A soft rustling wakes me from the deepest sleep. I don’t think I’ve had a good night’s rest like this since I was a child. And just like a vivid dream, memories of last night flood me, heating my body and making me hungry for more. Where is my mountain man?
We must’ve fallen asleep next to the wood stove, because the last thing I remember is closing my eyes to the sensation of bliss. Turning back toward the room, I see Maverick. He’s at the door and his face is as stoic as ever.
“Good morning, handsome.” I stretch, letting my eyes fully drink in his massive frame.
“We need to get going.” His tone is harsh, his words rushed. What the fuck.
“Maverick?” There’s a crack in my voice, I can’t hide it. His complete one-eighty has my chest squeezing.
“Melissa.” He stares at me blankly as if we didn’t just spend the most amazing night together. “We need to go.”
“Oh, we’re not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on here.” I stand to my full five-foot-six, and walk toward him, only stopping once I’m a hair’s breadth away. “You don’t get to follow me around for three years, kidnap me from my job, and then bounce me on your cock like your little plaything, only to turn around and act like all of that was just in my head.” My head is craned all the way back, glaring at this motherfucker who thinks he can just blow off whatever this is. “Well? I’m waiting for an answer.”
Maverick closes his eyes, his head softly shaking left to right as his large hands go to his hips. “I’m sorry, Mel. It’s my fault. All of it.”
I’m taken aback by his words. Definitely not what I was expecting. My brows drop as they push together. “What? What do you mean?”
“I should’ve never started trailing you in the first place. That was something your father should’ve done.”
I scoff, the idea of that man doing anything other than worrying about where his next bottle of booze was coming from sounds absolutely ridiculous to me.
“I don’t need a father. And last night you made it pretty clear that you wanted to be my Daddy.” I step closer, shoving a finger into his hard chest. “And the way I see it? A Daddy is way better than a drunk-ass father.”
A shudder wracks his frame, but I don’t think it’s one of pleasure. “Baby doll, that’s just it. You’re too pure for shit like this. Hell, you were a virgin up until last night and I ruined that. I ruined that for you, and you’ll never get it back.” He turns away from me, his frame facing the door now. “The least I could do is let you go. Live a life without me tarnishing it further. No, I should’ve been pushing you closer to your brother. Kicked your dad’s ass and made him act right, for your sake.”
I’m outright laughing now, tears streaming down my face and I’m not sure if they’re from Maverick’s rejection or the absurdity of this all. “An ass-whooping wouldn’t have fixed that man, and Eric is just that, my brother. I’m not looking for a father. I don’t need that. I’ve already done and raised myself. What I want is a man. But apparently, that’s not you.” Now it’s my turn to shake my head. “I will not chase you. You either want me or you don’t.”
A beat passes and there’s nothing but silence that eats the distance between us. Fuck this. Fuck this awkward moment and fuck this bullshit man.
I’ve come too far in life, battling the rejection of a mother and then father, only to let this shit trip me up again. Never again. Never again will I fight for someone to see my worth.
Without looking back, I storm out of the cabin, not giving a damn that I’m barefoot. My feet could be bloody stumps of meat before I’d let this man ever touch me again.
A bed. A comfy-cozy bed. That’s all I want right now. It’s been nothing but deafening silence with Jekyll and Hyde, and that’s just fine with me. I just want to get home, to my little cabin and crawl into deep sleep. Shove the memories of the past twenty-four hours deep in a hole where I won’t have to relive them over and over.
Just as the feel of his body entering mine is about to start looping in my head. I see it. A break in the woods up ahead. The road!
With a few more steps I’m on the pavement, broody man in tow. Finally. Now how long before we get back into town.
And as if by divine intervention, it isn’t long. Just then, a loud booming voice comes over a speaker. “Everyone okay?”
It’s Eric, my brother!
Never have I been so happy to see a park ranger, and I’m about to run toward him in gratitude when I finally register the expression on his face. He’s getting out of the truck when his eyes flicker back between Maverick and me. His features speaking of nothing but violence and it’s all being directed at the man who’s saved my life on more than one occasion.
Taking action, I step between them, ready to take Eric’s heat.
“Talk. Now.” My brother’s eyes are trained on the man behind me, completely ignoring my presence.
“Eric Ericson! Don’t talk to him like that!” I shove him, but his body barely moves, save for his brows which are pushing together. I may be mad at Maverick, but I still owe him my life.
“Mel? What the fuck are you wearing?” He goes to move the flannel, but Maverick pulls me back into his body, his arms wrapping possessively around my torso.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, brother.”
Shit. He’s right. I’m naked underneath and that would’ve been a show I’m sure Eric would’ve liked to have missed, even though he’s not acting like it at the moment.
My brother scoffs. “Excuse me?”
I suck in a lungful of air, gathering courage. “He’s saving your eyes and your mind from an inevitable bleach bath, bro. I’m talking BlackBerry-BleachBit annihilation.”
Eric is looking down at me, his eyes blinking before they’re flashing back to Maverick and if looks could kill, there’d be nothing but a pile of ash behind me.
“Step aside, Mel.” My brother goes to move me, but Maverick only presses me harder into his chest.
“She isn’t moving, Ericson.” I don’t know what’s going on, but I swear I feel Maverick vibrating behind me. “We fell over a hundred feet down that ravine and there’s no way in hell I’m letting her out of my sight until a doctor has cleared her.”
At this, Eric balks, his head swiveling around and taking inventory of the missing truck and the skid chunk of road missing up ahead. “Answer me this. How in the fuck did driving off Deadman’s Pass lead to my sister being buck naked?”
Eric’s jaw ticks as he waits for Maverick’s response, and I think this is where he’s going to let my secret out. Yeah, it’s well-known that my brother and me aren’t the closest, but he would still lose his shit if he found out where I was working.
A beat passes, and then another, the time only angering Eric more. “Well, are you going to fucking answer me or what?”
“It’s not my business to tell, brother.”
“Oh, don’t you brother me with this bullshit. You’re dead to me. I’m not sure how you made it out of that fall alive, and for that I’m grateful, at least for my sister’s sake. But you? You’re fucking dead.” Eric grabs my wrist and yanks, the action hurting so bad it makes me wince.
“Drop your hand or lose it.” Maverick growls from behind and the look that crosses my brother’s face is something between shock and confusion. “She’s clearly hurt, and you’re only making it worse.”
Eric blinks rapidly before the shock fades and anger takes its place. “I can see that. That’s why she’s coming with me. I have a truck and she obviously needs to get to a doctor.” My brother paces in front of us, both hands in his hair as his face contorts in disgust. “Look, I don’t know how long this has been going on between you two, but Melissa just turned eighteen. I can’t in good conscience leave her here with you.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is not what it looks like. I don’t see your sister that way.” Maverick says this with such vehemence that my body instinctively recoils, needing to get away from the man that’s hurt me with his words.
If he doesn’t see me that way, then what was last night? Was it all a game?
Pulling myself from Maverick’s hold, I take a few steps closer to my brother, reaching out and placing a soothing hand on his back.
“He’s right, Eric. Maverick doesn’t want me.” And with those words I turn to look at the man who’s owned my heart for the better part of two years. The man who apparently can’t even stand to look at me right now.
“She’s right. She is and forever will be your little sister.” Maverick’s eyes are trained on my brother’s truck, his jaw clenching as he gives one jerky nod. “And you’re right. She needs to get to a doctor and you’re the only one who can get her there.”
“Finally, some fucking reason.” Ericson goes to grab me but Maverick steps forward with lightning speed, sweeping me off the ground and placing me protectively in his arms.
“But you’re not manhandling her.” Maverick doesn’t even look back while he says this, completely missing my brother’s bewildered expression as he trails behind us and rounds the car.
“Fine. I’m letting you come with us to see the doc, but as soon as we arrive, you’d better disappear. I’m not above calling the Sheriff.”
“Eric!” I shriek as Maverick lowers me into the cab of the truck.
“What? This…” he waves between Maverick and me, “This shit isn’t normal, Mel. I’m no fool. It didn’t just happen.”
Maverick is sliding in beside me, his thumb and forefinger pinching at the bridge of his nose. “Just get us to the doc, Ericson. We’ll talk later.”
“Oh, there’ll be no talking. I have nothing more to say to you.” My brother huffs as the truck’s engine rumbles on. “You’re dead to me. Fucking dead.”
