Saving Mel

by Rye Hart

  Then, I tossed a few logs onto it and allowed the heat to permeate the room.

  I looked back at the strange woman and watched her shivering finally die down. The flames of the fire were flickering off her features and, for a moment, I could only stand and stare. What the fuck was I going to do with this woman in this storm? She couldn’t get back to the resort. Not in weather like this. It was dumping by the buckets and that side road would already be snowed out.

  And I still hadn’t gotten out with my chainsaw to remove that fucking tree from the road.

  “You shouldn’t have been out in this weather,” I said, again.

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You hurt yourself,” I said.

  “Look, once I get warm, I’m gonna go back, okay? So just leave the fucking attitude over there for now.”

  “You can’t go back in a storm like this,” I said. “I know these back roads. They’ll already be snowed out. And the main road that might still be open has a massive tree blocking it.”

  “And no one thought to move it?” she asked.

  “No one cares about people up here,” I said. “I was gonna move it when I got back home from town today.”

  “You’re too late.”

  “Excuse me for not knowing someone would be out prancing around in the storm of the century for fun.”

  She huffed, turning her back to me while she hunkered down on the couch. She was feisty. She couldn’t go back in this snow and we had no chance of getting her back anywhere until it let up, which I knew wouldn’t be for a few days.

  “I’ll get you some more pillows and you can sleep on the couch,” I said.

  “How nice of you,” she said sarcastically. “Thanks.”

  “Would you like to try your luck with the weather?” I asked. “Because if you’re really that stubborn, go ahead.”

  She turned back over to look at me, her eyes filled with fury and fire. I sighed. This was exactly why I didn’t want to be around people and why I had no interest in finding a companion. People talked too much. “This storm’ll eat you alive,” I said. “You can stay on the couch until it lets up.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured, sounding more genuine than before.

  I heard her sigh as she turned her back to me and a part of me felt sorry for her. I was also intrigued by her. If she was scared, she didn’t show it. Some burly man with a beard and a stern voice found her and brought her inside his cabin and she hadn’t even asked my fucking name yet. It made me wonder what her story was. What could’ve happened to her that was more frightening than a strange man bringing her back to his isolated cabin in the fucking woods?

  But if she didn’t want to know my name, then I didn’t care about knowing hers. After all, she’d only be here for a few days and then I’d take her back to wherever the hell she wanted to be.

  “I’ll go get those pillows,” I said.

  “Okay.”

  I walked around the couch and found my way to the hallway closet. I pulled a few extra pillows down from the top shelf, then went back to her. I propped her head up a bit more and put a bit of support underneath her back. I’d taken care of way too many soldiers in my time who were lying on nothing but slabs of wood. I knew how to make sure their bodies were comfortable and the more comfortable she was, the less tension she would carry.

  That meant her body would control the swelling of her ankle more, which meant she’d heal faster.

  Which meant she’d get the fuck out of my cabin sooner rather than later.

  “Thanks,” she said again.

  “Yep,” I said. “Just keep that ankle elevated and try not to walk on your own too much. It needs to heal.”

  Before she could get a word in edgewise, I headed back to my room. I could not believe I was actually going to have to take care of this woman during this storm. The last report I’d heard on the radio said this snow wouldn’t fucking let up for an entire week. An entire fucking week. I’d have to put up with this clumsy, stubborn, strong-willed woman for seven damn days until I could get rid of her.

  This was not the secluded mountain life I had been looking for.

  Raking my hands through my hair, I sat down on the edge of my bed. Even though I couldn't have cared less about that woman, a part of me couldn’t help but listen out for her. It was hard to shut down the part of me that was trained to help but I tried my best to do so. Before I could worry about her, I needed to prepare the generator for when the power went out.

  By the time I did my rounds and made sure the cabin was secured for the storm, I could hear her soft snores coming from the couch. I took out some meat I had thawing in the fridge, then pulled out a massive mixture of fresh vegetables. A stew would be the easiest thing to cook because she could dish it up on her own and heat it up herself. Making a stew and some biscuits could put more distance between the two of us, which meant I didn’t have to deal with her as much. I slammed around in the kitchen, pouring things into a pot before I brought it all to a boil. Not once did she move from the couch.

  She was obviously exhausted and I thanked my stars that she’d stay asleep through the night.

  I cooked up some biscuits while the stew settled, then I brewed some sweet tea. She was a city girl for sure but her light accent told me she was from Tennessee. I set out a cup and a bowl for her, just in case she got up in the middle of the night and wanted something. Then, I took my dinner back into my room.

  I was going to eat, listen to the radio, then go the fuck to sleep.

  The weather announcer kept changing his report every fucking moment. At first, it was going to snow for a whole three days. Then, he changed it to five. Then, it was an entire week. Even this asshat didn’t know what the fuck this storm was doing. I finished my dinner, turned off the radio, and took all my dishes to the kitchen.

  The woman was still sleeping on the couch while the fire slowly dwindled and I fought the urge to go and see how her ankle was.

  I filled the sink with hot bubbly water and put my dishes into it. The woman’s snores became louder and louder and, soon, she wasn’t breathing at all. I rushed over to her side and took one of the pillows out from underneath her head. In an instant, she was breathing again.

  This time, there was no snoring.

  I lifted up the blanket and took a look at her ankle. Her toes were swelling a bit, but nothing that was alarming to me. I unraveled the ace bandage from her skin, applied more of the soothing gel, and then wrapped her back up and tucked her in. Everything was coming back to me like it’d never left. My mind was racing with facts and statistics and clocking all the things that could go wrong. Part of me wanted to make sure I was prepared for anything that could happen to her.

  But part of me simply wanted to sleep this nightmare away.

  If she stayed long enough, she would know how battered I was. If she was trapped here long enough, she would see the monster she was staying with.

  I wasn’t sure if I could stomach that reality.

  End of Sneak Peek. Would you like to know how this continues?

  Click Here: Cabin Fever: A Mountain Man Romance

  TEACH ME DADDY

  A Mountain Man’s Secret Baby Romance

  PROLOGUE

  I squealed as his hands pinned my arms behind my back, thrusting my chest out to him. Without any warning or any words spoken, he kissed me harshly. My lips automatically swelled underneath his touch while our tongues danced a familiar tango and I felt myself short of breath by the time he pulled away. All this time had passed, and his kiss could still render me speechless.

  The attraction between us was so strong, I could feel it electrifying the stale air of the diner.

  “Tell me what you’re hiding,” he said.

  I turned my head away to try and disconnect what I knew was brewing between us.

  “Now,” he said.

  I tried to fight the animal magnetism between the two of us. I could feel my entire body trembling as he tugged harder on my arms. My chest w
renched out toward him and his lips descended to my skin, pressing his barely-there kisses while he watched the whole of my skin pucker at his touch.

  “You’ll tell me, or I’ll get it out of you one way or another,” he said.

  His words made me hot and I started to squirm in his lap. I remembered how his spanking made me feel last time. His lips pressed once again into mine, and I whimpered softly at his touch.

  He bit my bottom lip, pulling a moan from my throat that caused him to growl. I started grinding down into his lap, feeling his erection swell in his pants while his hands traveled to my bra. I started to backtrack from him, trying to get off his lap as his grasp held me in his lap.

  I knew the moment he saw the stretch marks that trailed up the sides of my breasts that he would know.

  He pulled my bra down, and my breathing sped up. For a moment, my nipples were bared to the warm air of the diner. I could feel them puckering underneath his gaze, hardening as I spilled into my panties. His fingertips rose to the side of my breast, tracing every lightened stretch mark he could find as I visibly quaked in his lap.

  I was panting with fear while my pussy was growing wet with desire.

  Suddenly, his lips dipped to my pert nipples. He licked and sucked, the sensations driving me crazy while I continued to moan. The electricity that shot through my body could’ve powered the entire town and, as I bucked wildly in his lap, I could feel the vibrations of his voice echo off the corners of my mind.

  “Tell me your secret,” he said.

  He ground against me, causing me to gasp for air. I wanted him and I knew he could tell. But I hadn’t told him what he wanted to know. My nipple fell from between his lips and his knee pressed against my clit, causing me to lose myself in his body again while he moved me back and forth.

  My arms stayed taut, and his hand stayed wound in my hair as my body shook with the pleasure coursing through my veins. He rocked me to my precipice, my clit swelling with lust and wanton passion as my body started to shiver. My body jolted and darted with my orgasm as he rocked my body faster and faster against his leg, his lips wrapping around my nipples and riding me through the wetness pouring out from between my legs.

  I shook helplessly on his lap as my orgasm barreled over my body and, once I collapsed, I felt him readjust my bra and pull my shirt down.

  My hazy gaze found his stern eyes, and even though I was flushed with the pleasure he’d just given my body, he still wouldn’t let me go. I stared back at him, truly unsure of what was coming next, but something inside of me chanted a very familiar tune.

  You can trust him. You can trust him. You can trust him.

  Chapter One – Rose

  Crap here we go again.

  Nothing good ever came in the mail. The first few days after the first of the month were the days when most of our bills came and I was reminded how dirt poor we really were.

  Oh well. There was no need to prolong the pain any further. “Rip that Band-Aid off”, as my mom would say. I took a deep breath and opened the mailbox.

  Stacked neatly inside were three threatening letters from the same credit card companies letting me know that I was ninety days behind.

  No shit, Sherlock.

  The hole I kept digging every month just kept getting deeper. I’m one straw away from breaking the camel’s back.

  And when that happens… shit, I don’t know what I’ll do.

  The one bright spot of this morning’s trip to the mailbox was the thick pack of coupons at the bottom of the stack.

  I tucked the bills under my arm and tore into the coupons as I walked back up the gravel drive to the house I shared with Cassie, and my ten year old brother. Coupons were a necessity of life in Rose’s world.

  “Sis! Is breakfast ready yet?”

  “Why don’t you come down here and see for yourself?”

  I dashed my behind to the kitchen stove to scramble the now nearly burned eggs in a pan, while Kevin bounded down the stairs. His brooding eyes narrowed as he saw me standing at the stove, and I could feel the quip coming on before he even spat it out.

  “I thought you said breakfast was—”

  “I only said to come see. Sit. Now.”

  He groaned but sat down at the table. He blew spit bubbles, and I grimaced. His dark hair fluttered around his head as he leaned back into his chair. He needed a haircut, but that would have to wait. The morning was as hectic as ever. I had to get Kevin to school before I could even think about clocking in for work, and I was running behind.

  Fifteen minutes behind, to be exact.

  My cell phone rang on the counter, and I saw Crystal’s name pop up. I loved my best friend and all, but I really needed a break. I didn’t need to be taking her call right now, but I knew if I didn’t pick up, she’d just keep calling and calling.

  “Sis, food!” Kevin demanded.

  “Sit down and hush. It’s almost ready.”

  “We’re gonna be late for school,” Kevin said.

  “And had it not taken me ten minutes to roll you outta bed, we wouldn’t be running late. Buck up and hush.”

  I picked up the phone and pinned it to my ear with my shoulder as the toast popped out of the toaster. I could feel the sweat trickling down the back of my neck. Of all the mornings for Crystal to be chatting in my ear, it had to be this one.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Oh, good. You’re in a shitty mood. I’ve got something that’ll make you feel better!”

  “You know I love you, but do spit it out because I’m late,” I said.

  “Ooh. Testy. I’m inviting you for a long weekend in New York City. My penthouse is open to you, and we really need to catch up. I haven’t seen you much since school.”

  “Responsibility will do that to you, I guess.”

  “How’s Kevin doing by the way?” she asked. “With everything?”

  “As well as he can, I guess.”

  I’d met Crystal at culinary school in New York City and we’d been attached at the hip since. Even with the distance between us now, our friendship never drifted. She came from a rich family and she’d had a wild hair up her ass to become a chef after finding her own personal obsession with cooking shows. It came as no shock when she dropped out after the first year but what was unexpected was for me to do the same. My parents died in a car crash caused by a drunk driver, and it left me as the sole caretaker of my little brother Kevin. That night changed both our lives forever.

  “Rose, come on,” Kevin groaned.

  “Shut up, or you’re not eating,” I said.

  “Sounds about right,” Crystal said. “Anyway, you have to come see me. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  “I don’t have anyone to watch Kevin,” I said.

  “Get Cassie to watch him. She’s your roommate, right? Did I get that name right?”

  “Yes, you did. And yes, she is. But she isn’t my personal babysitter so I can go party in the city.”

  “Rose, you never do anything for yourself. Just once, allow yourself to let go. He’ll be fine with her. He likes her, right? She’s not a dick?”

  “No, Crystal,” I said. “My roommate isn’t a dick.”

  I spooned eggs onto Kevin’s plate before I dropped a piece of buttered toast in front of his face. I set the pan on the table and went to go grab him a glass, pouring some milk for both of us, Rose style. What’s Rose style you might ask? The good ol’ half milk, half water strategy I use most mornings. It was just one of the many ways I stretched a dollar in our budget tight home.

  The cost of living in our small community in Poconos PA wasn’t high in comparison to the Big Apple, which was about a three and half hour drive away. However, one waitressing gig didn’t exactly scream discretionary income.

  “Take the time off work and come. December is the best time to spend in the city!” Crystal said. “If I have to come get you, you’re staying longer.”

  “Fine. Fine. I’ll come spend a weekend or something in your bad-ass Sex
and the City penthouse.”

  “Soon,” she said.

  “Soon, I promise. I’ve missed you, too. Life’s just been a bit hectic.”

  “We’re gonna get you away from it for a little bit,” she said. “And don’t worry about money. I’ve got it. Just get yourself here. I’ll even reimburse you for the ticket.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I said.

  “Well, I am anyway. You work too hard for everyone else. You need a break. See you this weekend.”

  “Wait, I didn’t say this—”

  She hung up the phone before I could counter and I groaned. Of course, she would try to slip that last point in. She wanted me over this weekend and my mind was rushing in with excuses and reasons not to go. I looked over at Kevin, who was devouring his eggs, and I sighed in frustration. I missed my parents more than I could stand. I had to drop out of culinary school and take a job waitressing to support my younger brother and all I got in return was his sassiness. I understood it. He was hurting, just like I was. I didn’t ask anything in return. But man, I really needed a break.

  So, I picked up the phone and called Cassie to ask her for a favor.

  ***

  Two Days Later

  I found myself looking out the window of the car Crystal had dumped me into. Looking out at all the hustling bodies was a far cry from Poconos, Pennsylvania. The last couple of years had really taken a toll on both my brother and me and I needed this time away. I knew Cassie would plan a lot of things for her and Kevin to do to help him decompress as well. I lost my parents when I was nineteen, but he was only eight.

  My heart ached for him as I continued to look out the window of the car.

  People were just going about their business. Some were shopping for Christmas gifts, while others were walking hand in hand with their lovers. Me? I was about to get yanked out of the car by my best friend and dragged into a very eclectic and unique shop so I could get an outfit for something called a Whips and Chains Masquerade.