Love Undercover_A Romance Compilation

by Amy Brent

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jake

  At some point I had gotten Calla into my bed. My memory was a bit foggy and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. Sex with her had left me intoxicated in an entirely different way. Her body was the best kind of poison.

  I rolled to my side and carefully opened my eyes. The sun was streaming in through the window, flooding the room with light. It was then I realized it wasn’t only sunlight illuminating the room. The light overhead was on as well. The power was back on.

  I blinked a few more times and focused on the voluptuous body next to me. The blanket was around her waist, exposing her breasts. Her hair fanned out around her in a tangled mess. One arm was flailed out to the side, hanging off the bed and the other was draped over her waist. She was dead asleep. I had worn her out.

  I grinned at the thought, but the smile quickly fell away when I realized she would be walking out of my life very soon. With the power back and her boyfriend at the lodge demanding she be rescued, it wouldn’t be long now.

  I got out of bed, restarted the fire that had burned out some time ago and then headed for the shower. I needed to wash away the scent of Calla that clung to my body. I stood under the spray of the shower, hoping it would wake me up and give me the energy I needed to get through what I could already tell was going to be a shitty day.

  I dried off, wrapped a towel around my waist and headed into my bedroom. I gave myself one last look at Calla before I had to wake her.

  “Calla,” I said a little too loud.

  She moaned but didn’t open her eyes.

  “Calla, it’s time to get up. You can get in the shower. The power’s back on.”

  She blinked a few times before her eyes focused on me. I saw her eyes run over my body. I steeled myself for the perusal, demanding my dick to stay down.

  “Power’s back?” she repeated.

  “Yes, which means they’ll be here soon. If you don’t want your boyfriend to catch you naked in my bed, you better get up and shower. You are wearing my scent,” I growled.

  She nodded and sat up, rubbing a hand over her face before standing nude beside the bed. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  With that, she walked past me and into the bathroom. I quickly dressed and headed for the kitchen. Her clothing was scattered on the kitchen floor. I picked it up and tossed everything but the ruined shirt into the washer. She would have to borrow one of mine. The thought made me happy. I wanted to mark what I felt was my territory. Let Blake chew on that.

  She got out of the shower, wearing my shirt and long johns again. Again, I had her marked. I noticed the hickey on her neck and smiled.

  “Good morning,” she said, smiling back.

  I didn’t correct her assumption on the reason for my smile. “I put your clothes in the wash. You can wear one of my shirts home.”

  A pretty blush spread over her cheeks at the memory. Watching her suddenly turn shy made me feel even more superior than I had last night when she had begged me for mercy around two in the morning. I knew she would be walking funny today and I took great pride in it. Blake wouldn’t be able to get near her for days. That had been my intent. I had no claim to the woman, but deep down, I wanted her to be mine. I wanted to tear her boyfriend’s arms off at the thought of him touching her where I had branded her with my tongue.

  The thought of her with another man had turned me into a feral beast last night. I could see the evidence of my attack in the whisker burns on her face and the hickeys on her neck. Ol’ Blake was going to shit his pants when he saw his lady.

  “I’ll start some coffee,” she said, moving around me warily. “And I won’t make it so strong this time.”

  I nodded. “I need to bring some wood up to the porch.”

  Pulling on my boots, I threw on a heavy plaid before going outside. She would be gone soon. I was getting my cabin back. My life would return to normal.

  So why did I feel so miserable?

  By the time I was finished stacking more wood, the coffee was ready. I walked inside to find her leaning against the kitchen counter, staring out the window facing the shed. She’d been watching me. It was a strange feeling. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. I didn’t like it.

  “I don’t have much in the way of breakfast. I can make toast now,” I volunteered.

  “I’ll be fine. I can eat at the lodge. I don’t need to take any more from you.”

  I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  “I put my clothes in the dryer. I hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s fine.”

  We sat down on the couch, each of us at one end. The tension in the room was thick. There was nothing to say and the only other way we had passed the time was off the table. All we could really do was sit and wait for her rescue to show up.

  The dryer buzzed and she nearly flew off the couch. I breathed a sigh of relief when she left the room. She was back out in no time, wearing one of my tshirts.

  Hearing the sound of approaching engines, my stomach dropped. It was time.

  “They’re here,” I told her.

  She nodded and grabbed her jacket off the hook behind the stove, pulling it on and zipping it up, hiding my shirt. She slid into her snow pants and then put on her boots.

  Together, we walked to the door. I put on my boots and the same flannel and stood outside on the porch, watching the snowmobiles come up my driveway.

  The machines stopped, and the men pulled off their helmets. I recognized two of them, but I had never seen the other guy.

  “Shit,” Calla mumbled under her breath.

  I didn’t have to wonder who the man was. It had to be Blake.

  Calla stepped off the porch. Her scrawny boyfriend stalked towards her. I immediately stepped behind her. The other man eyeballed me and sneered.

  I grinned. I had pegged him right. Scrawny, whiney and not the man for Calla. No wonder she had been so desperate for my dick. This guy looked like an idiot. I assumed he had a pencil-dick as well. He looked the type.

  Blake stood in front of Calla, grabbing one of her hands while still staring me down.

  “Are you okay, babe?” he asked, finally looking at the woman he was pretending to be so fond of.

  I walked down the last step, brushing the little fucker’s shoulder as I walked by and headed for the other two men.

  “Has it been rough up there?” I asked the man I knew to be Jared. He was a seasonal employee. I had met him a few times, but wouldn’t actually consider him a friend.

  Jared nodded. “Yeah. Generators went out last night, and we ran out of propane. The guests are up there pitching fits. They come up the fucking mountain and expect to live in the lap of luxury despite a raging snow and ice storm.”

  He pointedly looked at the back of Blake’s head.

  “Any trees come down?” I asked.

  Jared rolled his eyes. “I think there are more down then up. We’ll be cleaning up the mess for weeks. I just hope we don’t get any more snow or ice for a bit. We haven’t checked out some of the runs yet. We had to shut down a couple of hills.”

  I whistled low and shook my head. “Damn, I guess I should feel pretty lucky.”

  “I guess things are really ugly in town. Trees down everywhere. That wind just made a mess out of everything.”

  “Are the roads clear enough for them to leave?” I asked, hoping Blake would get Calla off my mountain. I didn’t want to think of the two of them together, so close to me.

  The other man, Adam, nodded his head. “Yes, thank God. I’m about ready to commit murder. Bunch of spoiled, obnoxious brats.”

  I laughed. “Sorry to hear you guys had a rough go.”

  “What about you?” Jared asked, lowering his voice. “Her boyfriend has been threatening to sue. He’s been the biggest pain in the ass of all. When Tom told him she was safe with you, he wanted to know who you were and how we could be sure you wouldn’t have your way with her. Tom nearly knocked the guy out.”

  “What a fu
cking moron,” I snarled.

  Adam chuckled. “That’s one of the words that’s been used to describe him.”

  “How did he get up there?” I asked.

  “Came up yesterday. Hired some dipshit in town to run him up on a snowmobile. Guy made a big scene and got some of the other guests riled up. Trust me, the sooner we get his ass out of there, the happier everyone will be,” Adam said, with disgust on his face.

  I shrugged, “She’s been fine. No complaining about the lack of TV or power.”

  Adam looked at me then at Calla. “How in the hell did that guy end up with a girl like her?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I growled, fighting the urge to punch the guy for looking at her.

  “Look at her. She’s hot and he’s a fucking douchebag.”

  I nodded, relaxing a bit. “I don’t know. I don’t care. I’m just glad to get my cabin back.”

  “Alright, we’ll take her off your hands. Tom said to tell you thank you for the help and he’s sorry it took so long,” Adam said, starting up his snowmobile.

  “It was no problem. We all gotta do what we can. I didn’t mind, but I’m not going to make a habit out of it either. Next time I’ll go the extra mile and take the person to the lodge, even if I have to carry them,” I grumbled, thinking back to that night when I had chosen to take her to my cabin instead of fighting the weather.

  Blake had Calla’s hand and was dragging her towards the sled he had driven. He glared at me. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down my nose at the shorter man. He stopped in front of me. I scowled at him, daring him to say something to me. I wasn’t a violent person, but this guy got on my nerves. I didn’t like him on principle and hearing Adam and Jared’s account of his behavior made me hate him even more.

  “Let’s go, Calla. I’m sure you’re probably anxious to get out of here,” Blake said, in his whiny voice. “I imagine you’d like a hot bath with some real food. I can only imagine what you’ve been forced to eat the past couple of days.”

  “The squirrel stew wasn’t so bad. Was it Calla?”

  Blake’s lip curled in disgust and he turned a light shade of green. I thought the man would vomit right there at my feet.

  An evil grin spread across my face. I could hear Adam and Jared laughing behind me. Hitting the guy would have felt better, but I didn’t pick on little guys that were no match for me.

  Chapter Thirty

  Calla

  I had to fight back the giggle that bubbled to the surface. Jake had a very strange sense of humor. The man was serious almost all the time, but these moments, when he let that little bit of his personality shine through made it all worth it.

  “It was fine,” I winked.

  He smirked. Blake was behind me and I heard was sounded a lot like a gag.

  Leaning up on my tiptoes, I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for everything,” I whispered.

  I didn’t get the chance to hear what he had to say because Blake had grabbed my hand and was yanking me towards the waiting snowmobile. “Get on!” he fumed.

  Once he got on I slid in behind him. One of the other men handed me a helmet. It was clear that Blake wasn’t going to give me his. Chivalry was dead in him. The other men turned their machines around and started down the driveway. Blake took one last look at me. I could see the anger and disgust in his eyes and smiled behind the full-face helmet, glad he couldn’t see it.

  He whipped around and followed the men. I took one last glance behind me. Jake was standing there, arms crossed, hair blowing in the wind and a look on his face that cut right to the bone. I knew I had hurt him by not telling him about Blake. I should have. It was a mistake I would have to live with, but I would never regret the time I’d spent with him. These were memories I would treasure for the rest of my life.

  The ride up the mountain was cold, and I was a little worried about Blake’s ability to control the snowmobile.

  When we finally pulled up in front of the lodge, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. Holly burst out of the double doors.

  “Calla! Oh God! I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ve been sick with worry!” she squealed, wrapping her arms around me.

  “I’m fine, thank you for sending the search team out for me. If you hadn’t, I don’t think I’d be standing here right now.”

  She wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to realize you were missing.”

  “It’s okay. It really isn’t your fault,” I assured her. “And look, I’m fine, unharmed. It wasn’t so bad.”

  “I have a room,” Blake stated, grabbing my arm.

  “I already had a room,” I reminded him.

  “I know. I demanded an upgrade. We have a suite now,” he smirked. “It isn’t exactly first class, but it’s better than that tiny room you had.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him we didn’t have anything, but didn’t get the chance.

  “Miss Fanning?” a man approached us, his hand extended.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m Don, the manager here. Can we talk a minute?”

  “She’s just returned. I think you can wait until she’s been able to change and have a meal,” Blake said, his tone haughty and rude.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. Yes, what can I help you with?”

  “My office?” he asked.

  “Sure.” Blake started to follow, I turned and stared at him, stopping him in his tracks. “I can do this on my own, Blake.”

  “Fine. I’ll get a bath started. Room 202. Don’t be too long.”

  I exhaled a breath, praying for patience to tolerate the man.

  “Have a seat,” Don gestured to a chair, closing his office door.

  I sat down and waited, really anxious to change out of my snow gear.

  “I understand you had quite a scare and for that I am truly sorry. Your, uh, boyfriend, has expressed his serious displeasure with how things unfolded. I hope you can understand that we did everything in our power to find you and ensure you were safe,” he said, folding his hands together.

  “Thank you,” I said, not sure why he needed to tell me that in his office.

  “Miss Fanning, are you expecting monetary compensation for the experience?” he asked, point blank.

  My mouth dropped open, “What?”

  He leaned back in his chair. “Blake has said he will be suing the lodge for a long list of offenses. I wanted to know what I could offer you to keep that from happening. Our trails are clearly marked and I do feel there is shared culpability.”

  I began to laugh. I couldn’t stop myself. If anyone knew how horrible my experience had been, they would charge me.

  “I’m sorry. I have no intention of suing anyone. Blake, well, he tends to get a little jumpy about things. I assure you, he does not speak for me. He has no legal right to speak for me. Your lodge is safe. All I really want is to change and go home,” I told him, meaning every word.

  “You don’t intend to file a lawsuit?”

  I smiled. “No. Trust me. I have no interest in suing anybody. If that’s all, I’m going to go.”

  “Yes. Please, enjoy the remainder of your stay. The power is back and we will be having drinks in the main room later this evening. It’s a little celebration for our guests that had to ride out a tough storm with us.”

  “Thank you,” I said, leaving the room.

  I had no intention of showing up for drinks. I wanted to go home. I wanted to be in my own bed, cuddling my own dog. I would never forget my time with Jake, but it was over.

  Opening the door to the suite, I was impressed. Blake walked towards me with a glass of champagne. “You look exhausted. I drew you a bath. Sit, soak and drink this.”

  “I’m going home, Blake.”

  “I know. We’ll go back tomorrow. We may as well enjoy the free upgrade I got for you,” he gloated.

  I shook my head. “I cannot believe you took advantage of the situation. You’re a real piece
of work, Blake.”

  He shrugged and swallowed the contents of the glass. “You were lost and it was their fault.”

  “No, it wasn’t. I went off the trail. I wandered away and I paid the price,” I explained.

  He brushed my comments aside. “Just go take your bath.”

  He made no move to kiss me or hold me or look at me like I was the only woman in the world he ever wanted to be with. He didn’t look at me like Jake looked at me. It was then I knew for sure. I was so over Blake. It wasn’t just the sex with Jake. It was seeing how a real man treated a woman that had made me see Blake with clear eyes. He was selfish, self-centered and just a real pain in the ass.

  I popped open my suitcase and pulled out fresh, clean clothes. I quickly changed, eager to get home.

  “You can’t leave. This can be a lovely romantic night away for us. Let’s talk,” Blake said, as if I hadn’t just told him I was leaving. “Let’s start over. When I thought I had lost you, it made me realize how important you are to me. I know things have been difficult, but I’m willing to accept you as you are.”

  I scoffed. “As I am? Seriously? You’re ready to accept me and all my flaws? What about you, Blake? Do you honestly think you are some perfect man?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not perfect. No one is, but I’m good looking, smart, successful. You could do a lot worse.”

  I groaned, fighting back the urge to slap the pretentious dick.

  “Blake, we are done. Over. We will never work. Enjoy the room at my expense.”

  “You can’t drive. The roads are shit,” he sputtered out.

  “I have four-wheel drive. I can drive just fine. I am not staying another minute in this room with you. Goodbye, Blake,” I said, dropping my suitcase to the floor. Pulling up the handle, I rolled it right out the door.

  I felt free, and it was a wonderful feeling. For so long, there had always been Blake in the background. Even when we weren’t officially together, he was there. Not anymore.

  I waved goodbye to the people in the lobby. People that knew me as the girl that got lost. I didn’t care.