the way that her eyes lit up at seeing those $100 bills had made him leery about playing fast and loose with his cash.

  Tanya walked outside and crossed the street to find the woman in red. She was going to get that money in her pocket even if she had to find any woman with a red dress.

  Natasha was in the bathroom staring at the stick in her hand and not believing that this could even happen to her. She knew exactly who the father was and there was no way that he could be a part of the child’s life. They had only one night about a month ago and then right after he was literally hit by a downtown bus. He was literally knocked out of his shoes. He had struggled between life and death for over three days, before he finally succumbed to his injuries. She was right there by his bedside and heard that last breath before the tears started to fall. Miles was one of her best friends and they had finally bit the bullet and tried to make it work as a couple. “I never thought it was possible to be in love with my best friend and I didn’t even get a chance to explore those feelings. He left me with this reminder and now I have a child that I never even wanted. I have to say that I do love him with all of my heart and I haven’t even met him yet.”

  It took her a few moments to let it sink in. She realized that she was never going to get rid of it. This was a part of him and Miles would live on through the first steps of that baby boy making his way into the world for the first time.

  She opened the door and found herself confronted by a woman. “I need you to take this card and then follow me across the street to stand in front of the window and tell Ethan that you will join him for dinner in his penthouse suite tonight. I’m not taking no for an answer. If you wanna fight, then you have come to the right place. I don’t want any reason for him to deny me that $500.” Tanya grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her by bodily force out onto the street.

  Natasha could tell that this girl meant business and that this money was more important than their sisterly bond. She tried to pull free, but she was like a boa constrictor that wouldn’t let go. It kinda hurt in a subtle way, but enough to let her know that this girl had a one track mind
. “I would fight harder, but now that I am with child. I can’t afford to make the mistake of causing a miscarriage. My family has a history of those and I don’t want to be another statistic in a long line of unborn babies.” “There’s no reason to be this aggressive with me and it’s not like I am fighting you. I actually want an audience with him anyway and this is better than I planned.”

  Tanya stood behind Natasha and pointed at her and then to Ethan who was now preoccupied with writing his name for the 1 millionth time. It felt that way to him and then he saw them standing there and for some reason it brought a smile to his face. He got this catch in his throat, but he attributed that to the cool air that was causing him to come down with something. He didn’t know that this girl had gotten a hold of him and that he couldn’t go more than a couple of minutes without thinking about her and that red dress.

  “I would say that you were lucky, but that’s pretty damn obvious. I had my designs on getting him into bed, but he appears to have only eyes for you.” Tanya pushed past those people and went directly to the front of the line with her hands on her hips. Ethan was happy to give her the money and she walked out knowing that there was no way that she was going to get what she came for.

  The red dress had found out another mark and the victim this time was Ethan. Natasha felt that this new development of having a child put a crimp in her plans. She was willing to sleep with him, but now she had to look out for the well being of something that couldn’t fight on its own. She was going to have to be this child’s advocate. She called her Dr. and told her the good news and asked if it was safe to have sex with the child still in the fetus. She was told that it was safe, but they should always take precautions and not do anything too strenuous.