Page 14 of His One True Wish

Well, this guy was gorgeous and rippled in all the right places. Heat flared from deep in my core.

“Thank you for bringing Cam inside,” he added.

“You’re welcome, and I’m sorry I threw a whiskey bottle at you,” I said, hoping if I met his apology, he might not notice my burning-red face.

“It was good whiskey,” he grinned, still naked and not moving. “I think I managed to sweep up all the glass.”

“Yep, looks like it.” I bit my lip. There was a tension and a heat between us that when mixed with the woodsy smell of spilled whiskey made the moment feel downright combustible.

“My pants are that way,” he said, pointing down the hall. “I’ll be back in a flash, and we can sort through this misunderstanding.”

“All good,” I said. Holding up my hands, I pretended to block my view of his broad, muscular chest. “I’ll be here. No worries.”

He gave me a wicked smile and then walked to the only bedroom. My eyes followed him down the hall like magnets. The man’s toned and naked ass was a thirst trap, and I could not look away.

With shaking legs, I took a seat at the kitchen table. What was I going to do with naked Axl Grey, and where was I going to sleep tonight?

CHAPTER 5

AXL

Iclosed the door to my bedroom.

Fuck me. This was not what I expected tonight.

What was I going to do with that pretty, spark-of-a-woman in the kitchen? She was Louise’s granddaughter? I didn’t know a damn thing about Louise’s family. She talked about them in general, but never gave me details. Our conversations were brief and mostly by email.

Meeting Louise, and relocating to Smoke River, was never my plan.

I stopped at the Smoke River Airport on my way to Big Sur in California to wait out the weather. Word amongst the pilots was the black coffee and cinnamon rolls at the Buzz On In Bakery Cafe were worth the stop. I didn’t feel like playing pinball turbulence in my Cessna across the Rockies, so I landed and picked up a copy of the Smoke River News to kill time.

An ad in the paper caught my eye.

Wanted

Smoke River Cabin needs renter/caretaker.

Views of the woods. Path to the river.

Trees. Flowers. Quiet.

Keep it clean and repaired, cheap rent!!!

I was on a long overdue sabbatical from work in Florida and ready for a break from the grind. Trees. Flowers. Quiet. Damn. Those three words sounded like poetry. After years flying in and out of Florida, I missed seasons. I missed trees. I couldn’t remember the quiet feeling of walking through the woods and listening to the wind. I needed a change.

I called the number in the ad, talked to Louise, and made a plan to walk the property. Louise lived in Denver. She asked me a few questions, then explained that Mason would manage most of the day-to-day details for her. He drove me to the property and pretty much left me to it.

I remembered standing in front of the cabin for the first time. I inhaled the scent of pine trees and walked the trail that led to the river. I was a goner. Plus, it had a barn. For once in my life, I could store my gear and tools where I slept. I loved the privacy of the land, and the fact I could stand on the porch and not hear a goddamn thing was heavenly.

I was looking for a place to disappear, and I found it.

I confirmed with Mason that dogs were welcome. I signed a lease on the spot, and I wrote Louise a check for one year’s rent in advance. It was such a good deal that I felt a bit guilty. I offered to pay her more, but she wouldn’t have it. Instead, Louise agreed to let me make upgrades to the cabin. Money wasn’t my issue anymore; I had more than I needed. What I lacked was peace.

The truth was, this past year in Smoke River was the most drama-free time of my life, outside of my ex-girlfriend, Angel, and her bullshit. And now a cutie-pie named Billie Prescott was standing in my kitchen. I supposed that counted as drama, but only if it took me longer than an hour to get her out of my house.

The last thing I needed was another woman walking through a revolving door and into my life. That door needed to stay the closed.

I shook my head and picked out a pair of clean briefs and jeans,pulling them on. I’d done laundry that morning, so a freshly washed, long black tee-shirt was at the ready. I buttoned my red-and-black flannel over the top, then grabbed my down vest and a pair of wool socks. My boots were by the back door of the cabin.

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