Page 13 of Mountain Man Daddy

“Don’t you get bored?” she asked, looking around. “Up here, all alone with nothing but wood to chop?”

“Nope.” He cut her off with another stern look but didn’t take his hand away until she released it. “Drink that tea and go back to sleep. I’ve got things to do.” His brow cocked. “More wood chopping.”

“I’m not tired,” she snapped, more harshly than she intended. “I’m bored. And don’t you ever get frustrated?” Her mouth quirked at the corner. He fascinated her, and she loved pushing his buttons. “Sexuallyfrustrated?”

“Don’t much care if you’re bored. You need your rest.” His mouth pulled at the corners. “And little girl, my sexual frustration is none of your business, unless you want to make it your business. And honey, if you think I’m controlling and bossy now…” He let the words trail off before turning to the door. Her pulse quickened, and her belly quivered. “Is this to get me out of your hair faster?” she growled to hide the desire he’d just stoked in her. “Because I already want out of it!” No, she didn’t. No one had never stirred her up like this.

“Yeah.” He walked away, and she noted even his heavy footfalls sounded sexy.

“Don’t you even have a TV?” she shouted after him.

“Nope. You should’ve stayed at Annie’s if you wanted TV. I live completely off-grid—well for water, wood for heat, and solar-paneled roof for electricity.”

She sighed, picked up a book from his bedside table, and settled back on his pillows. She wondered if he’d kick her out before nightfall if she kept being irritable. Would he just tell her to leave or would he drive her to civilization on his ATV? She yawned. Maybe it was best if she got as much rest as she could before she left. She could look for her purse in the morning, even if it was buried, and hitchhike to the next town and pinch another car. Stealing cash or anything else from Mike was probably a bad decision. She had the feeling he’d hunt her to the ends of the earth to spank her for taking anything of his. She smirked a little at that thought. Would that really be so bad?

Chapter Five

Mike grabbed his shotgun and walked out of the cabin, tripping on a box shoved between the doors. He set down the gun to pick up the box. Annie had dropped off a pie, more bandages, and—he cursed—a box of damn condoms. He shook his head.

That meddling old lady needed a talking to. He grumbled, shoving the box inside on the floor with his booted foot. What the hell had she been doing out in the storm anyway? Now he’d have to check on her.Condoms? Really, Annie?But dammit if his mouth didn’t go dry at the thought of using them.

He scooped up the gun again and grunted for Rocky to follow. He didn’t go far without the gun, not with the cougar in these parts, but he wouldn’t shoot it unless his life depended on it. Cougars were endangered in New Brunswick. The fact that the cat had cubs was fantastic, but even more dangerous, especially with this late spring storm.

She’d not only be aggressive to protect her young, but hungry. He also needed the gun because any opportunity to bring down a deer or moose was one he didn’t want to miss. He’d need more meat before long. He shook his head again, thinking of his stubborn neighbor out in this weather. He was already up to his knees in snow, and it was showing no signs of letting up. He pulled his toque down further over his ears.

He mentally went through his food stocks in the root cellar. It wasn’t much more than an eight by eight room beneath the kitchen, but it was great to store the vegetables he grew over the summer. It didn’t freeze down there since it was close enough to the woodstove, but it did stay fifteen degrees cooler than rest of the cabin. Living off-grid wasn’t easy, but it was his life now, and he enjoyed the hard work. The stress of his job, constant coffee, and road food had given him stomach problems that never acted up now. Now he sold his vegetables and occasionally game at the farmer’s market in town, and that earned him enough to stock up on things he couldn’t grow or make himself. He wasn’t a caveman, after all. He still had his savings and the money from the house and insurance, but it was all money he didn’t like to think about.

He took a deep breath; it was a cleansing shock to his lungs. God, he loved the peace of the mountains, even when it was blisteringly cold and almost peeled the skin from his face. He thrived here. He just needed to get rid of the girl, but for some reason the thought gave him a pang of regret. He didn’t quite know why. Was it the sexual attraction? Did he simply crave the fulfillment of his carnal urges? Mike knew the answer wasn’t that simple and it annoyed the hell out of him.

The girl was saucy and funny—quite adorable actually, especially when he threatened to spank her. Mike rubbed his beard, brushing the snow off. And when she called him Daddy,good God, he got hard. What the hell was that all about? It had started as a joke but it was no longer funny. He’d always had a dominant side, but Ella hadn’t liked it so for the sake of their marriage, he’d buried it. She hadn’t even liked to be weaker in play. He got the impression the little girl in his cabin had no such qualms.

He’d gotten quite far from home when he noticed Rocky had wandered off into the deeper snow. He roamed a lot, and Mike had learned not to worry, but in this storm, he felt a bit anxious having the bear out of sight. He’d grown rather attached and found the days longer when Rocky was deep in hibernation. They were both loners though. The bear did his thing and it worked out just fine.

Mike’s mind went back to Ella. That was rare these days and to do it twice in a matter of minutes startled him. Their marriage hadn’t been great, though he supposed that’s what happened when high school friends messing around resulted in pregnancy. After losing the baby, they’d tried to make things work, but any passion between them had fizzled. Regardless, he’d tried to do right by her. He’d tried to protect her, even when he’d believed the best way to do that was to stay away from her.

His thoughts hitched as grief and failure overwhelmed him. He fought to keep it inside but decided it might rip him to shreds, so he roared like an animal into the wilderness. The sound was guttural but not nearly satisfying enough since the howling wind swallowed it.

Finding the nearest fallen log, he sat. Letting his arms drape over his thighs and his head hang, he cleared his mind. He forced back the guilt with every cloudy puff of breath he exhaled. It was in the past and as soon as the girl was gone he could go back to his reclusive survivalist life, only seeing Annie when it was necessary. He didn’t need another woman to care for. Willful Annie was enough. What was it about his need to nurture and care for the women in his life?

When he got close to Annie’s farm, he pulled his binoculars out, concentrating on the cold air rushing into his lungs. He didn’t feel like confronting her anymore, not since his earlier thoughts had stirred unease in him. He saw her through the kitchen window and chuckled, despite his melancholy. She was dancing with her broom.

“Eccentric old bat,” he murmured and scanned the area farther from her property, noting depressions in the snow. Something large had cut through her land, but the tracks were too snow-covered by the storm for him to know what. He looked for both the cat and game as well as anything larger that might still be around.

He spotted Rocky rustling in a bush and took a moment to watch, letting the sight calm him. It was time to head back and see how his patient was doing. He wondered if she’d stayed in bed as he’d instructed. Probably not, he thought with a chuff that sounded a lot like a noise Rocky would make.

Women never listened. He reminded himself he’d be rid of her soon and watched as Rocky barreled toward him. It would be just him and Rocky again. He shivered as the cold seeped through him.Just him and Rocky.

He’d make her rest up another week, hand over her purse, give her a ride to town, and be done with her. Mike’s gut sank at the thought, but he ignored it. He walked back up the steep mountainside feeling grumpier than he should have. Her pretty hazel eyes rose in his mind’s eye, and his chest felt tight. He grunted and shook his head. Pretty eyes nothing, he told himself. He wasn’t keeping her around no matter how good she looked in his bed. Nope, no way. He’d sworn off people in general but women especially. Besides, his cop instincts had never faded, but even if they had, he’d seen the wad of cash in her purse and the gun. That little girl was up to something, and it wasn’t good.

* * *

She’d stayed in bed as far as Mike could tell. She was curled under the blanket with her thumb across her lips as if even in sleep she was holding all her secrets in. She was a beauty, he could tell, even though she was still pale and bandaged. His eyes went to her curved bottom mostly hidden under the blanket.

He’d never threatened anyone with a spanking before, let alone doled one out, but with this girl, it seemed appropriate. Or maybe he’d become uncivilized living alone in the wilderness. He chuckled quietly and shut the bedroom door before she woke.

He wanted to know her story more than he should. And with the arch of her bottom fitting so nicely in his hand when he carried her and the perfect wobble it gave when he swatted it, he suddenly wanted her around long enough to explore both her mind and bodyfurther. He’d broken out in a sweat when he’d removed her clothes and dressed her in his t-shirt last evening. She had the smoothest skin he’d ever touched.

Mike took the meat from the fridge and chopped onions and garlic as he thought more about the woman in his bed. Was she on the run from some trouble she’d caused, or simply escaping a bad situation? He hadn’t decided yet, but he’d figure her out soon enough.

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