Kaede Read online

  Thankfully my heart speaks louder.

  Willow

  I might as well tell him. He’s a friend of Daisy’s, it’s not like she won’t tell him. “My name’s Willow. Willow Steyer.”

  “Willow,” he whispers my name, and I’m both fascinated and freaked out by how my heart starts to gallop in my chest. It’s a sensual whisper, if there ever was one, warm and tender and coming from this huge man with sad eyes, it’s even more remarkable. The fathomless blue makes them even more affecting. I feel like I’m drowning when I’m on dry land.

  “Willow,” he basically breaths my name again, and now I’m plain freaked out at how I both ache and crave him to continue. I’m definitely wet between my legs and my nipples are tight and peaked.

  This man isn’t small. I mean, I’m not small, but he could definitely lift me up and throw me on the bed with no problem. Pin me down. Hold my hands over my head and kiss my body all over without me being able to move an inch. And not that I’m thinking that doesn’t sound good, but it might sound a little bad, too.

  In addition, this isn’t the cabin I should be in, not the one arranged for me. And our friends know each other, which is definitely another reason maybe I shouldn’t be here.

  I wait a beat and his mouth draws my eyes. “Kaede…” Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, his name has taken up residence. I remember how it felt to be in his arms on the dance floor. His large hand pressing into my shoulder blades. Protecting me, shielding me, and making me feel treasured.

  “Willow, I think you should get dressed before I can’t stop myself from undressing you.” He slides away from me and my hand drops from his hard, broad chest.

  “Probably a good idea.” My voice shakes, as well as my legs.

  He grabs the doorknob with a smirk. “And nice teddy, Willow.”

  I about melt into the wood floor. The man is a walking outdoor model and I’m the woman that’s making a pool of drool on the floor.

  I straighten my back. Time to get out of here… and fast.

  Kaede

  The living room has never been this clean. Every surface gleams in the overhead light. I’m almost creeped out that she’s been that close to everything I own. Will it still smell like her when she’s gone?

  I moved in two years ago after retiring from the military. I did my fifteen and then I needed to move on. Most would have stuck it out for the full twenty-years retirement, but I couldn’t. Two tours had effects on me that I hadn’t planned for. No matter what the literature said, videos showed, and seminars indicated, it’s now clear—a soldier is never really prepared.

  “What the hell did you do to my home?” I stick my head into the bathroom. “And in the bathroom!” It’s sparkling, almost too clean. It doesn’t feel like my home. I’m not dirty… okay, I’m not Mr. Clean, but a little dirt never hurt anyone. Never been sick a day in my life. I justify that it’s good for the immune system. I walk to my desk; nothing has been disturbed and my stomach unclenches. My leather pieces are all in their place and my tools are chaotic as always. The containers stacked and in order. Just the way I left them.

  But the kitchen.

  I walk in and it looks brand new. I open the oven and years of living is erased. I didn’t even know you could clean it back to the original shine.

  I know my house, and this doesn’t feel like my house. I open the cupboards and my head pounds. She fucking alphabetized my seasonings? Who does that?

  “I thought I would be staying here for a while and I don’t like… dirt.” Her voice makes me turn.

  I step back and motion at the level of crazy this woman might be. “Alphabetized?”

  “Now you can find what you need when you need it at a glance. Allspice. Cumin.” She lifts it. “Basil. Thyme.” She points. “Easy-peasy.”

  I shake my head. First, she invades my home and then she takes to making it hers? Who does she think she is? As adorable as I might think she looks, I’m not thrilled with her actions and no amount of furry pink teddy is going to make up for this.

  She struggles with her suitcase and I don’t know if I should help her or just watch her walk away. The thought of the latter makes me a little grumpy. Her presence makes me feel things I haven’t before. And it’s not annoyed or frustrated. I’m fascinated by her. Truly intrigued.

  “Do you want some help with that?”

  “No, thank you. I got it in here just fine.”

  The suitcase is as big as I am.

  “Just how long were you planning to stay here?” I walk alongside as she acts like the Hunchback of Notre Dame with how she’s lugging it along.

  “Four nights.”

  I hang back as she waddles with the suitcase between her legs, her leggings doing fantastic things to showcase her ass.

  My cock wants to make himself known, but I try to concentrate on what’s happening in front of me, not inside of me. Down boy.

  “And you brought a suitcase the size of a VW Bug for five days? I’d barely need a backpack.”

  “On that note. I’m done here. It was nice cleaning your house for you. Bye, Kaede.”

  The front door closes and the silence is oddly… thunderous. Her joyful laughs and snarky snips are missing.

  I slip to the front window, being careful not to let her see me. She struggles in the couple of inches of snow and her boots slip a little. I flip on the outside light and it creates sparkles on the new snow.

  Just go help her. You know you want to.

  That voice in my head, the one that’s been gone since I moved in here—the one who spoke when I was in danger—is back, and I don’t like him. He’s bossy. Kind of like the pint-sized woman outside. But I don’t understand what kind of danger I’m in right now.

  She almost takes a tumble and her purse goes flying.

  “Jesus, woman, you’re going to get hurt.” I grab my muck boots and I’m at her side in less than thirty seconds. “Let me help you.”

  “If you insist.” She seems to welcome the help with very little resistance, and I wonder if I’ve been played like a chump.

  “Seems if I want you gone, and before tomorrow, I need to.” I lift the suitcase. “What the hell do you have in here?”

  “Just shoes and clothing.”

  “How many pairs of shoes?”

  “That’s for me to know and you to never find out.”

  I chuckle. “Five?”

  Her face stays still.

  “Ten?” One eyebrow goes up.

  She puts her hands on her waist, cinching in her wool coat until it flares out.

  “More?” I ask, skeptically.

  “Just put the suitcase in the back of the car, Mr. Twenty Questions.” She holds up the keys. “I forgot my snacks in the cabin. Can you start my car to get it warm and I’ll run in and grab them?”

  I examine the tin-can of a car. “You think I’m going to fit in there?”

  “Just start it. I’m not asking for you to drive it anywhere.”

  Snowflakes start dusting the air. I briefly consider inviting her to stay. She’ll be in a cabin by herself for days, if I don’t. I look at my phone. The forecast wasn’t showing snow hours ago when I was in Helena to drop off some of my leather goods at the store, but that’s Montana weather—changes faster than the second hand on a clock.

  The front door closes.

  I reach in and stick the key in the ignition, step a boot on the brake, contorting my body to avoid becoming a call to 911 for a man stuck in a car, and I turn the key…

  And nothing.

  I try it again. Nothing.

  “Is there something wrong?” she asks behind me and I slip carefully out of the car.

  I could probably give her car a jump, but where’s the fun in that.

  “Nope. You’re staying here, honey.”

  Willow

  “Can you just drive me to Wyatt’s?” I hold up my phone, searching for a signal. Whatever one I had in the cabin to text with Daisy is now a faint memory.

  �
��There’s a snowstorm that’s just crossed the ridge and it’ll be here during the night. I take you over there and you’re not getting out until middle of next week when Wyatt comes home from seeing his family. No one plows his drive because he has a four-wheel-drive truck that he doesn’t care about and just plows through mud, snow, whatever.”

  “Then take me to Boone and Daisy’s.”

  I can’t be alone with this man. And it’s not that I’m scared of him. I’m scared of myself.

  He grabs my hand. “You’re staying.”

  “No. I’m going. I’ll just walk there. It’s what, half a mile?”

  “Seven miles.”

  “Seven? How deep is that creek? Can I just jump across it?”

  “No, feather-feet, you can’t jump the ravine that’s twenty-feet wide.”

  My shoulders slump forward. “Are you sure?”

  “Willow, I’m not going to let you freeze out here in your car. You can have the couch and tomorrow I’ll talk to Boone about coming to get you.”

  “Can you get my suitcase out?”

  “Do I look like your butler?”

  “I cleaned your house. Do I look like the fucking maid?” I enjoy the banter we have going too much.

  “No, but in that teddy, you looked like a doll.”

  My boots slide on the slick ground. “What?”

  “I’m just saying, I thought you looked… precious.”

  I burst out laughing. No one has ever called me, nor have I ever felt… and then I remember being in his arms dancing. “Guess I’m wearing my snowsuit to bed tonight.”

  Anything to get him to stop looking at me like that. Those blue eyes sparkle with crystal stars in the floodlight from the front porch.

  “Stop looking at me like that!” My head tips and I glare at him, trying to hide how my body is heating up and snowflakes are disintegrating on my lust blasted skin.

  “Like what?” He grabs my suitcase out of the back of the car like it’s a piece of lint in his fingers.

  “You know how. I’m only staying because my car’s not working. I think I left the dome light on and drained the battery. I’ll have my towing service out here in the morning.”

  “Nope. They don’t come out here. There’s not enough room for a tow truck to turn around.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do you need this bag?” He lifts the bag. “Wow, what’s in here?”

  “Gifts for Daisy, Boone and Maverick.”

  I found the perfect bag for Daisy’s photography equipment, a leather wallet for Boone, and the softest baby blanket in the world, something called a minky from Minksters.com. I almost kept it for myself, but my godson will have nothing but the best.

  “I guess you’re stuck with me, Willow.”

  I shiver.

  He motions me inside, his hand on the back of my coat. “Let’s get you warm.”

  The truth is I’ve never been hotter in my life. I’m almost boiling inside. This man, with his rolling muscles, long brown beard that hides some of his cherry-red lips, not to mention his smartass attitude that I can tell is covering for something, isn’t who I expected to come next, but maybe… just maybe… I’m the woman to tame the mountain man.

  Kaede

  Having her in my house for even a night is going to be a test of my willpower. With that pink hair that looks like the frosting on a human cupcake and her blue eyes that look like pools of water to jump right into, I’m screwed.

  But I’ve never actually been screwed. In high school I was the geek. I don’t look like it now, but I was that scrawny kid who couldn’t seem to put on weight. The military took me from a grunt of a boy to a hulk of a man. But when you join the military your life is theirs and doubly so when you’re in fulltime. I went overseas. And then I was done, and I liked being on my own. Not reporting to anyone gave me time to think and time to just be. There was always someone who needed information, details, report when I was in. I’ve gotten used to it being me and no one else.

  I open the front door.

  She smirks. I dare myself to swipe that snarky upturn of her lips off her face. “Butler and a doorman. I’m a lucky lady.”

  I decide it’ll need to be a double-dog dare before I give her lips a try. I like her high-spiritedness and don’t want to turn it off.

  “Actually, I just want to walk behind you, honey. The view is quite… inspiring.” It’s not a lie, a part of me is completely inspired and if she just drops her gaze a little, she’d fully understand.

  Willow ignores the comment and in fact, I think the woman starts swinging those hips with more gusto. A low growl rises from my chest.

  She spins to me. “Did you just growl?”

  My chest rises harshly. “I need food.”

  “It’s almost midnight.” Willow places her suitcase near my desk and her fingers touch one of the leather purses I’m working on. “This is gorgeous, Kaede.”

  I ignore the compliment. I’m not ready to share my passion with anyone. It feels like a step down after you’ve been in combat.

  I run a hand down my long beard, calming the strands and my rising blood pressure. “You’ve never had breakfast at midnight? Apparently, you’ve never been drunk.”

  “Oh, I’ve been drunk. But everything I’ve read about losing weight says—”

  “Whoa! Who’s saying you need to lose weight?” I rake my gaze over her body and I see nothing that needs to be lost.

  She rolls her eyes. “Well…a lot of people. My doctor…”

  “Healthy has a spectrum, honey.”

  “My last boyfriend…” She walks closer and I stand my ground, arms crossed on my chest.

  “That guy was an asshole. Apparently, he didn’t know what he had in his hands.”

  “And what exactly is that?”

  “More to love.”

  Her face almost matches her hair. Up until now my favorite color was camo, but that pink is quickly taking top stop.

  I bring her hand to my lips. “More to kiss.” I ravage her with my gaze. “More to enjoy.”

  Her eyes widen. “I… I have mac… and… and cheese?” she stutters adorably.

  My eyebrows rise. “I like mac and cheese.”

  “You have to release my hand, Kaede.”

  I look down at her fingers, so feminine. I’ve never touched a woman like this and I don’t want to let go.

  She moves closer and now my hand is pressing into her chest. Damn.

  “Food first, soldier, maybe dessert later.” Her voice is all velvety and breathy.

  I reluctantly release her hand. “So, this the box kind or the homemade kind?”

  She seems offended. “A hundred percent homemade. Don’t hate the boxed stuff, but only homemade mac and cheese goes into this body.” She pulls a few ingredients out of the bag she carried in. “You have milk?”

  I follow behind her. “Yes.”

  “Butter?”

  Willow seems to be asking to just involve me in the process. She cleaned out that fridge, top to bottom. She knows what’s in there.

  “Yes.”

  “Great.”

  I sit on a stool at the bar that faces into the galley-style kitchen. My buddy, Boone, helped me remodel my home last year. This cabin has been a labor of love. It used to house a family of raccoons and possums, but I’m not going to let Willow know that. No furry creatures can get inside now and if they do, I’ll take care of it. And although the place is great for one or two people, I have an idea for an addition to make it fit more, but I need my handmade leather goods to take off to be able to afford it.

  But what used to be firm plans in my mind, now seem like maybes or maybe I’d like to know another perspective. A womanly perspective.

  What’s bouncing around my kitchen is now my plan.

  She’ll be mine.

  My mission is set.

  Willow

  I throw my coat over the back of a stool and go to work. I didn’t eat dinner because I was exhausted, but now I have an appetite. K
aede looks at me like he wants to eat me. But I’m thinking it’s in a way I’m not familiar with.

  I think he’s a lot older than I originally thought. All that facial hair covers most of his face so that I’m not getting a good read. I’m not opposed to an older man taking me with his sexual expertise, but I don’t know if he knows how young I am and if that matters to him. I’m not young enough to be his daughter. Thank god. But I’m not exactly worldly either. I have experience, but he’s seen the world… and war, the ultimate duty.

  I saw the medals. The one that’s purple with a heart doesn’t come without some cost. And my father has the Bronze Star, so I know that one speaks to a hero status. But what they both say is that he’s seen things I can’t imagine, and I wonder if a person can ever find a normalcy after that? I don’t know, but I’m not afraid of him.

  I know what spices he has, so I find the ground mustard and cayenne pepper, quickly. “I like mine a little spicy, is that okay?”

  “I like it hot, Willow.”

  Everything the man says sounds suggestive, and I have to stop every reaction of my body. My pussy is pulsing in these leggings and I can imagine that he can smell how soaked my panties are.

  “Good to know,” I choke out the words as my body feels like Jell-O inside.

  “You live in Helena?”

  “Yeah. I’m a web designer.”

  “Cool. I don’t have internet. Don’t really need it.”

  I add the cheese to the rue and start stirring. “Yeah, I noticed, but you know that’s okay. I needed to get away from all that this weekend.”

  “What about your family? You know it’s Christmas in two days, right? Why are you here versus there?”

  “I know. My parents live in California and I didn’t have cash to fly there this year. I’m paying down student loans.”

  That’s really the financial side. I don’t want to share the relationship side and how I thought I’d be staying here with Jerkface so I paid extra on my student loans. With those payments, I’ll be done by May and I can’t wait to figure out what to use the money for after.