Lost Rhodes, page 3
A solemn blink before the dog walked back to the door, stretched up and used his muzzle to move the handle down and let himself out.
“This isn’t going to be easy.”
Chapter Three
Iris sucked her finger into her mouth as she tried not to scream in pain. That man she’d rescued, currently by the warm fire, had distracted her thoughts as she was putting up wood to try to keep out more snow. So she’d nailed her finger.
“Serves me right, I should be focused on the task ahead of me. Not distracted.”
She shook her hand and tugged her glove back on, immediately grateful for the warmth’s return, which increased when her mitten went on as well. Spinning the hammer, she’d turned to grab the next sheet of plywood when a scream eeked out of her. Without thought, she chucked the hammer toward the man standing in the room.
“Holy shit, woman!”
He dodged out of the way and it thudded to the ground.
“You scared me.” She slapped a hand on her leg as she slowed her breathing.
Bradford picked up the hammer and strode toward her. “Who the fuck did you think I was?”
His face was a mask of danger and irritation. Perhaps a bit of anger. The chiseled lines obvious even with the facial hair.
“I didn’t. Last I knew you were in the other room.”
“And you thought someone else was out in this weather and they wanted to attack you?”
“I’m a single woman in a place I don’t know well. I took precautions.”
His lips quirked up and damn it, how come he looked so sexy doing that?
“How much of a precaution if I’m holding the hammer?”
She snapped her teeth at him. “What are you doing here?”
“Thought you could use some help.” Bradford gave a smooth shrug.
He moved closer, and she took her time dragging her gaze over his features. Sharp jawline, his beard getting thick. Dark brown lashes, and she swore they were tipped in red when he blinked. But it was his eyes, dove gray but not soft—no, she wouldn’t ever use that term—they were intense and saw far more than she wanted them to.
“You should be by the fire. You were in a plane accident.” She’d been distracted by thoughts of him. Having him at her side was going to be worse.
“And you shouldn’t have to do all this by yourself.” He offered the hammer. “I’m not completely helpless. I’ve put up wood before.”
Iris took it and sighed before stripping off her mittens and giving them to him. “Don’t argue, put them on. My gloves won’t fit you but you need to have some sort of protection.”
“I generally do.”
Her amused snort couldn’t be contained. He smiled in response and damn it, there went her belly. He was truly gorgeous when he smiled.
“Is that why you were on the flight?” She edged back so he could lift the plywood over the window and she quickly hammered in some nails. “To get some holiday sex?”
“No. I was running away.”
She ducked beneath his arm and nailed some in on the other side, fully aware of the large man behind her. Having always been larger than societal norms, she was often overlooked by men, but this one definitely made her feel smaller and more feminine.
Not thoughts for the moment, Iris. Focus on getting this up and moving on.
“Gonna ask from what?” His question rumbled into her ear as his breath fanned along her skin.
Was it winter? Was she seriously trying to keep out the snow and wind whipping through these Rocky Mountains? Because right now, her body was on fire. Like she was in Dante’s Inferno. Seventh circle? Hmm, perhaps the ninth. Nope, most likely the second, as that one was lust.
Yep, firmly rooted there.
“Hadn’t planned on it, no,” she lied, like she wasn’t champing at the bit to know more about this mysterious survivor. “Figured it was for pussy you were on a plane. Reckon you could be running because of it as well.”
“My brother told me to leave.”
No denying the anger in his tone there, and she got it. Siblings could push buttons like no one else had the ability to do.
“And you listened.”
“When I mentioned to him I didn’t know who was trying to set me up, he said it was best for me to get out of town for a while.”
She really wanted to stay close to him but that wouldn’t get the work done, so she ducked under his arm again and shifted to the next sheet of plywood. He was there to help her move it. Surprisingly, they worked easily in tandem and with no need for direction. Which was good because she didn’t need to be further distracted. Talking to him was one thing. Him standing close to her was another.
This is a dangerous situation, because despite lying to him about it not being sexual, I’m not dead and I cannot forget his dick that was literally right there in my face.
Iris bit the inside of her cheek to yank herself away from her thoughts and focus on the conversation. “And now that you listened to him, do you have any better idea on who’s behind it?”
“No.” He shifted his weight and held up the wood so she could nail it into place.
“Are you employed at his company? I mean, I get it, you’re rich, but do you work?”
“No, I don’t. And I’m not.” He slid over, making room for her. “I do, however, spend a lot of time there. He owns a casino.”
She pushed up on her toes and nailed in the corners so he didn’t have to support the plywood any longer and could back away from her sooner rather than later. “And does that mean you have access?” Her plan didn’t work. He stayed there brushing against her, distracting her.
“I guess. I mean, my brother probably gave it to me, but that’s not why I go to the casino.”
Iris shook her head, barely pausing when she rolled her eyes. She knew his type. “I’m shocked. You didn’t go to a casino to visit your brother? Whatever could have drawn you there? I’m sure it wasn’t the skimpy outfits your brother has his waitresses wear. And do they have to be a certain look as well?”
She sank to her knees and quickly put nails in the wood only to pause when he moved behind her. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she immediately both appreciated and regretted the move.
I’m too close to his crotch. And sweet God above the man is packing. Sweatpants weren’t exactly prime for hiding a man’s dick, and these didn’t do anything to contain or conceal his. Since I’ve seen it bare and hard already, I don’t even have to imagine what it would be like to see it. I know. And I want a repeat.
“You seem mighty interested in the type of women I invite into my bed.” He’d tipped his head forward, allowing her to see his eyes. She was close enough that if she just leaned closer and tugged down the material with her teeth, she could…
She licked her lips, loving how his cock twitched as his gaze tracked her motion.
“I don’t give a damn what type of women some man wants in his bed.”
He bent down so his face was right near hers. “I call bullshit. I may be recovering from my accident but I’m not too blind to see how often your gaze is drifting to my cock. And just so you know, Iris, I’d happily fuck you anywhere, doesn’t have to be a bed.”
Her core clenched but she didn’t drop her gaze from his. “You depend on your money to get women in your bed, don’t you? Not so much on the suave factor, or being nice and polite.”
His lips twitched. “And is that what you want? A nice man who never tells you how much he loves the clench of your tight, wet pussy around his hard cock? One who doesn’t whisper into your ear how much he wants to bend you over the nearest table, counter or chair and fuck you until you can’t so much as move?” He snorted. “I don’t see you wanting a man who will take you only in bed, before sleep, with the lights off. A three-pump man if you’re lucky, who doesn’t give a damn if he gets you off. Not even close, beautiful.”
She inhaled swiftly and gulped.
“Yeah, no. You need to be fucked, hard and often. Anywhere and everywhere. A smart man would settle between your legs and indulge for hours. He’d sweat to get you to cry out his name, scratch grooves into his back and watch you explode to pieces beneath his touch. That’s the kind of man you need, beautiful.”
Good God, this man was dangerous for her. Yes, that was exactly what she wanted. Not the nice man, the one who whispered all the things he longed to do to her. Not only that, but she wanted him to follow up on everything he said she needed.
“Let’s wait until you survive a full day here before we start discussing what it is I want or need in a man.”
She blinked, dragged her gaze down his body, where she very deliberately looked at his cock, and exhaled, well aware her breath would be felt. Then she pushed up so they were both standing. Her breasts were against his chest, and she gave him a smile.
“You’re too used to those little girls who play at being a woman to know what to do with a real one.” She shrugged. “One more window to cover in here, then I’ll get us something to eat. I’m guessing that soup stayed down and you’re probably wanting more.”
Iris walked to the last piece of wood to be put up right now and plucked several nails out of the bucket and stuck them in her mouth, heads first. Glancing over her shoulder, she lifted her brow when Bradford’s gaze finally found hers from where he’d been focused on her ass.
Bradford hadn’t figured out how to handle Iris. She wasn’t like anyone he’d come across before. He was used to women throwing themselves at him because of his last name, the size of his wallet and all the hopes and dreams they had about landing him, one way or another.
This woman doesn’t know my last name. Sure, I told her I was rich, but maybe she thinks that’s a lie.
His life was one of endless parties, the finest things, and now here he was stuck in the middle of the mountains in winter. Holed up with a woman and her dog in a place which he would honestly recommend her bulldozing and having something new and improved put in its place. Or hell, sell it and get back to the city.
But this woman, who watched him with a mixture of anger and lust, made him want to risk her wrath and back her up against a wall and kiss her. Nip her plump lips, draw them into his mouth. Cup her full breasts and suck on her nipples until they were so sharp they nearly cut him. Not to mention, he definitely wanted to sink his dick into her tight pussy.
A low moan slipped free, and she rolled her eyes and went back to the work before her. Grasping his dick through the borrowed sweats, he readjusted himself before going to her side.
Whatever the circumstances, he appreciated her finding him. Bradford wasn’t sure how long he’d been out there, but he wouldn’t have made the night, that much he had no doubt about. So if he had to stay here for a few nights, he could deal.
He lifted the large piece of plywood and held it in place while she nailed it into the frame. It wasn’t perfect but hell, everything would help at the moment.
His gaze continually drifted to the incredible ass wrapped tight in her jeans. This woman wasn’t anything like the women he’d fucked in the past but he didn’t care. There was something about this woman who lit a spark in him. Something flowed between them. Even if they both wanted to ignore it, the fact still remained.
And it wasn’t a tiny something. It was large, electric and not something either of them were going to be able to ignore for long. She shifted to the other side of the plywood, her knees still on the ground, and he bit his lower lip to keep the moan contained. When she pushed up to nail higher, he leaned forward a teensy bit and allowed her hair to brush his face.
Electrical impulses shot through him as her hair skimmed him. It was softer than he’d been expecting and smelled like vanilla combined with something else he didn’t recognize, yet. He almost released the board, took off the mitten and sank his fingers deep into her hair—just because.
“I think that’s enough for now,” she said, ducking under his arms and moving to the door. “Food is necessary, and I need to check the fire again.”
He liked her levelheadedness. Making sure to brush against her as he walked out the door, he hid, sort of, his smirk at the sharp intake of breath he heard. In silence they moved back to the interior space and opened the door.
Bradford realized how much warmer it was in this spot than the rest of the house. Her dog still lay there but she’d been correct, the fire was much smaller. Iris moved by him and, with a mumbled greeting to her pet, she immediately got to work adding wood to the fireplace.
Unable to stay away, he walked nearer and sank to his knees beside her. “Can I help?”
“Finished here, but you can help with food. I just,” she shook her head, taking a deep breath, “need a minute.”
“You okay?”
“I will be. Just need to get some protein in me.”
He dipped his head so she could see him. “I would love to make some statement—definitely inappropriate—about how I can help with that, but I’m worried. I can get food if you want to rest a minute.”
Bradford loved how she didn’t shy away from his stare, but held his with her own unflinchingly.
Her full lips twitched as she gave him another blinding smile. “Pretty sure I’ve heard that one and gotta tell you, I’d still be hungry and needing more protein, which means I’d be unfulfilled and that’s not how I prefer to be.” She pushed up and moved to where the dog had eaten, swiped that dish and went to the door. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Then she was gone, closing the door behind her.
Bradford hung his head and groaned even as he reached down to adjust his hard cock again in the sweats he wore. I promise you wouldn’t be unfulfilled, beautiful. Taking a moment to get himself back under control, he too, finally went to the door and stepped out into the cold house.
When he found her in the kitchen she was standing by a camp stove with a skillet on one burner and a pot of boiling water on the other.
“You weren’t kidding when you said you came prepared.” He walked up beside her and his stomach growled, the soup he’d eaten earlier a far cry from holding its own in his belly.
“I camp a lot. Picked up a few tricks over the years. This stove pretty much does anything I need it to. I have a griddle top and a grill one also.”
He gave a low whistle, definitely impressed. “What can I do?” Bradford was determined not to be a burden, or more of one, to this woman who had rescued him.
“Put the bag on the counter in the boiling water please, and place the lid on it.”
He followed her command and watched as she put some dough in the cast iron pan then covered it as well.
“Are you making biscuits?”
There went that smile that was dangerous to his well-being. She made his knees weak.
“Biscuits and chicken and dumplings. Not as good as homemade chicken and dumplings, but it’ll do in a pinch.”
“Fucking impressive, Iris. What got you into camping?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.
“Grew up on a lot of acreage and spent my days away from the house. The first night I didn’t come home because I didn’t think they really wanted me. And I got lost.” She gave a small shrug. “I woke up in the middle of the night to thunder and found I’d had a shelter erected over me and my foster mother was beside me. She’d also covered me with blankets.”
“Was she mad?”
“Nope. All she said was I needed to be prepared if I was going to do this again. So the classes began. First aid, recognizing animal tracks, how to build a shelter if I didn’t have one and how to pack smart for when I was going out with the intent of staying overnight. I took courses and it kind of grew from there.”
“Sounds like your mom is a goddamn rockstar.”
Iris set a timer on her watch and gestured for him to follow. They went back to the warm room and took seats side by side on the bed they would be sharing tonight.
“She is. I’m not sure how she managed to do what she did with all of us, but no matter what we pursued, she was there. Supporting it, supporting us and encouraging.”
He took off the mittens and placed them by his leg, noticing how she’d removed her gloves, showing him her hands and the painted nails.
“That’s amazing.” Unable to help himself, he picked up one of her hands and brought it close. “Is this a winter scene on your nails?”
“It is,” she said, inching closer to him.
Something he had no problem with. Iris lifted her other hand and he took in the full display. From reindeer, to frosted trees, snowmen and even a Santa, each nail had some intricate work detailed on it.
“Do I want to know why on each of your middle fingers you have nothing but snowflakes?”
She chuckled. “So when I flip someone off, it’s cold and icy?”
Bradford laughed and made himself release her hand. “You are full of surprises.”
“Not really, I’m just me.” She sobered, and it was like a knife to the heart. “I’m going to check on the food, I’ll be right back.”
She vanished before he could say anything.
“Hate to break this to you, Iris Wentz. The you I see is a fucking incredible woman and I want to know you better. Far better than I do now.”
Chapter Four
Iris couldn’t sleep. She rolled her lower lip in her teeth and tried to think of sleepy things. Counting sheep didn’t work. Trying to meditate was out of the question.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t exhausted, for she was. It had everything to do with the man she lay against. Bradford.
“You’re thinking awfully hard over there. Are you cold?”
Damn it! His voice was sex. Pure sex. Struggling with the need to squeeze her thighs together, she bit her lower lip.
I’m definitely not cold.
“Just waiting for my mind to slow down.”
His long muscular body stretched out against her as he shifted closer. “Want some help expending energy?”
She closed her eyes and allowed the calming cadence of his voice to flow over her.
“I was debating getting up and dragging the mattress from the only bed that isn’t under a pile of snow and bringing it here.”
