Page 29 of A Little More Forgiveness

“Yep.” And after leading all the horses out of the corral, he mounted up and we started at a slow pace along a narrow trail leading away from the cabin and into the forest. The dense canopy of trees, their branches shielding us from the majority of the elements, also answered my earlier questions regarding the drifts. While white carpeted the ground, the snow hadn’t penetrated quite as intensely here, so appeared only around a foot deep. Plus, Mitch obviously used this path fairly frequently as what snow there was had been compacted by the horse’s hooves.

Following behind him as he took the lead, gave me a chance to study him without having to be surreptitious. Utterly relaxed in the saddle, his body swayed along with the movement of his horse. His broad shoulders filling his thick jacket, stretching the material taut across his back, had me wondering again what his body looked like underneath all the padding. The plaid shirts he wore were thick and the pattern did nothing to help show off his definition, but he certainly had some, and a whole lot more. I’m guessing working on the cabins and tending to the horses all day would have given him most of his muscles and fitness. I’d managed a couple hours work in the barn earlier, and already the soreness in my underused muscles made itself known.

Not forgetting to mention his gorgeous ass as he’d climbed into the saddle, mostly hidden at the moment. Unfortunately, I only managed to catch the odd glimpse here and there when his jacket occasionally rode up.

He seemed comfortable out here in the wilderness, his whole body relaxing as soon as we left the yard. The agreement with Gabe to talk to him some more about selling didn’t sit right as I watched Mitch so at peace in his native environment. But once again I recalled my stepfather’s voice, loud and clear in my head, telling me not to screw this up. Though, in all likelihood, he’d relish the idea of me failing, as he had one more reason to belittle me. To be honest, I was uncomfortable with the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, knowing he relied on me to close the deal. It meant the difference between Caitlin receiving the help she needed or barely getting any at all. I remained utterly shocked and perplexed at how he’d be so cruel to his own stepdaughter. Even with being a complete bastard, surely he perceived the effect taking away her care would have on her health. Deep down he must be concerned about her. He must.

Add in the additional pressure of him laying people off if the deal didn’t materialize, when I understood its huge potential for not only keeping Malcolm’s staff in employment but also the opportunity the build would provide for other local tradesmen, I couldn’t be the one who let all those people down.

I stared at Mitch, at the man I had to persuade to give up his whole life, claiming he’d be better off if he did. Was I really prepared to go through with this and make him do something he clearly didn’t want to? I got more and more confused by the second, as whatever happened, I’d either be the cause of Mitch’s misery, or Caitlin losing her medical care, and good people losing their jobs.

Reluctantly dragging my gaze away from the man causing me so much indecision, I forced myself to take in the scenery surrounding me instead. Thankfully, there’d been no additional snowfall today, which meant we’d be that much closer to getting out of here if it kept away.

After the earlier bright and clear skies, some of the clouds had returned, the gaps between them allowing thin shafts of sunlight to filter in through the huge trees, highlighting small pockets of the forest. The scent of pine and earth intensified the deeper we rode, the canopy overhead thickening even more due to the sheer number of trees surrounding us. It was stunningly beautiful.

As the trail widened, I nudged Sadie on, riding up until I sat level with Mitch. “I can see why you don’t want to leave.” We’d agreed not to talk, but remarking on the scenery didn’t count, did it? Okay, I may be angling slightly toward the sale, but I had to start somewhere.

Mitch hardly bothered to take a look around, as if he remained completely unaware of the beauty all around him. “Yeah.”

“Yeah? This place is stunning, and all you can say is, yeah?”

“I guess you get used to the view when you see it every day.”

“Well—” I grinned making him scowl, his default expression I’d learned, and meant to keep people as far away from him as possible. “—now you can show it to me.”

“I thought we agreed no talking.”

“So I’m not allowed to ask what makes this place so special to you?”

He grumbled something and sighed. “Fine.”

I smirked. “Such enthusiasm.”

His scowl deepened. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a pain in the ass?”

I laughed, the sound loud in the calm around us. We were the only two out here in our own private world, and as nice as this was, I kept thinking how much better the ride would be if Gabe were here too, and the three of us were out enjoying the forest, discovering Mitch’s corner of the world together.

“I may have been told that on the rarest of occasions, yes.”

He snorted. “Rare occasions, huh?”

“Hey,” I chided, liking he was starting to loosen up, the same as yesterday when Gabe had been exiled to the Jeep, and Mitch and I had chatted in the cabin. I hoped the easy-going man I’d discovered then, would make a reappearance as he’d been good company and fun to talk to.

He smiled and my heart kicked hard. His lips weren’t as full as Gabe’s but were still as tempting. What would it be like to kiss him, taste him, to feel his beard scrape across my skin. To have his big hands holding me, one gripping firmly on my hip, the other in my hair as he took control of my mouth, his tongue pushing inside, flicking over mine. When Gabe had kissed me this morning, he’d been gentle, coaxing, making me yearn for more. Gabe was a tease, but instinct told me Mitch would be the exact opposite. He’d take what he wanted, forcefully, with no restraint, but leaving me begging just as much.

What would all three of us be like together?

The thought popped into my head unexpectedly, and I couldn’t shake it off, picturing two sets of hands roaming over my body, two sexy mouths kissing mine before sliding lower to lick and suck on my neck, my nipples, my cock.

Oh, my fucking God.

My throat had gone completely dry as the image burned itself into my brain. Was it hot all of a sudden? I felt hot. Pulling the zipper down an inch or so on my jacket, the cold air swirled around my neck, cooling my heated skin but did nothing else to reduce my temperature or the roar of blood rushing through my veins.

“You okay?” Mitch asked, concern in his voice.

I managed to nod. “Just, um, in awe of everything, I guess.”

He studied the landscape again, and this time, he seemed to take in what was before him. “I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else,” he stated wistfully. “This mountain is everything for me.”

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