Page 8 of Auctioned to the Mountain Man

I reach for him, cupping my hand against his cheek. “It matters to me.”

He opens his eyes, and they are almost black as he stares back at me. “None of this matters… I thought…” He shakes his head and physically puts me away from him. “I wanted one night, Maggie, and this is getting too complicated.”

“Complicated? What’s complicated about it? I’m not asking you for anything. I wanted to go home with you. You’re the one that bailed on me.” Why do I feel like I’m begging him? I hate the pleading sound of my voice, but it just shows how much I want him.

He takes a step back and drops his hands, clenching them into fists at his sides. “You’re my employee. You’re my little sister’s best friend. You’re here, on a date, with another man. That’s too complicated when all I was wanting was to sink my dick into some hot piece of ass.”

I clutch my hand to my chest and rear back as if he actually hit me or something. Did he really just say that? “Fuck you, Bentley.”

I run as fast as I can away from him, and he doesn’t try to stop me this time. Instead of going in the front door, I walk down the sidewalk to the back entrance. I think I’ve been humiliated enough. I don’t need to walk into the middle of a party with tears streaming down my face.

I push the code into the door to open it and find myself on the back elevator that will take me to my office upstairs. Leaning against the back of it, I try to get myself together. I shouldn’t let this bother me as much as it is. I literally just met the man.

But as soon as that thought crosses my mind, I squash it because I’ve never felt a connection to anyone like I felt with him. I was ready to go home with him. Hell, I was ready to give him my virginity after only knowing him for thirty minutes. Am I that hard up? Or was there really something between us? It seems I’ll never know the answer to that. I suck in a deep breath and try to hold back more tears.

The elevator dings, and the door opens. I step out into the empty hallway toward the solitude of my office. I know I’m going to have to make an appearance downstairs, but it’s going to have to wait. Right now, I need to pull myself together and do my best to forget about HIM.

Ben

Iwatch her run from me. She can’t seem to get away fast enough since she is fuckin’ sprinting in her high heels to get away. After everything I just said to her and seeing the hurt on her face, why do I want to run after her more than anything else right now?

I fucked up.

I know I did, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. Hell, I’d be lucky if she even keeps working for the company at this point. I was cruel. I said things I shouldn’t have, and it’s no one’s fault but my own. I went from feeling nothing for years to feeling the whole range of emotions in one night: desire, lust, arousal, connection, jealousy, fear, denial, and anger. Fuck, why didn’t I get a hold of myself?

I shove my hand through my hair in frustration and turn around to go to my truck. I get in and slam my hands down on the steering wheel.

I lied to her, and it’s not a lie I can come back from. I told her that I wanted to sink my dick into a hot piece of ass like that was my plan all along. The truth is, I came into town knowing that I’d be going home alone tonight. I haven’t been interested in a woman in I don’t know how long. I wasn’t looking for anything tonight, but it sure did hit me upside the head.

In the span of just a few minutes in her company, I was hooked and wanting more. I wanted more time, more talking, more kissing, more all of it.

And I fucked it up.

I count to ten and try to calm my nerves. Before I let myself follow her, I ram the gear shift in reverse and pull out of my parking spot. The tires squeal as I gun the gas and pull out onto the road leading up the mountain. It’s only twenty minutes to my cabin in the woods, but it takes even less time tonight.

I wanted her. Hell, even now, my dick is still at half-mast just thinking about her. And I freaked out. I shouldn’t have said what I said or did what I did, but even knowing all that, I know that there’s no future between Maggie and me, so why even try? No, it’s better this way. She’s better off not getting involved with me or knowing how fucked-up I am. This is for the best.

But even knowing all that, I still can’t seem to get her out of my head.

My phone rings as I park in front of my cabin. When I see it’s my sister, I want to ignore it, but I know I can’t. Something could be wrong with her or with Maggie.

“Yeah?” I answer as I get out of the truck and trudge toward my front door.

“Where’s Maggie? The last I saw of her, she was walking outside after you, and she hasn’t come back since.” She pauses and in a hushed tone asks, “Oh my God, did she leave with you?”

“What? No, she didn’t leave with me. She should be there at the office. I saw her walk back inside.”

My sister’s voice rises. “Ben! This is not like her. She wouldn’t just leave. She’s responsible and always does what she’s supposed to do. She wouldn’t just bail without telling someone.”

I turn on my heel, ready to get back in my truck to go find her. “I’ll come back into town. Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Wait! I have a text,” she says, and her voice is muffled as she takes the phone from her mouth. “Oh, she’s home. She said she had a migraine… she’s lying. If she’s with you there, Ben, it’s fine. I won’t be mad; I just need to know she’s okay.”

I blow out a breath as I pace next to my truck, debating if I need to head back into town or not. “She’s not with me. And how do you know she’s lying? Maybe she does have a migraine.” I swallow hard before I ask the next question. “Where’s Cole? That was her date’s name, right?”

Impatiently, Elana huffs. “Cole is here dancing with Clara from accounting, and the reason I know she’s lying is because she gets migraines all the time, and they are bad. There’s no way she was able to drive with one.”

I get into my truck and start to head back down the mountain. With the Bluetooth on, I tell her, “Send me her address. I’m going to go by her house and make sure she’s home.”

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