My Recluse Valentine (Hope Peak Valentine’s Day)

3. Blossom

three

Blossom

I can help you do both.

What kind of weird Twilight Zone reality am I in? I must have bumped my head and not realized it when my van slid in the ditch, because in my normal reality Chance barely says two words to me let alone propositioning me.

Dampness forms between my thighs soaking my panties and I'm sure my white leggings as I think about what it would be like to take Chance up on his offer to help me get off. I can only hope Chance thinks it's melted snow but with how hot and achy I feel for him, I'm almost positive the hot need I feel for him is turning to steam when the cold snowy air hits between my legs.

I press my thighs together and tug at the short net skirt trying to hide my desire for this man. "I…um…have one more delivery today and I can't get a signal to call Bernie for a tow."

"Didn't you hear, Bernie's home sick with the flu."

"Shoot." Now what am I going to do? "Do you think you could pull my van out for me?" I'm torn between wanting to spend more time with him and getting away from him as fast as I can so he can get home to his wife or girlfriend while I spend the night watching romance movies with my cat. "Unless you're in a hurry to get home." I add, feeling guilty for wanting to spend time with an other woman's man.

"Poppy will be fine a little longer without me. She might be a little angry at first, but if I rub her belly she'll forgive me soon enough."

And there it is. Her name is Poppy.

"It's Valentine's Day. I'm sure you don't want to keep her waiting. I'll call the flower shop and see if Wyatt can come and pick me up or pull me out of the ditch." I paste on a smile as my heart breaks thinking about how lucky Poppy is to be waiting at home for this big strong mountain man to rub her belly until she forgives him for being late.

"I hate to have to tell you this, but the snow is coming down too hard. It's too dangerous for anyone to come up the mountain until the snow stops and the plow clears the road."

What? I can't stay in my van all night. But what choice do I have?

"Oh, okay. Do you have any idea when the snow might stop and when the plow will come by? The gas tank is full so Milo and I should be fine for awhile."

Chance's face scrunches up, his nostrils flare in anger as he grits his teeth, causing me to take a step back. "You and Milo are not spending who knows how long in your van on the side of the road in a snowstorm."

I'm not afraid of him—more like I'm turned on by his possessive behavior. The kind of behavior I've been longing for. "But what about Poppy? I don't want to intrude." Reality replaces my lust as I think about Poppy waiting for her belly rub.

"She'll be fine. Beside I think she'll like the company." He shrugs, his face softening like it's no big deal to invite a virtual stranger home on Valentine's Day.

I hesitate for only a few seconds, knowing I really don't have a choice in the matter. Chance is right, Milo and I can't stay in the van until the storm blows over. "Okay, but do you think we could deliver Mrs. Nelson's flowers first, since it's on the way to your cabin?"

He flashes me a handsome smile making my heart flutter as he usher me to the passenger side of his truck, "Sure. But first get in my truck and warm up while I grab Milo." I nod, loving the way my body acts to his take control attitude. "Do you need me to grab anything else besides Milo and the flowers?"

"My purse. It's next to Milo's car seat."

"A car seat for a cat. I'll be damned. Never heard of such a thing." I hear him mutter as he shuts the truck door.

A few seconds later and he's handing me my purse and the vase of flowers as he settles Milo in the back seat of the cab of his truck like he's our child. My heart races at the thought of having a child or even a bunch of children with this man. But that's not my reality—it's Poppy's.

"Are you ready?" He finishes securing Milo in the back before sliding his huge frame into the driver's seat. He shuts the door, places the truck in drive and slowly eases his way up the slipper mountain road.

"Yup." I say, looking straight head not daring to look at him for fear of him seeing the longing in my eyes.

One night I can get through one night staying in his cabin with him and Poppy.

What if they have sex and I can hear it through the walls?

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I open my mouth to suggest that I ask Mr. and Mrs. Nelson if I can stay with them tonight—but I don't want to intrude on their special night either. Before I can say anything Chance pulls the truck into Mr. and Mrs. Nelson's driveway. "I'll help you with the flowers." he opens the truck door and slides out before I can question what he means. I watch as he jogs around the truck to the passenger side, opens the door and takes the vase from my hands. "Stay here where it's warm while I deliver these to Mrs. Nelson." He gives me a soft smile and my heart melts. Damn you Poppy, I want to scream but instead I nod and let him take the vase from my hands.

With one last look he shuts the truck door and dashes to the front porch carefully cradling the vase in his arms. Once on the porch he knocks on the door. It only takes a few moments before he's handing over the flowers to a smiling Mrs. Nelson. It looks as though she's trying to invite him in as she nods her head to the inside of her house.

With a smile of his own he points in my direction. Instinctively I wave as Mrs. Nelson's head turns in the direction he's pointing. She smiles and waves back before patting Chance's arm and stepping back in the house.

Chance runs back toward the truck with a huge smile on his bearded face making my cheeks flame with the thought of his big, bushy beard rubbing between my legs.

"Oh, Milo. How am I going to survive the night under the same roof as Chance and his love?" I turn away from Chance to check on Milo in the backseat only to find him sound asleep. "Great." I mumble. "Deserted by my date on Valentine's Day."

I turn around and school my features. I can't let Chance know how I feel about him. As much as I want him for my own, I'm not a homewrecker. He's already chosen Poppy—I'm not going to interfere.

The door opens letting in a gust of suddenly subzero cold as Chance settle into the driver's side, closing the door with a little more force than earlier as the wind causes resistance. "The temperature has dropped a good fifteen degrees. Let's get you to my cabin where you can both warm up and have something to eat."

With a weak smile, I nod, knowing my time with him has come to an end—along with my fantasies. Because once I put a face to the name I won't be able to think of Chance as mine, even in my deepest, darkest fantasies—he belongs to Poppy.

His hand accidentally grazes my shoulder as he places his arm over the back of my seat while he backs out of the Nelson's driveway. I fight the shiver of awareness that wants to ripple through my body at his touch.

"Are you cold?" His eyes linger on mine waiting for my answer before he continues backing the truck out of the driveway.

"I'm fine." I lie, knowing I'll never be fine again.

We sit in comfortable silence the short distance to his cabin high in the mountains. "It's beautiful up here." My gaze snaps from the quaint log cabin with the billow of smoke coming out of the chimney to the various sizes of trees lining the driveway and around the house.

"Wait until you see the view of the mountains from inside the cabin." His smile is catching causing me to smile back.

He parks his truck next to the cabin, shutting it off with a push of a button, something my old van doesn't have, unhooks his seatbelt, open the door and slides out. Then he pushes the seat forward and retrieves a still sleeping Milo from the backseat. "Hey, buddy. We're home." Chance whispers to my finicky feline and my heart melts yet again. At this rate I'm going to be a pile of goo freezing in the snow. I let myself out of the truck as he dashes around the truck careful not to jostle Milo around and grabs my hand as with rush to the cabin. "Here we are."

We stop in front of the big wood door, and I take a deep breath and blow it out as he pushes open the door with one of his broad shoulders while holding Milo's car seat in one hand and my hand in his other.

I jerk my hand out of his not wanting to give Poppy the wrong idea about our relationship or nonexistent relationship causing Chance to search my face in confusion when a loud meow cuts though the thick silence. I glance down at Milo to notice he's still sound asleep. But if he's asleep where did that meowing come from?

"Ah, the Queen has spoken her displeasure." Chance takes my hand in his again and guides me inside his home where a ticked off black cat voices her anger at him "Blossom and Milo, meet Poppy."

"Poppy's a cat?" I say in disbelief or maybe in relief. I'm not sure which at the moment. All I know is Poppy is a cat not a woman.

"Yup. She's my roommate and Queen of the cabin." He chuckles letting go of my hand as he sets a now awake Milo and his car seat on the floor, unhooking him so he can inspect our home for the night—or more than likely to inspect Poppy.

All the longing and desire I feel for Chance comes bubbling to the surface causing me to throw myself into his arms, crashing my lips onto his like I never want to let go. Because no matter what the morning brings, I'm going to take a chance of Chance tonight.