Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
~ELENA~
M argie, my boss at the wildlife sanctuary, is never at work when I am. She comes in to relieve me, working the swing shift.
But when I’m only halfway through my day, the woman comes walking into the nursery, dressed for work.
“Am I being fired?” I ask, wondering what in the world she’s doing here.
“Hardly,” Margie says with a laugh. “I just got this place fully staffed, and you’re a dream. You’d better not be going anywhere.”
“Then why are you here?”
She smiles in a way I’ve never seen before, confusing me more. “I’m giving you the next four days off.”
I blink, sure I’ve heard her wrong. “Why?”
“Now that, I can’t say. But from right now until Tuesday morning, you’re off. With pay, I might add.”
“Did I win the lottery?” I wonder, glancing around. “Hit my head on something hard? Is this dementia, and I just don’t know it?”
“Follow me,” she says, laughing at me. She leads me to our locker room where we keep our personal things and clean clothes.
Baby animals love to pee, poop, and throw up on people.
I stop short and frown. “What are you doing here?”
Archer grins that cocky, self-assured smile that never fails to hit me square in the gut.
“It’s a surprise.”
I inhale sharply, remembering those were the same words Carmine used in my dream last night.
“What kind of surprise?”
“This is where I go,” Margie says and winks at me. “Have a great time.”
She leaves the room, and I turn back to Archer.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re getting out of here for a few days. Away from Oregon and all of the ghosts that haunt you here. We need a vacation, babe.”
“So you just arranged it with my boss?”
He rocks back on his heels. “I did.”
I feel the smile slide slowly over my lips. No one’s ever done something like this for me before. Maybe he’s right. Perhaps a little holiday is exactly what we need.
“Where are we going?”
“That, my beautiful travel companion, is a surprise. But I already packed your bags, and Lindsey is going to keep an eye on your house. We’re good to go.”
“Wow. So, you’re just whisking me away right this minute?”
“I can’t figure out if you’re excited or mildly pissed.”
“I’m not pissed,” I say with a shake of the head. “And depending on where we’re going, I might be excited. So, tell me.”
He moves in, wraps those ridiculously strong arms around me, and kisses me until I’m breathless.
“I’m not spilling the beans,” he whispers against my lips. “And we’d better go before we miss our flight.”
“Do I get to double-check your packing skills?” I ask as he guides me out of the building to his car.
“Nope.”
He tucks me inside the vehicle and walks around to the driver’s side, then climbs in and leans over to kiss me again.
This one makes my toes curl.
“What if I need something you forgot?”
“There are stores where we’re going,” he says as he drives away from the sanctuary, and away from Bandon. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
“You brought me to the boonies,” I say seven hours later. We landed in a remote part of Montana, although I would guess that all parts of Montana are remote. Archer rented a Jeep Wrangler, and the late summer weather is nice enough to take the top off.
Mountains rise up all around us, the trees covered in varying shades of yellow and green leaves, contrasting beautifully with the deeper shades of the evergreens.
“Cunningham Falls,” I read as we drive into a small town nestled next to the mountains. “How in the world did you find this?”
“Some of my family has talked about coming here to visit,” he says casually. He’s in ripped jeans, a black T-shirt, and aviator sunglasses. The wind blows through his dark hair, and he hasn’t shaved in a couple of days, leaving a little scruff on his face.
He’s damn hot.
“And before you yell at me,” he continues, “no, I didn’t call anyone and tell them this is where I am. I made all of the arrangements myself. Literally no one knows where we are. I told Margie I was just taking you away for a few days. No details.”
He grins and pulls my hand up to his lips, nibbling on my knuckles.
“You went to a lot of trouble.”
“It’s no trouble to spoil you a bit,” he says. “I wanted to be able to do this for you for as long as I can remember. But we were in school, and I was poor. Now, I’m not.”
I sigh, feeling the weight of my situation lift from my shoulders for the first time in years. We’re hidden, alone, and in this beautiful place for several days.
“I don’t remember the last time I could really relax,” I reveal and tip my face back to soak in the warm sun. “And I have to admit, it feels amazing. How did you know this is what I needed?”
I open my eyes in time to see him send me a look that says, really ?
“You’re coiled so tight, always worrying, always afraid that you’ll be found. I can give you a few days of letting go of that worry.” He drives us through a cute little town filled with shops and restaurants and then heads out of town and up a mountain road.
“We’re not staying in town?”
“No, ma’am. This is a ski resort town. We’re staying up on the mountain. I’ve been told the views are incredible and that where we’re staying is world-class.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see it.”
I don’t have to wait long. After a couple of turns off the main road that leads to a small ski village, Archer parks beneath what appears to be… “Treehouses?”
“Luxury treehouses,” he says with a grin.
“Welcome!” We turn and look up to see a pretty blond woman waving from a deck above us. “I’m Jenna.”
Archer waves, and we grab our bags out of the back seat and climb a staircase to one of the three treehouses. Jenna waits for us at the top of the stairs.
“I’m so glad you made it safely,” she says. “I have you in the Ponderosa, which is on the end here. You’ll have views of the ski run, the village, and after sunset, you can see lights from the town below.
“But the best part is at night. There’s so little light noise here that you’ll be able to see the stars in a way you never have before. The weather’s been great too, so the show will be spectacular.”
“Sounds awesome,” Archer says and smiles down at me.
“Anyway, I’m babbling,” Jenna says with a laugh as she unlocks the unit and leads us inside. “Sorry, it’s been a long day. My number is here on the counter, along with the Wi-Fi information and anything else you might need to know. There are no other guests in the other two units right now, so you have the place all to yourself.”
“We love the sound of that,” Archer says.
I can’t stop staring at the gorgeousness of this place. The furniture is simple but inviting. The kitchen has blue cabinets, and the backsplash is in the shape of mountains. The beds look soft and cozy, and Jenna wasn’t kidding about the views.
“This is stunning,” I say at last.
“Thank you,” Jenna says. “It’s been a labor of love, that’s for sure. You guys make yourselves at home and let me know if you need anything.”
“Food,” Archer says immediately. “We’ve been traveling all day, and I’m starving.”
“He would be starving if we hadn’t been traveling all day,” I inform her, making her laugh.
“I have two brothers and a husband, I get it,” Jenna says. “My favorite restaurant in town is Ciao. It’s the best Italian food I’ve ever had.”
“Perfect,” Archer says.
“I’m going to freshen up,” I say and smile at Jenna. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
I walk through the master bedroom that’s on the main floor and into a bathroom that makes my girlie-girl heart sigh in pleasure. The bathtub is deep and inviting. The separate shower is big enough for a party of six. And the décor of this place is absolutely on point. I’d call it rustic chic. Perfect for the mountains, but not too rustic.
I open my bag and am pleasantly surprised to see that it looks as if Archer thought of just about everything.
Except pajamas.
I smirk and unpack, choose a red summer dress to change into for dinner, and sweep a little makeup on my face before returning to the living room.
“I think I’m starving, too,” I say when I join Archer, who’s checking out the provisions in the kitchen. He glances up at me, and his jaw drops.
“Fuck me, you’re gorgeous.”
Every girl should have a man in their life that looks at her the way Archer’s looking at me right now.
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
He walks around the kitchen counter and frames my face in his big hands as he kisses me, lightly at first as if he’s memorizing the shape of my lips, and then he sinks into me, enjoying me. My head spins, and my fingers dive into his thick hair. But before I know it, he comes up for air.
“If I don’t stop now, we won’t eat, and I need my strength so I can do a hell of a lot more than this later.”
“I like that strategy.” I nip at his lips once more and then pull out of his arms. “Let’s eat.”
Jenna didn’t steer us wrong.
“Okay, this is pretty great,” I say after we order our food and have a chance to soak in the atmosphere. Our waitress wrote her name on the white paper on our table with an orange crayon. She just delivered wine and the best garlic bread I’ve ever had in my life. “If we had this in Bandon, I’d weigh four hundred pounds. And I haven’t even had the entrée yet.”
“This bread,” he says with half a piece in his mouth. “I could die.”
I love that we can sit here and enjoy ourselves, and I don’t have to worry about being recognized by anyone. I don’t have to even think about what my name is or if I’m in danger here. I can just be myself, a woman in love with this incredible man who brought me here on a surprise vacation.
And, yes, I’m in love with him. I can’t deny it. He was wonderful when he was twenty, but he’s absolutely marvelous now. I don’t know how this will all shake out, but I’m going to enjoy him for as long as it lasts.
We’ve both earned it.
“You’re gorgeous in red,” he says before shoving more bread into his mouth. He doesn’t eat like a Neanderthal, but he definitely enjoys his food. And I can’t blame him. “You should wear it more often.”
“So noted.”
Our food is delivered, and the aroma of red sauce hits my nose and makes me want to moan in delight.
“We might have to move here,” Archer says grimly after taking his first bite. “I don’t know if I can live without this now that I know it’s here.”
“Okay, now you’re just being dramatic.” But I take my first bite, and my shoulders sag. “You’re right. We’re moving here.”
The sun has gone down by the time we leave Ciao, our bellies full of the most amazing food. The tiramisu we ordered was the best I’ve ever had, and I’m Italian.
“I wonder why I didn’t think to move here when I was looking at places to go,” I say after I boost myself up into the Jeep. “It’s kind of perfect.”
“Because you love the ocean,” Archer says as he starts the vehicle and pulls out of our parking spot to head toward the treehouse. “But now that we know this is here, we’ll visit often.”
“Deal.” I settle back in the seat with a smile when a vehicle catches my eye. I freeze.
Late-model black SUV with tinted windows.
What in the actual hell?
My heart kicks up, and I want to panic. Did someone follow us here?
But I take a deep breath and force myself to push it aside.
No one followed us. No one knows we’re here.
Am I always going to react this way whenever I see a black SUV? Maybe. But I need to learn to trust myself, and Archer.
We’re safe.
The drive up the mountain is a little nerve-wracking in the dark, but we’re soon back at the treehouse. A note is taped to the door.
I pluck it off and carry it in with us.
I hope you enjoyed dinner! There’s a little something fun waiting for you out on the deck. Have a wonderful weekend,
Jenna
“The suspense is killing me.” I walk over to the sliding glass door and pull it open, then smile when I see the hot tub open, and a standing ice bucket with champagne nestled inside. There is a small table beside the bucket with two flutes and a bowl of fresh strawberries. “I wonder if all of Jenna’s guests get the royal treatment.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Archer says casually as he strips out of his clothes and sinks into the tub.
“Uh, you’re naked,” I remind him.
“And I hope you’ll join me,” he says.
“We’re outside. I’m not exactly an exhibitionist.”
“There’s no one here,” he reminds me. “We’re all alone. So, get naked and come in.”
How can I resist him? I don’t want to. I quickly shed my dress and slip into the water. Archer pours the champagne, passes me a glass, and before I can take a sip, he proposes a toast.
“To us, making new memories together.”
“To new memories.” I sip the bubbly and sit back in the tub with a happy sigh. “I’m travel weary. It wasn’t easy to get here from Bandon. But man, was it worth it.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he says and looks up. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars.”
I follow his gaze and feel my eyes round.
“Wow. Jenna wasn’t lying about this either.”
It seems like the stars are so close, we could just reach out and touch them. The blanket of black is bigger than I’ve ever seen it before, with millions of stars winking at us.
“Jesus, it’s beautiful,” I whisper.
“Magnificent,” he says, but when I glance his way, he’s staring at me, not the stars above.
“You always were a charmer.”
“I’m not trying to charm you.” He sets his glass aside. “I’m only being honest. You’re unbelievable, and I’m so fucking grateful that I found you.”
He pulls me closer to him as the water bubbles around us, sending up steam and a cocoon of intimacy we’ve rarely shared before.
He leans in and presses his lips to the apple of my cheek. “I can’t leave you. Not now that I’ve found you, Elena. I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I walked away from you, not after everything we’ve shared.”
I want to protest, but I can’t because the thought of losing him again sends absolute panic through me.
I shift, straddle him, and with my pussy pressed against the length of his cock, I cup his face and kiss him like I’m starved for it. His hands grip the globes of my ass, and he holds on tightly as I explore his mouth. The timer on the tub ends, extinguishing the bubbles, but the night around us sings, just like the blood pumping through my veins as I take the kiss from hot to inferno in the blink of an eye.
I move back and forth along his length. I want nothing more than for him to slide inside of me and take us over, right here and now.
What sounds like footsteps or limbs breaking pulls us out of our reverie, and the next thing I know, Archer pushes me away from him, his jaw hard and his eyes shining.
“It’s just an animal or something,” I say, moving back in, but he shakes his head, and I hear two people whispering.
“People going for a walk,” he murmurs. Before I know it, he’s standing, holding me up in the cool air. My skin is hot, not just because of the warm water but because my blood is moving fast through my veins. He easily maneuvers us out of the tub and into the house.
“We’re dripping all over the floor.”
“I don’t care,” he says and carries me through the house to the master bedroom.
“We can’t lie on the bed all wet like this,” I insist.
“No problem.” He bypasses the bed and sets me down on a chaise lounge that sits by the big windows that overlook the resort. He pushes the blinds so the moonlight still shines in, but no one below can see inside.
The moon is full, casting a glow over us. The droplets on our skin are starting to dry.
He stops kissing me and just pulls me to him, hugging me tightly.
“I said, don’t stop,” I mutter against his chest.
“I need to slow down,” he replies and kisses the top of my head. “I want to savor every inch of you.”
Before I can reply, he urges me back against the soft cushion of the chaise. I expect him to kiss me, but instead, he reaches for the pins holding my hair and pulls them out one by one until the long locks spill over my shoulders.
“I always loved your hair. You used to wear it shorter.”
“I never have time to get it cut,” I admit. “And I dye it darker myself. Just in case.”
“I like it,” he says and leans in to lightly kiss my lips. “I’m going to make you forget your own name tonight, Elena.”
“Who’s Elena?”
His lips, pressed to my neck, curve. “Exactly.”
And here, in the moonlight, we rediscover each other all over again. His hands are bold and warm as they travel over my body. I can’t help but arch into his touch and sigh every time he finds a sensitive spot on my flesh.
Every time is like the first time with him. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.
“So responsive,” he whispers before pulling a nipple into his mouth. He tugs gently and then scrapes his teeth over the nub. “So delicious.”
“Killing me,” I mutter as his hand roams down my belly to the promised land.
“You’re slick.” His voice is tight now as his fingers dance between my folds, sending me into a frenzy. “God, babe, you make me crazy.”
“Archer.” I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I can only feel this need inside, building until it feels like it’s going to drown me. “Now, Archer.”
He drops to his knees beside me, opens my legs, and replaces his fingers with his mouth. I almost jack knife off the chaise and come so fast and hard, I see stars.
He sets my leg on his shoulder and feasts on me. There’s no other word for it. He gorges himself like a man starved, and it’s so damn good, I think I might die from it.
When his hand glides down my leg and brushes over the scar on my thigh, he stills. When his eyes capture mine, they’re slits.
“I’m okay,” I assure him and push my fingers through his thick hair. “I’m more than okay. It’s an M , remember?”
He doesn’t say a word as he stands, lifts me, and turns to the bed.
“Damn right, it’s a fucking M. ”
I lift a brow. “Possessive, are we?”
“That hasn’t changed, sweetheart.”
But everything else has changed. His body, his voice, even the way he looks at me. He isn’t a young adult anymore.
He’s a man. A sexy, funny, irresistible male.
And he’s kissing his way up my torso. His hands are in my hair, his elbows planted on the bed at my shoulders as he rubs his nose over mine, and his cock nudges its way inside me.
“Fucking hell.” He shudders. “Ah, babe, you’re incredible.”
“It’s us,” I say and feel another orgasm gather. “It’s us.”