Chapter Five
Cindy
Wait. Did…did Daniel really just ask me to come with him? To his home?
For a full second, I think I imagined it. I stare at him, trying to read his expression, but there’s no hint of teasing in his dark, rugged face. His hand is resting on my knee, thumb brushing gentle strokes over my skin like he has every right to touch me. Like I’m already his.
The smart, cautious part of me whispers that I should say no. That I don’t know this man. That he’s older. That this is reckless.
But that part gets absolutely steamrolled by the louder, wilder voice in my head. The one that’s been growing stronger ever since he scooped me up off that logging road.
The one that says, You’re safe with him. You belong with him.
The alternative? Going back to the rental house. To my mom pretending everything’s fine. To Lenny being oblivious. To Lyle…
Nope. No way in hell.
I grab my phone from my bag, my thumbs shaking slightly as I type out a quick text: Hey, Mom. I’m fine. Staying somewhere safe. I’ll be back tomorrow.
That’s all she gets. I don’t owe them more than that.
Having read the text over my shoulder, Daniel’s already pulling back onto the road by the time I hit send, steering the truck toward what I can only assume is his place. His cabin. His…whatever it is.
The drive is quiet but not awkward. Comfortable, almost. He keeps glancing over at me like he’s checking to make sure I haven’t disappeared. Like maybe this feels as surreal to him as it does to me.
Fifteen minutes later, the trees open up into a clearing and my breath catches.
Oh. My. God.
Nestled at the edge of a sloping hill is the most perfect cabin I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s simple, sturdy wood with a metal roof, but it looks clean and well-tended. A wide wraparound porch overlooks a rushing creek, and behind it, the mountains rise up like something out of a painting.
It’s magical.
The truck rumbles to a stop, and before I can even think about unbuckling, Daniel’s already out, striding around to my side. The door swings open and he scoops me out of the seat like I weigh nothing.
“Whoa—!” I squeal, laughing. “You really have a thing for carrying me around, huh?”
“Damn right I do,” he says with a wicked smile as he shuts the door with his boot. “Might as well get used to it, baby.”
Heat floods my face, but I don’t argue. I just…let him. Let myself sink into the warmth of his chest, the steady beat of his heart under my cheek.
He carries me straight to the door, kicks it open, and steps inside like he’s bringing home something precious.
We’re greeted immediately by the excited yips and barks of a medium-sized mutt with brown shaggy fur. “Hey, girl,” Daniel greets her, setting me down gently on the couch.
“This is Lucy,” he tells me as I eagerly give the dog some attention, scratching behind her ears. “I found her in the woods a few years back, just a puppy with a broken leg. Took her home and, well…I knew it was meant to be.”
I grin at him, gesturing to my own injuries as Lucy jumps up to lick my face. “Oh, so you have a thing for picking up strays?”
He scowls, but there’s something soft in his eyes. “Only the ones I want to keep.”
I blush and pull my gaze away from his. The cabin smells like cedar and smoke. It’s cozy in the best possible way, vaulted ceilings with thick wooden beams, a stone fireplace already crackling, soft leather couches, a big rug that looks as soft as clouds.
I blink. “Wow…this is…seriously nice.”
“Thanks.” He moves to the kitchen to fill up Lucy’s bowl, calling back, “Built it myself.”
My eyes widen. “Wait. You built this? Like…with your own hands?”
He chuckles. “Yeah. It took a couple years. Hauled most of the lumber in by hand. The rest with the truck. Ain’t much out here unless you make it yourself.”
“That’s…incredible.” And I mean it. Something about the thought of him out here in the wild, hammer in hand, building this perfect little sanctuary with nothing but determination and those sexy muscular arms of his… My stomach does a weird little flip.
“You hungry?” he asks, coming back into the living room and tossing another log on the fire.
I shake my head. “Not really. Still full from stealing your lunch.”
A grin tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Didn’t steal nothin.’ I gave it to you.”
Lucy disappears into the kitchen to eat her dinner, wagging her tail, and I watch as Daniel throws a thick quilt down by the fireplace, then grabs two more pillows from the couch. He lowers himself to the ground and pats the space next to him.
“Come sit with me, darlin’.”
I don’t even hesitate. I slip down off the couch and curl up beside him, pulling my legs under me.
“God, this place…” I breathe, looking around again. “I’ve always loved the mountains. Ever since I was a kid. They feel like…I don’t know. Like they’re calling me. Like I belong here.”
Daniel glances at me, his gaze soft, studying me like I’m a puzzle he wants to figure out. “Yeah,” he says after a beat. “I get that.”
“You do?”
“Mm-hm.” He leans back on one elbow. “Spent most of my life trying to figure out where the hell I fit. I didn’t really find it until I came out here. Built this. Started working the fire line. Out here, fighting the wild…it’s simple. Makes sense.”
I chew my lip. “What did you do…? Before?”
He stiffens a little, then sighs. “I was in the Army.” His jaw ticks, and his gaze drifts toward the fire. “It was a jungle. I saw things…lost people. Let’s just say I didn’t come out the same.”
The heaviness in his voice makes my chest ache. At that moment, I see a part of him I’m sure he doesn’t reveal often. A vulnerable, broken part of him…and suddenly I want to console him.
Without thinking, I lean in and place my lips on his. His body stiffens for a second, then he deepens the kiss with a throaty moan. His hand cups the back of my neck, fingers sliding up into my hair as he devours my mouth, his tongue sliding over mine in slow, sensuous strokes.
I bury my hands in his shirt, running my palms up his ribs.
A deep sound reverberates through him—half moan, half chuckle.
Then he pulls back, hastily tugging his shirt off before claiming my mouth again in a searing kiss.
I break the kiss, dragging my mouth down the curve of his neck to the ripped muscles of his chest. I plant a hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him backward until he’s half lying on the blanket, arms braced to support his weight.
I continue to kiss his body slowly, taking my time to savor the involuntary flex of his muscles beneath my lips.
Daniel watches me touch and kiss him, his gaze hooded, filled with an unabashed lust. I continue to run my mouth down his chest to his ribs, until my lips are hovering above his waist band. I place my hand tentatively on the bulge in his pants, then raise my eyes to his and squeeze gently.
“Fucking hell,” Daniel mutters with a tortured expression. He places his hand over mine, gently pressing it against his erection. “You sure you want this, baby?”
“I’m sure. I—I want to make you feel good like you made me feel good earlier.”
“Jesus Christ, baby girl…” he mutters darkly. “You’ll be the death of me.”
My heart skips violently at the surrender in his voice. I take in a shaky breath, then start to fumble with the buckle of his belt. His eyes darken, that predatory heat flaring back to life.
“Let me show you,” he says, gently placing his hand on mine again. I suck in a breath at the fire in his touch.
The sound of his zipper sliding down is impossibly loud in the quiet cabin. My heart hammers loudly in my chest, a war of nerves and something else…something needy and persistent.
He shifts, pulling himself free, and my breath catches. He’s…big. Thick. Heavy. My lips part, my pulse skipping wildly.
Daniel catches the look on my face and his lips spread in a slow smirk. “Think you can handle it?”
“Y-yes,” I stutter, running my tongue nervously over my lips.
“Jesus,” he mutters, raising one hand to the back of my head, the other stroking down my cheek. “You’re my naughty girl now, aren’t you?” he rumbles, running his thumb across my lower lip, dragging it down like he’s imagining exactly where he wants it.
I nod without thinking, breath shaky. “Y-yeah…I guess I am,” I whisper.
His dark eyes flare with heat. “No guessing, baby. Say it.”
“I’m your naughty girl,” I breathe shakily.
“Damn right, you are.” He presses his thumb harder against my lip, then drags his hand back to grip my hair, not hard, just enough to make me feel small…controlled…his. “I’m all yours.”
Keeping my eyes locked on his handsome face, I carefully lower my mouth to him, taking in just the tip of his cock. My lips burn as they stretch around his wide length.
The drops of pre-cum pooling on the head of his cock trickle over my tongue, bathing me in the most exotic flavors I have ever tasted in my life. I don’t know what I expected but Daniel tastes…spicy.
Tangy.
And damn delicious.
I stroke my tongue over the head of his cock tentatively, then trail a path down from the top to the root.
Daniel’s hand tightens in my hair when I suck one of his balls into my mouth. “Damn, baby,” he says gruffly, threading his fingers through my hair. “Where the hell did you learn to do that?”
In movies I shouldn’t have been watching…
But I don’t say anything. Instead, I swirl my tongue around the head of his cock, tasting him, then take him into my mouth little by little, inch by inch. I can’t fit all of him, not yet, but the way he grips my hair and mutters my name like a prayer tells me I don’t have to.
“That’s it, baby,” he groans. “Such a good girl.”
The praise drives me. I find a rhythm, bobbing my head slowly as I suck, licking and teasing and letting him guide me when I falter. He tastes like salt and skin and something entirely new.
Once I get the hang of things, I’m able to move faster. The more my mouth moves up and down Daniel as he fucks my mouth, the easier it becomes to swallow him down to the root every time. Drops of luscious pre-cum splatter over my tongue every time I swallow, and God, it’s freaking fantastic.
His hand tightens just slightly in my hair. “Look at me,” he growls.
I lift my eyes, mouth still wrapped around him. His expression is wild, ravaged…and I feel powerful and fragile all at once.
“Goddamn…you look so perfect like this.” His voice breaks on the last word.
His balls start to pull up tight to his body, and I increase the speed of my movements, sucking him down my throat faster, loving every broken moan and uncontrollable shiver that racks his powerful body.
“Fuck, Cindy!”
My eyes widen as his cock starts to swell. Daniel presses himself deeper into my throat, holding my head in place with a gentle hand to the back of my head.
He lets out a bestial moan, and load after load of cum shoots into my mouth. I swallow instinctively. He tries to pull away to let me breathe, but I don’t let him. I stay with him, savoring every last drop, until he finally releases my hair and his cock slips free of my mouth.
I’m panting, proud of myself for making him feel as good as he made me feel, as I fall back onto the soft rug. He grins, leaning toward me. “Don’t think I’m done with you yet, baby.”