by Rye Hart
“Owner and CEO, yes,” he said.
“Do you still own the company?”
“I sold off my controlling shares when I went off the grid with Audrey.”
“Do you think you might want to go back to it one day? Resume working at your company?”
“No. I left Silver Lining Real Estate, and I don’t intend on going back to it. That life feels like nothing but a distant memory.”
“Wait.” My eyes flew wide when I recognized the name. “You owned Silver Lining Real Estate? You built Silver Lining Real Estate?”
“I did. Are you familiar with it?”
“I don’t think anyone who tries to open their own business doesn’t know who they are. I used their coaching services to help me make decisions when I first opened my bakery.”
He stared at me and then a grin broke over his face. When he sat the pizza in front of me, I was almost embarrassed by how quickly I devoured it. And it tasted phenomenal, much better than putting some sauce and cheese on a tortilla and microwaving it. Between the two of us, we finished it off, sitting at the kitchen table in the darkness of his mountaintop cabin. Neither of us spoke. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I had so much more to learn about him.
It occurred to me this little bit I’d learned about him hadn’t been something he’d lied about like his identity. We simply hadn’t talked enough about ourselves. There was so much we hadn’t talked about, so much I found I wanted to learn. If I was going to be staying with him until the dust settled, I might as well attempt to get to know the man who got me pregnant.
“Thank you for this,” I said.
“As good as it was in your dream?” Cameron asked.
“Better, if that’s possible.”
“Anything’s possible if you want it badly enough.”
The way he looked at me, it made my heart leap. I didn’t know if his gaze had darkened or if that was simply the look of his eyes when thick shadows played on his features. Either way, I needed space between us. I got up from the table and gathered my things, promptly making my way to the kitchen sink. But I heard him quick on his feet before his arm came around my shoulder and took my plate away from me.
“Go relax,” he said.
“You cooked, I clean. That’s how that trade-off works.”
“Not with me. Now go sit down.”
“Cameron, I’m just rinsing it off and then putting it in the dishwasher. It’s not a big deal.”
I pulled the plate away from his grasp, but my napkin fell to the floor. I set the dish in the kitchen sink and reached down for it, trying to set up some sort of equal dynamic between the two of us. I wasn’t going to freeload off him. We were going to split the cleanup of his home equally. I didn’t need someone doing everything for me. All I needed was my own space and the freedom to sit and think.
But when I came back up with the napkin in my hand, his face was inches away from mine.
His hand slipped into mine, taking the napkin from between my fingers. His breath pulsed against my lips, the heat of his body beating against my skin like a battering ram knocking down a door. I moved to stand up, but he moved with me, keeping in time with my movements.
“Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Cameron said.
He tossed the napkin on the counter as my eyes followed up his body. His strong, chiseled body with arms as thick like granite and abs rolling like the hills and valleys of a countryside. It was wrong to feel the way I still did about him and to want him the way my body still did. Still upset after what he’d admitted to me and with the lies that had bubbled to the surface, I shouldn’t be giving him mixed signals.
But deep down, I knew he was being honest about one thing. His name had changed, but he hadn’t.
I settled my hands against his chest and that was all it took. He cupped my cheeks and crashed his lips against mine, barreling me back against the refrigerator. The cool metal made me hiss, but the heat of his hands running down my skin brought my body heat to the surface. He bent down and gripped my thighs, picking me up and begging me to wrap my legs around him. Our tongues battled. Our teeth clattered. He pinned me with his weight, his cock coming alive underneath his flannel pajama pants. I ran my fingers through his hair. I tasted a hint of his toothpaste on the tip of his tongue. Heat pooled between my legs as he walked us down the hallway, not stopping until the two of us collapsed to his bed.
He ripped my clothes off, not caring about the stitches he popped. I slid his pants down with my feet, anxious to feel his body against mine again. His cock rested against my thigh, thick with arousal and dripping with pre-come. He hoisted me up the bed until he could kneel between my legs. He teased my clit with his cockhead, traced that sensitive spot as his lips fell to my breasts. He lapped at my nipples and drove himself forward into my warm, wet heat.
“Oh, Cameron,” I said breathlessly. The primitive growl that rushed from his body made my pussy clench around his cock.
He drove into me with breathless thrusts. My body jolted. Jumped. Shook against him as he dove in and out of my pussy. I clung to him. Dug my nails into his back. Kissed along his shoulder and nuzzled into his cheek while he grunted into my neck. His hands pinned my hips to the bed. He stilled my movements as his cock grew thicker between my thighs. I slid my toes up the backs of his legs and felt his movements stutter. Then, he slipped his arm underneath my back.
In an instant, I was off the bed and being spun around. My back landed against the wall again, and his hips snapped against mine. I gripped his hair tightly, holding onto any leverage I could get as he ravaged my body. He was wild. Untamed. Raw in his passionate state. I gripped my thighs around him. Pulled him closer. Felt his cock engorge against my walls as his lips nibbled on every patch of open skin my body offered up to him.
“Cameron. Oh. So good. Yes.”
My toes flexed as he peeled me away from the wall. Sweat dripped down our bodies as he stumbled back into a chair. He held my hips to his and ground into me. Bounced me in his lap as I hung on for the ride. He kissed down my chest, sucked my nipples between his lips, and circled them with his tongue as my pussy began to flutter around him.
“I feel you, Heather. Don’t hold back.”
Then, his hand freed my thigh and slipped between my folds.
With one stroke, I was pushed over the edge, falling into a dark, deep abyss I knew I’d never return from. His hips slammed against me as he thrust into my pussy, my juices dripping down and coating the chair below us. I wrapped my arms around his neck. My back arched, pushing my hips deeper into his. My pussy took all of him, keeping a tight hold on his girth as I shook in his lap. His hand stilled. His body pulled taut. His cock pulsed against my walls and emptied his hot sticky seed deep inside me.
My nails slid against his skin while my body went weak, and he caught me in his arms before I fell backward.
“I got you,” he said as he drew me to him. “I got you, Heather.”
My head fell to his shoulder as my body sagged against him. I heaved for air. My stomach was full, and my body felt at home, as much as it killed me to admit it. Cameron felt like Andrew and sounded like Andrew and held me like Andrew and cooked like Andrew.
And when he threaded his fingers through my hair and rose us up from the bed, I realized he comforted me like Andrew. So, I curled myself around him in bed and clung to him, falling asleep against him.
CHAPTER 21
CAMERON
The sun streaming through the window woke me up, and I felt Heather stir against me, her warm, naked body, pressed flush against mine. It was the most incredible feeling, cradling her against me. I stroked her back softly as she stirred, her legs stretching out and her breasts pressing against my skin. But the opening of my bedroom door and the scurrying of little feet across the hardwood made me panic.
I felt Heather pull the covers up her body as she quickly pulled away from me.
“Morning!” Audrey said as she went diving into the bed.
She wiggled her way between us as I watched Heather’s eyes rip open.
“Hi, Miss Heather,” she said with a smile. “Did you sleep good?”
A breathless giggle fell from Heather’s lips as she looked up at me, but all I could do was shrug. My daughter didn’t seem uncomfortable with the scenario nor did she look confused. I could tell Heather felt uncomfortable, but probably because she was naked. I was as well, and I kept myself covered as my daughter nestled between the two of us.
“I’m hungry,” she said. “Can we have eggs?”
“Sure,” I said. “You gonna cook them?”
Audrey’s face dropped, and Heather let out a small bout of laughter. It felt almost familial, the way my daughter sat between the two of us. I kissed my daughter’s forehead and told her to go sit at the breakfast table so Heather and I could get up and get dressed. Thankfully, Audrey sild off the bed and ran down the hallway, giving the two of us time to piece ourselves together.
But not before I drew a morning kiss from Heather’s lips.
“So, Audrey,” Heather said as she sat down at the table. “How did you sleep?”
I cringed as I whipped my head around, trying to catch Heather’s stare.
“Miss Heather, did you forget my name?” my daughter giggled.
The question broke my heart, and I watched Heather’s eyes flicker toward me. I shook my head, trying to communicate so many things to her in that one little head nod. A veil of sadness blanketed her stare before she turned back to my daughter. Then, I watched her reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind Audrey’s ear.
“Sorry,” Heather said. “My brain must still be sleeping. I could never forget anything about you Rebecca.”
My heart clenched at the conversation as I plated everyone’s food. Breakfast was pretty silent. Heather tried to steal glances at me from time to time, but we were in no position to address what had happened. And I wasn’t in a position to talk about it. The fact that my daughter didn’t even know her birth name made me disgusted with myself and with my actions in the past. It was because of me that she lived this completely fake life on the assumption that it was true.
It tore me to shreds, and I didn’t want to think about it.
“Can we go hiking today?” Audrey asked.
“Wait, are there hiking trails around here?” Heather asked.
I nodded. “There are. Rebecca and I have carved out a lot of paths.”
“Could we walk some of them?” Heather asked.
“Yeah, Daddy. Can we?”
“Well, when two beautiful women are asking me for the same thing, how can I refuse?”
I tossed a wink at Heather and watched a beautiful blush creep up into her cheeks.
Heather refused to let me clean the dishes, so I left her to it while Rebecca and I got ready. Heather quickly dressed in an outfit that would keep her safe walking through the woods, and then the three of us started off. Audrey ran up ahead of us, rushing down her favorite trail. She loved it because it was all downhill and led to a beautiful waterfall off the side of the mountain that she loved throwing rocks into.
I was excited to show Heather the beauty of the wilderness around us. It helped take my mind off the threats my body was still on alert for.
“She doesn’t know her real name, does she?” Heather asked the question I’d already guessed was on her mind most of the morning.
I drew in a deep breath of fresh air as Audrey bounded ahead of us. “She was young when all of this took place. Barely two.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be. It’s my fault she’s in this situation.”
“How so?”
“Had I kept myself under control instead of beating that man within an inch of his life, no one would be trying to—”
“Miss Heather! Look!”
I watched Heather’s lips part in shock as the sound of the waterfall hit our ears. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
“Like you.”
Her eyes whipped toward me as Audrey ran up to take her hand. My daughter dragged her to the waterfall, talking her ear off in the process. I’d never seen my daughter so animated around someone before and so willing to open up and talk. Some of the things that came out of her mouth sometimes stunned even me. For a four-year-old, she was incredibly perceptive. For a child her preschool thought was unnecessarily quiet, she held her own in a conversation even though they could get ridiculous at times.
The two of them started throwing rocks, and I watched Heather teach Audrey how to skip a rock across the water. She crouched down, patient with her as she guided her hand. She taught her how to hold the rock and how to snap her wrist to get a decent spin on it. I learned a lot about Heather simply by watching her interact with my daughter in the woods. I learned how much she loved the outdoors. I learned she knew a great deal about the plants and foliage around us. I listened as she told stories to my daughter and learned that some of her favorite childhood memories were of reading in trees and swimming in creeks.
My heart surged with every interaction between the two of them.
Every time I tried to fight my feelings for Heather, they came back full-force. Watching her with my daughter only enhanced what I was trying so hard to fight off. Heather was amazing, patient and kind, with knowledge she looked eager to pass down to Audrey. They sat with their feet in the running river and continued to talk, oblivious to where I perched while I watched them.
They were off in their own little world, and I was standing there, leaning against a tree to make sure nothing would encroach on their safety.
It felt natural. Normal. Familial.
“You guys ready for lunch?” I asked.
“Is it lunchtime already?” Heather asked.
Audrey’s response was no surprise. “Can we have mac ‘n cheese?”
“Only if we run back as fast as we can,” I said with a grin.
“Last one up has to eat dirt!” Audrey exclaimed.
Heather threw her head back and laughed as my daughter took off up the hill.
“Do you really expect me to run the entire way back up?” she asked as she slipped her shoes back on.
“Nope, and Audrey won’t, either. She’ll get twenty feet up before she has to stop and walk the rest of the way. But it helps get some energy out of her so she goes down for a nap after lunch.”
“Sneaky sneaky. I’ll be learning those tactics soon enough.”
Her statement caused us both to pause before our eyes connected. I watched a glow emanate from her stare that almost gave off the perception that she was happy about that, happy about having my child despite everything that had been thrown at her. I offered my hand to her, and she took it. Together, we began to climb the uphill trail back to the cabin.
Audrey busted into the house, covered in sweat and rummaging through the fridge for a bottle of water.
“Help?” Audrey asked.
“Here, I’ve got it,” Heather said.
She cracked the bottle of water open before handing it to my thirsty child. I went to go pull some macaroni out of the pantry, but Heather put her hand down on my wrist. I looked over at her and she shook her head, then took the box from my grasp.
“You made breakfast. I make lunch,” she said. “Now, go clean up. You stink.”
I grinned at her as she tossed me a playful wink, a shower did sound nice.
Audrey sat at the table gulping back her cold water as I slipped away. I made my way into the room, and my phone caught my eye. I decided to check it to make sure nothing was happening I needed to be aware of, and the second I saw I had a missed call from Hudson, my entire body went on high alert.
I called him back and held the phone to my ear, but Hudson answered before the first ring was finished.
“They know where you are,” he said.
My heart stopped in my chest. “What?”
“I traced a few of the guys to an area right outside of Whitefish. They don’
t know your address, but they know you’re in town.”
My entire world stopped as footsteps came down the hallway. I slowly turned toward the entryway to my home, watching as Heather’s beautiful body came into view. She was holding a bottle of water meant for me as she turned into the room but stopped dead in her tracks the second she saw my face.
“I’ll have to call you back,” I said.
“Cameron, listen to me. You have t—”
I hung up the call and tossed my phone to the bed as Heather’s face sank.
“What is it?” she asked.
Guilt swallowed my body whole as I drew in a deep breath. “They found us.”
The terror that raked over her features made me physically nauseous. Yet another innocent life thrust into this world of darkness because of me.
I had to find a way to make this right.
CHAPTER 22
HEATHER
“I have to go into town for some things,” I said.
“You know you can’t do that. We have to lay incredibly low right now.”
“I get that. I know. It’s all we’ve been talking about behind Audrey’s back. But I’m running out of things I can eat here that won’t make me sick. I need more ginger ale and things to help with my nausea. I won’t be able to operate otherwise.”
“I’m sure there’s something here I can make that will help.”
“Cameron.”
“Heather, I’m not joking here. You’re not leaving unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“And this is pretty necessary considering I’m pregnant and sick,” I said.
