Chapter 2
ROD
Her face fell. "Oh. I didn't realize." She glanced at her gear as embarrassment colored her cheeks. "The salesperson said this was good—"
"They saw you coming." I didn’t mean to insult the girl, but I could tell she was upset, so I tried to soften my words.
"All I’m saying is, the weather can be harsh out here.
You need rugged gear that will keep you alive, not looking like a runway model.
According to the news, some heavy snow is supposed to start in about an hour. "
Her cheeks were pink, but she had a different look on her face. Cute. "I don't want to impose on you. I’m so sorry I landed in your creek."
Killer whined and nudged her hand until she automatically reached for him.
"He's made his opinion clear." I grunted but almost smiled. Almost. "You hungry?"
Her shoulders relaxed and sighed. "Starving. But please don't go to any trouble for me."
“It’s fine.” It wasn’t like I didn’t need to eat. An extra serving was hardly an inconvenience. "Chicken and noodles okay?"
She sat up straight, and her entire face lit up. "That sounds amazing. Can I help?"
"You can set the table. Plates are up there." I gestured toward the cabinets in my kitchen area. The one-room cabin always felt spacious for me and Killer, but with a lady present, it was more cozy. I liked it.
While I seasoned the chicken from the fridge and set water to boil, she carefully moved around me, like she was afraid of breaking something or taking up too much space. Not many people visited my cabin, but those who did filled every inch of it with their presence.
This beautiful girl seemed determined to make herself smaller.
"You do a lotta hiking in the winter?" I glanced at her as I placed the pan with chicken in the oven.
She leaned against the counter at the far end of the small kitchen area.
"I'm trying to get in shape. I've been doing smaller hikes near Sacramento, but I wanted to challenge myself.
I thought I'd do a quick day hike on this trail I read about online.
" She laughed at herself and then sighed. "I clearly didn't do enough research."
"Clearly." I dumped spaghetti into the boiling water and added some salt. "No friends wanted to come with you?"
"Not really. I've been single for a while and decided it was time to make some changes." She patted her hip self-consciously. "Lose some weight, get healthier, and maybe even start dating again."
I looked at her and cocked my head, unsure what she was referring to. She had soft curves, full breasts, and the kind of hips a man could hold onto. There wasn’t an unnecessary pound on her.
"You look fine to me." I was trying to be nice but could hear how gruff it sounded the second the words left my lips.
Her cheeks flushed pink again, and she tucked her chin to her chest. "That's nice of you to say."
It wasn't nice. It was honest.
"Do you live up here year-round?" She grabbed a mug that had a wrench-shaped handle as she tried and failed to subtly change the subject. "All by yourself?"
"Yep. Just me and Killer. Got everything we need."
Her lower lip pursed before pushing out. "Don't you get lonely?"
"Nope." People were assholes, and I didn’t have time in my life for assholes. Most people, anyway.
“You’re lucky.” She wasn’t put off by my bluntness in the least. "I get lonely in Sacramento, and I'm surrounded by people all the time. It's weird how that works, huh? I just don't come across many people who understand me."
I busied myself with the food as I considered her words. "What don’t people understand? You seem nice enough." Probably too nice. Definitely too nice for me.
I assembled our plates and placed them at the table.
Becca moved with me but waited for me to invite her to sit before she did. Hadn’t seen that in a while.
When we were both settled, I raised one eyebrow to encourage her to pick up where we left off. “People don’t understand you?”
"Not really. I mean, I just hate the whole dating-app thing. Maybe I don’t want to just hook up. Maybe I want to know someone and know they care about me before we have sex.” She scooted her pasta around on the plate but didn’t put much in her mouth. “It all feels so...cold.”
"You’re more traditional?" I wasn’t surprised. She was more submissive than most women her age I’d met, and it wasn’t easy to admit that your interests went against societal norms.
Her eyes met mine, and they were bright with recognition. "Yes! Exactly. That's why I'm trying to get in shape. I wanna explore different kinds of relationships. Maybe one where..." She stopped herself from finishing that thought and focused intensely on cutting her chicken. “Anyway, that’s why.”
"What were you about to say?" I couldn’t remember the last time I was so invested in what a stranger had to say, but I wanted to hear every thought floating around in that pretty little head. “About different kinds of relationships.”
She shrugged and wouldn’t meet my gaze. "Just…one where my man might wanna take care of me a little. I would take care of him too, just...differently." Her voice was softer, almost childlike.
Like when she was playing on the rug with Killer.
All the signs were starting to make sense.
The baby talk with my dog that was a little too practiced if she didn’t have a dog of her own.
The self-conscious way she moved around me and waited for me to tell her what to do next.
The hint she dropped about wanting a different kind of relationship.
I'd had enough experience with D/s dynamics to recognize what she might be dancing around.
Hell, I couldn't be anything but a Daddy Dom myself, whether I wanted to be or not. It was just my nature. For better or worse, I was protective, controlling, and nurturing to those I cared about.
"You don't need to lose weight." I scoffed at the suggestion. "Any man with eyeballs would want you exactly as you are."
She looked up and seemed surprised by my words as a small smile formed on her lips. "You don't even know me."
"I know enough." I took a bite of chicken to stop myself from saying more.
We ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, with Killer stationed under the table in case anything fell his way. He was strategically positioned between us both, taking turns nudging each of us for attention.
"This is really good." She put down her fork and wiped her mouth with the napkin. "Thank you."
"Welcome."
She sighed and crossed her arms over her generous chest. The chest I hadn’t seen in person yet but was spending too much time imagining.
Especially when she caught a chill and her nipples poked through the shirt she was wearing.
"It's nice to have a home-cooked meal with someone.
Usually, I just eat in front of the TV by myself. "
My phone buzzed, so I pulled it out and read the alert. “Damn.”
"What is it?" She dropped her hands to the edge of the table and leaned forward. “Is everything okay?”
"Avalanche warning just turned into an avalanche report. Road down the mountain is blocked."
She gasped as if truly shocked. "Blocked? What does that mean?"
"Means what it sounds like. No way to get you down the mountain until they clear it. Depending on the equipment they can get up here, could be a few days." I remembered the earthquake from a few years back and how slow everything was then. "Might be a week or longer."
"A week?" Her voice rose an octave, and her lip started to quiver. "But…it's almost Christmas. I can't be stuck here for Christmas."
I raised an eyebrow. "Got big plans?"
"Well...no." She sighed, and the emotion she was building up to seemed to relent. "I was actually planning to skip my mom's baking extravaganza this year. But I don’t wanna ruin your Christmas."
I almost laughed. "I don't do Christmas. It's just another day when you live out here."
Her expression shifted to sadness. Or pity. I hated pity. It was grossly misplaced on me. "You don't do anything for Christmas? No tree or presents? No special dinner?"
"Nope." I stood up and collected our plates.
She followed me to the sink and took the dishes from my hands. "I'll wash these. It's the least I can do."
While she cleaned up, I checked my emergency supplies. I had plenty of food, water, and firewood. The backup generator had plenty of fuel in case we lost power, but solar batteries were fully charged, so we'd be fine.
"I should email my boss." She was drying her hands and leaning against the counter. "Let him know I'll probably miss work on Monday and Tuesday, then we’re shut down til after New Year’s."
“Smart."
She grabbed my laptop again and did her thing.
I grabbed a spare blanket and pillow from the closet, then spread it out on the couch.
"What are you doing?" She closed the laptop and walked to me.
"Getting ready for bed. I’ll sleep here, and you can take the bed."
She looked from the couch to the double bed in the far corner. "Oh no, I can't take your bed. The couch is fine for me."
"You're taking the bed." The couch was short, but I’d slept on worse. "I can sleep anywhere. The couch is like a feather bed compared to the places I’ve been."
She hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the arrangement. "Are you sure? I really don't want to be a bur— "
"I'm sure."
She worried her lower lip between her teeth. "Well, I don’t toss and turn too much, so if you’re uncomfortable, I guess we can share.”
She had no idea what she was suggesting.
"Thank you, Rod. For everything.” Becca took a few steps toward the bed and then looked back at me. “I don't know what would've happened to me if you hadn't been there."
"Get some sleep." I tried to sound gruff, but it came out gentler than intended.
"Good night." Becca got into my bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. "And thank you for taking care of me." The way she said it in a soft and shy voice made me wonder if she was testing the waters, seeing if I'd caught her hints earlier.
"Night, baby girl." I shouldn’t have said it, but it seemed like what she wanted to hear. Maybe even needed to hear in order to relax in a stranger’s bed.
She sighed contentedly as I stretched out on the couch, too long for it by a good six inches. Killer curled up on the floor beside me, and I scratched behind his ears.
"Traitor," I whispered.
He wagged his tail lazily, seemingly as smitten with the beautiful girl as his daddy was.
I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep despite the long day.
My cabin already felt different. Since the first day I stepped into it, it was my sanctuary, an escape from the rest of the world.
But knowing she was just on the other side of the room, wrapped in my flannel and rubbing her scent on my sheets, made everything feel different. Changed. Better.
She was different from anyone who'd crossed my path in a long time. That sweet and unguarded innocence couldn’t be hidden under shy insecurities. And if she had Little tendencies, fuck. There was no way I could deny that they'd stirred something dormant in me.
I rolled over to face the back of the couch and closed my eyes.
It was gonna be a long night. And hopefully, a very interesting week.