Chapter 3
Dean
By the time night falls, the temperature has plummeted and I’m starving. Ripping my fridge open, I glower at the few ingredients I have left. Damn, I need to go to the grocery store.
Today’s been a blur of responsibilities—chopping wood, making thirst traps that still need editing, giving Oscar another bath, unloading the newest delivery of tile to cabin 3 and laying most of the flooring out. Grout is on tomorrow’s to-do list, along with another tub install, more landscaping around the property entrance, plus I’ve got to make sure my snowmobile is ready for winter.
I desperately want to check on Grace and make sure she’s got everything she needs. But I already told her that my number was on the fridge and to reach out if she needs anything, so restating that would probably make me seem like a stalker.
I want to talk to her again.
Smell her.
Touch her.
Jesus Christ, you asshole, knock it off!
She’s a guest. Nothing more. I need to treat her like I do every other person who stays here.
Except I can’t get her out of my head. And I really want to know what that mud bath lie was all about. Oscar wouldn’t have smeared mud all over her ass and back, so…
Man, I hope she didn’t fall and hurt herself.
The idea that she might have slipped and fallen makes me want to safety proof my entire property. And is it crazy that Grace looked dynamite in her pristine, fancy clothes and even better covered in dirt?
What else would she look good covered in?
Devious thoughts sprout in my head, and I imagine giving her a pretty pearl necklace with my cum. Ropes of it painting her tits, stomach, ass. Her face.
Whoa, Dean. Very unprofessional. Stop that .
Every time I close my eyes, I see her perky tits and hard nipples pushing against her thin tank top. The way she answered her door with her pants undone, slung low on her flared hips, just begging to be taken off. The red lace band of her panties showing me the way to heaven.
That woman is a temptation. God-tier level.
I’m so fucked.
From my kitchen window, I see her cabin lit up across the stream like a beacon calling to me.
“I’ve got to get out of here.”
Dread hits my bloodstream because Grace has rented the cabin for the last two weeks of the season and I’m not sure how I’ll survive it. The best I can do is keep my head down and thoughts to myself. Stay busy. I have plenty to do and little time to do it, so that shouldn’t be hard.
Except I’ve never felt this drawn to a woman before. It probably means I need to get out more. The only people I interact with are the ones who come here for vacation, and a few buddies in town who are busy with their own lives. I’m pretty secluded, and honestly, I prefer it that way. Living in my bubble on this mountain has been my saving grace for as long as I can remember.
But my dick’s taking over my thoughts lately and that’s not okay. He’s stupid.
If I’m going to save my property from going under, getting distracted by a gorgeous woman is out of the question. My livelihood is on the line.
Grabbing my keys, I hop in my truck and head into town, putting some much-needed space between me and the vixen I have no business fantasizing about. To make it worse, as I drive past her cabin, my weak ass almost stops to see if she wants to join me for dinner.
No bugging the guests.
No dating them either.
And definitely no fucking them .
Imagine the online reviews if I did.
By the time I make it into town, my stomach is growling like a pissed off bobcat. I skipped all my meals today, too busy with work for a break, and now I’m ravenous. There’s no way I can grocery shop in this condition. I’ll buy out the entire store.
Pulling into the dive bar across the street, The Salt Lick, there are two trucks I recognize parked in the next row. Conner and Bennet are here. Hurray for buddies who double as distractions.
Swinging the door open, I hear them before I see them. Loud ass motherfuckers. They’re shooting pool in the back like usual.
“Ayyy, look who decided to join the living.” Conner raises his beer in salute. “Long time no see, fucker. ”
“Hey man.” I grab a stool and carry it over to them. “Been a while.”
“Yeah, it has. Damn, we thought you’d turned into a shut-in up there on your mountain. You haven’t answered my texts, asshole.”
I wince and rub the back of my neck. “Yeah, I’ve been busy getting ready for winter.”
I’m a shit friend. How long has it been since we’ve hung out? So long, I can’t remember. These two don’t know how bad things have gotten for me, and I prefer to keep it that way.
“We get it, bro. That’s a hell of an undertaking you got up there. I’m sure it’s sucked all your energy and time up.”
I appreciate Bennet’s understanding, but I still feel bad that I’ve ghosted them lately. “How about poker night at my place on Friday?”
They look at each other and Bennet shrugs. “I’m down for taking your money. Count me in.”
Conner takes a sip of his beer. “Yeah, that should work.”
“Bring Taylor,” I say. It’s been months since I’ve seen her, and I miss her. She’s the only girl who has stuck around and still puts up with all our shit.
“She’s probably busy,” Conner says, shrugging. “But I’ll ask.” He takes another sip of beer before tipping his head towards the pool sticks. “Grab one. Nick should be here any minute.”
“I can’t stay long. I got plans.”
Conner shakes my shoulder. “I can make this ass whooping short and sweet, honey, don’t worry.”
Like he has a chance of beating me? Yeah, right. “Let me put in my food order first. I’m starving. ”
There’s no way I’m telling them my plans tonight are to go grocery shopping. They’ll never let me hear the end of how lame my life has become. Knowing all my friends were meeting here for a night of fun reminds me of what I’ve been missing.
After putting in my food order, I wait for Jesse, the bartender, to pour me a beer and am blasted with freezing cold air as the door opens.
Bet that’s Nick . I look past everyone sitting at the bar, expecting to see my oldest friend walk in, and instead it’s a bombshell in an off-white peacoat and jeans with black riding boots.
Grace.
So much for putting space between me and temptation.
I swear the whole bar holds its breath when she walks in. There’s a massive handbag hanging off her arm and she saunters directly over to an open stool at the end of the bar by the door.
“Dayem,” Bennet says next to me. “Where did she come from?”
All eyes stay glued to her, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
And I don’t like the possessiveness I feel knowing Bennet’s gawking at her. Before I say something I’ll regret, the door opens again and Nick strolls in, saving me from being a dickhead to one of my best friends.
Conner hollers at him, dragging Bennet and I back into reality and we both look away from Grace. It’s rude to pretend I don’t notice her, but it’s also probably creepy to go over there and greet her. I should just mind my business and stay where I belong .
“Here ya go, Dean.” Jesse slides my beer over to me. “Your food will be out in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks.” Keeping my head down, I head back to my friend group, fighting the urge to look at Grace again.
“Who the hell is that ?” Nick asks. “Because oh my damn.”
My hands ball into fists. I don’t even want my friends looking at Grace, let alone having the audacity to walk up and ask for her number.
Which is exactly what Bennet is about to do. I grab his arm before he can get past me. “She’s not for you.”
She’s not for me either, but I can’t bear the thought of anyone here hitting on her.
“Do you know her?” Nick’s mischievous smirk falls into a scowl. “Wait. She’s a city girl. Is she from that real estate group that tried to take your land a few months ago?” Anger instantly rushes blood up his neck and mottles his cheeks red.
“No, man. She’s not with them. I thought she was when she came by earlier, but she’s just a guest staying at one of my cabins.”
Nick cocks his brow. “You sure she’s not an op ?”
It never occurred to me. “I don’t think so.”
If she is, she’s damn good at fooling me.
Or my deprived dick is making me more stupid than usual.
We all stare at her, which I don’t realize until she looks up, her gaze landing straight on me, and I bristle, acting like I’m looking all around the tiny bar and hadn’t noticed her. My friends are even worse. Nick whistles and glances at the ceiling. Conner suddenly finds his pool stick incredibly interesting. And Bennet chugs his beer, facing the bathrooms.
Kill me now .
Grace casually waves when my gaze falls on her again and I man up and tip my chin in a what’s up gesture that makes me feel like a fucking tool.
I really need to get off my mountain more. I think I’ve lost all my social skills. I’ve definitely lost all my charm and charisma. Not that I had much to start with.
Before I make more of an ass out of myself, I turn around and rack the balls, preparing for the next game. “Who’s my first victim?”
Nick volunteers as tribute and I hand him his ass twice before Conner takes his place. And, because Nick has zero shame, he’s got his phone out recording us.
“Are you kidding me, bro?” Bennet wracks the balls. “Why do we have to film this?”
“You have no idea how hot someone’s going to find four mountain men shooting pool. Trust me, Ben. Post it on your account and watch the views climb.”
All of us have resorted to thirst trapping for extra cash.
Nick’s right. Someone out there will love the clips.
I’ve peeked at Grace a couple times, because I can’t shake the urge to invite her to join us. Watching her eat alone is tearing me up. But she never catches me looking, and when I check on her a third time, she’s gone.
Why doesn’t that make me feel better?
“Time for me to go, fellas. ”
“Aww come on.” Nick tosses his hands up. “You just got here.”
“Yeah, well, I have things to do.”
“Like that pretty little thang who just left?” Conner waggles his brows. “Giving her the special guest treatment?”
I want to throat-punch him. “It’s not like that.”
“Why not? She’s staying with her family or something?”
“She’s alone,” I say, my burger suddenly turning into a rock in my belly.
“Is she married?”
“How should I know?” I didn’t see a ring on her finger or anything, but I know that’s not a telltale sign of commitment anymore. “She’s a guest and I don’t fuck my guests.”
Bennet slaps my back. “Such a gentleman.”
There’s nothing gentlemanly about the desires I have for that woman. It makes me feel awful because she deserves better than to be fantasized about by the likes of me.
“Watch your back,” Nick chimes. “She’s looking more and more like an op, if you ask me.”
He might be right.
“Ohhh, that sounds like an enemies-to-lovers Hallmark story if I ever heard one,” Conner says. When we all give him what the fuck faces, he shrugs. “Sorry. Taylor made me watch a Christmas movie marathon because I lost a bet with her last week. It’s still fucking with my head. My mind immediately latched onto the city girl-country boy trope where she’s sent to take his farm but ends up falling in love with him and yada yada yada. ”
“Bro.” Nick pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s insane.”
Agreed.
“Let me know about poker on Friday night.” I’m going a little numb with dread because I really hope Grace isn’t working for that asshole from New York. Hallmark movie be damned, I can’t lose my property for any reason, and if she turns out to be here to charm my ass so I’ll cave and sell…
Fucking hell, I can’t even pretend that’s a possibility.
When I rush outside, the burst of freezing cold air does nothing to cool my overheated skin. My mind races with a dozen scenarios, but it keeps circling around the biggest one.
She’s alone .
Grace is staying in a cabin in the woods, by herself, and I’m worried.
Look, my place is typically safe and with no other guests staying there, it’s not like she’ll have an issue with a random stranger. But there is wildlife. Black bears. Coyote. Skunks.
Earlier when I asked what happened to her, I acted surprised when she said it was a mud bath. I already knew. I’d seen her bright outfit sticking out like a sore thumb through the brush when I went hunting for Oscar and found them both rolling in mud. Instead of interrupting, worried she’d think I was following her, I watched in silence, awestruck that a woman so bougie would ever do such a thing. She took a bunch of selfies with Oscar, and I think a video too. I’m not sure what’s worse, that I pretended to not know, or that I stayed and watched .
I have zero regrets about doing it. Her cuteness with Oscar will forever be burned in my brain. But now I’m scared something will happen to her out here. I’ve got trail cameras set up to monitor wildlife, and it’s late in the season for bears to be roaming around, but does Grace know how to protect herself with nature at her doorstep? What if a rogue racoon somehow gets into her cabin? It’s happened before. Granted, that was in the summer when a family had the doors and windows open, but…
Chill, Dean.
I’m overreacting.
She’s a grown woman who has some sense to her.
Yeah… so much sense she rolled around in mud with my dog earlier .
And moved her car in frigid temperatures with no coat and no shoes.
Holy shit. I’ve got to get back to her cabin and make sure it’s safe and secure before something potentially goes wrong. Op or not, she’s mine to protect for as long as she stays with me.