The world seems to spin around me as I stare into his face. My mind is whirling, the past and the present colliding inside my brain in an explosion of darkness and sparkles. And isn’t that just the perfect image . . . dark for the pain he put me through, but sparkles for all the good times, because we did have them.
I look over at Brad and Trey, who are just as bewildered as I am.
“Ana, I feel like I need to explain some things.”
I draw myself up, pull myself together from a pain I thought I’d long ago outgrown, and hold a hand up, silencing him. “Don’t bother. I don’t know why you’re here . . . and I really don’t care. That was ten years ago and you don’t owe me anything. I don’t owe you anything either.”
“Ana—”
No stopping me now. I just roll over him like a juggernaut of words and attitude. “I’m here for a much-needed vacation. And since that woman told me my payment was non-refundable, I’m not going to let your presence deter me from enjoying myself.”
He’s trying to get up, but he shouldn’t bother. I’m not going to listen to a word he says.
“Stay off that ankle for at least a week. And please don’t come over here. Don’t ruin my vacation.”
“Ana, wait!” Aubrey tries to call, but I ignore him, trying to get as far away from him as I can. Behind me, I can hear Brad and Trey talking to each other about what to do with the still-wounded man, but I don’t care.
Right now, I need to process what just happened.
Aubrey is here. My high school sweetheart. My first love.
Instead of nursing his wound, I should have kicked him right in the balls and screamed at him what a jerk he was. He doesn’t deserve any sympathy or help from me. Lord knows, he didn’t give me any help when he left me broken.
Chapter 4
Aubrey
I watch, mesmerized as Ana stomps away, her curvy hips swaying with each step, her ass looking mighty fine in her Levis. I call for her to come back, but she ignores me like the bastard she thinks I am.
Every part of my body screams at me to go after her and make her listen to me. But I’m frozen, standing on one foot like Bigfoot fucked a flamingo and I’m the result.
That beautiful woman, that gorgeous fucking creature who just bandaged up my ankle, is Anabelle Tucker? Little Ana, who last time I saw her, barely broke five feet and was shy, sweet, and . . .
And the one I let get away. Or should I say more correctly, the one I stupidly ran out on. The one I always thought would be my wife. Sure, we were young as fuck, but I just had that feeling.
Her pretty face still possesses the sweet innocence I remember, but now it has a maturity that comes with being a grown woman . . . and apparently, a nurse.
It doesn’t seem humanly possible, but she’s even more beautiful than before.
I brush off my momentary shock and try to take a step, putting most of my weight on my left foot. “Ana, wait!” I call.
“Hol-ee-shit, you really pissed her off!” the spiky-haired blond next to me exclaims. He’s standing next to a guy I now recognize as Ana’s brother, Trey.
I ignore them, limping after Ana, wincing from the pain shooting through my ankle. Trey and Blondie talk to each other behind me, but I’m too intent on catching up to Ana to hear what they’re saying. Even with my handicap, I catch up with Ana before she gets halfway to her cabin.
Ever near, Rex pads to my side and watches.
“Ana,” I say, reaching out.
She spins out of reach, turning to glare at me, her nostrils flaring. Her doe eyes flicker to Rex and soften, but then they flash back to me and the anger comes back as she shoots eyeball daggers. If looks could kill, I’d be a huge-ass dead man right now.
“What do you want, Aubrey? Didn’t I tell you to stay over there?” she half yells, nodding toward my cabin. Her voice has so much anger, it’s hard to believe it’s Anabelle Tucker talking. She was always so sweet and endearing in high school. I never saw her get mad at anyone. I can’t say that I don’t deserve her ire or that she isn’t sexy as fuck when she’s pissed off. It makes her skin glow pink, and I wonder . . . does she still blush like she did when I stroked her nipples through her shirt for the first time? Ana, though, doesn’t seem to remember. “Get to fucking stepping.”
I scowl. I might be a bastard for what I did, but I’m not going to let her boss me around. “You’re on my property. I’ll do whatever the hell I please.”
Ana scowls back and holds her palm out, turning her head away. “Fine. Give me a refund then, and I’ll be gone before you can even blink.”
“Not happening,” I say firmly, shaking my head. Sure, I’m being stubborn and a pain in the ass, but I’m an expert at both. And in this case, oh, hell no. I let her get away once. I’m not letting her get away again. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Then stay away from me. I don’t want to talk to you.” She starts to turn, but I stop her with a firm hand on the shoulder.
“Ana—”
She recoils from my touch as if I’m a snake, throwing my hand off and sending me dangerously off-balance. I correct and find stable standing again to see her schooling her concern into a deadly look. “Don’t touch me.”
“I’m just—”
“I said stay away . . . and off your damn ankle!” she growls. “And if you touch me again, you’re going to find yourself icing your balls along with your ankle!”
Message sent, she spins on her heels and marches all the way to her cabin, slamming the door.
God damn. You know you’re an asshole when you can make someone who’s as sweet as apple pie turn into a fiery siren ready to claw your face off. But she must care about me somewhat. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so worried about me staying off my foot. Maybe I should just give her a little space, then try to talk to her?
Fuck that. I’m not letting her just walk away without getting a word in.
I’m about to follow her inside when I hear the crunch of gravel behind me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
I turn to see Trey and his friend, who seems to be gawking at me like I’m some giant Klondike bar.
“Trey,” I say cordially, nodding my head in greeting. He and I got along pretty well way back when.
“Aubrey,” Trey replies politely with a hint of steel, ever the protective older brother. I’m sure he knows what happened between Ana and me. They’re close. He probably hates me too. But he doesn’t know what I had on my plate. What I’ve gone through.
Trey looks like he’s about to elbow his friend, who’s still staring. But instead, he just gestures and introduces us. “This is my boyfriend, Brad . . . although I’m beginning to rethink that label. Brad, this is Aubrey.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say to Brad. I offer my hand, and we shake.
“I have to ask, when did they start raising giants around here?”
“This is Rex,” I say, ignoring him and motioning toward the husky, who’s been remarkably calm considering the situation. I normally introduce him whenever I meet new people. He might be a dog, but he’s a person to me, loyal and always by my side. “My buddy.”
“Hey, Rexy!” Brad chirps but is silenced by Rex’s throaty rumble.
“What brings you guys up here?” I ask Trey, glancing at the cabin. Hopefully, Ana hasn’t figured out how to detach the decorative axes from the wall or she might use me for target practice. “I wasn’t expecting tenants so fast. I just put this rental on the market.”
“Ana’s been working hard at the hospital,” Trey explains, “so she needed a vacation—”
“And something else,” Brad chirps in under his breath, eyeing me up and down, “some big, fat—”
Trey gives Brad a frosty glare and he shuts up. “As for why she chose here,” he continues, then shrugs. “Seemed like it had a special meaning.”
She still remembers our place. Our special place. That means she has to still think about me.
The thought makes me feel
hopeful about my prospects of getting Ana to listen to me.
“Hospital?” I ask. When I left, Ana was thinking about becoming a social worker.
Trey nods. “She’s a nurse. She just moved back about a year ago and got a job at the hospital.”
It doesn’t surprise me she ended up in the medical field. Ana always loved helping people. Being a nurse definitely fits her personality.
“I thought she’d be married with a kid or two by now,” I say after a moment, watching the cabin. It’s an obvious dig for information, but I can’t help myself. I have to know.
Trey shakes his head and I’m filled with relief. “Nope. No man, no kids. No time for a relationship, really. She practically lives and breathes her job. Coming up here for a little me time was the best thing she could do.”
“Or maybe the worst,” Brad adds. “I’ve never seen Ana get this mad before. She’s always so sweet and nice to everybody. So honey, you must’ve done some pretty fucked-up shit to make her rage like that.” He looks pointedly at me as if waiting for a response.
“It’s complicated,” is all I say. I don’t know Brad. I’m not giving him my life story, no matter how curious he might be.
“Indeed, it is,” adds Trey. I’m shocked he’s not chewing me out or pressing me for more info on what happened. Seeing how angry Ana is, he has to feel some kind of way. “But hey, we’re going to go inside and try to calm her down. I think it’s best that you two stay away from each other. This is supposed to be a relaxing getaway. She doesn’t need any added stress.” He grabs Brad by the arm and drags him toward the cabin. “And listen to Ana. Stay off that ankle.”
I stand there with Rex, wondering what I should do until I see Trey and Brad go inside and the two siblings start arguing. Sighing, I begin limping back to my cabin.
Stay away? Like hell. I’m not letting her go again.
“So, they arrived?”
I’m sitting on my bed, my ankle propped up on my extra blankets, and trying to keep my head straight. The pain’s set in, and yeah, it hurts like fuck. Probably not the best time to take a phone call from Carlotta, but I don’t want her to get worried.
“Yeah, arrived this morning,” I reply, wincing as I adjust my body on the bed. This is really gonna suck, being laid up.
“How are you liking your new tenant?” she asks. “I heard she works at the hospital. I’m glad I dropped a brochure there.”
“We have . . . history,” I reply before I realize I probably should’ve kept that to myself.
“What kind of history?” Carlotta jumps in immediately. “Is there going to be a problem?”
“No . . . I don’t think so. It’s complicated.”
On her end of the line, Carlotta sighs, and I can hear her earrings clinking against the handset. “Aubrey, talking to you is like pulling teeth. So . . . how hot is this chick?”
Hot? Hot enough to bring the heat of full spring to this mountain valley about two months early. The entire time she was ranting at me, I wanted nothing more than to pull her down on top of me and taste those sweet lips of hers.
Not that I’m going to tell my cousin. “What kind of question is that?”
“And that answers my question. So, you want me to come play matchmaker or not?”
Damn. Busted. “Hell, no. What am I, eighteen? I’m a grown ass man, Car.”
“Oh, come on. You might be a grown ass man.” She makes sure to highlight the last part to mock me. “But you’re way outta practice. And this is like some sign! I was just telling you that you needed a woman around there, and now this? You need all the help you can get! You’ve got two weeks to—”
I interrupt her, saying with force and hoping she’ll listen, “Stop. no, just no. It’s like riding a bike. I don’t need help.”
I’m playing it down. I don’t want her to know my real feelings . . . how deep this goes. I look out my window, and in the distance, I can see Ana arguing with Trey through their window. She looks pissed. “Listen, Car, I’m gonna head out. We’ll talk later.”
“Aubrey—” Car says, but her voice is cut off as I hang up. I look over at the cabin, wondering what I’m going to do.
I’m not going to fuck this up like I did last time. Carlotta’s right about one thing. I have two weeks . . . to make her mine. And I have every intention of making that happen.
Chapter 5
Ana
“We’re gonna get a little sleep,” Trey says, looking guilty that he and Brad need a little bit of couple time. It’s late, and after a long day where Trey showed off his culinary skills and Brad’s done his best to entertain me and get me out of my funk, they’re just about femaled out. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I reassure them, raising my glass of red wine. “See you in the morning.”
They head toward the back bedroom and go inside. I wasn’t so sure about their tagging along, even if it was only for a few days, but now that I know who’s next door, I’m glad they’re here.
I sit back, sipping my wine and finally taking a moment to enjoy the cabin. It’s stunning. One large main room holds the living, dining, and kitchen areas, and there are two bedrooms, one off each side. Thank goodness the bedrooms are split because I have a feeling I will want to be far away from Trey and Brad’s activities this weekend. I love them, but Trey is still my brother. The cabin is decorated in a true alpine style, with snowshoes on one wall, a pair of crossed axes over a stone fireplace, and a rustic charm that makes it feel like a mountain paradise. When paired with the views from the porch outside, I truly feel like I’ve found God’s country.
If only it weren’t for my neighbor to my back. I shake my head, looking out the back window toward his cabin.
His cabin is rougher, squatter, more . . . untamed than what I’m in. That was Aubrey today. Even though he was injured, he was wild, untamed, towering as he stood in the field on a leg and a half. His chest was huge, stretching the flannel shirt he was wearing and . . .
Fuck. I can feel the warm, instinctual tremble in my belly that I used to feel for him and it has me worried. He hurt me. He broke my heart. He’s a bastard who should be left out here in the woods. Hell, if I’d known it was him, I would’ve left his ass lying there.
But it’s a lie. I wouldn’t do that to anyone, especially Aubrey.
Goddammit. I can’t even be mad at him. I take a deep breath and pour myself another glass of wine, knowing I’m going to have a headache tomorrow but not really giving a fuck. If ever there’s a time for a drunken trip down memory lane, it’s when you see the high school sweetheart who was your first everything . . . including your first, and only, broken heart. Besides, I’m a nurse. I’ve got a half-dozen hangover cures. Some of them even work.
Taking a fortifying drink of wine, I decide to take the bull by the horns and dive into my thoughts about Aubrey from today. The fact is, ten years have made him even more handsome than he was. He always dwarfed me, but he’s even bigger now, both taller and wider than the boy in my memories. And the soft sweetness he once had is gone. He’s more rugged now, his hair a little longer, but the gruff look only makes him more delicious.
Fuck. I hate that last thought, but it’s the truth. Even if we didn’t have history, I want to feel what his body promises. I want to feel rough, calloused hands on my skin, squeezing my ass as his lips nip at my neck. I want to climb him like a tree and trace every inch of his muscles. I want him to hold me up and pound into me so hard I bounce on his cock. But with the sweet agony of what we used to share mixed in with image of him fucking me hard . . . it’s even more enticing.
Ugh . . . no, Ana. Stop right there. That’s got bad idea written all over it. But it’s the truth, as ugly as it is. I was angry today, still am, but there’s obviously still something about him that calls to me, especially when he drops back into my life looking like a mountain man who could wrangle my body like a romance novel god. And I’m on such a dry run, my weak body might just overwhelm my responsible mind. I haven’t had a love
r since I moved back to town, and quite frankly, I feel like a freshly-dewed virgin again. Sounds like a bad porn movie, The Twenty-Eight-Year-Old Virgin Nurse.
Sighing, I drain half my wine glass and look into the drink’s depths for answers. Maybe I should just say fuck it and leave? That’s probably the smart thing to do. I’ve still got the time off from work. I can crash at home and just chill out, avoid the whole Aubrey issue, and just pretend today never happened.
An owl hoots outside, and I look out to see a beautiful landscape of the moon over the mountains. I walk out onto the porch and around, looking up at the perfect moon and the diamond pinpricks of the stars on the black velvet sky. It’s amazing, and so peaceful I can feel the stress of the day almost dropping away as the moonlight bathes me in softness. I need this, a getaway from work, and if I go home, I know I’ll end up covering someone’s shift again. But here? Here, I can just . . . be. No timeline, no demands on my attention, no life or death decisions.
Nah, no way in hell am I going to let Aubrey with his sexy brown eyes, chiseled arms, and rumbly voice chase me away from this. He broke my heart once, but we’re adults now. He can stay on his side, I’ll stay on mine, and it’ll be fine. I realize that maybe doesn’t sound like the most adult way to behave, but it’s what I’ve got. I need this vacation, need some time in the woods, need to finally let the past go and move on for a better, fuller future.
“What in the world were you doing outside last night?” Trey asks as he slides my omelet from the skillet to my plate. “It was cold in here. It must’ve been freezing out there!”
“And I had clothes on. I’m still here. I didn’t die,” I reply sarcastically, pulling my fluffy robe tighter around me for warmth. “Felt warmer last night than it does now. Damn, Brad, how long’s it going to take to get that fire going? Thought you were all domestic now.”
Untamed (Irresistible Bachelors Book 9) Page 4
