She’s obviously choosing the denial route.
But I’m a straight-to-the-point kind of guy.
“You want to talk about the fact that we almost kissed?”
Her gaze flies to mine. “Nothing happened.”
“No, it didn’t. And it can’t.”
Her face tightens, just a little. “No one was going to kiss anyone. You don’t honestly think I’d do something so crazy? If you haven’t forgotten, it’s my wedding day.”
“You and I both know something was about to—”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“I just need you to know that it can’t.”
Her eyes sharpen. “And I just need you to know that it wouldn’t.”
A tight silence falls over the table. Our earlier truce seems to be over.
Finally, I clear my throat. “Have you thought any more about who could be behind the plan to have you kidnapped?”
A small frown wrinkles her brow. “No. I’ve been thinking, trying to work it all out, but the truth is, I have no idea. Unless it’s something to do with my father. Or maybe it’s simply a case of someone knowing how rich my father is and wanting to make some money.” Her eyes soften and she sighs as she puts down her fork. “Thank you. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you didn’t …”
“Don’t think about it. What could’ve happened never did happen. You’re safe now. And after breakfast we’ll ride to town and call your father. But it’s important to let him know that we don’t know who was involved, so we need to proceed with caution. It could be someone he trusts.”
She nods. Her plate is empty and so is mine. As she clears our dishes and fills the dishwasher, a strange silence fills the room. It’s not awkward or tight like it was before. It’s… sad.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“No. I’m angry as fuck.”
“Good.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Good?”
“Stay angry. It will keep you alert.”
The sound of a car pulling up draws our attention out the window.
This time it’s definitely not a grocery delivery truck.
It’s a sedan with a set of rotating lights on the roof and the words, Mirror Lake Lodge Security emblazoned across the doors.
Fuck.
They’re here because of Lauren.
I look at her, and her eyes dart to the window and then back to me.
“I need to brush my teeth,” she says. “Do you have a spare toothbrush I could use?”
I nod. “In the bathroom. Second drawer under the sink.”
Her look lingers on me for a moment longer before she hurries through the cabin and out of view.
I answer the door before there is a knock and find a security officer stepping onto the front porch.
“Can I help you?”
“Sorry to turn up on your doorstep unannounced.” He tries to sound friendly, but there’s something off about him. Something shifty. Something shady. He’s got cold blue eyes and his friendliness is forced. “We’re visiting folks to see if they’ve seen any unusual activity on the mountain, either throughout the night or this morning.”
“Unusual activity? Like what?”
“Someone broke into the lodge last night. Assaulted some security officers.”
The badge on his dark blue shirt tells me his name is Hardy.
“And you think they escaped up into the mountain?”
“Witnesses suggest they did.”
“What did the sheriff’s department say?”
“Oh, there’s no need to bother the sheriff with such a minor disturbance.”
My eyes narrow. The police haven’t been called?
And Lauren’s abduction is considered a minor disturbance?
I keep my eyes fixed to his as I try to process what this means.
“So, did you? See anything unusual, I mean,” he asks.
“No, sorry, I didn’t see anything.
I take a step back to close the door, but he takes a step forward.
“You look familiar.” He is cordial but he eyes me distrustfully. “What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t.” He’s suspicious. And my own suspicion isn’t helping the situation. “I do casual work at the lodge usually when they have a big event taking place. Laboring, construction, that sort of thing. I’ve been there the last few days helping set up for the wedding.”
“So you know about the wedding?”
“Only because I helped set it up. Why is there a problem with the wedding as well?”
His cold blue eyes are searching my face. “No, no problem.”
I reach for the edge of the door. “Look, I was kind of in the middle of something when you turned up…”
He opens his mouth to reply, but before he can answer, Lauren calls out from the bathroom.
“What’s taking you so long, baby? What does a girl need to do to get some big dick around here?”
The security officer’s eyes shoot to mine. He looks uncomfortable, and it’s hard for me to suppress my smile.
“Who’s that?” he asks.
Good question.
“That’s my…ah, that’s my girlfriend.” I’m surprised how easy the words slip off my tongue. “She’s visiting for Thanksgiving.”
Again, Lauren calls out. “I’m wet and I’m ready, baby. Come and give me that big cock of yours.”
Her words send a flash of desire through my already tight and needy body.
I look at Hardy. His ears have reddened and he doesn’t know where to look.
I shrug at him and grin unapologetically. “What can I say? My girl has a big appetite. And what my girl wants, my girl gets…”
His eyes actually drop to the front of my sweats. He can’t help himself. He’s checking to see if I really have that big cock.
His eyes meet mine just as Lauren calls out again.
“I’m warning you, big boy, if you don’t get in here now and fuck me hard, I’m going to start without you!”
Hardy backs away. “I… um, well, I’ll let you get back to it.”
“My girlfriend sure will appreciate that,” I say, unable to resist using the word girlfriend again.
Hardy gives me an awkward nod before he turns and walks away from my front porch.
Chuckling to myself, I watch him trudge through the snow to his patrol car and climb inside.
As he drives away, I call out to Lauren. “You can come out now.”
She appears on the steps leading to the bathroom, and it looks like she’s been laughing hysterically.
But when our eyes meet, both our smiles fade.
The question hangs in the air between us. Why didn’t she tell the officer what was going on? She could’ve told him everything and been on her way back to the lodge by now.
On her way back to her fiancé.
Her wedding.
I watch her walk toward me, my heart thumping like a rabbit’s foot. She stops in front of me and looks up, and I feel the need to touch her grow harder and stronger inside of me.
“Why?” I ask, my voice gravelly.
She looks at the floor as she bites the inside of her mouth. Her blonde hair falls around her lovely face, and the urge to kiss her is so damn powerful in me, I almost give in.