Walking over to the enormous, fully stocked fridge, I grab a Coors and crack open the top. Following the first long pull, I feel myself begin to relax gradually.
That woman is nothing but trouble. Trouble wrapped in soft, delicious curves. But trouble all the same.
Who the hell does she think she is?
Playing innocent like she doesn’t know what the hell is going on. Her coy, shy girl act may have worked on my naive brother but she won’t screw me over.
All that begging and pleading doesn’t faze me.
I don’t give a shit. Anna’s trouble and she’s getting fucked up.
Although she’s a pretty good actress, I must admit. The soft tone in her voice had been dead on as well as the confusion clouding those pretty brown eyes. But those games won’t fly with me. Because guess who’s a bigger motherfucker? That’s right, me.
Trying to convince me that I have the wrong woman.
Trying to make me second-guess myself.
Yeah, right.
Shut the fuck up.
Like there’s another redhead roaming the streets, just asking for it with that lush, bouncy ass.
Like there’s another redhead walking around with a shy smile and big brown eyes.
SHIT! Angrily, I grind my teeth, pounding the counter with my fist once again.
It’s clear as day that Anna’s after my family’s fortune and I won’t let her sink her claws any further into Chance.
All that BS about me having the wrong woman is just a clever ploy on her part.
But not clever enough.
The town tramp is locked in that room upstairs and nobody is going to convince me otherwise.
Pacing furiously, I travel the length of the downstairs area several times before my anger fully subsides, settling into a simmer. I stalk into the private study near the back of the house to ensure that everything is in place for me to start working tomorrow.
Because I’m a writer, a best-selling author actually, and this cabin is the perfect place to be alone with my thoughts. Well, as alone as I can be with that red-headed temptress locked up. Still, the trip worked out perfectly since no one’s gonna suspect she’s out here.
Turning on the light, I enter the room and breathe in the scent of leather and cedar. Seated at the oversized glass top desk, I relax into the cushioned chair and feel myself let go.
Solitude and comfort wrap themselves around me and peace descends for the first time since my last visit.
This place is my sanctuary. My home away from home. A place where I can be my truest self, focusing only on the words flying from my fingertips. Of course, dragging along an alluring distraction like Anna isn’t my smartest move. But there had been no other choice.
As I sit there, my mind catalogues her every curve and I get pissed all over again. What the hell am I going to do with her out here in the middle of the woods? With no one around to hold me accountable for my actions, I don’t trust myself.
A man can only be so strong.
Temptation is for the weak … but shit, she looks good.
My stomach rumbles hungrily and I realize for the first time that I haven’t eaten since breakfast.
Stalking back into the kitchen, determined to forget her, I open the fridge and inspect the contents. Taking out a couple things, I combine them with some shit in the pantry. There aren’t too many dishes I’m good at, but I can throw together a mean stew. And as my stomach starts rumbling, I quickly pull down pots and utensils.
Because this place is fully stocked year-round. When we’re not here, staff comes by to clean the cabin and keep it in tip-top shape, making sure the cupboards are full. So yeah, there’s plenty of food and drink, plenty of firewood and kerosene, we’re not gonna die. After all, as members of the Morgan clan, Chance and I always have anything we could possibly want or need at our fingertips. And money talks, baby, money talks. People fall at our feet, trying to get on our good side.
Frankly, the constant fawning is fucking annoying after a while, but my brother is still young enough to eat it right up.
Hence, his current situation.
Shit, how did this happen? But I know why. Because we’re not full-brothers. Chance is my half-bro, someone twenty years younger than me, born when our dad was almost sixty. And after dad passed away, it was just us. So I’ve been more of a father figure to Chance than anything. I’m the one who pays his tuition, who makes sure he stays out of trouble. But it’s not like I was his real dad, Chance pretty much got to do whatever he wanted, running wild.
And this latest stunt has to be his worst. Really? Marriage after one night? Fuck him. Fuck ‘em all. I can’t believe I’m cleaning up after my baby bro again.