Scarred: A Mountain Man Romance

by J. R. Ryder

  Everything would feel right.

  And while I wanted Everett, something about him felt wrong.

  He was definitely up to something and I didn’t like having the wool pulled over my eyes.

  Sighing, I tugged on my pajamas and plopped into bed. Maybe in the morning I would find out it had all been a dream.

  I was just about to close my eyes and go to sleep when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Instinctually, I reached for it.

  Mack.

  What on Earth could he want?

  Hey! I was wondering if you wanted to grab some drinks tomorrow night. I know this great little place downtown. On me.

  I groaned. I really couldn’t deal with this right now.

  I threw my phone under my pillow and went to sleep.

  Chapter 4 (Everett)

  In the week leading up to the Ball, business was tighter than usual. The holiday season usually brought a spike in profits, but this year, it was nearly double what it was the year before.

  Staff were finding it hard to keep up, so I was left to pick up the slack, working hours upon hours of overtime, tucked away in my office, answering conference call after conference call.

  To be honest, I didn’t mind it. I liked my line of work. Or rather, I liked to keep busy. There was a part of me that grew anxious every time I was still and had nothing to do. I hated it. Maybe that’s why I hadn’t gone on a proper vacation in over ten years. I just didn’t see the point.

  It was almost noon. The 22nd. Just one day before the Christmas Ball. It was the first time I found myself excited to go.

  Could it be that Tanya excited me more than I cared to admit?

  No.

  She was just my assistant.

  A stepping stone in my plan to conceive a son.

  That was the only reason for my excitement.

  Knock. Knock.

  “Come in.”

  Tanya peeked her head through the door, a smile on her face. “A package came for you.” She announced.

  “Bring it in.”

  She walked in, hips swaying with confidence.

  I had always loved the way she carried herself. Unlike most girls, it seemed to me that Tanya recognized her beauty. She was unafraid to wear tight-fitting clothing, despite her thicker size. I loved it. Her every inch, every curve, turned me on like nothing else. Who needed stick-thin models when you could have a woman with love handles to hold as you make her scream your name.

  “Who’s the sender?” I asked, looking up at her, drinking in the sight of her body standing in front of me. She looked divine in her tight black skirt and low-cut shirt. By the gleam in her eye, I was almost positive she was trying to tease me.

  “Gina’s Boutique.” She answered.

  “Ah. Then it’s your dress.”

  She furrowed her brows in confusion. “But it’s so heavy.”

  I chuckled. “Feel free to open it if you don’t believe me.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” She blushed, looking a bit embarrassed.

  “No worries. But you really should open it. Maybe try it on, see if it fits.”

  “What? Like here?”

  I smirked. “If that’s what you want, I wouldn’t be opposed.” I leaned back in my chair, eyes shining with mischief.

  “Um… I think I’ll just open it when I get home if that’s okay with you.” She refused to meet my eye as she spoke.

  I loved how she could go from confident one second to adorably shy the next. It made me want her that much more.

  Oh, I’d have my fun fucking her alright.

  It’d be one hell of a time.

  I was already thinking about it, excitement growing between my legs by the time Tanya excused herself and slipped out of the room. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there was something else lurking under the surface. I lusted after this woman, yes, but there was more to it. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but it was there, getting stronger and stronger with each minute I spent in her presence.

  What was it?

  Knock. Knock.

  “Yes?”

  I half-expected Tanya to walk back in, but instead, I was met with a sorry sight.

  Nettie.

  What was she doing here?

  I thought I had gotten rid of her long ago.

  Instantly, I got to my feet, teeth locking in annoyance. This was the last thing I needed right now, an insect from my past to come scuttling at my feet.

  “What do you want?” I growled.

  She frowned. “Is that any way to greet the love of your life?”

  “Ha.” I rolled my eyes. “You stopped being the love of my life long, long ago.”

  Her frown deepened. “Really, Everett, I don’t know why you always try so hard to hurt me. What did I ever do to you?”

  “Don’t play the victim.” I snarled, eyeing her suspiciously as she walked up to my desk, leaning forward slightly, lips pursed into a pout, eyes big and doe-like. Nettie was a master manipulator. She had fooled me once, but she would never fool me twice. “Get out of here.” I barked, hands on my desk in a defensive position.

  “Oh, come on, I’m sure this is all just an act. Deep down, you miss me. There’s no denying it.” Like a snake, her hand slithered forward, taking my tie between her fingers. “Because I’ve missed you.”

  I grabbed her wrist, grasp tight – too tight.

  She winced.

  I let go, skin crawling with disgust. At one point in my life, I had been infatuated with this woman, but things were different now. She had betrayed my trust, and that was something not easily regained. “What do you want?” I asked once more, growing impatient. She was up to something, that much was obvious. what?

  “Can’t a girl just drop by for a visit?” She asked, voice innocent as she rounded the desk.

  The distance between us dwindled, her eyes burning into mine. In a second, we were inches apart, her hand on the lapel of my jacket. Her lips twitched into a sly grin, her hips pressing forward to meet mine. “I had an itch I thought you might be willing to scratch.”

  For a second, a flare of desire flared inside of my loins, but I quickly extinguished it, hands on her shoulders, pushing her aside. “I don’t have time for this.”

  “You’re kicking me out?”

  “Do you have something you need?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Suddenly, she leaned forward.

  Our lips were seconds from a collision when I turned away, looking out the window.

  She nearly tripped, gaining her balance by clinging to the desk. “ that’s how it’s going to be, huh?”

  “You should have thought about the consequences before you did what you did.”

  “It was one drunk night. One stupid mistake. When are you going to get over it? People fool around all the time. Haven’t you ever heard of an open relationship?” She grabbed my wrist.

  I spun around, eyes burning as my fingers tightened around her frail arms. “That wasn’t our relationship. You cheated on me, Nettie. You slept with another man.”

  “I didn’t mean to.” She protested. “How many times do I have to apologize? Jeez.”

  “Loyalty is everything.”

  She rolled her eyes; arms crossed over her chest. “Whatever. I don’t need to put up with this.”

  “You were the one who barged into my office.”

  “And you’re the one still holding on.” She observed, eyes lowering to my fingers.

  I growled, eventually letting go. “Just get out of my sight before I do something I regret.”

  “Is that a threat?” She asked, raising an eyebrow in question. “You should be careful. You might be CEO, but that doesn’t mean you’re impervious.”

  “Is that a threat?” I countered.

  “Maybe.”

  My anger rose to a dangerous level. “Get out.” I hissed.

  “Alright, alright. I’m going.” Without another word, she swayed her hips, heading straight for the door. She walke
d quickly as if she were trying to run away from trouble.

  I watched her, my gut telling me something was wrong, at the same time, I was glad that she finally out of my hair.

  Good riddance.

  Sighing, I slumped into my chair, reclining back, eyes closed, fatigue setting in. Luckily, it was almost closing time. Maybe today I’d go home on time instead of staying in this god-forsaken office letting work consume my life.

  Ding!

  My eyes shot open, reading the notification on my phone. One of my biggest shareholders had finally emailed me back. Cracking my neck and knuckles, I prepared myself before I opened my laptop and got back to work.

  Halfway through writing a reply email, I noticed that something was missing. I stared at the vacant spot on my desk, trying to remember what had been there before.

  My eyes widened.

  No.

  I dashed for the door, but she was already gone.

  Fuck.

  I knew she was up to something.

  “Damnit!” I shouted, slamming my fist into the drywall.

  Chapter 5 (Tanya)

  I was working late one evening, preparing the needed documents for the following day when Everett just popped into my head. I pictured him wearing nothing but a pair of sexy briefs, fabric clinging to his bulging manhood. The rest of his body was on full display, abs rippling, shoulders broad and strong. I had to try hard to keep my imagination from getting out of hand but his gorgeous physique was nearly impossible to ignore.

  In this lust-filled daze, I wandered through the corridors back to my desk; documents clutched to my chest. My skin felt like it was on fire, cheeks burning with a blush.

  Lately, these thoughts had become more and more frequent. With the Christmas Ball approaching, all I could do was imagine all the possibilities. Sure, I was probably just a date, fulfilling some social requirements for such events, deep down, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, it meant something. After all, what was stopping him from getting someone else? Why me?

  To make matters worse, I couldn’t forget the way he had looked at me, eyes burning, desire practically rolling off his body, thickening the air around us. Had I just imagined it?

  No. There was something there. I was sure of it.

  Suddenly, my daydream brought me into a head-on collision with someone. The wind was knocked out of me, heels snagging on the tiled floor as I fell forward. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into their chest as we both collapsed onto the ground, landing in a heap.

  It had happened so fast.

  Cautiously, I opened my eyes, fearing who I might see. I prayed it wasn’t Mack. He had been following me around like a gnat, trying to get me to share some drinks with him. I had declined the offer every single time, but he just didn’t seem to get that I wasn’t interested. How could I when Everett kept haunting my mind?

  to my horror, the man who held me in his arms was… Everett.

  I gulped.

  Oh god. I had just made a huge fool of myself.

  In a flustered state, I tried to get up, but his grip tightened. “Tanya.” He whispered, eyes locking with mine.

  My heart skipped a beat, our faces only inches apart. I could feel the heat radiating from his lips. I wanted nothing more than to lean forward and kiss him but I was frozen in place, unable to act.

  It was as if the entire world had come to a screeching halt. We were the only two people left, hips pressed together, chests beating as one.

  “Are you okay?” He asked, hands lowering to the small of my back as if we were a couple of lovers just casually enjoying a night together on our bed instead of a corporate hallway. What if someone saw us? What would they think? What would they say?

  “Y-Yes…” I stammered, heart beating faster and faster the more conscious I became of Everett’s chiseled body underneath mine. Was this another one of my vivid fantasies or was this happening?

  “Good.” He smiled, the corner of his lips twitching into a delectable curve.

  My heart beat even faster. Just when I thought he couldn’t get any sexier. Lulled in by that handsome face, I leaned forward, forgetting myself for a moment, eyes closed, lips ready for the best of my life.

  it never came.

  All too soon, I found myself back on my feet. Everett placed his hands on my elbows. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, steadying me from falling.

  I blushed like crimson. What was I thinking? I couldn’t kiss this man. He’d never be interested in someone like me. And yet, the air around us felt thick with heat. His eyes burned, his lips stuck in a smirk. It felt like something was happening between us but I was probably just imagining it.

  “Tanya?”

  I blinked. “Huh?”

  “Are you okay?” His expression softened to one of open concern.

  “Oh… yes, yes. Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention. It won’t happen again.” I spoke quickly before I rushed to pick up the fallen documents. At this point, I was so embarrassed about what I had almost done that I just wanted this whole thing to be over with.

  To my amazement, Everett bent down, helping me. “What are you still doing at the office? You should have left hours ago with everyone else.”

  “I needed to get this done,” I mumbled, stuffing everything into a folder. It would be a pain to sort through them, but there was nothing I could do about it now.

  “You have plenty of time in the morning to organize such things.”

  He had a point.

  “It’s the holiday season, shouldn’t you be with your family?”

  I bit the inside of my lip, eyes cast toward the floor. I both loved and hated the holidays. On the one hand, all the festivities lifted my spirits, on the other, spending the holidays alone was just downright depressing.

  “I guess…”

  Everett looked at me. I could tell he saw right through me. He always did. Lying to this man was impossible.

  “Is there something you need to tell me?” He asked, standing to his full height, offering me a stack of papers.

  Eyelashes fluttering, I took them, tucking them inside the folder. I couldn’t understand why I felt so bashful all of a sudden. Usually, I knew how to keep my cool around this man, but tonight things were different. I felt like a young school girl experiencing a crush for the first time. Get it together, Tanya, I told myself, but it was impossible with this alpha of a man standing right in front of me.

  “I live alone.” I finally admitted. “ I guess I work because I don’t have anything better to do.” I felt so pathetic. Everett probably thought I was a loser or something.

  “I find that hard to believe.” He reached forward, fingers under my chin, tilting my head upward until our eyes locked. “A beautiful girl like you?” His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me close, our breaths mingling in the small space left between our faces.

  Instantly, my heart rocketed.

  “I…”

  He looked deep into my eyes for a moment before his grip on my waist tightened even further. “You’re going to spend the night with me.”

  “What?” I spat, eyes nearly bugging out of my head. “I… I couldn’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because…”

  He waited for an answer, but it never came. I felt like a fish out of water gasping for air. Why on Earth would this sexy billionaire want to spend the night with me? It just didn’t make any sense. This had to be some cruel joke. He chuckled, took my hand, and guided me toward the elevator.

  “But… what about these documents?”

  “Fuck the documents.” He said, snatching the folder from my hands and throwing it to the side.

  Pieces of paper fluttered into the air, creating a mess. Everett paid it no mind as his other hand settled on my ass, cupping my cheek as we both stepped into the elevator.

  Oh god, what was I getting myself into?

  Chapter 6 (Everett)

  I was alone with my sexy assistant, her ass in my
hand. It was turning out to be a good night after all. And, if things went my way, then things would only get better from here.