by Ivy Jordan
Liam’s eyes were burning through mine, and it was obvious he had his answer without me uttering a word.
“Buddy, what the fuck?” he gasped.
I dropped to the log below me, sitting before my legs gave out from under me. What had I done?
“She’s different,” I sighed.
“You’ve really fallen for this girl, haven’t ya?” Liam asked, sitting beside me.
His arm wrapped over my shoulder as he pulled me towards him for a side hug. It was good to get my emotions out in the open and off my chest. For the last few days I’d had that chest-caving feeling that nearly took my breath away, and I knew it was the feelings I had for Bailey that I was trying to bury.
“How’s she been with your nightmares?” Liam asked.
I looked up, surprised that he mentioned the nightmares, that he knew about them at all.
“I’ve stayed with you before, trust me, I know how rough your nights can be,” Liam offered, patting me on the back gently.
“At first, they were still here, every night,” I sighed.
“And now?” Liam pushed.
“Well, since I’ve stayed in the bed with her at night, holding her, they’ve been gone,” I smiled.
Liam grinned, squeezing me towards him and let out a joyous laugh.
“Well, that’s amazing. So, now maybe you’ll be ready to find a good woman,” he smiled.
I already had a good woman. I had the best woman. I had Bailey.
Chapter Eighteen
Bailey
My neck ached as it stretched up to peer out the window. The glass was iced over, allowing me only to see the shadows of Liam and Xander outside. I knew Xander had chopped wood on several occasions, and there was no real reason for them to be out there other than for a private conversation. What were they talking about? Me, of course. Liam was probably telling Xander how I needed to leave, to get home to whoever was looking for me, and to go on with my life.
Something in my life wasn’t good; that’s all I knew at this point. I still hadn’t talked to Xander about the vague memories I’d had or the feeling of sadness that surrounded me with those memories.
Maybe there was a reason I was out in the woods alone, a reason why I forgot and haven’t been eager to remember.
I pushed my head back down onto the pillow as the door opened, trying to appear to still be sleeping.
“Thanks, buddy,” I heard Xander say, causing me to become even more curious about their talk.
I hated Liam being there, interrupting our time together. I knew the snow would eventually clear, and I’d have to leave, but I still had time alone with Xander, at least I did until Liam arrived.
I laid still, silent, and just listened to the guys as they whispered to one another. Finally, I heard Liam say he was tired and mentioned napping in front of the fire. I closed my eyes tightly, waited patiently, and after about thirty minutes, snores filled the small cabin.
“You awake?” I turned to Xander, who was whispering in my ear.
His eyes were bright blue, the light of the sun bursting in through the window created a glow around his sandy blonde hair, and his image reminded me of the ones on the covers of the romance novels shoved under his bed.
I leaned up, without saying a word, and kissed him gently on the mouth. As I started to pull away, to relax back on my pillow, his strong hand gripped the back of my head, pulling me back towards his lips.
My body fell limp in his arms as our tongues stroked against one another. That sweet burning tingle between my legs returned from where it was abandoned earlier that morning. The same intensity fueled my desire for Xander, and even though Liam was just a few feet away, I wanted him to take me, right then, right there.
“I need you,” I gasped, pulling from his kiss.
His eyes filled with excitement, but then quickly faded to concern. I watched as he glanced over towards the chair where Liam slept.
“I need you too, but…” he hesitated.
My blood boiled. Liam was here, and he obviously was going nowhere until he could drag me down the mountain with him, so this was it? I couldn’t spend my last days with Xander wrapped in his arms?
“I’ll be quiet,” I promised, pushing my bottom lip out to pout.
Xander chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as his eyes danced on mine.
“We both know that’s a lie,” he laughed.
My cheeks burnt with embarrassment at the reality I’d howled as loudly as the wolves outside the cabin when we’d been together.
“We were alone then. I can be quiet,” I assured him.
My hand reached down between his legs, rubbing against his crotch as he let out a deep growl.
“Now who can’t be quiet?” I giggled.
I squirmed under the covers, arching my back and exposing my t-shirt covered breasts to Xander’s hungry eyes. He growled again, this time deeper, a little slower, and with more hunger.
“We could go take a shower,” I suggested with a smile.
“We’ll wake him,” Xander groaned.
I didn’t care about waking Liam. I wanted Xander. I needed Xander.
My hand rubbed against the denim of his jeans, his cock beneath growing quickly. I watched as his eyes closed, his head fell behind his shoulders, and his lips parted. It was obvious he wanted me too, that he needed me.
“We never got to finish what we started this morning,” I flirted.
His eyes opened and stared down on me with desire. He let his hand drop to the bed, slowly sliding beneath the blanket to my warm body. The pressure of his palm on my belly made me squirm, and as his fingers stretched out, lowering to my panty line, I started to moan.
A snap of the waist band, and Xander’s hand was in my pants, between my legs, and running against my swollen pussy. I grinded against him, trying to halt my moans and groans, but some escaped, even with tightly clasped lips.
A finger slid inside of me, spreading my folds apart as it thrust deep into my cunt. I worked quickly to open his jeans, unleashing the hardened cock that I craved into my hand. My mouth watered as the smooth skin of his manhood slid through my palm. My fingers clasped tightly around him, stroking his cock with the same rhythm he plunged his finger into me.
My arousal washed around his finger as he slid another one inside. Pre-cum dripped from the tip of his cock, lubricating my fingers for a steadier stroke. We were both enthralled in our motions, lost in ecstasy, and oblivious to anything, or anyone around us, including Liam.
Xander’s thumb pressed against my clit, creating friction as he pushed into me with his fingers. My body twitched, quivered, and then began to throb as my orgasm was impending.
My eyes opened, staring up at Xander. I loved that he watched me, soaking in the satisfaction he was giving me, loving every second.
Moans rolled from my throat as my body tensed and released, my pussy muscles squeezed hard against his fingers, and my fingers clasped hard around his cock. I stroked hard, fast, loving the sensation of his thick cock in my small hand.
Xander leaned down, placing his hand over my mouth to quiet me as my orgasm exploded onto his hand. His eyes smiled, and his lips curled as I bit into the flesh of his hand for one last moan.
His body tensed, and with a low controlled grunt, and few twitches of his cock, my hand was covered in the slippery reward of his cum.
My breathing was rapid and sporadic as my hand released his exhausted cock. My pussy throbbed, surprisingly satisfied by our mutual masturbation.
Xander leaned down, kissing me on the forehead, and then on the lips. I could taste the whiskey he’d shared with Liam on his tongue, reminding me of our first kiss. I hoped this wouldn’t be our last.
“I’m going to make some lunch,” Xander excused himself.
I fell against the soft pillow and stared up at the wood ceiling. I could see my house more clearly now when I closed my eyes. The yellow wallpaper kitchen, the front porch with two white rocking chairs, and even my room, a fl
owered bedspread and twin bed with a white frame. Was that where I still lived?
With every image that popped into my mind, every memory that flooded my brain, sadness filled my heart. I still couldn’t figure out why I was so sad. What was waiting for me that filled me with such misery?
I knew I’d find the answers out soon enough. With Liam there, interrupting the distraction Xander had given me from my past, it was bound to start flooding over me without warning.
Chapter Nineteen
Xander
I watched Bailey while cleaning up our breakfast dishes. She was perched on the small chair by the couch, her knees pushed up to her chest, and a sour look on her face. I knew that having Liam around was bothering her, and the tension between them was starting to take its toll on me as well. It had only been one night, but it felt like a month. The peaceful enjoyment of having company was gone. I remembered why I preferred being alone.
“Looks like the storm passed,” Liam called out to me from the couch.
Bailey’s eyes glared into him as he fiddled with the satellite radio. I dropped the towel I was using to dry dishes on the counter and moved into the main room. The windows were starting to thaw from the icy glaze they’d had for the past couple weeks, and the sky was clear, offering up sunshine instead of dark clouds.
“Yeah,” I acknowledged, taking notice of Bailey’s disinterest.
“The mountain’s still covered though, even though it quit snowing,” Bailey pointed out.
“But it’s melting. Aren’t you eager to get off this mountain?” Liam asked.
Bailey offered up a faint smile, but her lips were tightly pursed, and it was obvious she wasn’t elated by the news.
“I’ve been here a day, and I’m ready to go,” Liam laughed.
Bailey rolled her eyes as she pulled the throw at her feet up over her arms.
“Nothing’s stopping ya,” she hissed.
Holy shit!
These two were like alley cats ready to brawl over the last mouse in the alley. I knew the night before that Bailey was frustrated at Liam’s visit. When I held her in my arms, she pulled away, not offering to snuggle, and not offering any affection. I still slept great holding her, no nightmares, no midnight wake-ups of sweat and feelings of guilt.
Bailey, on the other hand, seemed restless. I wasn’t sure if she was having nightmares, memories, or if the stress of our new houseguest was just getting to her.
“I’m not leaving until we all do,” Liam said calmly.
He was never one to get upset. He was level-headed, always calm, and even in times of chaos, he was the voice of reason. It was one of his best assets, one I admired deeply.
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t sleep very well,” Bailey apologized.
“I’m sure being stuck in this cabin for two weeks has taken its toll,” Liam offered as an acceptance.
“It’s actually been quite nice here,” Bailey smiled sweetly in my direction.
It was good to see her smile again and to see the sweetness she held inside. I was growing worried she was going to become a handful with the stress she had no ability to hide shining through.
“How long do you think we should wait to travel down?” Liam asked, his eyes curiously heavy on mine.
He knew I was growing attached to Bailey, too attached, and that having her leave wasn’t exactly on my top priority of things to do. I sighed, looking over at Bailey, who anxiously awaited my answer.
“If it were just you and I, we could go now, but I’d say we should wait for the snow to melt some before risking Bailey slipping again,” I replied.
Liam leaned back on the couch, clutching his coffee cup tightly in his hand. It was obvious he wasn’t pleased with my response, but he knew better than to question my expertise.
“So, a couple days at most?” he questioned.
“As long as the storms are over, I’d say that’s doable,” I agreed reluctantly.
“Will the roads even be cleared by then?” Bailey asked.
“I have my truck. Hell, I got here with it much worse,” he replied.
The two of them seemed to go back and forth on everything. Bailey tried to debate everything Liam said, and he seemed to push her buttons by constantly talking about her leaving.
“I’m gonna take a hike, see how things are clearing up out there,” Liam announced, standing from the couch.
He stretched his arms to the ceiling, letting out a loud growl as he pulled the muscles loose in his back. I watched him gather his gear and get bundled up, never offering to tag along. I wanted the time alone with Bailey. I knew we’d get very few chances for it again.
As he walked out the front door, I turned to Bailey, who was still sitting with her knees pushed tightly into her chest.
“I’m sorry he showed up,” I consoled.
“I just hate that our last days together are not alone,” she whined.
I hated it too.
“He’s a good guy. He’s just looking out for me,” I assured her.
“By telling you to get rid of me, I’m sure,” she snapped.
I moved towards her, kneeling in front of her with my hands on her knees.
“He doesn’t want me to get rid of you,” I explained.
Her eyes squinted, and her head turned away from me. It was clear she didn’t buy that at all.
“He is concerned that we’ve gotten so close, and neither of us knows what waits for you down this mountain,” I admitted.
Her eyes moved to mine, that beautiful innocence gleaming within them, so bright, so green, so pure. There was no way she remembered anything. She wasn’t hiding anything from me, trying to deceive me in any way. I’d spent nearly two weeks with this woman, and she’d been nothing but amazing.
“My biggest problem is I already know what’s here, so I don’t care about what’s below the mountain,” she sighed, her eyes starting to well up with tears.
I rose up, wrapping my arms around her, and pulling her into my chest.
“Are you sure you haven’t had any memories?” I questioned, suddenly concerned that maybe I was wrong.
Why wouldn’t she want to at least find out what is out there? She may have a family, a loved one, hell, she may have children or a husband for all I know, for all either of us knew. If she hadn’t remembered, wouldn’t she want to?
“No. I told you I remembered the song lyrics, and frying chicken,” she hissed, her eyes turning cold and distant.
“I’m sorry. I just thought maybe you had, and something bad was down the mountain. I can’t imagine any other reason why you wouldn’t want to at least know,” I explained.
“I know I’ve never felt this way about anyone. That’s the only thing I know,” she sighed.
I squeezed her tightly in my arms, kissing her on the side of her neck. She giggled as my whiskers tickled her sensitive skin, wiggling in my arms and causing me to laugh. Damn, I was gonna miss her.
Just as our tension released, Liam burst through the front door. I pulled away from my grip on Bailey, turning towards the cold breeze he brought with him as he entered.
“It’s looking pretty good,” he announced.
I wasn’t pleased to hear the news, and from Bailey’s welled up tears, it was obvious she wasn’t either.
“I think we can take off tomorrow, as long as we start early,” he suggested.
“Okay. You sure we shouldn’t wait a couple days for the snow to clear?” I pushed.
“I mean, that’s up to you, but it is already starting to melt, and with the temps rising tonight, the warmer ground, I think by morning it will just be slush, no ice,” Liam proclaimed.
“If you think so, then tomorrow morning it is,” I agreed, feeling that gnawing in my gut.
Bailey got up from the chair, moved to the bed, and curled under the blanket. Liam glanced towards her, and then offered me a confused look.
“You wanna come check it out yourself?” he asked.
I knew he was more interested in
getting me alone to talk than getting my advice on the path. He was more than capable of assessing the risk on his own.
“Sure,” I agreed.
He waited for me to get my gear on and then to tell Bailey I was going to check the mountain. She didn’t respond, only stared up at me with disappointment and pain in her eyes.
“Don’t you find any of this odd?” Liam asked, finally outside in the cold, alone.
I did find it odd.
I shrugged my shoulders, leading the way to the nearest path.
“I mean, Xander, she is actually upset that she gets to go home,” he pointed out.
“We’ve really grown close, and this isn’t easy for me either,” I admitted.
“It’s not like she can’t see you again,” Liam stated.
“I think she’s afraid whatever is waiting for her, that it will change how she feels, or maybe that it will change how I feel,” I defended.
“I’ve read a lot about how kidnapping victims become attached to their captor, actually protecting them, and defending them, even after released,” Liam interjected.
Sigh.
“Are you saying I’m her kidnapper?” I chuckled nervously, not sure where he was going with this.
“Not at all, but it’s kinda similar, don’t ya think? She was rescued by you, barricaded with no outside contact, forced to cohabitate with only you,” he went on.
“What are you getting at?” I demanded.
“If she hasn’t remembered anything, and there isn’t a reason for her to avoid making that trip back to her life, her reality, then she must have developed a dependency on you, an attachment of circumstance,” he added.
“So you’re saying that nothing is real, the feelings, the attachment?” I queried, starting to get irritated at his observations.
“They are real, just possibly not as strong. Once she’s gone, that may be it, and you need to be prepared for that,” he warned.
Again with the warnings. Fuck.
“I’m prepared,” I snapped.
I was prepared. I hoped.
“In normal circumstances, she would want to get home, that’s all I’m saying. She could still have feelings for you, but there would be plans to continue to see you after, not a plan to avoid ever leaving, ever finding out what she’d forgotten,” he patted me on the back.
