7
Jasmine
Half the morning is already gone by the time I wake up. The space in the bed beside me is cold, so I guess Trent has been up for a while. I touch his pillow, grinning to myself as I think back to last night. It was so magical, even if it all started with a night terror. I was so happy that Trent opened up to me, even if the things he told me were hard to hear. But seeing those vulnerable, damaged parts of him only made my feelings for him stronger, and my heart flutters as I remember what happened next—the way he kissed me and tasted me like he couldn’t get enough, his tongue teasing my pussy, and then the sexy, naughty feeling of sucking his hard cock. Another burst of desire rushes through me at the memory, and I jump out of bed, desperate to see my mountain man.
He”s not in the living room, and I’m about to check the kitchen when I hear the sound of an engine whirring outside. Immediately, I freeze in panic.
Shoot! A cop car?
I peer through the tiniest gap in the curtains, relief washing over me when I see that it’s Trent’s truck pulling up in front of the cabin.
“Huh,” I mutter to myself. “Wonder where he went this morning.”
Despite my confusion, my stomach somersaults as I watch him get out of his truck. He’s so handsome, my hulking burly mountain man, with his serious brown eyes and that beard I love so much. The beard that was soaked in my juices last night as Trent devoured my pussy. The thought makes me shudder with anticipation as Trent strides through the front door, and I bound toward him, throwing my arms around his shoulders.
“Good morning!” I exclaim.
“Morning, princess.”
I plant a quick kiss on his lips and pull back to look at him. Immediately, my excitement fizzles, turning sour in my gut. Trent looks…sad. Somber, almost. His expression is always pretty grumpy and serious, but usually there’s a twinkle in those intense brown eyes when he looks at me. But right now, there’s nothing.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my heart plummeting as I step back from him.
He shakes his head. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s good news. I went to see Danny this morning and he’s confessed everything.”
I stare at him blankly. “What? I…how?”
“I told him he had to confess or I’d come after him. He decided he’d rather take his chances with the cops. I watched him go to the police station, and then a couple of minutes ago, Dave Goodman called me. He was one of the cops chasing you yesterday; he called me up and said ‘The girl we were chasing yesterday was actually innocent all along’, so Danny must have convinced him.”
I’m so shocked I can barely speak. “S-so…so they’re not going to come after me? They know the drugs weren’t mine?”
“Yes. Maybe you’ll have to go in at some point and give your side of things. I can come with you. But I’m confident you’ll be okay now. If they decide to test those drugs for prints, they’ll have all the proof they need in black and white, along with Danny’s confession.”
I’ve never felt such a crazy mix of emotions before. Relief comes first, so strong it almost brings tears to my eyes. Then gratitude for Trent, this incredible man who has saved my neck twice now. But then sadness starts to clog my throat. If the cops aren’t looking for me, then I have no reason to stay here with Trent any longer. I’ll have to go back to my old life—a life without him—and that thought immediately drowns out all my positive emotions.
“Thank you,” I say shakily, trying to smile. “I’m so grateful.”
I fling my arms around him again, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. I owe Trent so much, but part of me wonders if there’s a deeper reason why he did all this before I woke up, the morning after we were intimate. Does he want me to leave? Was this his way of getting rid of me as quickly as possible after what happened yesterday? Does he regret opening up to me? Does he regret what we did in his bed?
My anxious thoughts start snowballing before I can stop them, making me second-guess everything.
“Well,” I mumble as I pull away from our hug, “I guess I should probably get going then. Thank you for everything, Trent. You’ve been so good to me.”
“Stay for breakfast,” he says quickly in that deep bossy voice. Then he frowns at his tone and adds, “If you want to, I mean.”
I nod. “Thank you. I’d like that. I can make it if you want?”
“No, I’ll make it.” He looks at me and presses a surprise kiss on my forehead. “How about French toast?”
I force a smile. “Sounds great.”
Trent heads for the kitchen, but I don’t follow him straight away. Instead, I sit at the table and try to figure out why I feel so strange all of a sudden. I should be thrilled. The police know I’m innocent. Danny will get the punishment he deserves. He’ll lose his job, no doubt, and then I can go back to my normal life. My normal job. Things will be simple again: boring, easy, and risk-free, just the way I’ve always liked them.
But Trent…
I know that leaving his cabin doesn’t mean we can never see each other again. My apartment in Winterdale isn’t so far from Snowfall Ridge. Yet for some reason, it feels like Trent is pulling away. Saying goodbye. I can feel the walls going up around him again, blocking me out, and it hurts so much more than it should. I only just met Trent. I shouldn’t have fallen so fast. But most of all, I shouldn’t have expected him to fall for me back.
I blink back tears, discreetly wiping my eyes before Trent comes in a few minutes later holding two stacks of French toast. It smells delicious, but I barely taste it as I scoop a forkful into my mouth. My jaw chews automatically, but my thoughts are a million miles away, trying to imagine going back to life without Trent.
Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
You’ve only known him for one day but you fell for him anyway, and now you’re getting upset that he didn’t fall for you too? You’re upset that he wants you to leave his home so he can get on with his life after everything he’s done for you? After all the trouble your crazy situation has caused him?
“I feel like I haven’t thanked you enough,” I say, my voice wobbling slightly.
Trent grunts. “You’ve thanked me plenty.”
“Well, I just want you to know that I really appreciate what you did for me this morning. Confronting Danny for me and making him confess…I don’t know how I can ever repay you for any of it. Thank you.”
Trent looks at me then, his eyes burning with an intensity that makes my heart stutter.
“You don’t need to thank me, Jasmine. I just want you to be happy. Safe and happy. That’s all the repayment I need.”
I want to tell him that being with him makes me happy. Being with him makes me feel safe. But I can’t get the words out. My anxious thoughts are still gnawing at me, so I settle with mumbling a quiet thanks, my throat constricting painfully.
Breakfast is over quickly, but my stomach still feels hollow and empty. I take a quick shower and pull on my clothes from yesterday before following Trent to his truck. I’m going to miss this place—this cozy little haven. But most of all, I’m going to miss my mountain man. I’m going to miss him more than I can bear to think about.
He opens the truck door for me and I get inside, breathing in Trent’s familiar smell—musky and masculine. Once he’s in the driver’s seat, he starts the engine, and panic twists in my gut.
Will I ever see this man again?
Did last night mean anything to him?
Then the truck starts to move. My eyes burn, and I look over my shoulder, watching the cabin vanish from view as we begin the drive down the mountain.