Chapter 2
Dean
My room at the Mountain View Inn smells like pine cleaner and cheap linen. There’s a weird stain on the dresser I’m not about to investigate, and the mattress has the bounce of a half-flat tire, but it’s fine. It’s all more than I deserve anyway.
I stare at the ceiling, hands laced behind my head, trying to ignore the throb in my shoulder…old injury, old memories. The sun’s barely up. I haven’t really slept since I rolled into town. I never do, not anymore.
Crystal Falls.
I swore I’d never come back to a town like this.
It’s too small, too exposed, too… normal.
The kind of place where everyone knows who you are, and no stranger goes unnoticed.
It’s exactly why I should keep moving, but something has got me stuck here.
Something soft and warm, with honey-blonde hair, a crooked little smile, and brown eyes that could undress me from across a fucking parking lot.
Aubrey.
I groan and rub my face. Months later, and she’s still in my head. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never had trouble moving on before, but Aubrey stuck…her taste, her voice, the way she was wet for me, clawing at my back, gasping my name like she was drowning, and I was her last breath.
Fuck.
I can still feel her tight little cunt gripping my cock, her soft body under me. Every curve, every needy sound she made as I was taking her. I was gone before dawn, trying to convince myself it was for the best. Thinking she would forget about me the way I intended to forget her.
Didn’t work.
I swing my legs over the side of the bed, stretching until my joints pop. Old habits die hard. I look out the window, scanning the parking lot out front. Still nobody. Just some rusty old pickup and an empty cop car parked up the road. Paranoia’s a bitch, but it’s kept me alive.
I pull on yesterday’s jeans, my boots, grab my hat, my wallet, and keys. I need coffee. I need to see her again, knowing it’s a bad idea, and I damn well shouldn’t.
When I step into the lobby, there’s some teeny bopper sitting at the front desk, humming some pop song, a mess of red curls tied up in some knotted up mess on top of her head, reading one of those trashy romance books with a shirtless dude on the cover.
She glances up, eyebrow cocked. “You’re up early, handsome. Didn’t peg you for an up with the chickens kinda guy.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I grunt, rubbing at my jaw. “The bed is too soft.”
She laughs, the sound too bright and cheery for this early in the morning. “Honey, that bed is the consistency of mashed potatoes. If you want a refund, you’ll have to take it up with the manager, and he’s an asshole. I know. I survived my whole adolescent life with his stupid pranks.”
I snort. “Yeah? Does he look anything like you?”
Savannah grins, popping her gum. “He wishes. Are you heading out already?”
“Coffee run,” I grunt, already halfway to the door. “Do you want anything?”
She leans in, whispering, “Bring me a cinnamon roll, and I’ll forget you came in past midnight.”
I snort. “Extra icing or plain?”
She grins, waving me off. “Surprise me, tough guy. Now go before I put you on cleaning duty.”
I give her a salute, and step out into the cool, crisp morning, the chill biting at my skin. The walk to The Cozy Corner is short, just a couple blocks away. Enough time to tell myself I should turn back.
But I don’t.
Crystal Falls is just waking up…kids on bikes, old men arguing over the best fishing spot, the smell of clean mountain air.
I keep my head down, but my eyes are on a swivel, scanning the street. Old habit. Always on the lookout for trouble, always expecting it to find me. My past and current life isn’t the kind that stays buried. There’s a reason I can’t put down roots anywhere, and a reason I’m always on the move.
But as soon as my gaze lands on The Cozy Corner’s neon sign, my gut twists.
It’s one of those good kind of feelings, but bad, where it feels like your insides are all tangled up.
I shouldn’t go in there. I should turn around, keep walking.
But I’m a glutton for punishment and open the door anyway, because I’m a stupid, stubborn bastard and because I need to see her, even if it’s just for a minute.
The place smells like coffee, fried potatoes, and cinnamon.
Aubrey is standing behind the counter, laughing at something some old man is saying, her hair pulled back, face flushed.
Fuck, she looks good…even hotter than I remembered, and that’s saying something.
My brain starts shuffling through the images from that night: her lips parted, the way her soft, curvy body arched beneath me.
I shift in my seat, adjusting the stiffness straining in the front of my jeans, my jaw tight.
She glances up, and when she spots me, I swear she recognizes me by the way her eyes go wide. She hides it fast, but I see it…the way her cheeks flush. No matter how hard she tries to play it off, she fucking remembers.
Good.
She should.
I pick the booth in the back, the one with the best view of both doors. Again, old habits. I never sit with my back to an open room. When you spend enough time looking over your shoulder, it ingrains itself in your being.
Aubrey’s busy, but she eventually makes her way over, pad in hand, gaze landing everywhere but on my face.
“Hi. Welcome to The Cozy Corner. Are you new in town, or just passing through?”
I let my lips twitch, just a bit. “I just needed a place to land for a minute.”
Her gaze drags over me, like she can’t decide if she wants to crawl across the table or bolt out the back door.
“You want coffee?” she asks, tone casual, but her eyes anything but. “It tastes like shit, but strong. Gets the job done.”
“Sure. Surprise me.”
When she comes back, setting the cup down, her fingers brush mine. It’s only for a second, but it’s enough to make my body react. She sucks in an audible breath, and I can’t help but grin. Oh yeah, she definitely remembers.
For a second, I let myself take her in…every curve. I want to tell her I’m not sorry for that night. Not even a little.
She fidgets. “So, what brings you to Crystal Falls? We’re not exactly a tourist hotspot.”
I give her the line I’ve been using for months. “Just looking for some peace and quiet.”
She doesn’t buy it, not for a second. Smart girl. But I also don’t want her digging into my life, asking questions I can’t answer…or rather, refuse. I can feel the curiosity, nerves, and some other energy rolling off of her. Something hungry.
I take a slow sip of coffee, keeping my gaze locked on hers. “You work here every day?”
“Pretty much, family business. Someone’s gotta keep the lights on.”
I let my gaze roam over her, to her mouth, throat, the swell of her tits under that too-tight shirt she’s wearing. She shifts under my stare, color tinting her cheeks. That’s right. I remember every inch of you, Aubrey.
Fuck, I shouldn’t be thinking about that. I shouldn’t even be here.
A bell rings, and she snaps out of it, takes a step back, almost tripping over her own feet. “Let me know if you need anything else,” she says quickly, already turning away.
I watch her go. How can I not?
The way those jeans hug her round ass, her hips, reminding me of her legs wrapped around my waist. I could lose myself in her all over again. And I just might.
The diner starts to fill with what I’m assuming is the usual morning crowd. I people-watch, just like always, scanning the crowd for faces I don’t know, listening for anything suspicious. I like the vibe here. It’s easy. Nobody is looking for trouble, even when they act like they are.
Some asshole at the counter starts mouthing off, giving Aubrey a hard time about his eggs. She tries to defuse the situation, but he’s the kind of guy who gets off on making pretty girls squirm.
I slide out of my booth and walk up behind her. “Is there a problem here?” My tone is flat, but it cuts through the bullshit, and he knows I mean business.
The guy looks me up and down, sizing me up. I hold his gaze, unblinking. He might be bigger, but I’ve been in more fights than I care to think about. He doesn’t want it. He grumbles, grabs his toast, and shuts the fuck up.
Aubrey glances at me, everything written plain in her eyes—gratitude, annoyance, something else. “Thanks,” she says, voice barely above a whisper.
I nod, stepping back. “You don’t have to take shit from guys like that.”
She huffs out a laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s Crystal Falls. If I started throwing out every asshole with an attitude, we wouldn’t have any customers.”
I crack a rare smile. “Maybe I should be in charge, then.”
She rolls her eyes, but there’s softness in it, a glimpse of the girl I remember from that night. Brave and confident, but desperate for something real.
I head back to my seat, my mind racing with thoughts about Aubrey.
The way those warm brown eyes turned hot when she looked at me, the way her body molded to mine as I pressed it up against the wall in her apartment, her head falling back in ecstasy as she moaned my name. I’ll never forget it. I don’t want to.
I finish my coffee, leaving a generous tip. Before I go, I catch her eye, nodding once. She watches me leave, and I know she’s thinking the same damn thing I am.
Back at the Mountain View Inn, the fiery redhead is still behind the desk, feet up, reading.
She eyes the cinnamon roll box in my hand. “You’re a saint, biker boy.”
“Saint is not the word I would use to describe myself,” I mutter, dropping the box in front of her.
She pops the lid, grinning. “Don’t sell yourself short. Even the devil has to take a day off every now and then. Are you planning on sticking around for a while, or is this a pit stop?”
“I’m not sure yet.” I plop down on the couch in the lobby, stretching.
She bites into the roll, icing smearing across her lips. “You’ve got that vibe. The ‘I might bolt any minute’ look going on.”
I snort. “Is it that obvious?”
She shrugs. “It’s a small town. We country folk notice things.”
I grunt, tugging my hat down over my eyes. “Yeah. Guess you do.”
She studies me for a moment longer, then drops it. She doesn’t push for more details. She just lets me be.
Later, when I’m alone in my room, I pace back and forth anxiously, trying to shake off the ghosts that haunt me. I think about Aubrey…about our night together, how wet she was for me, how she felt clinging to me, her legs wrapped around my waist. I drag a hand over my face, cursing.
I need to get the hell out of here. Get as far away from Crystal Falls as I can, never looking back.
For her sake, if nothing else. My life is a shit show and the world I exist in isn’t safe.
I’ve got demons that would eat this town alive if they found me.
But the thought of leaving her again makes my chest ache.
I fucked up the last time, just up and leaving without a word, acting like she was just another notch in my bedpost when I knew damn well the moment I looked into those big brown eyes, she was more.
I can’t leave. Not yet. Maybe I’m being selfish, maybe I’m stupid, but I need another taste. Just one more.
I take a cold shower, letting the water pound against my skin, but it does nothing to calm this need burning inside me.
I picture her naked, eyes wide, body begging for me.
My cock is hard, standing at attention, my hand working, stroking slow, before I even know what I’m doing.
Thinking about the sounds she made, about the way she said my name.
I come hard, biting down on my own fist to keep from shouting her name.
Pathetic, I know.
Afterward, I lie on the bed, staring at the ceiling like it’s going to answer all my questions. Why did I come back here? Why can’t I let her go? Why do I want her more than I want my own fucking safety?
I roll over, punch the pillow, and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I swear. Tomorrow, I’ll figure all this shit out.
But who am I kidding? She’s in my blood, and I’m too far gone to run.