“Thank you,” I tell him. He shakes my hand warmly as if we’ve known one another for years. I’ve only been in Bear Valley a few months, but already it is beginning to feel like home.
“I’ll let Blaine known you’re all set to go home.”
Blaine. Crap. I’m not ready to see him. Plus, I must look a mess. Not that I would have cared what I looked like for Blaine Koleman twenty-four hours ago, but now...now I’ve felt his body against mine, tasted his lips, seen desire swim in those dark brown eyes. And I want more.
At least my body does.
My brain and heart scream a loud, hell no.
“I don’t have anything to wear.” I look down at myself in the hospital gown, then eye the pile of soaked clothes in a plastic bag sitting on a chair, trying to think up any excuse to hold off the inevitable. “I can wait here for my friends to—”
“I’ll let Blaine help you with those details, Harley.” The doctor pats my hand, then before I can object anymore, he’s gone.
The last thing I want is Blaine here, seeing me like a drowned rat. Why I even care, I’m not sure. Blaine is the opposite of me in every way. I’ve already had my share of arrogant, self-absorbed men. I came to Alaska to get away from that. To get away from men who think they are better than women just because they have an extra organ between their legs.
A small groan rumbles in my throat as I remember Blaine’s impressive one heavy against my hip. Do I really have to like the man to take advantage of it?
Yes, my heart screams, despite my body’s temptation. And I know the truth, despite all my flirting, and the confidence I present to the world, I’ve never been able to do the whole meaningless-sex thing.
I stand, reaching for my bag of wet clothes. I find my panties, and begin shaking them out. I step into one hole, just as Blaine enters. My backside his view. The hospital gown not even remotely tied shut.
“Christ,” he says groaning. “What’s wrong with you, woman?”
I spin on my heels, indigent at both his comment and his presence. “Um, this is my hospital room.” I point a finger at him. “You are an intruder. And—”
“And I saved your ass.” And it’s a very nice ass. The last words aren’t spoken out loud, but I hear them just as clearly as if they were.
Maybe I need to have the doctor order me another CAT scan.
I glare at him, but he just smirks, handing me a cloth bag I recognize from home.
“What’s this?” I ask, peering inside.
“I called Adelaide.” He looks at the ground, not meeting my eyes, and rubbing the back of his head. “They’re still two hours from home. She told me which bedroom was yours. So I just grabbed whatever I could find for you.”
I pull the items out of the bag one at a time and lay them on the hospital bed.
There is underwear - well, a thong. A very tiny leopard print thong. And a bra. Only it’s a bra I relegated to the very back of my underwear drawer because it is obscenely lacy and ridiculously impractical for my not-exactly-small breasts. Every time I put it on, I’m spilling out of it. And not like in a get-that-girl-some-help way. Then there’s a t-shirt dress that I wear to bed. Not out of the house. Ever. Mostly because it barely covers my butt.
“Uh, thanks?” My lips twitch.
“What?” His frown propels me.
“Just, I mean”—I motion toward the random clothing items—“just kinda interesting choices you made.”
He coughs “I just grabbed whatever I could find.”
His cheeks are red though. Even with that burly, manly beard of his, I can see that.
I step toward him, unable to help myself. “Oh yeah?” I press my finger to his chest. His hard, solid chest that’s now unfortunately covered by a shirt. “I think you were looking through my panty drawer, Blaine Koleman.”
He grunts, but his gaze remains locked on mine. My heart skips a beat and he lowers his head and I wonder how the hell I got here - to being inches from Blaine’s very kissable lips.
And I wonder if they really taste as good as I remember.
Before I can find out, he steps back and reaches for the curtain. “I’ll let you change, then I’ll drive you home.”
He turns on his heels and walks away.
Leaving me both breathless and utterly confused.
Chapter 3
Blaine
I need to get away from this woman and get my head straight. It’s time I figure out what the hell happened to me down by the river. But that damn primal part of me won’t let me leave.
Shit, just leaving her alone at the hospital while I went and got her dry clothes, had the bear in me pacing. Even now, as I drive her back to her place, the tension mounts between us. I’m struggling with the idea of dropping her off.
My knuckles whiten around the steering wheel. Anxiety, frustration, desire, need: just a few of the emotions that make my head spin. But it’s so much worse than that. Even though I refuse to admit it, I know the truth. I know what that damn kiss revealed.
Harley is my mate.
“Shit,” I mutter, causing her to glance over at me and frown.
“You keep saying that. Is something wrong?”
Yeah, everything. But even as I think it, the bear in me disagrees. I’ve never been at odds with my animal before, and it’s a strange feeling. But no odder than the one I get every time I glance over at Harley.
It’s a lust so feral that it makes no sense.
And as much as I want to run in the opposite direction, there’s an equally powerful force that draws me to her.
Shit, damn, fuck.
I pull my truck over in front of the bookstore cafe, then walk around, helping her out.
“I’ll be fine from here,” she says as I walk her to the door, clearly as frazzled as I am.
The bond between us is only just forming, but I have no doubt she’s already feeling some of the side effects. Hell, I’m pretty sure she heard my thoughts in the hospital.
“You need to go straight to bed. I’ll stay here until the others get back.”
She crosses her arms and glares up at me. “I can take care of myself. Just because you saved my life, doesn’t mean you can boss me around. You can go.”
“Trust me, darling, I doubt anyone could make you do anything you don’t want to. But I’m not leaving here until I know someone else is watching out for you.”
I’ve moved closer, her scent, vanilla and cinnamon, wrapping around my senses, and making me dizzy with desire.
Need. To. Get. Out. Of. Here.
But I can’t.
Her chest rises and falls, and her gaze drops to my mouth. When her tongue swipes over her bottom lip, I can’t help the groan that rumbles from my chest. It’s a deep, guttural sound that causes her eyes to widen.
“You have two choices. One, get that sweet little ass of yours upstairs to bed. Or, two, I’ll take you there myself. And I’m pretty sure you’re not ready for the things I’ll do to you if I do.”
She sucks in a breath.
And I can see the same war that rages inside me reflected in her eyes.
I drag my knuckles across her cheek, then brush her hair back from her face. Her skin is soft beneath my calloused fingers, and I want to run them across every inch of her.
Not now.
Not ever, my brain warns. Knowing that if I consummate this thing, that I might as well castrate myself now.
“Go. To. Bed. Harley.” It’s a command, one that I pray she won’t argue with. Because my self-control is already wavering.
She swallows hard, then turns, her whole body trembling.
“Harley.” I stop her when she’s halfway up the stairs.
“Yeah?” There’s no edge to her voice like there usually is, just confusion, and need, and...God, the woman is gorgeous.
“I’m glad you’re alright. But if I ever find you alone in the woods again, it won’t be the bear you’ll need to be afraid of.”
Her lips twist, eyes narrow. “How did y
ou know about the bear? I never told you.”
Shit. “I saw it too.”
She nods, seemingly satisfied with my answer, then starts back up the stairs, disappearing around the corner.
My cock aching, my bear pacing, and my damn head filled with a thousand and one thoughts about how I’m going to dig myself out of this mess. I sit down on the couch and wait for my brother and the other women to get home.
The place turns chaotic when the front door finally opens. Adelaide, my brother’s mate, is the first to ask questions, Kate, who is always so damn shy, listens quietly while I tell them what happened. It’s Piper, the bossy one who is quick to take action, and I know that Harley will be in good hands.
My brother Gunnar frowns at me when I tell them I’m leaving. He follows me outside. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Damn the man for being so intuitive.
I shrug. “I was in bear form when she saw me. Had to shift to save her.”
“Did she see?”
“No.”
“Then what’s bothering you?”
I rub the back of my neck and look away. “You need to tell your mate and those women that this isn’t fucking Disneyland. They can’t be wandering around in the wilderness. Christ, if I hadn’t been there...”
“I’ll talk to them. But they already know the dangers. Not sure what Harley was thinking.”
“She wasn’t. That’s the problem with that woman. She’s impulsive. And stubborn. And...”
“Shit.” My brother smirks at me.
“What?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “You like her.”
I clench my back teeth, because I do. I love all those things about her, even though they frustrate me, and make my head spin. It’s probably the reason I’ve been so hard on her. That and the fact that my balls ache every time she walks into a room.
Now that my bear has marked her, it’s going to be a thousand times harder to keep my distance.
“If I just liked her, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
His brows draw up. “Shit. Is she your—”
“Don’t say it.”
“Why, afraid it’ll make it more true?” There’s humor in his voice. “One thing I’ve learned, big brother, is you can’t fight the bear.”
“I need a run,” I mutter.
Gunnar laughs. “You sure nothing else happened up there?”
“Screw off.”
He laughs harder as I walk away, and we both seem to know it’s not a run I need. It’s Harley.
Chapter 4
Harley
After several days of taking it easy after my fall, I’m more than ready for our Friday night plans. And they are good ones.
“I just don’t feel like all this attention is necessary,” Adelaide says as she uses a flat iron on her hair. Her, Kate, Piper, and I are at our apartment above the bookstore, getting ready for her engagement party.
It’s going to be weird when she and Gunnar get married and she moves out, even though I’m so happy for her. Plus, it only seems like the natural progression of things considering she’s carrying the man’s baby.
And while I’m excited about her future, I can’t help but wonder if maybe she jumped a few steps. Now she’s talking about a courthouse wedding, the sooner the better. It might be what some people want, but I’m more traditional. I want a big wedding, a bridal gown, a reception with a dance floor.
“His mom, Elizabeth, is so excited though,” Kate says as she runs over her long eyelashes with mascara. “It’s the first wedding for her sons, so this engagement party is a big deal. She’s called about ten times today going over the menu, making sure I made enough cobbler and baked enough biscuits. It’s sweet.”
Gunnar’s mom offered to host the party in her big backyard and Kate has been baking up a storm in the kitchen helping get food ready for tonight. With all the preparations complete, all we need to do now is get dressed for the party.
“Are you nervous?” Piper asks me as she pulls on her wedge sandals, a teasing smile on her lips. “To see the man who saved your life?”
I roll my eyes, immediately hating that it is exactly the sort of thing Blaine would do. “No, not at all. Stop insinuating things. He just happened to be there when I needed him.” But even I can hear how plastic my words sound. My friends say that the night after my rescue I was mumbling in my sleep about Blaine’s soft lips.
Mortifying, I know.
Especially since it is true.
Still, I’m not going there with Blaine, not now, not ever. He may be ripped, rugged and all kinds of sexy, but he’s still the most frustratingly arrogant and annoying man in Bear Valley.
But I can’t stop thinking about his words, I’m pretty sure you’re not ready for the things I’ll do to you if I do.
Warmth settles in my belly as my imagination runs wild with all the things I’d like Blaine Koleman to do to me.
“You’re doing it again,” Piper says, nudging me with her elbow.
“What?”
“You’re thinking about him.”
“I’m not,” I lie, pouring myself another glass of wine, then draining it.
I try to think about everything and anything but Blaine while I finish helping Addie do her hair. I manage to, mostly, before we’re all piling into the new Wrangler Gunnar bought Addie, and driving up the mountain.
I’ve been to Elizabeth Koleman’s house a couple of times. It’s big, with enough room to raise four hulking mountain men. Apparently there’s a daughter too, but I’ve never met her. All I know is she’s somewhere off in Europe backpacking around the continent.
Everyone else in Bear Valley seems to have shown up for the party, and a party it is. There are bouquets of pink and white balloons attached to the front porch, a big Congrats Addie and Gunnar sign taped to the garage, and there are so many cars that we have to park a little ways down the dirt road.
“How does anyone even get in and out of here in the winter?” I ask, wobbling when my heel catches in the uneven road, glancing up at the steep driveway. “That’s what the four-wheel-drive is for,” Addie says, patting the hood of her new Jeep.
We head around the house to the backyard and Addie is immediately taken under Gunnar’s arm as he begins introducing her to his friends. I smile, watching her go, thinking how crazy it is to be up here in Alaska with my friends. Six months ago I was still in a toxic relationship. And now? I am hundreds of miles away from my status obsessed, crazy rich, ex-boyfriend.
Even after I told Chad we were through, he kept trying to get me back. To seduce me with VIP concert tickets, private wine tastings at our favorite winery, even a helicopter ride over the Puget Sound.
Sure, if another man - a nicer man - had asked me on those dates I would have probably said yes. I’m not ashamed to admit that I like fancy-shmancy dinners on the town and that dancing in the front row for a favorite musician, sounds like incredible ways to spend an evening.
No way was that going to happen with Chad. He thought just because he was one of the most eligible bachelors in Seattle - rich, successful, and stereotypically handsome - that I should give him a second chance.
But after a few years under his spell, it ended with a crash. I caught him cheating on me - in our bed, on the brand new sheets I’d just bought at Macy’s - the week before.
Yes, it hurt being lied to by the man who I thought loved me. But more than that, I hated how I let myself change during our time together. He wanted me quiet, meek, mild. So that’s what I became. A far cry from the girl in high school voted most likely to become a talk show host.
It was like I’d become a shell of myself as his girlfriend. That’s why, after I ditched him, I made a promise to never change who I was for a man again.
Never.
Now I’m making up for lost time. I think my girlfriends worry that I’m playing catch up a little too hard. My skirts are shorter, my laugh is louder, and my flirtatious conversation starters are becoming more and mor
e laced with innuendo - but I don’t care.
Corny as it may sound, I’m single and ready to mingle.
Just not with the man who is standing a dozen feet away and looking at me with a wild hunger in his eyes.
From where he stands at the grill, manning the burgers and chicken patties, I swear Blaine Koleman is trying to sear more than the meat. It’s as if he is trying to forge a connection with me. I can practically hear his thoughts. Get over here, Harley. You know you need me.
The air is thick with heat. And the temperature is rising the longer his eyes are on mine, the longer his thoughts seem to penetrate my mind.
I blink, wanting to look away, to get away.
Blaine is not the kind of man I need. What I need is a gentleman. What I need is nice. What I need is everything the burly mountain man is not.
Cocky and intense and too sexy for his own good, the guy is trouble, dangerous...and the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.
I give a small shake of my head and repeat in my head like a mantra, I need regular. I need average. I need...
I need a cold drink. Ice cold, because the longer I look at Blaine my nether regions are getting all hot and bothered.
The man is distracted by one of his brothers, his gaze finally not on me, but still, I can’t glance away.
“You okay?” Piper asks handing me a glass of punch wrapped in a napkin. “You look like you’re overheating.”
“Is it that obvious?” I ask, using the napkin to blot my neck. I’m sweating like Blaine is still staring at me, his eyes burning against my skin, his thoughts infiltrating my own.
I drink the punch until the glass is empty, then reach for her still full cup and gulp it down. “That is delicious.”
Piper smiles warily. “It’s spiked punch, so go easy on it, Har. You seem a little flustered?”
“I’m fine,” I say, then exhale and pretend it’s the truth. When Kate walks by, a full glass of punch in her hand, I take it and drain the glass.
“Hey.” Kate pouts at me.
“She’s having a Blaine breakdown,” Piper says.
Untamed Lovers (Mountain Men of Bear Valley Book 2) Page 2
