3. Chapter 3

Silence surrounds me. The lake and wooded forest encircling its icy shores are quiet. The streets and trails are empty too. I squeeze the gas. Correction: the forest was a deafening silence until the growl of my engine disturbed it . My eyes sweep over the mountain. It’s lifeless as I barrel my Polaris through the blowing snow. It comes in handy for everything. I smirk. All that power rumbling to life can really turn a guy on. My beast of a ride blasts through the powdery banks effortlessly, snow swirling heavy and thick, sticking to my all-black helmet as if Mother Nature is trying to warn my sweet little candy cane of my arrival—and the danger she’s about to be in. How dare you fucking try to warn her? I think, pressing the gas, feeling threatened by a damn snow storm. I scoff. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that she’s here. Hazel is really fucking here—on my mountain, with me. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s all mine. Her body, her heart, maybe even her soul. I lick my lips just thinking about it. She’s the one that got away, and I still can’t believe this is happening. Everything about tonight has always felt too good to be true, from the moment her sweet, airy voice agreed to my demands to establish residency in exchange for the property. Sure, I may have impersonated an attorney and broken a few minor—okay, major—laws, but tomato, tomato, am I right? Honestly, I didn’t expect for it to be so easy to lure her up here for a week alone with me. Was there any harm really done? On top of agreeing so easily, I also never expected for her to settle on the week of Christmas. Is she really that distraught over finding out about that other woman I set Tyler up with? What kind of depressed, lonely girl am I falling for? The grin on my face is pure satisfaction as I revel in the success of stage one of my plan.

It was easy enough to trick her into thinking I was a local police officer just doing my job when, in reality, I printed a magnetic sticker to impersonate a police vehicle and threw some lights on top of my truck. I even went so far as to order a custom-made police uniform under the guise that it was a costume for the local theater. By intercepting her at the bottom of the mountain, I was able to ensure she made it to her uncle’s property safely. As soon as she turned down his road, I raced through the blizzard back to my house to grab the Polaris for an up-close look at Hazel. My body trembles with desire just thinking about running my hands over her supple skin. Well, Kane, I think you just proved every woman who has ever said shoulders aren’t sexy wrong. Men just sexualize a woman’s body, right? I roll my eyes at myself. I sure can’t wait to study Hazel and sexualize her body. Despite the freezing cold temperatures, my dick still stiffens against my leg. I know, buddy, soon enough.. . Soon enough we’ll get another glimpse at that slice of sunshine, all grown up.

When she rolled down her window for me earlier, it took every ounce of self-control to stop myself from taking her right then and there. All I could think about was slamming my lips against hers. For a brief moment, I considered doing it, but then the thrill of the chase wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. I have all kinds of plans for the two of us this week. It’s all going to be perfect. I just know it.

The soft glow from the lights I turned on at her new place earlier illuminates my path. Without them to guide my way, it would be much more difficult to see where I’m headed. The glow from the cabin is like a beacon leading me to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At last, I have the chance to claim what is rightfully mine. I saw her first. I loved her first, and then she was ripped away from me, vanishing without a single trace.

My efforts to befriend her uncle were futile, but I didn’t learn that until after the family feud was well underway. When Dexter’s wife passed away tragically in a boating accident, let’s just say I did him a favor. He deserved better than her. I needed something to spark a family reconciliation, and she proved to be the perfect sacrifice. Although I would have done anything to get Hazel back up this mountain. My efforts wouldn’t have stopped there. It was a good thing her unexpected death worked like a charm. I weaseled my way in deeper with Dex, bonding over the loss of someone in a tragic boating accident. My mother murdered my father in cold blood, and I stood by watching, doing nothing to stop her. Together, we covered everything up. His life insurance policy paid off the mountain mansion, along with several other properties in his expansive portfolio, setting us up for life. We cashed in millions, and his investments continue to churn out revenue.

Mom has long since passed on. Cancer got her, so it was ironic that the day Dex found out he was terminal, I was the first person he told. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t stir up buried emotions, but it also provided me with one last shot at getting Hazel home to me. I convinced him to leave his niece the rental property a few days later, and the will was amended immediately. He ended up leaving everything to her. I bet that really pissed her dad off. All those years of fighting over their father’s estate, only for him to hand over his portion untouched to his only niece. When he passed, and she found out about her inheritance, I thought surely she would come and visit the place one last time before Dex passed away, but she never did. Not until now, and even then, she had to be lured up here. Why is she so resistant , I wonder, as if I haven’t contemplated this very question thousands of times over the past few months?

When I get to the edge of her property line, I slow the Polaris and cut the engine, pocket my keys, then jump off in one fluid motion. The snow rises midway up to my shin as I sink into its ice-cold embrace. There’s got to be at least 8 inches out here. I pop my helmet off, hang it from my handlebars and adjust the black subzero ski mask, re-situating it over my face from where it slid up. I check to make sure my tracker tag is securely attached to the ATV and my helmet, just in case. Most people up here know better than to mess with my stuff or trespass on my property, but sometimes people make bad choices. And when they do, it’s always fun to remind them of their place, I snicker silently. Although I know the area like the back of my hand, the tracker will come in handy if the weather and visibility get worse. From the looks of the intensity of this storm, it very well could.

The trail system surrounding the lake stretches along my entire property, making it easy to get around on just the Polaris—much faster than driving the winding road from the top to the bottom. Hazel’s newly inherited property just happens to be at the highest point, backing right up against my sprawling property line. I’ve acquired so many properties on the mountainside I own nearly half the mountain. More luck. Every time a property comes up for sale, I purchase it. Eventually, I plan to own the entire mountain. Unless my darling Hazel would like to keep her uncle’s gift. It’s the perfect wedding gift—paying off the taxes on her inheritance and allowing her to keep it, so long as she agrees to an eternity by my side. Satisfied with my brilliant idea, I check one last time to make sure my gear is on the up and up, then trek across her property, using the sprawling back deck as my guide. All those years tracking and hacking for the government really paid off, and when they fired me for failing my psych evaluation—well, they made me that much more valuable to the criminal sector. Taking care of Mom was always important to me and so, at the age of fourteen, we worked together to outsmart the system. I taught myself everything I could. I did a good job, too. The judge said I had, “a natural talent.” I got busted by the feds when I was eighteen, just after graduation. Mom always thought they were just waiting for the perfect opportunity to get me. They ended up giving me the option of federal prison time or a full-ride scholarship to MIT with an agreement to work for them immediately following my graduation in order to pay off their investment in my education. I didn’t need their money because I was a millionaire by then, and they had no idea I had enough money stashed in offshore accounts to buy my own private island if I wanted to. Let’s just say the thought has crossed my mind many times. I’m still not convinced that I won’t at some point before I die. At least not if I have my way. I shake my thoughts from my head again. It’s important that I have a clear mind before I get close to her. I’m not sure I can trust myself to be this close again without touching her. I scan my surroundings one more time. In the distance, I can still make out the shoreline. Beneath the glow of moonlight, the ice has formed layers on the lake, and it gleams like glass candy. By now, it should be most of the way frozen over for winter. Even the center of the lake should have a thin layer of ice over the surface. A gust of wind blows over the open space between the house and the tree line, sending me falling forward into the snow. Damn, it’s getting nasty out here. I probably should head up the mountain, but my temptation drives my every move as I make my way, step by step, through the deep snow. I don’t stop until it thins out beneath the deck. Huffing, I catch my breath. I’m incredibly fit. I work out every day, run a few local marathons, you know, the usual. Completely normal Colorado mountain millionaire behavior. So why does trekking through snow kick my ass every time? Maybe because it’s so damn heavy? This is the good snow. It’s perfect for snowballs, snowmen, building igloos, sledding—thank you density—and of course, snow ice cream. Yeah, I know that the last one is kind of a cheat, because all snow is good for snow ice cream. Great, now I’m just standing out here in the freezing cold thinking about ice cream. Earth to Kane, time to focus. We’ve got stalking to do. Curiosity gets the best of me and I maneuver my way around the perimeter until I arrive at the front of her house. Interesting. Her car is parked in the driveway. I hope she doesn’t leave it there. I really don’t want to shovel it out tomorrow when I show up to give her a warm welcome to the mountain.

The garage door groans as it creaks open. Fuck. I plaster myself against the side of the house. I’m out in the open. If I don’t move, she’s going to catch me. We can’t have that. On the plus side, at least I won’t have to shovel her out. I think as my eyes dart around the swirling snow. A few feet away, I spot a snow-covered bush. Time to make like a deer and run. Darting across the snow, I move as quickly as I can, which still feels like slow motion. Each time I kerflop into a deep spot, it takes forever to get my momentum going again. My run takes far longer than I would like and I end up diving face-first into the ice-cold snow just in time to avoid being spotted. The freezing cold flakes melt in my mouth. Oh, how I wish it was her sweet pussy melting in my mouth instead. Or ice cream. I would also rather be eating snow ice cream. Trying hard to laugh quietly, I peek out slowly from the cover of the bush, searching for her. I need to see Hazel, but the snow is so heavy it’s impossible. There has to be a way to see that angelic face. After all these years, I’ve never met another woman as beautiful as her.

Our love story is expertly woven from when I first caught sight of her. I was twelve just shy of thirteen and my dad had just acquired the mountain property in Colorado. We were vacationing for the summer while he did some work in Denver on and off. Hazel told me she was twelve when we were playing Marco Polo in the lake’s swimming section, but I found out later she was actually only eleven. We spent the entire summer together—and the one after, when I begged my father to take us back to the mountains. That was the summer my father had his accident. Hazel was long gone by then. I’d wanted her to be there, wished she could be—but instead, I was all alone. I think that’s what triggered me to start losing my humanity. Or maybe it just contributed to an inevitable loss years later. I’d ask my therapist, but she’s dead.

Absorbed in my thoughts, I wait patiently—despite the freezing temperature and blowing snow—for Hazel to pull the car into the garage and shut it. Then I dash around to the back to the stairs taking them two at a time. I creep along the patio until I am peering into the empty kitchen through the glass in the French doors. She’s flipping on lights and walking around. As much as I want to stay and watch her, I can’t risk being caught this early. I wait as long as I can, my stare lingering on her face, burning the image of her into every fiber of my memory. She’s so fucking beautiful. Her ashy-blonde hair falls in loose waves over her shoulders. It’s hard to believe standing only a few feet away is the gorgeous woman of my dreams.

Goddamn it. Hazel’s beauty holds me captivated in place, as if she’s put a fucking curse on me, forcing me to remain in place. I can’t force myself to look away. Not when she’s finally within my reach, so incredibly close to becoming mine to keep this Christmas. Look away, you greedy fucking psycho. Get out of here. I force myself to deny my innermost desires. It’s some kind of fucking torture. Painfully aware that I only have a few more seconds to get away or further risk being caught, I hang my head in defeat, ordering myself to walk back to the Polaris before I ruin everything. She’ll still be here tomorrow, I remind myself. Well, fuck, then I guess tomorrow can’t come fast enough.

The ride home is miserable. Unable to keep my thoughts tucked away, I allow my mind to wander back to Hazel. Tonight was perfect. This snow storm makes it even easier to carry out my plans. With stage one complete, it’s only a matter of time until I’m balls-deep inside of her, making Hazel take every inch of me. A moan escapes my mouth, rolling across my lips, vibrating them in a satisfying release of tension. I’m more than turned on. I’m starved for Hazel. She’s the temptation pulsing through my veins, begging me to turn this ATV around and go flying back to her place. Focus . I shake my head. It’s impossible to see anything in the near whiteout conditions. Times like this make me thankful that I know the way since I just cruised over the snowy terrain by muscle memory. My mind is far from the drive, and of course, my brain picks now to realize it’s running completely on autopilot. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Fuck, I’m totally panicking. Now is not the time to be getting lost in my thoughts. I need to stay focused. I’ll have plenty of time to watch her on my screens when I get home—and bonus, it’ll be warm enough to whip my dick out while I’m doing it.