Mountain Manhattan_Mountain Man in the Big City Read online

  “Out of whack? Does everyone talk like that in New York City?”

  “It’s my brother and sister rubbing off on me.” She sighs good-naturedly. “I’m such a dork. I really should get out more. I swear, this past year I’ve been in a vortex where I only work and sleep, rinse and repeat.”

  “Sounds like this night out was the right call.” I look at her, trying to understand what has her working so damn hard.

  “Yeah, it was.” She dips her egg roll in sweet-and-sour sauce, a smile on her face. “Thanks, Ford, for convincing me.”

  “The night’s not over, Mia.”

  Finished with our food, I take her hand. It slips into mine so damn perfectly and she looks up at me, feeling the same spark I feel. Her hand in mine is the perfect fit.

  “It’s not?”

  I shake my head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Not even close.”

  “Good,” she says, leaning closer. “Because I’m not ready for it to end.”

  I pull her mouth to mine and she doesn’t pull away. No, she leans into me, asking for more.

  I kiss her on that park bench under the trees of Central Park.

  I kiss her and I don’t plan on stopping there.

  5

  Ford

  In the hotel, I pull her down the hall toward my room.

  “I never do this,” she tells me.

  I can tell by the way she watches me use the keycard, biting her lip, that she’s nervous. Making out in the cab ride to the hotel was fun, but shit just got real.

  “It’s an open invitation, if you want it, Mia.” I push open my door and blushing, Mia walks right in. Following her, I lock the door and turn toward her.

  She’s slipped off her heels and looks so small and slight. As if she could break. All night her personality has been shining through, and she’s had no problem taking the lead. At the gala, it was a godsend. No way could I have stomached all those conversations, but Mia kept them going and helped me avoid pissing anyone off.

  But now, in my room, she seems vulnerable. “Would you rather we went back to your place?” I ask.

  “No,” she says quickly. “Not at all. I want to be here. I really do, it’s just…”

  “Just what?”

  “I haven’t done this in a really long time.”

  Her voice is so small, it’s like a different woman is standing before me now. She’s come across as so confident all night, with her red lips and bright green eyes. But suddenly she’s become a shadowy version of herself. It’s like she needs me to pull her back into the light.

  “Mia, we don’t have to rush anything. But I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off you all night. You’re stunning in that dress, for starters.” I run my hand over my beard. “And damn, woman, I haven’t stopped thinking about how you’ll look once you step out of it.”

  I see heat rise on her cheeks and I know she likes what she hears.

  “Ford, I’m not saying I don’t want this. I do want this. Hell, I think I need this. It’s just, in most situations, I feel comfortable in my own skin. But then I look at you, and you’re such a man, even in that tuxedo it’s obvious you’re well-built.” She blows air out of her cheeks, shaking her head. “You work with your hands and beyond your sex appeal… you’re really confident with me. I’m not as experienced as you. And when I say experienced…” She flutters her eyelashes and waves her hands all around. “…I’ve only slept with one person, one time. And when I say it’s been years, I mean it. I’m twenty-two and haven’t been with anyone since I was eighteen.”

  “Mia, it’s okay. Though damn, that guy must have done a shitty job if you never tried again for so long.”

  She blushes. “He was a dumb college guy.”

  “Well, I wish I’d been your first because I’m no college kid. I’m a man.”

  She shakes her head, a smile on her lips. “You sure about that? Because I heard you’re a mountain man.”

  I run a hand up her arm, looking intently into her eyes. “And listen, I’m not thinking about any other women right now. About my experiences with them. I’m only thinking about this moment.” I step toward her and cup her face with my hands and then I kiss her lips softly. “I’m only thinking about you.”

  She exhales, nodding as if she believes me. And she should. I may be uninterested in most of the population, but I’m very interested in her. She’s bewitched me in one night, and I’m not letting her go. It feels good to be with someone who stirs something inside of me.

  “I probably said too much,” she says, trying to cover her face, but I pull her hands down. “I tend to over talk and overthink everything.”

  “No, you said everything right. And for the record, I don’t take this lightly. But it doesn’t mean that it has to be hard.” I grin, meeting her eyes, and then looking down at my groin. Even through these dress pants, you can tell I’m hard as fuck. Hard for her.

  She laughs then, and I know at that moment she’s letting down her guard. I reach for the straps of her dress, my fingers grazing her soft skin, and pull them down. Just like that, it slips off her.

  She shakes her head, a wave of hair shielding her eyes. “I guess my sister should have made the dress a little more fitted.”

  “Hell, no,” I say, distracted by the fact Mia isn’t wearing a bra and the panties she has on are nothing but a tiny strip of black lace. Barely there at all. I groan at the sight of her. “From where I’m standing, that dress fits perfectly.”

  I step closer to her, running my hands over her bare skin, over her perky breasts. Those nipples of hers are nice and tight, telling me she is as excited as I am. Cupping her face, I hold her at the base of her neck, drawing her closer still.

  I kiss her again, not like we kissed in the park. That was a tease, a test. This kiss is hungry. This kiss knows what it wants.

  This kiss wants her.

  She moans softly, her mouth opening and our tongues colliding. She doesn’t need this to go slow, what she needs is for me to take control.

  Her mouth is so delicious. Sweet with lingering notes of champagne, and I inhale her, wanting more. Her hands travel toward the waistband of my pants, unbuckling my belt and fumbling for the button, the zipper.

  I pull back, toss my suit coat to a chair and help us get to where we want to go a little faster, by unbuttoning my dress shirt and kicking off my shoes and slacks. When I’m standing in nothing but my boxers I pull her toward me again.

  “There, that’s better,” I tell her.

  She nods, unable to speak. My hands travel over her skin and as they do it’s like every hair on her body stands, ready to be touched.

  I breathe her in, reaching for her wrist and smelling her rose perfume. It reminds me of home, of the wild roses that grow on my property. They are a tangle of brambles, thorny, yet covered in sweet, blossoming buds.

  She whimpers, the desire welling up inside of her. And hell, I’m growling with desire, too.

  This woman is doing something to me, opening me up, just like an untamed rose. I can already tell this is more than a one-night stand. Mia is something special. And tonight, I’ll show her what I can offer her.

  When my cock and her pussy get together, I know she won’t be inhibited any longer. There will be no such thing as holding back.

  No, I’m gonna open Mia up.

  And then I’m going to give her all I’ve got to give.

  I might not have much in the way of fucking emotional sensitivity, but I do know a thing or two about getting a woman to cry.

  I’m not talking hurt feelings that lead to tears; I’m talking orgasms that will bring her to her knees.

  6

  Ford

  I reach over and turn off the bedside lamp, then flick off the overhead light too. It’s not that I want it dark in here, it’s more about setting the mood, or some shit like that. Some women like the lights low, and I can tell that Mia is one of those women.

  She’s still a little nervous. No matter how conf
ident she is with her laughter and jokes, she’s a woman who hasn’t been with a lot of men.

  I lay her down on the hotel bed, knowing the plush duvet and soft sheets are going to be perfect for our night together. With her legs hanging over the edge, she moves her hands to cover her exposed breasts.

  “You don’t have to hide anything from me,” I tell her.

  “I just get nervous.”

  “No need to be. The truth is, I love what I see.” I reach for the waistband of her tiny panties, sliding them past her ankles and tossing them toward the rest of our discarded clothing. Then I spread her knees apart and kneel between them. I hear her take in a deep breath of air, and only after I begin blowing on her inner thighs does she started to slowly exhale.

  I take in the view before me. Mia giving herself to me, so vulnerable. It’s fucking beautiful, the way she opens to me. Hell, her pussy is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. I lick my lips, longing to taste her. I breathe against her again, loving the way it makes her squirm.

  “Uh, Ford, are you planning on taking your time?” she asks, a moan escaping her lips. “Because I’m already wondering how long I can last.”

  “How long you can last?” I tease. “Are you really worried about the time?” I take in the view of her beautiful pussy, pink and delicious. “Because as far as I can tell, we’ve got the entire night ahead of us.”

  “I’m not worried about anything,” she says, as I lift my head so our eyes meet. She has the cutest little smirk on her face, and I love her ability to give in to this moment, to let the rest of world float away. I could get lost with this woman. Lost in this woman.

  “Then what’s the problem?” I ask.

  “I just get ticklish.”

  “In that case…” I begin blowing more warm air on her pussy and she starts squirming in delight, attempting to pull her knees back together as if she isn’t prepared for so much pleasure.

  “You weren’t lying,” I tell her, kissing her inner thigh to her utter enjoyment. Her pussy is wet, glistening as I move my mouth closer, running my tongue over her as slowly as possible. Her slit is wanting and wet, and I am prepared to make her wild with excitement.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” she tells me, her hands threading themselves through my hair.

  “You’d rather I rush this?” I ask. My tongue runs up and down her, not worried in the least about her getting upset right now. She won’t be worried about a thing in a moment, as soon as an orgasm floods through her she’ll forget everything except the way she feels. And she’ll feel like the fucking goddess she is.

  I lift my head, her back arching in pleasure, which arouses me to no end. I move my tongue inside her, loving her sweet taste. It’s fucking pure—just like those roses. She tastes like innocence and I go back for more, my tongue ready for all the pussy it can get.

  She comes undone as I make love to her cunt and it’s only when she begs to feel my cock that I oblige.

  I pull off my boxers and her eyes glaze over and yet, she’s still looking at me intently. I stroke myself as she scoots back on the bed, her head resting on a pile of pillows.

  “Ford, you’re so…”

  “Did you want to finish that sentence?” I ask with a sly smile. I crawl into the bed, leaning over her as her hand finds my shaft and begins to move up and down.

  “You’re so hard.” Her eyes meet mine, I could get lost in the forest green of them. They take me back home with one look.

  “And for being such a feisty woman, you taste really fucking sweet.”

  She bites her bottom lip, shaking her head ever so slightly as if this encounter is completely unexpected.

  And, I guess, it truly is.

  Coming to Manhattan was never on my bucket list and meeting a woman like this was not on my radar. A woman who can take it as well as dish it out, a woman with a body so curvy yet, so innocent… I don’t mind being in this city at all if it means being with her.

  “Are you ready for me?” I ask, kissing her neck, nibbling at her ear. She moans a yes, and I roll on a condom, ready to fill her with all I have to give.

  She runs her hands up and down my back, squeezing my ass and laughing as she does. With her dark hair splayed out around her shoulders she looks so beautiful lying here, so open and willing and wanting.

  I kiss her then, on her still-red lips, swollen as they are. I kiss her hard, as I begin to ease myself inside of her. Her whimpers tell me she needs me, her body is already begging for more. She wraps her legs around me as if desperate to be closer. To feel this moment in a deeper way.

  Shifting positions, I wrap my arms around her and pull her petite frame up into my lap. I fuck her like that, with her sitting in my lap, her legs wrapped around me, nice and tight.

  And her pussy? It’s even tighter.

  Her head falls, long dark hair swaying as she inches toward the edge of desire, her back arches, her chest heaves as I pump myself inside of her tight little pussy. I run my hands over her creamy skin, my fingers resting on the tattoo on her ribcage.

  “Why a butterfly?”

  She tries to steady her breath, but it’s practically impossible. “They have to change in order to fly.”

  “Who are you?” I ask, my chest wide open as I take in her beauty. Her words fucking slay me, and her beauty makes me come undone. Her tits bounce, so fucking full and round and gorgeous, her nipples hard. She’s so petite and she fits against me perfectly.

  I may be a cold-hearted mountain man, but one night with this woman and the hard pieces of my heart are fucking melting.

  “Ford, this feels so good,” she moans, and she’s right. It does feel so fucking good. My cock aches as it fills her up, her pussy tightening around me, my throbbing shaft hard and demanding.

  “Oh my God, I’m gonna come, Ford.” She begins to murmur nonsensical pleasure as she flings her arms around me, squeezing tight around my neck. The orgasm rushes through her body as she trembles and shakes.

  She likes it so damn much.

  Her hips move in a slow circle and I thrust deeper inside of her. With every thrust, I’m closer to coming too.

  When I do, our hands find each other, our fingers lace together. I pump inside of her, coming hard and fast. Our bodies are slick with sweat, our foreheads touch. I try to steady myself, but she has unnerved me in the best possible way.

  I lay her down, brushing strands of hair from her face, cradling her cheek in my hand. Kissing her ever so softly with my cock still buried deep inside her pussy. “Did you last as long as you wanted?”

  She laughs softly, catching her breath. “I did, but I’m demanding.”

  I run a hand over her breasts, continuing down to her pussy. Pulling myself from her, I press my hand to her wet entrance, loving her soft pussy and not having had enough of it.

  “Oh, yeah? And what do you demand right now?”

  She closes her eyes, so satisfied. “More.”

  “Simple enough.” I pull off the used condom and toss in the trash. My cock is already begging to be free, wanting to feel her soft skin against mine. “I have no problem giving you what you want.”

  “Good. Because Ford, I want more of you.”

  We fuck all night, lost in our bodies, our minds. It’s like once Mia decided to let go, she was all in.

  And with every orgasm, I feel her loosening the reins of her heart ever so slightly and the sex just gets better because of it.

  At least, that is the way I want to think of it.

  I’ve lived in the wild mountains of the Colorado Rockies all my life and I plan to keep it that way. But sleeping with Mia is a fucking breath of fresh air I never thought I needed, and definitely one I never expected to find in this barren steel-and-concrete city.

  And with our bodies entwined, I can’t help but think that saving the mayor’s son wasn’t the best thing I ever did.

  Mia is.

  And I will do her over and over again until it’s time for me to go back home.

  7<
br />
  Mia

  Before dawn, with Ford sound asleep, I slip back into my dress from the night before, my heels in hand, and open the door to the hall ever so slightly. Looking over my shoulder, I take a final look at Ford, holding tightly to the memory of the night. While it’s certainly the most reckless thing I’ve ever done, it was needed more than I had realized.

  Irresponsible too, but we used protection and he was so sweet with me… so I won’t beat myself up about that.

  But it will never, ever happen again.

  Praying to God no one sees me doing the walk of shame at my place of employment, I tiptoe home. If Mr. Roller saw me leaving a guest’s room at four in the morning I would literally die of embarrassment.

  I’ve lived in The Mid-Manhattan Hotel most of my life, and I know every squeaky floorboard, I know which windows get jammed mid-July, and I know which corridor is the quickest route to my basement apartment. Thankfully, I’m able to get to the back stairwell without anyone seeing me.

  I unlock my door and set down my shoes and purse as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake Mathias or Tahlia. The last thing I need is my sixteen-year-old sister giving me the fifth degree before the sun is up.

  I texted her at midnight, telling her I would be really late but I hope she crashed before she realized just how late.

  Still, she’s gonna want details, considering how happy she was to dress me for the gala in her newest design.

  I peek into my brother’s bedroom. I stand in the open doorway, not crazy enough to step inside—knowing if I did I’d surely wake him. Entering his closet-converted-to-a-bedroom is walking across a landmine made by a ten-year-old. Legos, comic books, and dirty clothes litter the floor. Thankfully, he’s out cold.

  A quick peek in Tahlia’s room tells me she’s had no problem falling asleep without me here. For belonging to a family that is perpetually broke, she has mastered the art of creatively dressing herself. That girl’s room is like an episode of Project Runway.

  Returning to the living room, I pull down my Murphy bed and crawl in, burying myself under a blanket. Then, after setting the alarm on my phone for six-thirty, I try to close my eyes and get a couple hours of sleep.