7. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Noah
I slam my fist into the log wall. Anger burns through my veins.
I tried. I tried so fucking hard to do this the slow way. The ‘right’ way. Slowly warm her up, be the gentleman. I gave her the dick of her enemy. What the fuck else could this infuriating woman want?
She walks into the rain and slips, the mud already moving in slow rolls as the storm continues.
If she wants to play hard to get, I can play hard to get.
Heading into my room, I rummage through the drawer, grabbing my phone. The one I had especially outfitted for the boonies. Yes, this was my cabin. Or rather one of my cabins. This particular one was shared with my cousin and his deranged friends. They have part ownership over this specific cabin because it has something special built underneath it. I’ve never used the extra amenities, but from what I hear in the group chat, they enjoy getting their jollies off down there.
Everyone around here thinks I’m just a hiking guide. They don’t realize I actually own Pine Ridge Wilderness Resort and the 400 acres surrounding it. I come from old money and when my asshole father kicked the bucket, I used my inheritance to finish building this place. It’s taken me half a decade to get it to what it is now. I started small. One cabin, then two and built it out as my allowance grew. I finished the main lodge last year, three months after he was in the ground.
The final fuck you to a man who always hated that I didn’t want to take over his shitty businesses. In the end, he ensured I was the CEO for all of them, and I just handed the reigns to whoever he had in charge of the places. Hands off boss, I guess.
He never understood why I wanted to live out here, so far from the city, but I had my reasons.
Partially to try convince people how much better life is when you aren’t running the rat race.
And partially to find the one.
I punch in my cousin’s number and wait for him to answer. “Kairo, I’m using the cabin for an indeterminate amount of time. Don’t bring anyone here.”
He sighs, “Noah, man, I had a girl I was trailing.”
“Don’t give a fuck. I found the one. Stay the fuck away or I’ll kill you.”
“Yeah, fine, whatever man. Just try not kill this one. Cleaning up the last one fucking sucked. The bears were all over the hills for months.”
I hang up before I say something I’ll regret. Kairo is not one to talk when it comes to bodies. He left a trail of men all over from the various women he thought he loved. He toys with them, killing their partners in the hunting cabin and then tires of their grief, disappearing from their lives without a care in the world.
We were nothing alike, even though we shared a family tree. I look outside and try wipe that idiot from my mind. The storm outside rages—nature’s fury matching my own. How could she not see how much this meant? How much I’ve put into finding her, guiding her here, making her mine.
Did she really think that Monique just ‘happened’ across my retreat? No. I put the retreat flier in her inboxes, slowly using various methods of psychology to prompt her to show Cassidy. I knew Cass would never go for this on her own, but her friend convincing her it was a great idea? Perfection. It also helped that I sent a promo to Monique: book a friend and get a free stay. Of course, the fine print says the stay can’t be used at the same time.
Didn’t need a third wheel coming along.
The truth is, I waited for her for an entire year and my patience ran out. Slowly implanting subconscious cues for her, for her friends. All pointing to a get away from her busy life. I am a patient man, but that ran out when she got here and kept texting her stupid fucking ex.
I should have killed him the minute I watched him fuck her doggy style while on the phone scrolling porn. No one makes my girl feel less than.
Pacing the cabin, my restless energy surges with each step. This is exactly why I couldn’t do things the conventional way. Cassidy needed to be pushed. She needed me just as much as I needed her; she was just stubborn. Clinging to the new age wave of ‘women should be independent’. Sure. They absolutely should. But it doesn’t hurt to have a man do the dirty work, and that man was me.
A flash of paranoia spikes through me. I expected she’d be back by now with the rain still pounding the ground, but again, that stubborn streak refused to allow her to turn back. What if she tries to leave? Anger shifts to urgency and I reach for my pack, already forming a plan. No way she’s getting out of these mountains without me. Not in this rain.
I throw on a dry jacket and boots. Looks like we’re doing this the hard way. I pause before heading out and return to my room, opening the closet and pulling out my mask.
A black, full cover mask with plastic hearts over the eyes. It was simple, compared to the ridiculous demon ones my cousin had custom made for his merry band of deranged idiots.
But I like it.
Slipping it on, I catch my reflection in the window. Perfect .
The rain slaps like needle pricks against my face as soon as I’m out the door. It’s a wall of gray and white, drowning out sound and sight, but I know these woods better than anyone. I follow the path back toward the main lodge, the relentless downpour barely slowing me down.
Cassidy wanted time to think? Fine. She could do it while I was there to remind her exactly who she belonged with.
The trail is slick, treacherous, and there’s no way she’s gone far. Searching for signs that she had slipped, I checked the tracks. Broken branches, boot steps, and a long slide before an indentation of hands from where she got back up.
This is where I want Cassidy. Stumbling. Desperate. And alone.
I move quickly, adrenaline pushing me over wet earth and stone. The rain and wind howl, but the corners of my vision are sharp with focus. Soon enough, I spot her—half-drowned and trembling, struggling through the storm with that stubborn fucking grace of hers.
She’s beautiful.
I slow my approach, letting the anticipation build, each step bringing me closer to what’s mine. She doesn’t see me yet. Not until I want her to.
My pulse beats in time with the rain as I break through the trees, closing the distance between us in seconds. Her head snaps up and she freezes, eyes wide and wild.
“Cassidy,” I say, calm and commanding under the mask. “You’re coming with me.”
Fear flashes in her eyes but so does desire. She hesitates, just for a moment, before turning to run.
I let her think she can get away.
Her frantic dash is no match for me in these woods; I’m on her in moments, close enough to hear her ragged breaths mixing with the storm. Close enough to see the panic set in when she realizes there’s nowhere to hide out here.
She stumbles again, and that’s when I strike—sweeping her off her feet into my arms before she hits the ground.
She fights against me, fierce and desperate like something cornered. But it only makes my hold on her tighten.
“Let go!” she yells over the roar of the rain, kicking hard enough that one of her boots hits my shin and a groan escapes me.
“Cassidy. That’s enough. Stop acting like a child.”
“Leave me alone!” She starts screaming at the top of her lungs, so I clamp a hand over her mouth to stifle the screams.
“Keep screaming and I’ll shove my cock down your throat.”
She eyes me before sucking in a deep lungful of air and screaming again.
“Suit yourself.” I dump her on the ground, in the mud and the puddles and set my pack down, grabbing the rope. She tries to get up, tries to scramble away but slips.
Grabbing her, I haul her to a tree, tying the rope around her body, securing her to the trunk. Unzipping my pants, my aching cock springs free.
Finally… finally she stops screaming, her eye’s wide as she stares at it.
I stare at those rosy lips and imagine her mouth wrapped around me, sucking me in, swallowing my come. “You’re mine, Cassidy. There’s no running. I tried this the nice guy way, but you… you are stubborn. So now, you get to experience the other side of the coin.” I fist my cock and walk closer to her, running it along her cheek.
She glares up at me with defiance, rain streaming down her face. "You’re insane," she spits, writhing against the rope.
"I'm exactly what you need." I move closer, my body pressing against hers, the rain a cold reminder of how alive she is in my arms. “Funny though, that a kiss sends you into a spiral and not the intuition that I served you your ex’s cock this morning.”
She opens her mouth to scream again but I shove in before she can. Her teeth lightly graze me, and it sends a jolt of need through my entire body. She freezes, eyes locked on mine, and I can’t help the low groan that escapes as she trembles around me.
I pull back, and she gasps for air. “Do it,” I say, my voice raw and thick with everything I feel for her. “Scream all you want.”
She doesn’t this time. I can see her face as she debates whether or not to clamp down on my dick with her teeth. “Bite my cock and I’ll shove it in your ass. Take your pick Cassidy.”
Her silence is more powerful than her struggle. It's surrender and it's defiance all at once, and it lights every dark corner inside me with need having her like this. My hand moves to her hair, gently but firmly holding her still as I thrust deeper into her mouth.
She's never looked more perfect. Sopping wet, eyes red, lips swollen. The perfect picture.
I tighten my grip on her hair as I rock my hips in slow but relentless rhythm. Her eyes flash with something that looks like anger... or fear... or maybe even understanding. Whatever it is only makes the heat between us rise until it’s almost unbearable.
“Suck.” I command, slamming my cock to the back of her throat, making her sputter and gag.
She chokes, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. She hates me but she loves me, and she doesn’t know which side she wants to win. It doesn’t matter. She will come around to it all. She is my obsession, my possession, my only desire. I groan, feeling her give in, every part of her going soft as she sucks me in.
It’s overwhelming, the sight of her taking it all, the feel of her trapped against me. I’m dizzy with it, the build up crashing like wildfire through my veins. “That’s it,” I rasp, barely recognizing my own voice. “Just for me.”
Her breathing is ragged around my cock, and I pull out just long enough for her to gasp before thrusting back in. The sensation is too much, I’m too close, and I don’t want to give in yet. I want to keep fucking her perfect mouth as she chokes around it, but my balls tighten, apparently having a mind of their own.
With one last thrust, I lose myself in her completely. My vision whites out and I'm coming hard in that warm mouth. She jerks in surprise but doesn’t pull away, swallowing like I knew she would.
I stay there for a moment, panting, watching her as she catches her breath. My dick slides out of her mouth as she stares. Her eyes are still defiant but colored now with something softer. Confusion. Maybe curiosity.
My hand caresses her hair as I speak, voice calm and possessive. “See? You can’t escape this.” I loosen the knots slightly but keep her tied to the tree. The rain slows to a drizzle as if even the storm has spent itself.
She glares at me, chest heaving beneath her drenched clothes. “You think this changes anything?” Her voice is hoarse but steady.
I laugh softly, tucking myself back into my pants and leaning in to press a firm kiss on those swollen lips. “It changes everything, little minx.”
“Noah, please. Let me go. I won’t tell anyone. I’ll go back to the city. You can keep doing…” she looks around, “whatever this is. Please. This isn’t fun anymore. I was willing to overlook the dick thing because Stuart was an ass, but this is too far. I’m a human being, not a pet. Please, let me leave.”
LEAVE ? “No. That’s not an option for you, I’m afraid.” I run my finger along her cheek, wiping the rain and tears that I’ve caused. "We’re just getting started."
Her eyes flicker with frustration, but there’s no mistaking the heat behind them. She shifts against the ropes, her struggle half-hearted now, testing rather than desperate.
“I’ll untie you when I'm sure you won't try to run again. Because if you run again, Cassidy, I will fuck you and I won’t be gentle. And I don’t want our first time to be such a brutal display of ownership. So, when you’re ready, I will let you go, and we will go back to my cabin. But ONLY when you’re ready to admit what you really want.”
“You think you know what I want?” Her voice holds a tremor, doubt creeping in at the edges.
“I’ve read those journals of yours,” I say, watching the shock ripple through her before she clutches at composure again. “Every. Single. Word.”
An entire arsenal of responses dies on her tongue, and for a moment, she just stares at me.
"You're sick," she finally mutters, but it lacks conviction.
I smile, brushing my thumb across her mouth. "I'll give you everything you've ever dreamed of.”
She turns her head away from my touch, defiance resurfacing even as she shivers with cold and something more. I lean back and take in the sight of her tied there, stubborn and exquisite in her refusal to give me the satisfaction of knowing how close to the edge she really is.
This push and pull between us, it feels right. And I know she feels it too, no matter how much she fights it.
I stand up slowly, making sure she sees every lingering look I give her before picking up my pack and grabbing a water bottle. “Want some?”
Her glare could cut glass, but there's a flicker of something else beneath it.
“Suit yourself,” I say with a shrug, taking a long drink while she watches. "I'll be back soon. Think about what I've said."
She struggles against the ropes again as I walk away, her voice cracking through the trees. “NOAH! You can’t leave me here! NOAH! This isn’t over!”
I pause, just enough to make sure she knows I've heard. “You’re right,” I call back. “It’s just beginning.”
The path back to the cabin is slick with rain and mud, but I barely notice. My mind is full of her—her mouth, her scent, the way her body finally softened under my touch like it was meant to all along. I reach the cabin and shove open the door, shaking water from my hair as I drop my pack on the floor.
The place feels different now that she’s here, every corner of it filled with potential and anticipation. This is where she'll understand. Where she’ll realize what we have is unstoppable and where she’ll become even more beautiful once she does.
Once she submits, we will occupy one of the other cabins along my property. One I built, just for her. It’s got a line of sight of the waterfall and everything. But here… this is where I break her.
I’m already impatient for her to see it, but she needs time, especially after telling her I read those journals of hers. She was stupid for bringing them to the retreat. I’d only found one when I visited her in the city, but she brought six more. Did she really think I wouldn’t want to read them? She’s closer than she thinks to unraveling; I saw it in her eyes out there in the rain.
The fire is almost out, so I stoke it, adding some logs before setting my kettle on the grate to heat for some coffee. I know just how much she loves her caffeine. And depending how long she chooses to be obstinate; she will need it to heat herself.
I grab a couple of blankets and extra rope before heading back into the woods. The storm has left everything smelling fresh and earthy, and I breathe it in deeply as I move with purpose down the winding trail.
She comes into view, and I pause. She’s gorgeous, like a forest goddess, shivering but fierce, a wild creature cornered but undeniably alive. Her lips press in a thin line.
“I’ve been thinking.” She says.
“About?”
“About what I’m going to do when I get free,” she snaps, but her voice wavers.
I kneel beside her, enjoying the way her eyes flare. “And what’s that?”
Her silence is more telling than any answer. I wrap a blanket around her shoulders, watching how her body leans in unconsciously to the warmth. She swallows hard. “This is insane, Noah. You can’t keep me here.”
“I think you’ll find I can.” I cup her face, forcing our eyes to meet. “You’re afraid of how much you want this. How much you need it.”
“No—” Her denial cuts off as I close my mouth over hers, coaxing and relentless until she kisses back. The truth of it hangs between us when I pull away, leaving her breathless and visibly shaken.
I loosen the ropes bit by bit, reveling in each tremor that works its way through her as freedom inches closer. Finally, with one last knot undone, she’s untied fully but still doesn’t move.
I straighten up, extending my hand with quiet certainty. She stares at it like it might bite.
“Ready?” My question hangs like a dare in the air.
Her fingers twitch before reaching out to mine, and the moment they touch is electric. We stand together, and for an instant, everything around us falls away—the forest is the silent witness to what neither of us will say.
Without another word, we start back toward the cabin. She stays close behind me, steps steady but hesitant enough to betray her conflict. The rain has stopped entirely now, leaving only the soft drip of water from the trees and the muted sound of our footsteps.
I take her back to the cabin and open the door. Inside, the warmth rushes over us, and she regards the cabin with the same skepticism and fascination as before. Her eyes rest on the fire, on the coffee kettle whistling low, then on me.
“You didn’t think I’d leave you out there for long, did you?” My voice is even, but I let a small edge of amusement slip through.
She hugs the blanket tighter around herself. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Good.” I pour her a cup of coffee, my movements deliberate, keeping her wondering. She watches as I set it down on the table next to her, steam curling into the air between us.
“It’s not poisoned.” I make a show of taking a sip from my own cup.
She hesitates just long enough to convince herself before reaching for it. Her hands are steady now; that old determination surfaces beneath her confusion. She takes a sip and closes her eyes briefly, savoring the heat. When she opens them again, there’s new resolve staring back at me.
“This doesn’t mean you’ve won,” she says, but it sounds more like a challenge than a threat.
I grin, knowing that if we’re keeping score, I’m miles ahead. “You’re still here.”
“You didn’t give me a choice.”
Silence stretches out as we drink our coffee, both of us keenly aware that this calm is temporary. Her gaze drifts over every corner of the cabin. The stacked logs by the fire, my gear lined neatly against one wall, before landing back on me.
“So, what now, Noah?” She sounds tired. Maybe I should get her in the shower and into bed.
“Now, we get to know each other and begin the first day of the rest of our lives.”
She shakes her head. “People back home will miss me. What then? What are you going to do when the retreat realizes I haven’t been back at the lodge in days.”
I let her words hang between us, letting her think they might rattle me. “You seem to think your practice misses you. I’ve been tracking their emails. They won’t notice for weeks.”
That hits, and I see it—the brief flash of doubt, of loneliness. She tries to mask it with a scowl, but I’m learning to read her, all those little expressions she doesn’t let anyone see.
“And the retreat?” she repeats. “Dana? Surely she will notice my absence.” Her voice rises, almost hopeful.
“Nah. I can take care of that. At least for a while. Long enough that you’ll be begging me to keep you here.”
Her jaw clenches as she looks away, but she doesn’t deny her curiosity. There’s more fight in her than I anticipated, which is good. More satisfying when I win.
I take the empty cup from her hand and pull her to her feet again. She stumbles slightly but catches herself, eyes locked on mine in defiance.
“What are you doing?” Her voice is shaky now, vulnerable.
I lead her to the bathroom, every step resounding with intention. “You’re drenched and freezing.” I turn on the shower, the stream building hot and steady behind the glass door. “Get cleaned up.”
She hesitates, looking from me to the shower and back again. "And if I don’t?"
“Then we both get in there until you do.”
A quick intake of breath tells me I’ve hit another nerve. Her anger flares bright for an instant before giving way beneath exhaustion. She pushes past me into the room without a word, closing the door hard enough that it echoes through the cabin.
I smile as I hear water hitting tiles.
Each small surrender brings us closer to where she’s meant to be—where she craves to be.
I’d even bought her favorite shampoos and conditioners. Home away from home. For now, at least. Heading to my room, I open my closet and step inside, tapping the wood until the secret door unlocks. Walking in, I sit at the small desk and look at the CCTV screens covering every inch of this place… and the forest around us.
She’s just standing there, letting the water hit her skin. Finally, she reaches for the shampoo, staring at the bottle. Her body is flush, the difference in cold and hot causing her skin to redden.
But it’s her hands I watch. She lathers the shampoo and runs it through her hair, allowing the water to carry the suds down the drain before she trails her fingers down her body, stopping at her nipple.
She cups her breast as if testing her own response, her eyes closing as she pushes hair back from her face. I lean forward, pulse quickening as the steam thickens around her. This is the real Cassidy, stripped of defenses, exploring new boundaries.
I can watch her for hours.
She looks around, as if expecting me to spring up out of no where, but I won’t. I’m enjoying the show. My cock grows hard as her hand trails lower and lower, her leg parting as she runs her fingers through the slit in between her thighs. I can see exactly when her chest starts rising and falling rapidly, her fingers moving faster, with more determination.
My little minx liked being tied up and used.
Her mouth opens in a silent gasp, a shudder moving through her entire body. She slows for a moment, as if savoring the sensation, before rinsing off and shutting the water. I tear my eyes from the screen just as she wraps herself in a towel and leaves the bathroom.
I knew she’d feel it too.
Turning back to the monitors, I scan for signs of life outside. It’s nothing but trees and rocks and miles upon miles of forest between us and anyone who’d come looking. Anyone who even cares enough to try. I watch long enough to be sure before heading back to the living room, timing my footsteps so that she hears me coming.
“Cassidy,” I call softly.
“Not exactly five-star service,” she says, deliberately looking past me toward the empty window where she must have expected bars. “Do you plan on feeding your prisoners? I’m also naked, so how about getting me some clothes.”
“No to the clothes.” I give her a look like it’s obvious because it is. “But to the food… I’ll make a sandwich.”
She hesitates, dripping hair plastered against heated cheeks. The towel barely clings to her body, exposing just enough skin to remind me how thankful she should be that I have restraint. Unlike my monster of a cousin who would have ripped her in two by now. She holds it tight like it’s armor before stepping around me and heading for the couch.
“How considerate,” she says coolly, brushing past with an air of grudging dignity. “At least toss me a blanket. I’ll freeze to death.”
Lie. The fireplace has this place toasty, but I smile. “Sure.” Grabbing a blanket, I throw it to her and she grabs it, pulling it over her body.
“I’ll eat here when it’s done,” she says, pulling the blanket tighter.
“Suit yourself.” I head to the kitchen, unhurried. Let her act like a child if it makes her feel in control.
The fridge is full, stocked for weeks. I pull out turkey and cheese, slicing bread as I watch her from the corner of my eye. She sits tense, a warrior wrapped in terrycloth, but there’s a softness now, too, a vulnerability she can’t quite hide. My cock twitches at the memory of her in the shower, and I force myself to focus on the task at hand. No use rushing things when they’re going so well.
She doesn’t look up when I bring the plate over, setting it on the table beside her.
“Eat,” I say. “You won’t get far on an empty stomach.”
That catches her attention. “Get far?” Her voice is sharp but curious.
“If you want out so badly, you’ll need all your strength to make a run for it.” I grin at her, letting the idea sit there between us.
“Is that how this works?” She picks up the sandwich and takes a defiant bite. “You let me go just so you can track me down again?”
I keep smiling, enjoying this new spark in her eyes. “If that’s what you want.”
“What if I don’t want any part of this—” she gestures vaguely around the cabin “—game you’re playing?”
“You might surprise yourself.”
Her mouth tightens around another bite, but she doesn’t argue. The silence stretches, broken only by the crack and pop of the fire.
“Can you… go do something? It’s weird that you’re sitting here watching me eat.”
“Sure. I can find something to do.” I grab her ankles and push the blanket over her knees before she can protest, her mouth falling open, revealing bits of sandwich. “Close your mouth when you eat, Cassidy.”
She sputters but I hardly hear it. All I hear is the roar of blood in my ears as I stare at her perfect, pink pussy. I widen her legs, even as she tries to clamp them shut, trailing my hand up her thigh and pushing a finger inside her. Curling it, I push it in and out, my thumb circling her clit.
Her whole-body jerks and I pull away before she can climax, leaving her stunned. My cock is hard, aching for more, but I stand, letting the moment settle in her mind like a seed.
“I’ll be outside.” I head toward the door, taking my time. “If you try to make a break for it, at least let me grab my jacket.”
I don’t wait for an answer. The cold hits me as I close the door behind me, and I take a deep breath of mountain air to cool the fire in my veins. She’s rattled, but not broken. This new defiance makes me want her more. My hand lifts, my fingers touching as they slide from her wetness before I put the finger that was inside her, into my mouth and taste her for the first time.
Fucking divine. I need to go, to walk, to clear my head before I force her to take my cock, force her to ride my face until she’s shaking.
I walk into the trees, each step crackling on crisp snow, the cabin disappearing from view. She’s on edge now, unsure of herself and what she wants. I give her space to stew in it while I gather myself. Soon, she will be begging to sit on my dick.
The woods close around me, calming my nerves. I know she won't make a run; not yet. She still thinks she’s outsmarting me by waiting for the perfect moment. It makes me grin to think how little she understands about being hunted.
After a while, I turn back toward the cabin. Through a gap in the trees, I catch sight of something that stops me: Cassidy standing in front of one of the big windows, looking out with eyes like blue fire. Her hair spills wild over her shoulders, she’s dropped the blanket, her perky tits on display, that ring of blanket around her feet almost making it look like she’s floating.
I stay hidden, watching her watch for me. Even from here, I can see the flush on her cheeks and imagine fucking her face again.
When she feels she’s safe from me, she dips her fingers between her legs.
Hmmm, twice in one day. Wonder who could have caused that? A wicked grin spreads over my face.
This time, she won’t be coming unless it’s on my face or on my cock. I step out from behind the tree and love the way her face pinches as her eyes narrow on my figure walking back up the path.
In an act of defiance, she lifts her leg, perching it on the windowsill, her thigh falling open as she pushes her fingers in and out of herself slowly.
I can’t help it.
I break into a run.