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“Did you break into this place?” I blurted out the question and he glared at me, his jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. “I mean if you did that’s admirable. I appreciate you finding some place.”
“Do I look like a fucking thief to you?”
“I don’t know what they look like.” But that wasn’t the truth. I knew every ugly detail about men who took whatever they wanted no matter the cost. They believed in their power, as if they were gods. Another shudder coursed through me. Sam instinctively sensed something was wrong with me and issued a slight growl of warning to his master.
“It’s okay, Sam. I have a feeling the lady can take care of herself. And this is my place. I had nowhere else to take you.”
“What about back to the motel?”
Sighing, he placed his feet on the table and leaned back. “I might live in the mountains, but I ain’t no fool. I’ll get you back tomorrow. As long as the snow is still coming down, we’re not going anywhere.”
A lump formed in my throat. “I need to get back now.”
“You ain’t going nowhere. Your truck is a piece of shit, the tires ready to blow.”
“I demand you take me back. Thank you for rescuing me but I have things I must do.” Right. I had nothing concrete on my agenda, but the thought of spending the night in a cabin with a stranger was too much to take.
“Lily. I’m going to say it one more time, so you hear me clearly. We’re not going anywhere. The snow is still falling and it’s getting dark outside. Ain’t no one gonna hurt you up here. Least of all me. I might be a bad dude, but not that way. Just relax. Make yourself at home. But I’d be careful moving around too much if I were you. You were pretty bad off and I suspect you came close to hypothermia. Just take it easy.”
I was suddenly clammy all over, uncertain what to do. “Will you tell me your name at least?”
Five seconds passed.
Ten.
“Maverick,” he said reluctantly.
A first name, not a last. That wasn’t usually a good sign. However, he was a man of few words, which meant he wasn’t going to start up a conversation. Could I trust him?He did save your life. My stomach started to revolt from nerves, my heart racing. “Where’s your bathroom?”
“One door down the hall.”
I stood, likely too quickly, my body swaying. When he immediately started to get up, I threw out my hand. “I’m fine. I can do this. Okay?”
There was something enigmatic about the way he looked at me, as if he was capable of protecting me from all the challenges I’d yet to face, the horrors I already had. As if he’d accepted the title of hero, planning on staying around for a while. I didn’t know a thing about the man other than he had good taste in dogs and artwork.
And that there was a searing electric connection between us that was difficult to deny.
I started to ease around the couch and within seconds, he was right there, ignoring my request. When I tried to push him away physically, the foot I’d caught on the fallen log didn’t want to work right and I was tossed into his waiting arms, falling against his chest.
The man was rock hard, his thick cock pressing into my stomach and every butterfly that existed west of the Mississippi swept into my stomach, fighting for dominance.
He pressed his hand against my back, holding me tightly against him. As I slowly lifted my head, I could swear the look in his eyes was carnal, his hunger entirely inappropriate. We were lost in a time capsule for a few seconds. He lowered his head, his lips impossibly close to mine. All I had to do was tilt my chin and I could taste his mouth.
No. I was thinking crazy.
But I couldn’t help dragging my tongue across my lips. His ragged breathing registered desire. That allowed me to push away from him, crowding the wall. “I’ll be okay now. Promise.”
“Yeah? Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Do you want some food?”
“No. My stomach is in knots. I think I just want to rest a little while.”
He eyed me carefully then nodded. “I got an extra bedroom down that hall. There’s plenty of blankets. Or you can just stay by the fire. I’m headed up to bed. It’s been a long day.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
“Sure.” He eyed me carefully before motioning for Sam, the oversized dog trailing behind him as he walked up a set of wooden stairs. I folded my arms, watching him until he’d disappeared. Then I moved toward the fire, standing in front of it.
I’d almost died today for what? A good reason? Not really. I’d left with a crazy thought in my head, a longing to erase the immediate past, finding someone who likely didn’t exist and certainly didn’t want me.
