Page 1 of Steamy Mountain Daddy

CHAPTER ONE

Taylor

The sound of the car door slamming shut echoed through the trees but it was dull to the pounding of my heart. The wooden cottage was just a few meters away, but my nerves were getting the best of me. I couldn’t believe that my sister, Charlotte, would drop her perfect life with Aaron and run off with some guy that she just met.

What pissed me off the most is that she didn’t even tell me about any of this until about two weeks ago. Supposedly she has been shacked up with this guy for a little over five months now, and I talk to her about three times a week. You think she would’ve at least told me a long time ago and not hid it from me? It makes this man she dropped her long-time boyfriend for even more suspicious.

Just what kind of crap did she get herself into?

As much as I was mad at Charlotte for keeping this from me, all that mattered was that she was safe, and she wasn’t being coerced into anything that she didn’t want to do. Nothing to me was making sense because this just wasn’t like her. I thought that she and Aaron were so in love, that nothing would ever tear them apart. Or at least, that’s what she used to tell me.

“Taylor!” I heard my name being called, and my head snapped towards the cottage.

Charlotte was standing there alright, her curly red hair shining in the sun, but who immediately drew my attention was the man who stood beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist. My eyes widened slightly as I took in his domineering appearance, easily towering a good foot or more over my sister. He was buff too, and I half expected his clothes to rip off of him like in some kind of movie if he even flexed. His beard was nice and trimmed, and his curly black hair was slicked back as if he had somehow tried to look decent, but the look just didn’t suit him if you asked me. But when I looked into his blue eyes, I knew instantly that he didn’t give a damn if I liked him or not.

And that is how you piss me off.

“Charlotte!” I called out to her as I went forward, holding my arms out to hug her, “it’s so good to see you!”

Charlotte rushed forward, hugging me tight as I wrapped my arms around her. As I hugged my sister, I couldn’t help but glare at the man who simply raised an eyebrow at me, and I really wished I could punch that smirk off his face. But when I heard a loud woof, my blood ran cold when I saw a giant dog rushing out of the house. If there was anything in this world that I was afraid of, it happened to be dogs.

“Ahh!” I screamed, releasing Charlotte as I took a step back, preparing to bolt.

As the dog was about to pounce, the man grabbed the dog by its collar and told it to heel. My heart was pounding irrationally in my chest, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the dog who could easily tear a good chunk out of me if it wished to. I know I shouldn’t be afraid of dogs, but when I was young, I was attacked by this big dog and had to get a bunch of stitches. The idea of a big dog being near me could almost put me into a full-on panic attack. It isn’t so bad as I have gotten older, but that doesn’t mean I want to associate myself with a giant animal.

“Sorry, Taylor, Alpha must’ve gotten loose.” Charlotte apologized as she gently pets ‘Alpha’ on its head.

“It’s whatever, just keep it away from me.” I muttered, keeping my distance, “I didn’t realize you had a dog.”

“Alpha is Laz’s.” Charlotte explained, officially introducing me to the man she decided to be with, “Alpha might look big and scary, but he is nothing to be afraid of. Alpha is a good boy and doesn’t attack at all. He would more than likely lick you to death.”

Yeah, I don’t care. Keep it away.

“Are you afraid of dogs?” Laz asked, his voice deep and rumbly that it almost seemed impossible.

“Yeah.” I admitted, praying that would get him to keep his dog as far away from me as possible, “but that’s not what I’m concerned about right now. Charlotte, you have a lot of explaining to do right now about this whole situation.”

Charlotte hesitated, and for the first time in my life, I saw her look towards Laz for an answer. My sister who has always been independent and made her own choices was turning to some guy to decide how to answer me! I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth as I debated on how I was going to deal with this situation. It looks to me that this Laz guy is a bit of a control freak, and it is obvious that I am going to have to convince Charlotte her best bet is to just break up with him, and come home with me. If he has manipulated her though, that’s going to be easier said than done.

“Let’s wait until Rhydian gets here.” Laz replied, wrapping his arm around Charlotte’s shoulder, “I know he’s going to have a lot of questions as well since I haven’t seen him in so long.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “who’s Rhydian?”

“His best friend.” Charlotte clarified, cuddling into Laz’s embrace, “they haven’t seen each other in a few years now as Rhydian went overseas to serve in the army.”

I wanted to question them more, ask why this guy decided now would be the best time to come here, but the look Laz was giving me, it was like he was telling me not to push it, and that I would regret it if I did. I huffed in annoyance, watching them head into the cottage with that beast right behind him. It’ll be okay Taylor, I thought to myself, I only have to put up with this long enough to get Charlotte out.

Laz, you’re going to regret the day you messed with my sister!

CHAPTER TWO

Rhydian

After I arrived at Laz’s cabin, I knocked on the wooden door, knowing it would be rude of me to just walk in like I used to. For the past couple of years, I have been deployed all over Europe and Asia, and I haven’t been able to come home until now. I have missed Laz, we were always like brothers, and it pained me that I wasn’t able to talk to him as much as I wanted to while I was deployed, but it was for my safety, and his as well.

After the last girl who broke his heart, I never expected Laz to easily open up to somebody, let alone someone he had just met. I don’t know the full story, but Laz saved his girl’s life in these woods, and they have been inseparable since. It made me happy to know that Laz was happy now, and he found somebody who wasn’t going to hurt him the way that she did. It made me long to find my own girl who I could shower with love, but I’ve had my heart broken numerous times as well.

The door swung open, and the beautiful woman standing there took my breath away. She was on the tall side, maybe about five-nine, with killer legs and curves to die for. Her long, straight blonde hair was pushed back behind her ears, and her lips were pink and pouty. But what instantly drew me in was her emerald green eyes that sparkled in the sunlight.