2. Beau
Two
Beau
It’s raining so hard, the wind so loud that I can’t even hear the sound of my footsteps on the muddy trail. Thunder cracks above me, and I hear a loud crash less than twenty feet behind me. I turn, squinting through the sleeting rain, and see a large branch lying across the trail. Fucking hell, it’s dangerous out here. Freezing, too.
I pick up my already punishing pace. I need to get to her. I barely feel the rain pelting my face, barely feel the cold, damp air around me. Adrenaline flooded my veins the moment Hailey radioed for help, and it hasn’t let up since. It’s keeping me going, pushing me forward.
I have to save her, and not just because she’s my best friend’s daughter. No, what I feel for Hailey goes far deeper than that.
Far, far deeper.
But I shove it away, just like I always do, because no matter what I feel, what I want is an absolute impossibility.
I pull my InReach out of my pocket to re-check the coordinates, making sure I’m still on the fastest route to her. The mud slides beneath my boots as I start moving again, as fast as I dare, my large emergency pack jostling against my back. I need to get to her. She’s been out in this storm for far too long. I don’t let myself think about the what ifs, focusing on the trail and keeping my legs moving.
The wind gusts through the forest, and I squint against the onslaught of rain. The coordinates from the InReach lead me off the main trail, deeper into the woods. The trees are dense here, branches snarled together, roots protruding from the ground.
I push forward, scanning all around me for any signs of Hailey. I’d shout, but I doubt she’d hear me over the wind and rain. Panic flares inside me, tightening my chest as I reach the exact coordinates but don’t see her…
There. The thicket of pines up ahead. I catch a flash of her light blue hiking jacket and set off towards the trees. My heart beats frantically in my chest as I close in on her, and I can see her huddled form, slumped against the trunk of one of the pines. Her arms are wrapped around her knees, her pants torn, likely from a fall. Her head is buried in her arms, and she’s not moving.
Fuck.
She looks tiny curled up against the massive tree. Tiny and vulnerable and alone and the wave of protectiveness that surges through me steals my breath, it’s so intense.
“Hailey,” I call out, my voice rough, like it’s been ripped from me. Slowly, she lifts her head, and my heart plummets into my stomach. She’s pale, her lips blue, her eyelids heavy. I crash into the dense copse of trees, needing to get to her. I don’t even hesitate. I just lift her into my arms, cradling her to my chest.
I do my best to ignore the feeling that this is exactly where she belongs, because while it might feel right, it isn’t. It’s not.
It’s not.
“Beau,” she says softly, curling into me like a kitten. “You came.”
“Of course I did, sweet girl,” I say, knowing I need to stop calling her that. When this is over, when life goes back to normal, I’ll go back to calling her Hails. I will. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now. I promise.”
“I’m s-so c-cold,” she chatters as I start maneuvering down the treacherous path. I hold her tighter, doing my best not to jostle her. “And I h-hurt my ankle,” she says quietly, and I can feel her shaking against me, trembling with cold and fear and pain.
“I’ve got you know, sweet girl. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to get you somewhere warm and safe.”
“S-stay w-with me,” she chatters, bone white fingers curling into my jacket. “D-don’t leave m-me. I n-need you.”
Her words twist my insides into knots, because I know she doesn’t mean them the way I want her to. The way I wish she did.
So instead, I just hold her tighter, her shivering body tucked against mine as I trudge through the storm. I’m not going to carry her all the way back to my Jeep. Not when I know there’s a cabin tucked into the woods not far ahead. It’s probably empty this time of year, but even if it’s not, it’s our best shot at shelter.
The wind howls around us, battering us with rain and gusts of freezing air. I’m soaked through and freezing, and I can’t even imagine how cold Hailey must be right now. Emotions surge through me as I glance down at her, her wet eyelashes fanning out over her cheeks. Anger that she put herself in this situation. Relief that she’s in my arms now. Longing for what I can’t have. Determination to keep her safe. And that same protectiveness is still humming in my veins, spurring me onward.
“I’m g-glad it w-was you on the r-radio,” she chatters. “E-even if I d-didn’t want t-to talk t-to you.”
I frown at that, sure I must’ve heard her wrong. Why would Hailey not want to talk to me? That doesn’t make any sense. But she doesn’t elaborate, just curls into me tighter.
“I’ll always come for you, Hails. No matter what. You can trust me to always be there for you.”
She lets out a choked little sound, somewhere between a laugh and sob. I don’t know what to make of that, either.
The cabin finally comes into view, a dark but welcome silhouette against the stormy forest around us. I quicken my pace, my heart pounding in my chest. Hailey’s soaked through, her breaths shallow, her eyes fluttering closed as if she’s struggling to keep them open.
Please be unlocked. Please be empty.
I step onto the small porch, the boards creaking beneath my weight, and I shift Hailey carefully in my arms. I reach out to twist the doorknob, heaving out a relieved sigh when it turns easily. The door creaks open, revealing a small, rustic interior. The air inside is close, and dust hangs in the air. No one’s been here for weeks. Maybe longer.
Thank fuck.
I carry my precious cargo inside, kicking the door shut behind me. The cabin is cold, but it’s shelter from the storm. I set Hailey down on the couch in the small living room, her body trembling, teeth chattering. She’s pale, her lips tinged blue, the tips of her fingers white. Shit.
I find blankets in a chest by the couch, and I wrap her up tightly in them. She murmurs something incoherent, her eyes barely open. I brush her wet hair back from her face, my hand lingering on her cheek. Fucking hell, she’s ice cold.
“Hailey, sweet girl, I need you to stay with me,” I say, my voice firm but gentle. I rub her arms, her legs, trying to generate some heat. She shivers, her eyes closing again. Fuck.
We need a fire. Now.
I wrap her in another blanket and then send up a silent prayer of thanks that there’s a stack of dry wood beside the fireplace. I quickly and efficiently stack several pieces and get a fire going in record time, the glow permeating the cabin.
I return to Hailey. She’s shivering in the blankets, wet hair plastered to her. She looks so small, so young, so vulnerable.
Mine to protect.
The thought sears through me, scorching a path through my brain, and as much as I know I should push it away, I don’t. I like it too much.
I’ve spent over a decade working with the mountain rescue service. It’s my job to help people out of dangerous situations. It’s my job to rescue hapless hikers and injured tourists. But this, with Hailey, it feels different. This is a hell of a lot more than just me doing my job. And it’s a hell of a lot more than me coming to her rescue as her father’s best friend.
I crouch down in front of her, pulling my pack closer and taking out my emergency kit. I quickly take her temperature using a digital forehead thermometer, cursing under my breath when it flashes blue and shows a body temperature of thirty-three degrees Celsius. That, combined with her shivering, her pale skin tinged blue, her obvious fatigue and growing incoherence all point to hypothermia.
I need to get her out of these wet clothes.
“Hailey, I need to take your clothes off.”
She blinks slowly at me and then tilts her head. “My clothes?” she asks, the words slightly slurred.
I nod. “We need to get you warm, and that’s not going to happen in those wet clothes.” I clear my throat and meet her eyes. Fuck, she’s so pretty, even right now. Always the prettiest girl. “We need to strip and huddle together for warmth.”
I see her throat bob as she swallows, and then she nods sleepily. “Okay, Daddy.”
The word hits me like a punch to the gut, making blood rush to my cock even as I know she doesn’t mean it like that. She’s cold and confused. There’s nothing more to it than that.
My dick doesn’t get the memo though, and it thickens against my thigh. Fucker.
Ignoring my body’s response, I kneel in front of Hailey, pull the blankets away and unzip her jacket, peeling it off her. Her shirt is plastered against her, clinging to her curves, and I swallow roughly as I take in the sight of her. I carefully peel her soaking wet shirt off her, too, pulling it over her head.
I’m going to hell, because even though I should be focused on looking after her, I zero in on her perky tits, covered in a simple black bra.
Jesus fucking Christ, she’s so lovely it hurts to look at her. Her beauty is like a physical ache in my chest.
Mine. The word beats through me fast and true, like a heartbeat. It sticks to my skin like a tattoo.
I shake my head, trying to shove the thought away. No. Hailey is lots of things—beautiful, smart, hilariously funny, sweet, kind—but mine can never be one of them. It doesn’t matter that I feel for her two years ago, the realization striking me up the head on Christmas Eve, when it struck me what an amazing woman she’d become. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve stroked my cock to thoughts of her.
It. Can’t. Happen.
I shake my head again, trying to dislodge the completely inappropriate thoughts. Right now, my girl needs me to look after her. What I want and how I feel don’t matter.
“I need to take your pants off, too,” I say, hoping she doesn’t notice the huskiness in my voice.
She just nods, her huge brown eyes fixed on me. The firelight is reflected in them, making them look almost otherwordly.
I take her boots off first, careful of her injured ankle. It’s a bit swollen, but as I probe it gently, I don’t think anything’s broken. I retrieve a tensor bandage from my emergency kit and make quick work of wrapping her ankle up so that it doesn’t swell more.
Taking a breath, I hook my fingers into the waistband of her leggings, dragging the sodden fabric down her long legs, toned from all of the hiking she does. I toss them aside, leaving her in nothing but her bra and a pair of sweet pink panties. They’re wet too, and I can see the outline of her peachy little cunt through them.
Fuck. Me.
My cock goes from halfway to rock fucking hard in the space of a heartbeat. I grab more blankets from the trunk and wrap them around her, rubbing her arms and legs vigorously while trying to name different insect varieties to distract my brain enough to get my dick to calm the fuck down.
“Beau,” she whispers, her eyes meeting mine. She’s still shaking, but her lips are slightly less blue. “C-cold.”
“I know, sweet girl. We’re gonna get you warm. You’re safe now, and everything’s gonna be fine.”
“Get me warm?” She blinks up at me, firelight flickering over her skin. Outside, more thunder booms across the sky, rattling the windows in their panes.
I nod. “I’m going to take my clothes off, too, and then we’re going to huddle for warmth in front of the fire. We need body heat. You’re mildly hypothermic.”
“Your clothes?” Something flickers in her eyes, and she glances away.
I nod, my heart pounding in my chest as I start to strip down in front of Hailey. I toe off my soaked boots first, peeling off my wet socks and tossing them aside. Her throat works as she watches me, shifting slightly on the couch. She’s got a bit more colour back in her face, her gaze more alert than it was a few minutes ago. Good.
I shove my jacket off and then reach for the hem of my Henley, pulling the cold, wet fabric over my head. I shiver slightly, my nipples hardening in the cold air as Hailey stares at me. I can feel her gaze like a physical touch as it roves over my tattooed chest, down my arms, to my stomach.
I swallow thickly and look away. It feels wrong to look at her as I unbuckle my belt. I pop the button on my pants, and the rasp of my zipper feels impossibly loud in the quiet cabin. The only other sounds are the soft crackling of the fire and the rain pelting the roof.
The storm raging outside is nothing compared to the storm raging inside me. I need to look after Hailey. I can be her protector. I can’t be anything more than that. We’re taking our clothes off to get her warm.
And yet…the level of lust and excitement pounding through me right now…it’s perverse. There’s no other word for it. I’ve known this girl since she was a baby. I remember holding her just a week after she was born. I remember her taking her first steps and learning to ride a bike.
I’m sick for the way I want her.
I push my pants down, hoping that my black boxer briefs will do enough to conceal just how hard my dick is right now. As I slide my pants off, I glance down, grimacing slightly when I see that the outline of my cock is clearly visible.
I look up and meet Hailey’s pretty brown eyes, which are wide and dancing with firelight. She blinks and looks away, sneaking glances at my chest, at the bulge in my underwear. I set the wet clothes aside and then our eyes meet again.
All the air whooshes out of me as fire licks at my skin. I can see something there in her eyes as she takes me in. Something that looks a hell of a lot like hunger.
I turn away, pulling the large sleeping bag out of my waterproof pack. I busy myself with laying blankets out on the floor in front of the fireplace and arranging the sleeping bag. When I turn back, Hailey’s still staring at me, shifting slightly on the couch.
I stride over and offer her my hand. “Come here, sweet girl,” I say softly, helping her up. Her hand in mine sends a tingle up my arm that I like far too much.
I hold the sleeping bag open for her, and after she’s comfortable, I ease in behind her, her back pressed to my chest, the fire warming her front. The fire crackles and hisses, casting a warm glow over the small cabin. I wrap an arm around Hailey, pulling her close, and she shivers against me. I’m careful to keep my hips angled so that she can’t feel how hard I am for her right now.
“Your skin is like ice,” I murmur, and I rub my hand up and down her arm, trying to generate some heat.
“I’m already feeling warmer,” she sighs, curling into me, and holy hell, does that feel good. She’s so soft that the feeling of her pressed against me, her skin against mine, is heaven. Pure fucking heaven.
I can feel every curve of her body pressed against me. Her skin is so soft. So smooth. My palms tingle with the urge to run my hands over her hips, her thighs, her perky tits. But I don’t. I lay still, wondering how hot and wet her pussy would if I touched her there. I close my eyes and imagine rolling her onto her back and kissing her, slow and deep.
I’ve never wanted to fuck someone the way I want to fuck my best friend’s daughter right now. A woman I’ve known since she was a baby. A woman who’s twenty-four years younger than me.
Fucking hell, I have tattoos older than her.
I force my eyes open. No more fantasizing while holding an almost naked Hailey. I’m already so hard it hurts. I can feel my pulse throbbing in my dick, and I have to take a deep breath to try to calm the hell down. I can’t think about how much I want her. I can’t think about how incredible her skin feels against mine. I can’t think about how much I need her. This is about keeping her warm and safe.
Hailey shifts, dislodging my arm, and my mouth goes dry as she starts to take off her bra.
“What are you doing?” I ask roughly. She doesn’t answer, just tosses her bra out of the sleeping bag and then starts wriggling. Oh, fuck. She’s taking off her panties.
“They’re still wet. It’s annoying and cold.”
“Okay,” I manage. What am I supposed to say to that? Leave on your uncomfortable, cold, wet underwear for my sake?
I watch as her panties emerge from the sleeping bag and hit the floor, and then she’s curled against me again. Completely, utterly naked.
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
I grit my teeth, using every ounce of willpower I have to ignore the feeling of her soft, bare skin against mine. Trying to ignore the way her ass is pressed against my stomach. Trying to ignore the way my cock is weeping in my boxer briefs.
But then she shivers again, and without thinking, I wrap an arm around her again. We both go completely still as my forearm grazes her hard nipples. I can’t see them, but I can sure as hell feel them. God, I want to roll her over and take one into my mouth, sucking and licking and kissing until she’s a writhing mess beneath me.
But I can’t.
Is it possible to be in both heaven and hell at the same time? Because I think I am. Having Hailey’s naked body curled against me is the most torturous thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.
I let my hands trace over her arm, her hip, her thigh, telling myself that I’m just monitoring her body temperature.
“Feeling a bit warmer?” I ask, clearing my throat when my voice comes out like rusty nails.
She nods. “Yes. Thank you.” She turns slightly, making my arm brush over her breasts again. I have to bite back a groan. “Seriously. Thank you. You saved me.”
“You know you can always call me for anything. Whatever you need, I’m yours,” I say, which is apparently the wrong thing because I feel her stiffen in my arms. Something flickers in her eyes, and then she turns away again.
I have the sudden, intense feeling that I fucked up, and I don’t know why. But there’s a tension simmering in the air now, and I don’t like it.
I need to get us back onto safer ground, for a multitude of reasons.
“Remember when you were little, and you’d come hiking with your dad and me?” I ask, my voice low. I’ve chosen my words deliberately, to both lighten the mood and remind myself of who Hailey is to me. She’s my best friend’s daughter. She’s practically my niece.
I can feel her breath against my arm, and when she shifts, her naked back brushes against my bare chest. My dick throbs, my balls aching.
“Yeah,” she murmurs, her voice soft. I’m relieved to hear that she’s not chattering or slurring anymore. She’ll be okay, as long as we stay warm. “I remember. You used to carry me on your shoulders.”
I chuckle as the memory plays through my mind. It feels like a lifetime ago.
Maybe because it was.
“You were always so determined to keep up with us. You never wanted to admit when you were too tired.”
She laughs softly, her breath tickling my skin. “I was stubborn.”
“Still are,” I say, a teasing note in my voice. The tension from a moment ago seems to have faded, thankfully.
She turns to look up at me, her brown eyes meeting mine. “I can’t help it,” she says, a small smile playing on her pretty lips. “It’s in my nature.” Our eyes hold, and I suck in a breath. I can smell her, the sweet, delicate scent of her skin mixed with the faint smell of rain and earth still clinging to her. I could get drunk on the smell of Hailey’s skin.
I smile back at her, my heart pounding so hard in my chest I wonder if she can hear it. “I know. It’s one of the things I l…” I cut myself off. “It’s one of the things that makes you, you,” I finish. I can’t believe I almost said that I love her. It might be true, but I can’t say it. Christ.
She watches me for a moment, little lines digging in between her brows. Her eyes search mine, and I wonder what she sees there. If I’m successfully hiding everything I’m feeling.
“You’ve always taken care of me,” she says softly. “Whenever I’ve needed you, you’ve been there, including today.”
The corner of my mouth kicks up, and I fight back the urge to brush her damp hair behind her ear. “I’ve always thought of myself as an honorary uncle.” That’s not entirely true. It might’ve been when she was a kid, but I haven’t thought of her as anything but a woman I can’t have for the past two years.
She wrinkles her nose. “I definitely don’t see you as an uncle.” She sighs and lays back down, snuggling into me. Her ass brushes against my cock, and I swear I see stars. One stroke of her little fingers and I’d come. “Maybe sort of when I was a kid, but…I’m not a kid anymore.”
“I’ve noticed.”
She goes tense again. “Have you?” There’s a bite to her words that I don’t understand.
“Hailey, what’s wrong? Are you pissed at me or something?”
She shakes her head. “No.”
I’m unconvinced. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”
Her shoulders tense, and silence fills the room. After a long moment, she blows out a breath. When she turns to look at me over her shoulder, I’m stunned to see her gorgeous eyes shining with tears.
“I saw you, Beau. On your date. I saw you, and I have to accept that you see yourself as my uncle .” She lets out a choked little laugh, shaking her head. “You say you’ve noticed I’m not a kid anymore, but seeing you on that date showed me that you’ll never look at me the way I wish you would.”
Oh, fuck.