Mysterious Mountain Man Read online

  “You just wanted me to come back to Seattle, as I recall.”

  “True. I wanted the man who had trained with my father to bring his experiences and his knowledge of the company into play in order to salvage what we could. However, it was the man who lived alone in a hidden mountain retreat that has intrigued me and caused me to want to learn more about him.”

  “Why?”

  “I dunno, exactly. I guess it’s the two distinctly different aspects of who you are that I find so unusual. In the business world you exude confidence and an urbane polish that suggests a privileged background. And yet, from what you have told me, you’ve spent much of your life in the wilderness, learning survival at the most primitive level.”

  “And you find that unusual?”

  “Very.”

  Without warning he reached for her and with a strong tug on her wrist pulled her across the tub toward him. “I’ve decided I’d like to be your friend,” he said with a half smile. He guided her so that she was lying across his thighs, her hands resting against his chest.

  The unexpected move caught her unprepared and left her breathless. With a nervous chuckle she attempted to sit up by pressing her palms against his chest. Her fingers slid across the smooth and muscled surface. She was very aware that she was sitting on bare thighs.

  He straightened slightly and placed a kiss on her cheek, another one on the tip of her nose and a third one on her slightly opened mouth.

  With a tiny groan she lifted her arms around his neck and leaned against him, returning the slight pressure of his kiss and deepening it.

  Jake quickly realized that he’d made a strategical error. In his impulsive effort to distract her from her subject of conversation— himself— he had momentarily forgotten that the situation was fraught with complications, the most acute being the fact that they were very much alone, unclothed and, at the moment, Rebecca’s behavior was uninhibited, which wasn’t helping his restraint in the least.

  And yet, wasn’t this what his dreams had been full of during the past several weeks— holding her, kissing her, making love to her?

  Had he lost his mind?

  The thought drifted through him as though it had been suggested by someone else. He ignored it. She was already settling into his lap as though there was nowhere else that she would rather be. Her response to his move was all the encouragement he needed to wrap his arms around her and to thoroughly explore once again the delectable shape and texture of her eager mouth.

  For the moment he would allow himself the simple pleasure of enjoying the situation.

  Rebecca tightened her arms around his neck, afraid he might pull away from her before she had the chance to experience once again those wonderful, tingling sensations that occurred when he kissed her. Who knew when she might be able to kiss Jake again? She wanted to luxuriate in this golden opportunity to live out some of her fantasies.

  Her breasts were pressed tightly against his chest. She shifted slightly, wanting to feel the rough texture of the curls against her skin. The minuscule covering across her chest was hopelessly inadequate. The flimsy material had shifted so that her bare breasts were now pressed against him.

  Jake curled his fingers around one of them and gently stroked the soft roundness that filled his hand. What the hell was he doing? He had to stop this right now before—

  But it was too late to stop Rebecca’s suddenly urgent need to resolve so many questions that had gone unanswered throughout her life. She wanted to discover what all these delicious feelings meant, where they led, and she wanted Jake Taggart to be her teacher.

  The buoyancy of the water aided her movement as she turned more fully toward him, straddling his thighs. She felt his body’s reaction to her. Instead of being dismayed and pulling back, she made a pleased sound deep in her throat and touched him.

  “‘Becca— !” Jake whispered in a strangled voice.

  “Mmm?” Her fingers continued to explore the length and breadth of him. She eased closer, drawing him ever nearer.

  “You don’t know— This really isn’t a very good— Oh, ‘Becca....” His voice faded into a groan as she positioned her body over his hardened length and slowly lowered herself onto him.

  She couldn’t believe the indescribable sensations rippling through her. Her mind had shut down and her instincts had taken over. There was an uncomfortable moment when she discovered that her heightened senses couldn’t disguise the pain of joining with a man for the first time. She stiffened, her eyes widening, and Jake gathered her close, holding her in his arms without moving. The pain eased as her body adjusted to the new sensations.

  Jake began to kiss her once again, the tenderness of his touch causing her to melt into his embrace.

  In time she wanted more than gentleness. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was she wanted, but she knew there was something she was striving for that would—

  She began to move her hips. Jake guided her, urging her on. She couldn’t believe how good it felt to be with him like this. After picking up her pace to increase the pleasure, she experienced a silent explosion somewhere deep inside, as her body clenched around him, then quivered into wave after wave of release. With a groan, Jake followed her lead, and they continued to cling to each other in the soothing aftermath of their coming together.

  For a long time the only movement was the bubbling water around them. Eventually Jake muttered, “It’s a wonder we didn’t drown ourselves in this thing.”

  Rebecca wondered if she would ever have the energy to move or whether she could continue to drape herself around him forever. He stood, still holding her in his arms, and stepped out of the tub. He placed her on one of the benches nearby, then went over to where she had left her robe beside the pool.

  She couldn’t take her eyes off his lithe, naked form, so beautiful in its clean, sculpted lines as he moved between light and shadow. He appeared comfortable in his unclothed state, as though he were alone. Rebecca glanced down and realized that she still wore the scraps of her bikini and quickly adjusted them before he turned around. How strange that she should gain some comfort by wearing such an ineffective item of clothing.

  Jake returned to where she sat, carrying her robe. She stood, her knees still wobbling, and he put the robe around her. “We stayed in there too long.”

  She glanced up at him, but his expression was unreadable. He was right, of course. The body shouldn’t be submerged in too-warm water for more than a few minutes at a time. But she had a hunch he wasn’t referring to the temperature of the water.

  Her eyes met his. “There’s no harm done.” Her gaze remained steady despite her nervousness.

  “You think not?”

  She couldn’t read anything from his expression or his tone of voice. It was up to her to carry them through this awkward situation.

  “We’re both adults, Jake. Let’s don’t make any more of this than it is.”

  “Okay. You tell me, then. Just what is this?”

  She lifted her shoulders in a tiny shrug. “The mood of the moment, perhaps?”

  He didn’t say anything for a long time. “I find it interesting that this particular ‘mood of the moment’ never struck you before, as you mentioned earlier.” His voice dropped. “Why me? Why now?”

  She studied him for a long moment of silence before saying, “You’ve turned back into the rational businessman once again with your need for answers. Isn’t it enough that we spent some pleasant time together? Do we need to analyze it?”

  “You tell me. After all, you’re the boss here.”

  Her face flamed. She felt as though he’d slapped her. “So what does that make you, some sex slave, here to do my bidding?”

  After another long moment of silence, he chuckled. “Now there’s a thought! Sex slave, huh?” He shook his head, looking away from her.

  “Would you mind putting something on?” she finally said, having trouble fighting the urge to stare at his body, to touch it, to ask him to hold her for a while
longer.

  “Sorry, milady. I didn’t mean to offend your sensibilities.” He reached for a towel and lazily wrapped it around his middle.

  There was no way she was going to be able to win a verbal duel with this man. She was way over her head, and she knew it. As soon as he turned away, she spun around and hurried to the door. She was going to have to deal with her reactions to what had happened in the privacy of her room. Maybe she would be able to face him better tomorrow.

  Right now all she wanted was to be alone.

  Rebecca reached the refuge of her room with a sense of relief. She’d managed to escape Jake’s presence without humiliating herself further.

  She could scarcely believe her actions. She had thrown herself at the man, practically begged him to make love to her. He’d obliged her, of course. She shivered and realized she was leaning against the door as though there was a possibility he might seek her out.

  Fat chance. He was probably laughing his fool head off at her behavior. She headed toward the shower, shedding her swimsuit cover and bikini on the way. She wasn’t at all sure she wanted to question her motives for seeking him out.

  Hadn’t she accomplished exactly what she’d set out to do? But somehow in her fantasies she’d pictured herself as the one in control. When they’d discussed friendship she’d thought that she could help him in some way. Instead he’d taken charge and sought to teach her a few things.

  She wasn’t sorry to have experienced lovemaking with Jake. It had been so much more than just curiosity, but what had happened hadn’t prepared her for how she would feel afterward.

  Only now did she face the fact that she had wanted him to want her. She had hoped that he would feel a new bond with her as a result of their joining.

  Instead he had taken what she’d offered him, then had had the nerve to remind her that since she was his technical boss, he hadn’t been given much choice in the matter.

  By the time she stepped out of the shower and finished drying her hair, Rebecca knew that she had made a grave tactical error. From now on she would have to walk a thin line with Jake or he might leave the company before he’d resolved all the difficulties.

  She would have to impose a strict restraint upon herself in order not to allow him to see just how vulnerable she was where he was concerned.

  * * *

  Jake watched her march away from him, her back impossibly stiff. For the first time in a very long time, he hated himself. He’d been so set on protecting himself that he had hurt her. Badly.

  Damn it. Hadn’t she known that she was playing with fire, despite all the water around? It was a wonder the hot tub hadn’t been reduced to steam when she’d crawled in there with him.

  But there had been no reason to hurt her. He cringed when he thought of some of the things he’d said, as though what had happened between them hadn’t mattered to him, one way or the other.

  Hadn’t she said the same thing, though? Hadn’t she been using him in an attempt to gain some experience?

  Damn those women, anyway. He certainly hadn’t pitied Rebecca her innocent state. He felt like a heel for so freely taking what she’d offered, regardless of her reasons.

  She’d felt so good in his arms. As soon as he’d taken her out of the tub he’d wanted her again. If he was her only experience of a male nude in living flesh, then she was bound to have gotten the idea that all men walked around with a portion of their anatomy imitating a flag pole!

  He scrubbed his face with his hand, knowing what he was going to have to do. There was no help for it. He was going to have to apologize to Rebecca.

  Another first for Jake.

  * * *

  The next morning Rebecca glanced at her watch as she hurried down the stairs. She’d overslept once she’d finally stopped twisting and turning and dropped off. She should probably skip breakfast, but she knew better. She couldn’t possibly go to work on an empty stomach. She was going to need all her strength to face the almost certainty of seeing Jake sometime today.

  Besides, it would only take an extra ten minutes to—

  “Good morning.”

  The last person she’d expected to find in the sunny breakfast nook was Jake. He was also the last person she’d wanted to see at that particular moment. She hadn’t even had the benefit of her first cup of coffee.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He glanced down at his plate as though it was obvious before he replied. “Having breakfast.” He picked up the carafe and poured her a cup of coffee, setting it down at the place across from him. Numbly she sank into the chair, staring at him.

  “No, I mean— You’re usually at the office by this time.”

  “I wanted to talk to you, so I waited until your usual time to come down.” He glanced at his watch, a tiny frown forming between his eyes.

  “I know. I’m late.”

  He almost smiled. “Somehow I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about being chewed out by the— ”

  “Don’t say it. I think I’ve heard enough remarks about— ”

  “Look, ‘Becca, I’m sorry. That’s all I was waiting to say. I’m sorry about last night. I’m sorry about my insensitive remarks. I just wish— ”

  She stared at him in surprise. This was a Jake she’d never seen before. He looked upset. And tired. He wasn’t able to cover what he was feeling. “I’m not certain I know what it is you are apologizing for,” she said slowly.

  “I should never have taken advantage of you.”

  She raised both brows. “Exactly who took advantage of whom?”

  “You know what I mean. I shouldn’t have teased you about being the boss.”

  She tilted her head. “You were teasing?”

  His gaze sharpened. “Of course! Besides that, I took advantage of your trust, your having me live here with you. I should never have— ”

  Rebecca reached for his hand. “Jake, c’mon. You’re making this sound as though you plotted and planned to seduce me, when in actual fact, it was I— ” Oops, that wasn’t exactly what she wanted to admit.

  His eyes narrowed. When she didn’t say anything more, he prompted, “Yes?”

  Hastily she let go of his hand and placed both of hers in her lap. “I guess I just let some of my fantasies overcome my common sense.”

  Slowly he gave her his very endearing lopsided grin. “Are you saying that you’ve entertained some fantasies of your own where I’m concerned?”

  It was her turn to be surprised. “You’ve had fantasies about me as well?”

  His grin widened. “You’d better believe it.”

  The knot that had been in her chest suddenly loosened. “Really?”

  “You don’t need to look so damned pleased about it,” he drawled.

  “Oh! Well, but it puts everything that happened last night in a whole different perspective.”

  “All I know is that I never knew how much I’d enjoy making a friend. Look what I’ve been missing all these years!”

  “What?”

  He burst out laughing. “Oh, God, ‘Becca, but you’re so much fun to tease. I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to resist trying to provoke you and see that particular look on your face.” He pushed back his chair, stood and walked around the table to where she sat. Taking her hand and pulling her up so that she was standing only a few inches away from him, he murmured, “I think we need to begin all over. We should have started this morning’s discussion like this.” He kissed her, oh so gently, so that if she wished, she could certainly step away. Instead she moved closer, kissing him back. When he finally lifted his head, his eyes were hot.

  She felt dazed by the contact, her body already humming with new wants and needs. He stroked her cheek. “Good morning, ‘Becca. Did you sleep well last night?”

  Rebecca’s knees gave way and she sank back down into her chair. How did he do that? She groped for her cup of coffee just as Charles walked into the room carrying her breakfast plate on a tray. She gratefully took the small respi
te from her overheated emotions to compose herself.

  She waited until Charles left the room to murmur, “I slept fine.” She gave him a quick glance over her coffee. “And you?”

  “Lousy,” he replied with a rueful smile. Once again he sat down, this time leaning back into his chair. “A guilty conscience can play hell with your rest, let me tell you.”

  She looked down at her plate. “I know. I wasn’t being completely honest with you, myself. It was after four o’clock before I fell asleep, which is why I overslept this morning.”

  “About that friendship— ”

  She decided she needed to eat and took several bites before she realized that he wasn’t going to say any more. Looking up at him, she met his intent gaze. “Yes?” she prompted, knowing her heated face was signaling her reaction to his provocative words.

  His tone was serious and he didn’t smile. “I would never want to lose your regard, ‘Becca. You are very special to me. I want you to know that.”

  She swallowed, her emotions welling up within her. “That’s why I was upset last night. Everything that happened was so— was so— ” She couldn’t find the words to describe her reaction to their making love. “It hurt to hear that you thought I expected you to perform as an employee.”

  “I didn’t mean it. I promise. If you’ll recall, you were acting pretty blasé yourself, as though what happened was no more than a carnival ride to be brushed aside once it was over.”

  She looked down at her plate, then pushed it away. She couldn’t think about food right now. “That was my inexperience showing, I’m afraid. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or say.”

  He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingertips. “I really am sorry. How can I make it up to you?”

  She eyed him for a long moment, seeing that he was truly offering to make amends. Her thoughts flitted back to the night before and all the indescribable sensations she’d experienced.