Chapter 7
L ow rumbles, occasional flashes of lightning, and the steady patter of rain against the metal roof settled into a rhythm.
Lauren stayed curled under a quilt on a massive bed that smelled faintly of pine and woodsmoke.
The s'mores she shared with Mac had only put her in a sugar high.
She'd tried to sleep, but her body refused to settle.
For a moment earlier, she thought Mac was going to kiss her. She couldn't shake her disappointment. She'd thought about the moment too much. He was like no one she knew. Bigger. Stronger. More manly.
Imagining how his big hands would feel on her body left her tingling.
She sat up, the quilt falling off her shoulders, and walked barefoot across the wooden floor.
The cabin creaked gently beneath her steps.
She opened the door and slipped into the hallway, knowing the room across from her belonged to Jetter.
The knowledge that Mac had a son made her heart ache a little.
Mac never divulged if Jetter had a mom or not, but she couldn't imagine a child out in the storm, in the dark, alone.
She rubbed the goosebumps off her arms and tiptoed into the main room.
If the storm wasn't scary enough, a warning poster on the lodge door cautioned about bears and provided advice on how to avoid an attack.
She moved to the back wall, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. She hesitated to go any further, in case she woke Mac up.
An extremely close bang of thunder rattled the cabin. She muffled her scream.
Mac sat up on the couch. "Lauren?"
His broad bare shoulders turned. Lightning lit up the room, catching the rugged ridges of his muscles. He looked straight at her, surprised but not startled that she'd come out of the room.
"I couldn't sleep," she whispered.
He stood. Her gaze lowered, almost wishing he had no clothes on, but he slept in his jeans. His reasons for staying dressed were probably for her sake or maybe because his son could walk in at any time.
He cleared his throat. "Storm bothering you?"
She nodded. "And... everything else."
The silence stretched, thick and charged. She had nowhere to look, except at him. He filled up the room.
"I keep thinking about earlier," she whispered. "About Jetter. About you."
"My son's off limits." Mac's jaw flexed. "I told you. He's safe."
"I know. That's not what I meant, though."
She stepped closer. "How do you handle it all? Being an owner, a dad, and taking care of everyone? Who do you go to for help?"
"I don't need help."
"Everyone does," she said softly. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Don't need one."
He confused her. The way he looked at her, making her skin tingle—he sure looked like he needed help. If nothing more than for comfort. Sex.
"Don't you ever get lonely?" she asked.
"You don't shut up."
"You don't talk enough." She smiled. "I'm trying to get to know you better."
He closed the space between them. "You shouldn't be here."
Lightning flashed outside, illuminating his face for a heartbeat. Then darkness again.
Lauren reached up, her fingers brushing his beard. "But I am."
Mac's breath hitched. His hand came up, cupping her cheek, rough thumb grazing her skin.
Then he kissed her.
It was slow at first. Then deeper. Hungrier. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close, and she melted into him like she'd been waiting her whole life for this exact moment.
She kissed him back, digging her fingers into his biceps. Heat radiated off his bare skin.
He lifted her, carried her to the bedroom as if her plus-size body weighed nothing. Her heart thrummed like never before at the way he manhandled her. No one had dared even try to pick her up, and he hadn't even put any effort into it.
Mac kicked the door shut and tossed her on the mattress. Tossed. Legs flying. Dress billowing around her. She landed with a gasp, taken by surprise.
He followed her down on the bed, capturing her open mouth and kissing her thoroughly with his tongue.
There were so many sensations, she had no idea what to concentrate on first. He overwhelmed her with the heaviness of his body, the whiskers of his beard, and the way he pinned her hands above her head, immobilizing her.
A flash of fear swept through her before his jean-covered thigh slipped between her legs and pressed on her pussy. She scrambled to remember what underwear she had on. Not that it mattered in the dark, but she hoped it was pretty.
He raised up on his hands. "Take your dress off."
"Take my...?" She pushed up on her elbows when he left the bed.
In her mind, she had the idea that she'd pull up her dress and he could have sex with her. She sat up at the same time the crinkle of a wrapper filled the room.
"Do you need to put this on me or can I do it?" he asked.
She shook her head. That was odd. Or maybe she was too trusting.
He returned to the bed, put his knee on the mattress, and came to a stop. "Why aren't you naked?"
She lowered her gaze, squinting in the dark to see him with his jeans off. He was— Oh. Sweet. Lord.
Swallowing, she took in the size of him. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him. He was solid muscle. His cock jutted from his body as if it were a tool or weapon to be used on her.
"Let's get you undressed." He stood back up and pulled her to her feet.
She turned around with hardly any nudging, giving him her back where the zipper of her dress was located. She could've told him that it was easy enough to pull the dress over her head, but she'd never had a man unzip her before.
A tremor went down her spine with the caress of his hand on her back. She grabbed the front of her dress before it could fall and lowered it slowly, stepping out of the material.
His hands landed on her hips. She caught her lip between her teeth, waiting to see if he'd remove her underwear. But instead of going lower, he went high, feeling around her ribs and back, trying to find out how to take her bra off. With her thin-strapped dresses, she wore a tight strapless bra.
Mac figured it out and hooked his thumbs under the Spanx.
She raised her arms, letting him drag the material off her.
It was never an easy feat for her, but Mac's height helped her pull it off.
Her breasts swung free, but his hands came around and cupped her, pulling her back against his bare chest.
He stole her breath. He stole it and then filled the room with helium, making her feel like she floated in the mountain air.
He was close, so close that every breath she took seemed to draw him in even more.
His hands, calloused and firm, slid up her sides, tracing the curves of her body, making her skin burn beneath his touch.
Spun around forcefully, she grabbed his forearms. She wanted to say something, anything, but the words seemed to vanish the moment their eyes met.
Without a word, he fiercely kissed her. His mouth crushed against hers.
She slid her hands up and gripped his chest, trying to hold on, but it wasn't enough. She needed more. She wanted more.
Mac slid the tips of his fingers under the waist of her panties and pushed them over her hips. She rocked from left to right foot, helping him remove them.
She could feel the weight of his gaze on her skin, his fingers brushing across her waist, down to the curve of her hips as he rounded her body with his hands and cupped her ass.
She shivered, but it wasn't from the cold.
Exposed to the elements, vulnerable to Mac, and feeling oddly sexy was a dangerous cocktail of emotions to handle.
There was no hesitation with him. In fact, he seemed rushed to feel every part of her.
His fingers dug into her butt cheeks, pulling her closer. There wasn't an inch between them. The monstrosity of a cock she'd only glimpsed was now sandwiched between them, pressing against her stomach.
"You're perfect," he murmured against her lips, his voice thick with desire.
He squeezed her ass. Lauren's breath hitched. His rough declaration sent a shockwave through her, sparking something deep inside. She had always been self-conscious about her body, but in this moment, under his touch, those insecurities seemed to melt away.
When he moved between her legs, she could feel the heat of him, the strength in his movements, and she realized, with a jolt of surprise, that she loved feeling small compared to him and the way he handled her.
He tensed and his breath came out roughly as he looked down at her. "Don't freeze up on me. I don't want to hurt you," he asked with a low rasp.
Freeze up?
He took her hand and put it between their bodies, wrapping her fingers around his cock. Understanding dawned on her, and she bit her lip. If she wasn't ready for him, he could tear her. The idea of having sex with a big dick was exciting. She wanted to experience it.
But he'd warned her. She couldn't tighten her pussy or chicken out once he started going inside of her.
Sweet Jesus.
Her adrenaline spiked. Could she do this?
She sucked in a breath. Of course, she could do it. She'd regret it for the rest of her life if she stopped now. Tonight would be a memory that would last longer than any picture she could take of the lake.
Lauren nodded, unable to find words. She was thankful that he was aware of his size. Even more grateful that he thought about her first.
All she could do was reach for him, pulling him closer, feeling his warmth, his strength, pressing against her.
"Touch me." She took her hand off his cock, grabbed his wrist, and shoved it between her legs. "I'm wet."
He ran his finger through her folds. For once in her life, she wasn't embarrassed about how much natural lubrication she had when excited.