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The rain from the earlier storm had puddled in the low areas of the property around the cabin. Quint shut the door and walked off the porch to the ATV. Wiping the seat off with the sleeve of his shirt, he rode toward the campground.
He'd waited twenty minutes after the last boom of thunder for the dogs to quiet down, and when that hadn't happened, he'd lost his patience.
Pulling to a stop, he left the ATV running while he knocked on the door. Because of the reported storm, he'd asked Jared to spend the night at headquarters in case lightning struck or he needed an extra hand putting out a fire. He'd have Jared go over and see what was riling the dogs.
His employee answered the door. "Hey, boss. Some storm, huh?"
"Do me a favor and go over to loop D and find out what's making the dogs bark. If it's the owners' negligence, tell them to do something to shut the damn things up. There are campers trying to sleep."
Jared pulled his cell out of his pocket and looked at the screen. "It's only eight thirty. Noise ordinance kicks in at ten o'clock."
"Not when it comes to dogs. The guests can party as loud as they want up until that time, but no sane person wants to hear someone else's dog yapping and going crazy." He walked back to the quad and rode toward the cabin.
Already, the ground was soaking up the downpour from earlier. Tomorrow, everything would be dusty again.
He turned off the engine and stared at the cabin. No sooner had he pulled his cock out of Katelynn and the incessant barking broke outside broke him down, and he'd left.
Now that he was away from her, he wanted to stay gone. He couldn't go back in and pretend things were normal. He'd crossed the line and taken things too far.
He'd seen the way Katelynn looked at him, and he'd given her what she wanted. He let his chin fall to his chest. And, found everything he needed.
"Fuck," he mumbled, knowing he wasn't going to walk away from her.
She'd unknowingly wormed her way under his skin. There was no going back to keeping his distance.
They worked together at the campground as a team. The more independence he gave her, the more she stepped out of her way to show him she cared.
He'd never had anyone at home waiting for him to come in from work and he found himself looking forward to the evenings because he enjoyed sitting out on the porch with her. Whether she started the conversation and rolled with any topic or they shared the silence, only interrupted by the occasional noise from the campground or the snowbirds that fluttered in and out under his porch.
Katelynn went from guarded to open with him. Yet, there was more about her he wanted to know.
He got off the ATV and jumped on the porch, skipping the steps, and into the cabin. His balls ached in pleasure, wanting her again.
Katelynn walked out of the hallway in a nightgown that floated around her body, only held by two slim straps on her bare shoulders. Her wet hair hung down, dampening the cloth covering her breasts. The material plastered against her hard nipples.
She'd taken a shower during his absence. During all the time they'd spent together, she'd never once changed into the nightgown Iliana bought for her and hung out with him wearing such a thing.
If she had, he never would've been able to hold out as long as he had. She was beautiful, and her gown left nothing to his imagination.
"Was there a problem in the campground?" she asked.
"I don't know." He swallowed, dragging his gaze up to her face. "I sent Jared over to find out why the dogs are riled up. I'm sure he'll call if there's trouble."
She pointed to the kitchen. "Do you want to try a brownie now?"
"Sure." He tossed the keys on the counter, eyeing the back of Katelynn.
He now knew her ass fit in his hands and her waist indented, giving him something to hold.
She whirled around and caught him looking. A blush tinted her cheeks, reminding him of how young she was compared to him.
The other women he'd been with through the years tended to be closer to his age and more experienced. Each of them had long ago lost the ability to feel self-conscious or shy.
He took the offered brownie and bit into it. The thick cake-like consistency had a slight crunch on the top. The details unimportant as the chocolate sensation hit him.
"Does it taste okay?" she asked.
He nodded, taking another bite. "Excellent, Katelynn."
She turned, but not before he caught her pleased smile. He put the rest of the brownie in his mouth and held out his hand for more. She indulged him, handing over another square piece, and he moved over to the fridge and grabbed the milk, pouring two glasses.
Giving her one of the drinks, he leaned against the counter and took his time eating the treat. He had a cupboard full of snack food but none of them compared to what Katelynn had made.
"Do you want to hear something weird?" She brushed her hands free of crumbs over the sink.
He grunted. His whole life was made up of weird shit happening. He'd take calm and uneventful.
"Before I left Vancouver, my life centered around work and social media." She glanced at him. "I would've taken a picture of the brownies I made and posted it on Instagram. Then, spent the next hour looking forward to how many people liked the post or commented."
"I don't get it." He wiped his mouth off with his hand, brushing the crumbs from his beard. "Why is it anyone's business what you eat?"
She shook her head. "It's not. I did it for attention and conversation. Being online had become my social life. I rarely went out after work. It was easy to sit at home and meet people online. I guess it made me feel as if I wasn't alone."
He studied her, trying to wrap his head around how she could believe relationships with people she'd never met in real life could fulfill her.
She paused and her brows lowered. "Though my experience with Cord will be one of my biggest regrets. I'll never go back online, not to seek friendships. There's not an hour in the day that I don't feel the pain of what I did—"
"Don't think about him." He gritted his teeth.
"No, I want to say this." She inhaled. "Being here with you and working in the office allows me to appreciate the people around me. I couldn't see that before when I was working at the Emporium because I had become obsessed with a life that I can now see was fake and unimportant. And, I've realized I became that way because I could keep my distance from those who were in my life. That way, no one could ever use me or hurt me, the way my mom and stepdad had. I know that's messed up."
"I get it," he murmured.
"I don't miss not having a phone or checking it every few minutes to see if someone wants to talk to me." She looked at him. "I enjoy being with you more."
He understood her habit of being connected to her phone. Every summer when he brought on new hires, he had trouble getting them to do the work required because they preferred to look at their screen all day.
But he'd never had that problem with Katelynn because she came to him with nothing. Knowing her now, he couldn't imagine her wasting her life with online strangers when she gave one-hundred percent of herself to him and the campers when she worked.
"I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you've provided for me here." She jerked her gaze up. "Not that I'm talking about what happened between us earlier. The sex, I mean. Actually, I do want to talk about that."
"Shoot," he said, remaining calm for her sake.
"I hope what happened between us wasn't something meaningless, or I'm just a responsibility to you because I care about you, and I hope that you care about me. A little. Maybe?"
He'd heard women confess to wanting him. He'd heard women admit he made them feel good. He'd heard women ask him outright for another night.
But he'd never heard a woman ask how he was feeling or been able to witness how much courage it took for her to ask him that question.
She came to him vulnerable and hopeful. Two things that had hardened in him years ago.
He hooked her neck, bringing her to his chest. "I wouldn't have had sex with you if I didn't care about you."
Katelynn wrapped her arms around him as if he'd handed her the secrets to life. He had nothing to give her but a campground with hidden dangers and a lie. Staring over her head, he struggled with what to tell her to excuse his behavior.
He should never have touched her.
She deserved the kind of soul-crushing love she sought from Cord and the online conversations she participated in, not a life with him. He held her tightly and fought against telling her exactly why it wasn't smart to make having sex with him into something bigger.
She tilted her head. "Thank you."
"For what?"
She stretched and kissed him. "For being you."
He kissed her back, knowing he had to keep their relationship out in the open between them. To get her hopes up, believing there was more developing between them would only hurt her when it was time for her to leave.
"Katelynn?" He leaned back to see her face. "You realize I'm forty-six years old. I'm not looking to change my life."
She opened her mouth. He put his thumb over her lips, stopping her from saying anything.
"I do care about you." He waited until she fully looked into his eyes. "But, when the season is over, and the campground closes for the winter, you're going to leave."
Her brows pinched. "But—"
He kissed her lightly.
"You deserve to put this place behind you," he said against her lips. "No more nightmares."
His heart beat painfully. Everything he'd said was the truth. He believed she'd be better off away from him. But, the truth hurt.
It hurt worse than he'd imagined.