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I wake up with a jolt. There’s a sound outside of my window, but it doesn’t resemble anything I’m used to. It takes me a few beats to remember I’m not in my studio apartment at the back of the pizza parlor but a bed in a Montana cabin.
The silence envelops me until I hear the unfamiliar sound again. I get out of bed and put on my fluffy slippers. Thankfully, my ankle hardly hurts anymore.
A soft light behind the curtain makes me pull them aside. I peer into the dark, trying to locate the origin of the light. When I spot it, my heart immediately starts beating faster. Sawyer is cutting wood with a swing so strong that he could take out a bear if he wanted to. The wood splices in two when his ax hits the top. He grabs another log, positions it on the chopping block, and splices that one too.
Even though it’s cold outside, he’s unbuttoned his flannel shirt. Sadly, he’s too far away to get a good look at his muscled body. I should get over there. Seeing him work up close will do wonders for my writing inspiration.
I slip into my jeans and pull a sweatshirt over my naked chest before shoving my feet into my sneakers. Without thinking this through, I head outside. I know I’ll turn back and crawl into bed if I give myself time to rationalize my actions. For once in my life, I want to do something impulsive.
Cooper jumps up as soon as I descend the stairs leading to the clearing where Sawyer is chopping wood. He barks two times, then runs over to me and licks my hand.
“Stop it, Coop, I’m ticklish,” I say with a laugh.
Sawyer crosses his arms, the ax still in his hand. “Are you now?”
“What?”
“Ticklish.”
I smile. “I am when getting licked.”
He swallows hard and puts another log on the chopping board.
“Why are you out here in the middle of the night?”
He growls. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Is he mad at me or something? I can’t figure out why. How could I make him angry when I was sound asleep?
“If you must know, you splicing wood woke me up.”
“Sorry.”
I wave his apology away. “It’s okay. Do you do this often, working after dark?”
He uses the bottom part of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead, giving me a nice view of his torso. It’s enough to make me sweat as well.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
His clipped answers almost deter me from asking any more questions, but I decide to press the issue. “How come?” I ask after a moment of silence. “Do you want me to warm up some hot milk for you?”
He suppresses a chuckle, only half succeeding. “Hot milk?”
I shrug. “Yeah, it’s a classic cure for insomnia. Do you have any worries that keep you awake? I’m here for you if you want to talk.”
He locks eyes with me and takes a step closer. His intent stare sends heat to every part of my body.
“If you must know, I was reading one of your books and had a sex dream afterward.”
My face burns. For a moment, I think he’s going to tell me he’s joking, but he looks dead serious.
“What did you think of the book? And which one did you read?” I ask, ignoring his comment about having a sex dream. If my writing caused that, maybe my books are better than I thought?
“The Earl’s Naughty Christmas Proposal.”
Okay, wow. That’s one of my steamiest books to date.
“You know how to write, Max. The plot was great, the tension perfect, and the characters were believable and rounded.”
I frown. “Why do I get the feeling there’s a but coming?”
He puts his ax down and leans against the chopping block. “But I thought you wrote steamy books.”
“What do you mean?”
“All that talk about picking her flower and his big manhood... I don’t know, does that turn women on? I thought readers liked it when books were more explicit.”
By now, my cheeks must be as red as a ripe radish. “I do have some reviews asking to spice it up a bit, but I honestly don’t know how.”
“Don’t they say to write what you know? So do that.”
I bite my lip and look away. “I wish I could.”
He pushes himself away from the chopping block until he’s only inches away from me. “Maxine, are you by any chance a virgin?”
I let out a gasp of air. “Why would you ask me something as personal as that?”
“It’s okay if you are. I thought I could help you. With your scenes.”
I flail my arms around like a crazy person. “Fine, you’re right. I still have my V-card. Not because I don’t want to have sex. Believe me, I want to, but I never met the right guy to give it to.”
Why am I talking about this with him? We hardly know each other, but I can’t deny that something about him makes me feel at ease and safe. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before, but... he’s practically a stranger.
“So you’re telling me that no guy has ever tried to seduce a sexy woman like you?” he asks in a husky voice, his eyes traveling down my body.
“I wouldn’t refer to myself as sexy. And no, I’ve never had a guy offer himself to me,” I say with a nervous giggle. “I’ve never even...” God, I can’t believe I’m about to tell him this. “I’ve never even had a guy touch me in a sexual way.”
He puts his fingers on my chin and tilts it until we lock eyes. “If I had the chance to be with you, I’d seduce you in a heartbeat. That’s the whole reason I couldn’t sleep. Reading your words made me think of your naked body and what I would do if I had the chance.”
“Oh yeah? What would you do?” I ask, aching for his answer.
His eyes bore into mine. “I’d lift your sweatshirt over your head, unclasp your bra, and free your breasts. Then, I’d take your nipple in my mouth and lick it before sucking it raw. After that, I’d spread your legs and taste your pussy. Slowly at first, then faster.”
I moan. Now I can’t get the image of his lips on my nipples and my swollen bud out of my mind. Even though he’s only touching my chin, his words set my body on fire. My pussy is getting wetter by the second. Any more of this, and my panties will be completely soaked. I don’t want him to see a wet stain on my jeans. That would be so embarrassing. Then again, what do I know? I’ve never been with a man. Maybe my wetness will turn him on.
“What stops you from doing exactly that?” I ask, feeling bold.
He tilts his head back and roars with laughter. “Seriously, Maxine? I don’t think being fucked by a guy like me is what you want.” My silence makes him frown. “Or is it?”
I bite my lip. Do I want to hand over my V-card to this tattooed, muscled mountain man? I don’t need long to think about it. “Yes, yes, I do. I know it sounds crazy, but I need you to touch me like I’ve never been touched before. Like I’m the only woman for you, ever. I want you to teach me everything I need to know.”
“So you feel it too?”
“The connection we share?”
One look, and I can see that he knows exactly what I’m talking about. I pull him toward me and look deep into his eyes. Before he can do or say anything else, I inch closer and let our lips touch. His kiss is savage and filled with hunger, like he can’t get enough of me, despite our tongues filling each other’s mouths. I let my hands roam his muscled chest and back before pushing my body to his, not wanting an inch between us. His erection presses against me. Wow. It feels good to turn a man on.
“How about we go inside?” he asks in a deep voice.
I nod and practically jump up the cabin stairs, both exhilarated and terrified of what he’s about to do to me.