Chapter Three
Pace
I am not someone who believes in fate or any sort of destiny.
Yet here I am, halfway through a workday, and I cannot get that image out of my head. Did I even see what I thought I saw? What does it mean? Was...was that beautiful woman with the big brown eyes and thick, crazy curls. The moment I saw them framing her beautiful face, I wanted to know how silky they were, if they bounced back if I tugged at them, and how they would feel wrapped around my fist.
There was no reason for me to be on that corner today. Any other day, I would have blown off the guys’ suggestion we go for some coffee. It was a bright, beautiful day with warm breezes and the smell of summer in the air. I did not want a coffee or to be gone from the station too long. For the first time since I began volunteering, I agreed to go with them.
We hit a donut shop first, the place smelling of fresh apple fritters and sweet chocolate glaze. Then came the coffee shop which was teeming with people. It was more human interaction than I am used to. I cut out of the shop with my black coffee, needing a break from everyone.
Suddenly, I felt her watching me, so I looked, and there she was.
“I will kill you if you tell anyone I am asking but,” I whisper to Jagger now, checking to be sure no one is close enough to hear us. “You happen to know who stays above the Chronicle?”
Jagger looks at me as if I’ve sprouted horns. “Uh...no. I can find out if you want me to. I am the man who knows all,” he replies with a grin,
“No. No, that’s fine. I was just...thinking about her. I swore, earlier I thought...” Shaking my head, I trail off as I consider what to say.
How can I explain what I felt earlier without sounding a little nuts? Standing on that street corner, I locked eyes for her for a moment. There was just something...there. She stared back at me as if she felt it too. But what were we feeling? What was that strange pull I felt? It was as if I couldn’t stand the idea of leaving that corner without talking to her.
“Oh man, have you turned human all in a single day? First the fishing trip now you’ve got it bad for a woman?”
Shooting a glare at him, I shake my head again. I regret mentioning it. Yet, I know what he said is true. Jagger is the one who seems to know everything and everyone. I was desperate enough to find out about her I could not help but ask. Should I let him find out who she is for me?
“No. No, I never said that,” I argue as frustration bubbles inside me.
“But you didn’t not say it, did you, brother? I will find out.”
“Jagger, please do not start asking about some woman I....”
“Too late. This is happening,” he cuts me off, his grin deepening.
Blowing out a heaving sigh, I shake my head. Should have kept my mouth shut. But I could not help myself. Those big brown eyes and that small smile she gave me once she caught me staring has haunted me all day. We had a rescue after I saw her, and I was totally of my game. I couldn’t stop thinking about her and, if I am being honest, I was upset that I couldn’t.
It has been a very long time since anything distracted me from work. Been a long time since I paid attention to a woman at all. There is just something about her that has me unable to shake her. Going back to work, I am on autopilot as I let my mind wander.
Is she up there alone? Is there someone in her life or is she as alone as I am? Why was she watching us the way she was? There was such interest in her pretty eyes. More than someone seeing a group of roughnecks on the corner before their workday started. She was curious about who we are and what we do. Curious about who each of us were, why we were together.
Why do I want to be the one to answer all her questions?
“Get out of your head,” I hiss at myself as another alarm goes off.
For the rest of the day, I try to forget about her. To get out of my head. I focus on the rescues and two small fires we have to deal with. I play cards with the guys. Take Smokie out for a walk after dinner. When darkness falls, I realize I am fighting a futile fight. I still can’t stop thinking about her.
“Hey, I’m headed home for the night. I’ll be back by dawn,” I call as I gather Smokie up to head home. I am meant to stay here for the full four-day shift, which I’ve never objected to. For some reason tonight I do.
Loading Smokie back up in the Jeep, I ignore the questions the guys throw at me. I am in no mood to answer their stupid interrogations. I never should have said something to Jagger about that woman. Not that he told any of the other guys—they just want to know why I seem so different suddenly.
Truth be told, I do not have an answer for them. Pulling away from the station, I consider this. Why did I suggest the fishing trip and having the guys at my place? Been here almost five years and I’ve never had a single person over to the cabin. What was it about that woman that had me asking Jagger about her as if I wanted him to play matchmaker?
“Guess I got tired of being alone,” I whisper to Smokie as if she cares.
Seeing my cabin, I let out a sigh as the tension leaves me. I slump a little behind the wheel, rubbing at the bridge of my nose. Why does every single thing have to be so complicated for me? Is it that hard to make friends with the guys I work with? That hard to be attracted to a woman and do something about it? Nothing is as hard as I make it out to be.
“We might need a vacation, girl,” I tell Smokie, who’s yelp sounds as if she wholeheartedly agrees.
Pulling in front of the cabin, I take a moment to collect myself. As if I can leave this weird feeling that’s been with me all day here in the Jeep. I refuse to take it inside my home with me. It might still be here, waiting for me later, but for now I need to shake it off.
Climbing from the Jeep, I let Smokie down to run her mad circles she loves to run through the front. She figure-8's through some trees, then runs the length of the front porch before she bounds off to do it all again. It’s her routine whenever we come back from being in town. Just as she rounds those trees though, I can sense something is different.
“What is it girl?” I call as she hesitates, tilting her head back, gaze focused on something up high. “Is there a monster up there, Smokie?”
Laughing when she barks at me as if to tell me to shut up, I go to gather her. The closer I get, the more her tail wags. Another bark. Then a sound that does not come from her. It’s soft, startled, and very human.
“Holy shit,” I mutter when I see what has my dog so worked up.
Sitting in the tree is the same woman who has me worked up too.
“Do not laugh. Please. Do not. I came out for a walk. Some creature came after me. I ran to the tree and now....” she trails off as she flushes.
Standing there staring up at her, I understand the difference I felt moments ago. The same I have felt all day. There is something about her. Her big brown eyes stare down at me, her pretty pink mouth tilted in a crooked grin. Long, thick legs hang on either side of the limb she straddles. Her torso is pressed flat on the limb, arms holding on for dear life.
Her face is even more beautiful than I thought before. Tiny nose, those full lips, bright, smiling eyes, hell even her damn ears are cute. I take stock of the situation. Letting out a curse when I see her knee is bleeding, I march forward. Reaching up, I grab her to haul her down. As if we’ve done this sort of thing a hundred times, her thighs wrap tight around my waist.
“I got you, sweetheart,” I tell her when I feel how she is shaking.
Her arms close tight around my neck as she clings to me. Not that I mind one bit. Her body is all sweet softness, her legs cinching tight at my ribs as I hoist her higher. I rather she not feel how hard my cock is just from seeing her, smelling her sweet skin, feeling her pressed against me so tight.
“Want to tell me what brought you to my neck of the woods?”
I start to set her down, but she refuses. I chuckle as she clings to me even tighter. She can hold me as long as she damn well pleases. Turning, I head for the cabin because I need to get her inside where she is safe. I need to tend to that wound on her knee. Part of me is convinced I need to find a way to keep her here, even though that makes no sense at all.
“Well, I went for a walk. It is so pretty here. Then some wild animal came after me. I am what some call...accident prone.”
All of this is said in a soft, panting breath that warms the skin at my neck. Her face is burrowed there, as if she is hiding from something. My hands drop beneath her backside to hoist her higher and I leave them there when she doesn’t bark at me about touching her inappropriately.
“It is pretty here. It is also dangerous up here, sweetheart. How did you get up here on your own?”
Kicking the door open, I follow Smokie in, heading to the kitchen. Setting the woman down on the counter, I try to pull back. This sweet little thing has other plans. With a little gasp, she tightens her hold on me. I turn back to her, drawing her closer, cradling her as if she is something precious, I am afraid of breaking. Which is not untrue.
“Need to fix up that wound, sweetheart. Once I do, you can hold me all you want.”
This seems to startle her enough to loosen her hold. Pulling back, she gazes up at me beneath feather soft lashes. There is not a trace of makeup on her face. Still, her lips are pink and perfect, her lashes dark, her cheeks pink. Carefully, I cup her face, brushing her tangled hair behind her ear.
“Piper. That’s....I mean...I am Piper. I live above the Chronicle,” she mutters, hands still touching me, making my heart pound against my ribs.
“Yeah, I saw you earlier. I’ve never seen you before. How long have you been here, Piper? I’m Pace. This anxious little thing is Smokie,” I try to set her at ease as the dog jumps up beside me, as if to be included.
“Oh, you beautiful thing. You saved me. I was stuck,” she sputters, bowing her head. Her hands are still on me, driving me crazy as they trace patterns over my neck, my shoulders, then back again.
“Giving all the credit to the lady, I see,” I tease her. My hands drop to her thighs. They tremble against her smooth, golden skin. Hell, she’s soft. I wonder for a moment if she is soft everywhere. And I just bet she is.
“Oh, gosh, no! You for sure saved me. That...that monster that was out there scared the dickens out of me. I have no idea how I got up that tree. I just could not get down once I was up there. I am such an idiot.”
“Hey, none of that now,” I warn, hands on her thighs gripping tight. “Don’t let me hear you talking bad about yourself.”
“How do you know it’s not true? You did find me stuck in a tree, Pace.”
There is a teasing in her tone, a smile on that pretty mouth, and I am smitten. Jesus, she’s beautiful. Adorable. Her nose scrunches up at she stares up at me, that smile growing even bigger. I would give this woman anything and we just met. What the hell kind of magic is she working on me?
“I am a good judge of character, sweetheart. I judge you as...a brilliant woman who does not belong up here on my mountain. Doesn’t mean you should not be here. Or that I am not glad you’re here.”
Somehow, I said something right. Piper beams up at me, her hands tightening on my shoulders, tugging me closer. I move closer. I need to check on that wound, but it is going nowhere. I am nestled between her thighs, her soft body pressed to mine, that beautiful smile making my heart flip-flop. For a moment, I cannot remember how we got here. It doesn’t seem to matter.
It matters once I notice how my cock notches between her thighs. Right up against her heat, which is so hot and makes me think a million filthy things I could do to her. It seems she notices this at the same moment. Her big brown eyes grow bigger, hips twisting, rubbing her sex against me.
“Let me take care of that wound, Piper,” I tell her in a voice I do not recognize. It’s thick with lust, with want, and I am afraid of scaring her off.
Turning from her, I stride down the hall, adjusting my hard cock as I go. I will it to take a breather. Calm the fuck down. This won’t be the only time I have her close. I will make sure of that. Grabbing a first aid kit and a towel, I head back out to tend to her.
I am stopped in my tracks by what I find waiting for me. Piper sits atop my counter where I left her. With the way the late afternoon sun shines in, she is almost glowing. Her big brown eyes come to mine after I catch her playing with Smokie—who hates to play—and she smiles big and bright.
I am in serious fucking trouble here.
I might have saved her from that tree, but I think this woman just saved me from loneliness.