Chapter 7
Annie
I wake up tangled in Garrett’s arms, his chest solid and warm against my back, his breathing even against my neck.
The room is a mess. The blankets are all twisted, my panties are somewhere on the floor, and the smell of sweat and sex lingers in the air.
There is a soreness between my legs, but in the best way, reminding me of every delicious thing Garrett did to me last night.
My heart aches, too, but for different reasons.
For a minute, I just let myself lie there, soaking it all in, memorizing the feeling of being held…
cherished. Our night together is on repeat in my head.
Garrett’s mouth everywhere, his rough hands turning soft, the way he whispered my name.
How he kissed me slowly afterward, holding me like I was something precious and not just a girl passing through.
God, what a fucking idiot I am. How am I supposed to go back to real life after this?
Careful not to wake him, I slide out of his hold. He grumbles something in his sleep, his arm tightening around me, but I press a kiss to his jaw, and he settles. I grab my phone off the nightstand, thumb lighting up the screen, and the real world slaps me in the face.
There’s a string of texts and missed calls from Elliot.
Elliot:
Emergency.
VIP event.
Need you back tomorrow, Annie. I got us in.
There will be a car to pick you up at 5 a.m. sharp. Send me your location.
Why are you not responding?
Annie??
I stare at the screen, my heart racing, then I reluctantly type back.
Me:
I’ll be back in the morning. Don’t worry. Sending location now.
After hitting send, I pin the address for the inn. Not even two seconds…
Elliot:
Bitch, what kind of hick town have you ended up in?
Ignoring his stupid ass, I turn my phone on silent and drop it face down. Fuck reality. I’m not ready to let this go.
I crawl back under the covers just as Garrett stirs, blinking awake. His hair is a wild mess, beard wiry, but softer than it looks. He blinks down at me, voice gravelly. “Angel, you okay?”
God…why does he have to be so sexy? I groan internally.
Forcing a smile, I reach up and touch his cheek. “Yeah. Just checking the time.”
“You’re lying.” He grins, pulling me on top of him, his cock already hard against my thigh. “But I don’t care.”
I laugh, sitting up to straddle him, rolling my hips against his hardness. He groans as his hands grip my ass, working me against his length. “All you think about is sex, huh?”
“Only when you’re here.” He flips me, pinning me under him, kissing down my neck, teeth scraping my collarbone. “And you fucking love it.”
I gasp, arching into him, letting my nails rake down his back. “Prove it.”
He does.
Again and again, slow and then rough, making me forget about Charlotte, work, and Elliot. I come undone on his cock, breathless and loud, and he follows.
We end up taking a shower together, Garrett behind me, rubbing shampoo into my hair, then gently rinsing the suds out. He kisses my shoulder, then nuzzles my neck. I turn in his arms, soaping his chest, loving the way he sighs under my touch.
I slide down to my knees, taking his already hard cock between my lips. “Fuck, Annie,” he groans, fingers sinking into my wet hair.
His hips gently rock as I suck him greedily.
Loving the salty taste and the power I have to make him fall apart for me.
He pulls me up, and I give him a pouty face for not letting me finish.
Claiming my lips, he lifts me, and I wrap my legs around him, his cock buried deep inside me.
I cling to his shoulders as we fall off the edge together, breathless.
After breakfast, he takes me out to his workshop, proud and a little shy, showing me some of the pieces he’s built…
tables of all shapes and sizes, cabinets with secret drawers, and a rocking chair he made for his mother years ago.
The technique and craftsmanship of his work are amazing.
I don’t think he realizes just how talented he is or how much money he could actually make.
People in Charlotte and surrounding areas would pay top dollar for shit like this.
Especially if they knew it was made locally.
He hands me a chisel, wrapping his big hand over mine, teaching me how to carve my initials into a scrap of oak.
“See?” he murmurs, his mouth at my ear. “You’re a natural.”
I giggle, turning to kiss him, and we nearly end up fucking on the workbench before he stops us, shaking his head. “If I take you in here, I’ll never get anything done again.”
We spend the afternoon tangled up on the porch swing, his flannel wrapped around me, as we drink coffee and watch the sky change from blue to gold.
He tells me stories about the mountains, his parents, and growing up as a wild and angry kid.
I tell him about my mom, and my fear that I’ll never matter to anyone.
He pulls me into his lap, holding me tight. “You matter to me,” he says, and I almost start crying right there.
I want to tell him everything. I want to beg him to ask me to stay. But I can’t. I won’t ruin what time we have left together with my neediness. Instead, I let him hold me, breathing him in, burning the moment into my memory.
He asks me to stay another night, and of course, I agree, wanting to spend as much time with him as I possibly can.
He cooks dinner again, then takes me to bed where he makes love to me…
slowly, worshipping every inch of my body, making me come until I’m wrung out and shaking, each time his name falling from my lips.
His kisses are soft and deep, making me wish I could freeze time. But I can’t.
Mission accomplished, Garrett Hall. You have officially ruined Annie Silver for any other man.
When I know he’s sound asleep, I quietly slip out of bed and pull on my clothes with shaking hands. I pad into the kitchen, writing a note on the back of an old grocery list.
Garrett,
Thank you so much for everything. These past couple of days spent with you were the best days of my life. I’m sorry I had to leave so quickly, but real-life calls, and I need to return to Charlotte. I will never forget you.
Please, remember me always.
Love, Annie.
I press it to my lips before placing it on the counter. With tears streaming down my face and a broken heart, I grab my bag. Fishing out my phone and Aubrey’s number…the one she slipped me at the diner the other night, “just in case, girl.”
I send her a text.
Me:
Hey, it’s Annie. Could you come pick me up from Garrett’s? Please. I’ll meet you at the end of the drive.
Aubrey’s reply comes almost instantly.
Aubrey:
I got you, girl. Give me fifteen.
Back in the bedroom, I take one last look at Garrett…looking peaceful, gorgeous, and mine for just one more heartbeat.
“I love you, my grumpy mountain man,” I whisper, almost unable to hold back a sob. Then I slip out the door, into the chilly night air, every step away from him feeling like a gaping wound that I’ll never stop bleeding from. But I will remember this, my time in Crystal Falls. Every fucking second.
When Aubrey’s truck pulls up, I say nothing, just toss my bag in and slide into the passenger seat.
She glances over, taking in my swollen eyes, red cheeks, and shaking hands. “Aww, sweet Annie,” she says, giving my knee a gentle squeeze, which makes more tears fall. She doesn’t say anything else, because she already knows.
Finally, when we’re halfway down the mountain road, she decides to break the silence. “Girl, you gonna be okay?”
I shake my head, the tears still spilling over. “No. I’m not. Aubrey, I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life.”
She pulls over, throwing the truck in park, and turns to me. “Annie, what happened? I swear…if Garrett did something, I’m going to beat his ass.”
“No. It’s not Garrett’s fault,” I choke out, my voice cracking.
“It’s mine. I have to leave and go back to Charlotte.
Besides, I can’t just… stay here. I have a job, a life.
But I love him, Aubrey…I think…No, I know I’m in love with that man, and I just left him anyway.
And I don’t know how to go back to anything else. ”
“What did he say when you told him you were leaving?”
I just look at her and choke on a sob.
“No…Annie…please, tell me he knew about this.”
I wipe my eyes, shaking my head. “I didn’t tell him. I waited until he was asleep. I just…I couldn’t face him. So, I wrote him a note like some coward and snuck out.”
Aubrey’s expression softens, and she takes my hand. The guilt is so heavy and raw. “He didn’t get a chance to say anything because I didn’t give him one. I just left him there, in that bed, after everything we shared. God, what the hell is wrong with me?”
The silence sits between us; me thinking about everything I wish I’d done differently.
Aubrey reaches over, pulling me into a hug.
“You did what you thought you had to do, babe. But love doesn’t just disappear.
If it’s real, if it’s meant to happen, you two will find your way back to each other.
But I will say this, when that man wakes up, and finds out you just up and left…
” She lets out a low whistle. “Crystal Falls better watch out.”
“Oh, god, Aubrey. What have I done?”
“Look, Annie,” she says, voice gentle, “you’re not the first female to fall head over heels for Garrett. But you are the first I’ve seen to really get under his skin.”
I sniff, blinking back at her. “He just… he’s so caring, and he tries so hard to hide it. I felt it every time he touched me, but he never really talked about himself. Why is he so closed off?”
Aubrey sighs, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.
“Garrett’s always been the strong, silent type, but it got worse after what happened with his best friend.
” She glances at me, making sure I’m listening.
“A few years back, Garrett and his buddy, who was pretty much his brother from another mother, built cabins together. Hell, everyone in town thought they’d end up being millionaires one day, owning some big successful construction company building homes, or some shit like that. ”
I nod, remembering how Garrett’s voice would change whenever he mentioned certain things. “What happened?”
“His bestie screwed him over,” Aubrey says bluntly.
“Stole a big job right out from under Garrett’s nose and ran off with the money.
Left him holding the blame for an unfinished project and all the debt.
Word spread fast. Small town, you know? Garrett never really trusted anyone after that.
Built his walls higher…secluded himself from everyone.
Stopped coming to town. Most people think he’s just some grumpy mountain who lives in the woods, but really, he’s just hurt.
He lost his best friend and half his reputation all at the same time. ”
My heart breaks for him. “He didn’t tell me any of that.”
Aubrey squeezes my hand. “He wouldn’t. That’s not how he rolls. But you…” she gives me a knowing look, “…he let you in. And girl, that’s a big damn deal. Doesn’t matter how long you were here, Annie. You matter to him. Probably more than he knows how to say.”
I let all that sink in, feeling both worse and better at the same time. Worse, he finally trusted someone again, and I just left. Better, because there’s a slight chance he would let me back in if I found my way home. Home. I can’t believe I’m thinking about his place that way.
Aubrey pulls the truck back on the road, her tone softer now. “Give yourself some credit, city girl. You cracked the mountain man. That’s something nobody else has ever been able to do.”
Tears start to burn my eyes again, but this time I feel there might be a tiny bit of hope underneath all the pain. Maybe this doesn’t have to be ‘goodbye.’
But a ‘see you later.’