Authors: Ever McCormick
But what had changed during my time on the mountain was that now I knew how unbelievably awesome this man was inside and out. I was not only deeply attracted to him, but deeply in awe of all he had achieved while he was so young. Working with him would be fun, but I would also learn a lot. I already had.
Most people waited until their midlife crises to break down and realiz
e keeping up with the Joneses is a waste of their lives. He'd figured it all out by 25 and jumped off the train to find his own way. I loved that about him. I loved him. To impress him made me feel good about myself.
"I'd like to work with you." I got up from the chair at the table and I settled onto his lap, sitting sideways so I could wrap my arms around his neck in an intimate hug. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, but I tried my hardest so I could speak my next line with a very professional expression. "You don't have any rules about fraternizing with the boss, do you?"
"No." He laughed. "I expect you to work long hours by my side, overnight shifts, with frequent meetings in my office, which doubles as my cabin."
"Long hours?"
"Oh yes."
"You've got a few cabins on the side of a mountain. Once I update your website, develop a mailing list, and start targeting your market, I won't have anything to do." I stared across the room, shaking my head. I could feel him watching my profile. "I suppose I could branch out after that. Maybe start my own agency?" I smiled at him as I dreamed aloud, and he
smiled and dreamed with me. "I don't know," I said. "I love the mountain, but I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my dreams of a career. I still want to rock the world of business. I want to travel and lead meetings like I've always imagined. I know most women would be happy to ditch their career plans and live out here with you, and I want to live here with you, but I'm not ready to give all that up yet." I expected him to fight with me on this, but his smile remained. It was nice to have someone listen to your pipe dreams.
"I think opening your own agency is a great idea," he said slipping his strong arms around my waist, "but I also think you'll be busier than you think if you accept my offer." He took a drink of his coffee on the table in front of us.
"What do you mean?"
"I
don’t want you to market my cabins. I’ve thought about that a lot lately, and I love what I’ve created—a private, beautiful place. I want this to be our home. I wasn’t kidding when I said that I am this place. I also meant it when I said that this mountain is yours."
"So what is
the job you’re offering me?"
"I
have more than a couple of cabins on a mountain. I still have a stake in dozens of restaurants in New York City. I still work in real estate, but from afar. I haven't invested in anything new in a couple years, but I've been re-considering that decision lately. I listen to market reports sometimes, think of investments, don’t do anything about them."
We stared at each other
.
"Why?" I asked in a whisper. "Why have you been reconsidering?"
He broke our eye contact as he tried to explain. "Because what if there's others like us? To be honest, for a while now, I've given up. I've thought that there was no such thing as a decent soul in this world anymore, and then you showed up, and I can't explain it. It's just when you're convinced you've got your own little world all figured out that someone like you shows up and expands it a hundredfold." He met my gaze again. "I've realized there's more I'd like to see, more I'd like to do."
"So you'd leave this mountain with me? We could visit New York?"
"Visit, yes, but I'll never leave here permanently. It would take something very convincing to get me to move somewhere else for good. I may be ready to give out there another chance, but I want to come back here. I want to live here." He extended his arm out to indicate the room. "I want to live here with you. This could be our home."
I scanned the walls, the blue stone murals, the guitar, the books, the remnants of one our beautiful meals by the sink waiting to be washed.
I imagined our life here on the mountain, tinged by business deals, and trips to the great "out there." I could understand why he loved this place, and I also wanted to be the one who brought him back to a love of humanity. I hoped I'd be a good partner for him.
"I
accept your offer," I said quietly. Our faces were close together and our foreheads leaned in to each other. Our lips were close now, and I could sense the magnetic pull between our mouths gaining strength.
My eyes were closed when he whispered back, "I love you."
I closed that tiny distance that remained between our mouths. I kissed him deeply, tightening my embrace, and closing the deal.
The author wishes to acknowledge all the people who made this book possible:
Karen Amanda Hooper for holding my hand through this process from the days before I started to the late night she texted me to "just hit publish!"
My husband, who comes home and says, "How's the novel?" the way most spouses ask, "How was your day?"
My daughter for making me brave.
My parents for filling our house with books, and my great big Irish family for filling my head with stories.
My betas: T, Rudolpho, Natalie, Megan, Liz, Laurie, and Cheryl. Thanks for supporting me and keeping my secrets.
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About the Author
Ever McCormick writes stories about love, romance, and that niggling feeling of being unsatisfied and having to do something about it. She loves Korean food, pop art, endless road trips, and movies that suck viewers out of reality.
Ever has an MFA from a school far down on the list of the best MFA programs in the USA. She’s published stories and poetry in literary magazines and collections.
All her life, Ever has dreamed of writing and publishing YA and NA romance novels. Meanwhile, she’s been a teacher, editor, waitress, and several other occupations that involve neither writing nor publishing. She decided 2013 was her year.
Gone Wild
is Ever's first novel.