The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (394 page)

I collapsed back and he slowly lowered himself on top of me removing his cock from between my legs. It took us a moment to catch our breath, I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one that overexerted themselves.

He kissed the length of my neck and I drew small circles on his back, lightly touching his tanned skin.

Suddenly I heard a sound coming from the front of the cabin. The search party hadn’t arrived already had they? Luke got up and dashed quickly out to the kitchen. He came back only a minute later but the stress showed on his face.

“What was it?”

“Just a branch falling.” He began to put his clothes back on. I turned my exposed body to face him unsure of why he was so quick to get out of bed.

“What are you doing? By my calculations we still have all night sir.”

He shook his head, “No Cheyenne, we don’t.”

I looked at him puzzled, “What do you mean?”

He turned to look at me, “I mean this was a mistake. I shouldn’t have to run to see who might be watching us. I don’t live in secret. And I need my job at the ranch and your father will never allow this. I can’t believe what a fool I’ve been. But you were here... and you’re just so God damn beautiful. I couldn’t resist you, but I should have.” He ran his fingers through his rugged dark hair. “This,” he began to say before turning away from me, “this can never happen again.”

My heart exploded against my chest as I yelled, “No!” in protest. My ribcage heaved as my shattered heart tried to comprehend this sudden turn in events. Everything else in my life was preplanned; no one let me choose anything. But with Luke, I had a choice. And I had made it. He was mine and I was his. I couldn’t allow him to walk away this easily. I wouldn't.

Chapter 4

I stood there fuming, completely frustrated with the situation and bared to the world. I wanted to grab a robe but I felt like if I put clothes on they would just burn off with my anger heating up my system. “You don’t understand,” I pleaded with him.

“Understand what?”

I didn’t know what I could say to make him grasp the severity of the situation in my mind. He was the type of man I had always wanted but I didn’t know it. And the minute that we were rescued this would all end, my fantasy would turn back into a dark reality. A reality where I would have to lose him before I could gain him back, a reality in which Collin was waiting for me. But while we were here, it was just the two of us and it was perfect. I wouldn’t let it just fade away with storm.

I crossed the room reaching out to him, and instead of turning away as I expected him to, it seemed like my gaze had him rooted in his place. I wrapped my arms around him feeling the cold metal of his belt touch my stomach. Then I whispered in his ear, “You don’t understand how much I want to be with you.” I stepped back away from him realizing the seriousness of what I had just said. It sunk into my skin and flowed through my veins. What was I saying? I barely knew him. “I hardly understand it myself!” I threw my hands up in the air and reached out onto the bed to grab a blanket to wrap around me. I flopped down on the edge of the covers utterly exhausted by the dilemma before me. What the hell was I going to do now?

He sat down gingerly next to me placing his right hand on my left thigh. He shook his head, his chocolate brown locks falling into his face. Then he turned to me, “You and I both know that this isn’t going to work.”

I started to sniffle, “It worked out for Romeo and Juliet! And they had a hell of a lot more people between them. Who’s to say that you and I can’t have this? Whatever
this
is.”

“This,” he said motioning to the space between us, “this is just two people who were in the right place at the right time.”

I stop sniffling to raise my eyes to meet his, “Then it’s fate.”

“What?”

“This is fate. Don’t you believe in fate?”

He shrugged before standing, “I guess.”

I watched the scars on his back as he looked out the window contemplating the situation. The scars caused by a Mountain Lion. If Luke could survive that, he could handle anything, even our impossible situation. Even though Luke was right, my dad would never go for this and there was Collin to think of, right now the only thing I wanted to think about was climbing back into his arms. I stood up slowly and walked over to him by the window. I rested my hand on his shoulder as I said, “We can do this. We’re made for each other.”

He set his lips into a thin line, “If you’re sure...”

I nodded vigorously, “I’m sure.”

He turned to face me, placing his hands on my shoulders and stared deeply into my eyes. “We tell your father when I say, on my terms. I can’t afford to lose this job right now and I won’t do that to Fred and Linda.”

“Sounds good. Whatever you want Luke. I’ll do anything.” My voice was barely above a whisper but I knew he heard me when he took my face into his hands and kissed me slowly savoring the taste.

“You’re just so beautiful.”

I smiled slightly allowing myself to fall deeper into his gray eyes wondering what I would find on the other side.

He broke away from me and began to pack his things. “Someone could be here any minute, we need to get ready to go.”

I nodded slowly and let the blanket slip from between my fingers and felt it softness leave my bare skin. The chill immediately took hold. Even though the snow has stopped, it was still the middle of winter and freezing in the tiny cabin. Thank God Luke had made a fire to keep us comfortable.

I grabbed a pair of jeans and got dressed putting on an itchy sweater which felt almost foreign to my skin after the softness of his touch. As we rushed to get ready I tried to figure out a plan to convince my father that this was what I wanted. But Luke had said he wanted to do this in his own way, did that mean he was going to even include me in the discussion? I turned him to see him throwing things in his pack, cleaning up the cabin as if we had never been there. It broke my heart to see him erase the time we had spent together. But he was right to be quick because only a moment later there was a firm knock at the door and I could hear Collin’s voice flowing through the draft. “Cheyenne! Cheyenne, are you all right in there?”

Luke nodded to me, a seriousness in his gray eyes that I had not yet seen. “Yes! I’m coming.” Our lie was beginning.

I opened the door and allowed the frozen air to steal the warmth of the cabin. Luke had been brilliant keeping the fire going, he saved our lives.

Collin rushed at me his body covered in his snow gear with a light dusting of snow touching every part of him. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me tight. His clothing took all the warmth out of my skin. Just like seeing him here removed some of the warmth of my heart. What I was doing wasn’t fair to him. He hadn’t asked for any of this. “Cheyenne we were so worried about you. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get out here baby, there was just no way.”

I stepped back from him shaking my head, “No I completely understand! The storm was terrible! If Luke hadn’t been here...”

He interrupted me, “Luke? Who’s Luke?”

He began to remove some of the snow gear, his hat and goggles, shaking his head at me and squinting as if I was speaking a foreign language. “Luke is one of my dad’s ranch hands. Our snowmobile broke down on his way back to the farm. He stayed with me the past two nights.”

Collin’s eyes said everything before he ever spoke. He quickly looked over her shoulder to the rest of the search party that was behind him and lowered his voice to just above a whisper, “Cheyenne what the hell were you doing out here at the ranch hand? You know how that makes you look.”

Such a Collin thing to say, always concerned with what other people think. I could hear Luke behind me pulling my luggage out of the bedroom. I noticed his pack was on the couch along with the blanket making it look as though he had slept there. He really thought this out better than I had. Collin searched my eyes for answers that I wouldn’t give him, “It’s fine. No one cares, if it hadn’t been for him I would’ve died Collin. He probably saved my life.”

He rolled his eyes, “Of course he did. I’m just glad you’re okay.” For the first time he acknowledged that Luke was even in the room, “Are these her things?”

Luke just nodded not ever making eye contact with the man who was a stranger to him. A rich stranger who like to tell people what to do, somehow I don’t think that was what Luke had in mind for someone to be worthy of me.

I gave Collin a nasty glare and he quickly understood. He removed his right glove and extended his hand out to Luke. “Hey man, thanks for taking care of my girl. Means a lot.”

Luke nodded again but still didn’t respond. He also didn’t take Collin’s hand. Collin waited for a moment before retracting it and surveying me again. What did he know? Was it written all over my face?
I’m in love with the ranch hand
tattooed on my forehead would be awesome right about now.

“Well we brought that huge old snow blazer up here from my dad’s place, so there’s plenty of room for you and your friend.” Collin narrowed his deep green eyes at Luke keying in on the word
friend
.

“That’s great! I mean... we’re just so happy to be out of here. Right Luke?”

My heart stirred in my chest as I waited for his response. “Of course Miss.” And just like that things were back to the way that they were before Luke ever got stuck here, before we had our moment of passion, before I saw man I wanted to be with more than anything.

I didn’t like this plan.

Chapter 5

We rode back with the five other guys the Collin brought with him including his father to rescue me. Most of them weren’t surprised that I had someone with me, everyone was just happy that we were both alive. Apparently the blizzard knocked out several power lines and left other people scattered throughout the forest in even more of the dire situation than we were. “It’s been all over the news you know.” Collin’s father told us. “Two other hikers died in the storm, and at an outdoorsmen retreat up north several people were stuck there and continue to be. I just hope they have enough supplies to get them through the week.”

“It was kind of frightening.” I admitted, “but it was nice to have someone else there with me. When the power went out was the scariest. You know how I hate the dark.”

Collin put his arm around me and held me close, “Oh I know.” He leaned in closer to whisper in my ear, “But we all know what happens in the dark. I would’ve kept you safe.”

I grimaced slightly as he talked to me. It felt unnatural now since being with Luke. This wasn’t where I was supposed to be anymore, I should be back at the cabin falling further and further in love with the scarred cowboy.

Collin’s father began to talk again this time focusing all of his attention on Luke, “I’m sure Cheyenne’s father will be very pleased to hear that you stayed with her and took good care of her when Collin couldn’t.” I could almost feel the jab at Collin at the end of the statement but I wasn’t sure it was palpable for anyone else, except maybe Collin himself. He seemed to take a sudden interest in one of the other men they had brought with them. He struck up conversation about the amount of snow that we’ve had this year.

I listened to the machine moving slowly through the snow focusing all of my attention on how to maintain my secret. Promising Luke that we would do this his way suddenly made me feel uneasy, like I was lying to everyone, including myself. I tried to steal a quick glance in his direction but he kept his head low as if he wasn't paying any attention. It took hours to get back to Collins family farm. When we finally arrived I was glad to see Fred and Linda and my father waiting for me. I sprinted into his arms, my hands barely touching around his wide body. My father was a big man, not portly just large. Standing at 6'3" he just looked like a force to be reckoned with. Everyone was relieved to see that we were safe and I noticed that Fred and Linda fawned all over Luke just as they had with me when I was a child. Their compassion for him was endearing and almost made me love them even more. My father shook hands with the men who came to rescue us and gave Collin a pat on the back before ushering me to our SUV. The warmth of the heater felt good on my cheeks as I unraveled part of my scarf from underneath my North Face. Luke and Fred and Linda sat in the back chattering away about our experience as my father just stared at the road looking stone faced. As per usual I was unable to read him. As we traveled the forty five minutes back to our own compound I waited for my father to say something to me about my experience in the woods with Luke but if he was feeling anything he hid it well and didn't engage in the conversation. Once we were back at the house Linda insisted on making us all good meal and she made her famous bread pudding in order to warm us up. Luke and I sat at the counter in the kitchen focusing all of our attention on her and her concern for us.

"I just can't believe it! When Luke didn't come back we knew something was wrong... But that storm! I'm just so glad y'all are okay."

I swallowed some more of the sugary goodness that was the bread pudding and smiled at her. "Really Linda we were fine. Luke had everything under control. I'm thinking that you've been teaching him how to cook." I gave a sideways glance to Luke but he didn't return the gesture.

Linda continued to bustle around the kitchen busying her hands as she did whenever she was upset. "I had been teaching him a thing or two! Did you show her some of your culinary skills Luke?"

She stopped for only a moment to wipe her hands on her apron and watched us carefully. For the first time since we had returned I think she realized that there was more going on than we were admitting.

He shrugged, "Wasn't anything special. She is giving me more credit than I deserve."

Linda furrowed her brow thoughtfully, showing in the wrinkles around her steely blue eyes. As I examined her closely I realized that she looked more disheveled than usual. Her bun was slightly fallen from her head and there are wisps of hair released from the usual tightness. She must've been so worried about us. While we were out there all that I thought about was Luke and I, but now coming home the realization hit me that they had to deal with the pain of almost losing us. I shook the thought from my brain but a shiver ran down my spine. I had already lost someone, my mother. I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy and certainly didn’t want the people I loved most to worry that way about me. I had been selfish. That wasn’t fair. I should apologize to my father. And I should tell him the truth.