Chapter 5

MIKE

Ilooked down at the woman in my bed and wondered how to wake her. I had to be at work in less than thirty minutes, and I was pretty sure I knew where she was staying, in her cousin's cabin in the woods. Fifteen minutes there and back would be pushing it. I didn't want to kick her out, though—she looked so beautiful curled up on my pillow. I realized that this was what my little apartment had been missing: sex. Hell, it was what my life had been missing. All she wanted was a one-night stand, and I would honor that. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing her just one more time, especially if that time was as good as the first one had been.

I decided to get it over with, rubbing her back gently until she came around. She sat up with a start, for a moment unaware of her surroundings. Then her eyes focused on me, and she relaxed.

"I have to get to work," I apologized.

"Oh." She looked around for her clothing. "Sure."

"I'll let you get dressed," I said, standing up.

I collected her things from the floor and set them on the bed, letting myself out of the apartment and down the stairs. She joined me a moment later, her hair uncombed and a bit tangled. I held the door open for her and helped her into the cab of my truck, coming around to step into the driver's seat. She looked like she had gotten laid last night. There would be no mistaking it, though her cousin had practically thrown her at me.

I hoped I wasn't wearing the evidence as plainly as she was. I had changed my clothes and brushed my teeth, so at least I had those advantages. I reached into the glove compartment to find a pack of gum. She took a piece gratefully.

"I had a great time," I said stupidly. "Thanks."

"No, thank you," she insisted. "That was just what I needed."

"Why?" When she looked at me with confusion in her eyes, I elaborated, "Why did you need to have sex last night?"

"Oh, it's a long story." She avoided my gaze.

We reached the turnoff for her cousin's cabin, and I angled my truck into the woods to follow her directions. "Must have been something pretty bad to take you way out of your comfort zone like that."

"My ex cheated on me," she said quietly. "Or rather, he was cheating with me."

"I'm sorry."

"I thought he was the one. I thought I loved him, and I thought he felt the same." Her hands were folded across her lap, bearing almost no resemblance to the claws that had scratched my backside the night before.

"At least you know," I said. There wasn't much to say that would be helpful, I knew. "At least you got out of that situation. You can start fresh."

"Yeah," she agreed.

The cabin rose from the mountainside above us, rugged with its wooden angles and peaked roof. I wanted one of my own and quickly cut off a whiff of jealousy that blew through my heart. Someday soon I would have enough money to move, and I would be free to rent or buy a similar cabin in the woods. Until then, I would have to be content with what I did have, and that included a job that I was going to be late for.

"Thanks again," Tammy said, climbing out of the truck.

I nodded, unable to think of an appropriate way to say goodbye. She had walked into my life like a cool breeze and had disappeared just as easily. If she decided to stay in Singer's Ridge, I would probably see her around. Maybe we would meet again at the Lucky Lady or at the diner or the grocery store. Small-town friendliness seemed inadequate considering what we had just shared. I didn't want to ask for her number out of respect for her desire for a meaningless fling.

She was already halfway up the porch steps by the time I put two words together. They were useless at that point, so I shifted into gear and nudged the truck slowly down the road until I reached the highway. I hit the gas and made it to work with just under a minute to spare.

"You seem distracted today," the manager observed after the third time I missed a cut on a lumber order.

I tossed the mistake into the bargain bin and started over.

"Get it right, or I'll have to find someone else to take over," he warned.

I nodded, less in the mood for his condescending shit than usual. He didn't give one flying fuck that I was the boss' son. I forced myself to focus on my work, when all I really wanted was to relive those luxurious hours of the previous night. I could still see Tammy spread out on my bed, legs wide and ready to receive me. I could still feel her skin, tender and warm beneath my fingertips.

I didn't know what had possessed me to take her home from the bar. I had told Polly, just like I told all the other girls, I wasn't interested in dating. But Tammy had been different somehow. Maybe it was because she was a big-city girl, someone who I had never met before. Maybe her insistence on zero commitment had opened the door for me to take a chance. Whatever had happened, I was hooked. There was no use trying to deny it; I wanted to see Tammy again. I cursed myself for not getting her number. Just because we had agreed that there would be no strings attached didn't mean that I couldn't ask her out on a second date.

My logical mind rebelled. She hadn't asked for my phone number, and she hadn't given any indication that she wanted to see me again. I should just take her at her word and accept the fact that she had just been looking to get screwed. I did my part, and now it was over.

I caught the board just before the saw veered off again, saving myself from a fourth mistake. If I had any chance of keeping all my fingers, I was going to have to banish Tammy to the back of my mind, at least until my shift was over. I let her go with regret, wondering when I would ever see her again. Hopefully, she would stick around town long enough to give me a second chance.