Chapter 4

Chapter Four

A rcher

I'm knee-deep in wiring when her phone buzzes again. The sound has been a steady drumbeat since I got here, and every time it goes off, I see the flicker in her eyes. She doesn't answer, but I can tell she wants to. It's like she's trying to pretend it doesn't exist.

But I can feel the tension. It's hanging in the air between us, thick and charged, making it harder to focus on the damn wires in front of me.

I wipe my hand across my forehead, leaning back on my heels, glancing up at her. She's staring out the window again, arms crossed tight like she's holding herself together.

"You gonna answer that or keep pretending it's not happening?" I ask, pushing just enough to see if she'll bite.

Her body stiffens, and she turns away from the window slowly, her voice clipped. "It's nothing."

Yeah, right.

I stand, stretching my arms and wiping my hands on the rag I've been using. I don't move closer—yet—but I keep my eyes on her. "Doesn't look like nothing," I say, my voice casual, even though I'm anything but. "That your ex?"

Her gaze snaps to mine, sharp and defensive. "Why do you care?"

I shrug, leaning back against the wall, trying to keep the edge out of my tone. "I don't. But if someone's messing with you, I figure I should know. Might need to handle it."

She lets out a bitter laugh, like she's heard this before. "Handle it? What are you going to do, go all mountain-man on him? Trust me, it's not worth it."

I raise an eyebrow, letting a slow grin spread across my face. "Mountain-man, huh? Well, if he's bothering you, I've got no problem handling him. Just say the word."

She narrows her eyes, trying to size me up, but her phone buzzes again, louder this time in the silence. She pulls it out, stares at the screen like it's got the answers to every bad decision she's ever made. Her jaw tightens, and I can see the tension ratcheting up a notch.

I'm not in the mood to dance around this.

"You gonna keep letting him get to you?" I push off the wall, closing some of the space between us. "Or do you want me to show you how to block his ass?"

Her head snaps up, her eyes flashing with something—anger, frustration, maybe both. "It's not that simple."

I take another step, not letting her off the hook. "Sure it is. You hit block, and boom—he's gone. Simple."

She shakes her head, looking away, her fingers tightening around the phone like it's her lifeline. "You don't understand. Cutting him off isn't just... easy."

I watch her, reading between the lines. This isn't just about blocking a number. There's more to it. She's still tethered to that old life, whatever it was. That city. That guy. It's written all over her, no matter how much she tries to hide it.

"Let me guess," I say, my voice dropping. "He's got some kind of hold on you. Makes you think you still need him, right? That without him, you can't handle it on your own."

She flinches, and I know I've hit a nerve. Her jaw clenches, and she looks at me, her voice sharp. "It's not like that."

"Then what's it like?" I don't back down, taking another step closer, my eyes locked on hers. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like he's still pulling your strings."

Her eyes flash with something more complicated this time—anger, maybe, or something deeper. "You don't know anything about my life," she snaps. "About why I left the city, or why he keeps calling. So don't pretend you do."

I nod, keeping my voice steady. "You're right. I don't know the details. But I know a guy like that doesn't deserve your attention. Hell, he doesn't deserve your time, Bella."

She opens her mouth to fire something back at me, but her phone buzzes again. The name flashes across the screen for a second before she flips it face-down on the counter like she can ignore it if she just doesn't look.

I step in closer, not leaving her any room to hide. "Block him," I say, my voice low but firm. "Now. Or I will."

She stares at me, her chest rising and falling a little faster now, like she's trying to keep her composure, but it's slipping. "You think it's that easy," she says, her voice softer now but still edged with tension. "To just cut ties with everything I used to be? With the life I built?"

"I think if you don't, you'll never be free of it." The words come out blunt, but they need to. I can feel the pull between us, feel her resisting the inevitable. She's tied to something she doesn't even want, and it's keeping her from whatever this is between us.

She hesitates, her hand hovering over the phone. I can see the war going on inside her, the way she's torn between what she knows she should do and what she's still holding on to.

I take another step, invading her space, my voice a low growl. "Bella, block him. You're better than this."

Her eyes snap to mine, something fierce and conflicted flashing in them. For a moment, the air between us is thick, crackling with tension. I can feel it buzzing between us, something raw, something undeniable.

Then, with a sharp breath, she grabs the phone. Her fingers move fast, and a second later, she tosses it back on the counter. The buzzing stops.

"There," she says, her voice tight, almost defiant. "Happy?"

I grin, stepping back, letting the tension ease just a little. "Not yet. But it's a start."

She rolls her eyes, but I catch the small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She's trying to hide it, but I see it. And I know she's feeling it too.

"You're infuriating, you know that?" she mutters.

I chuckle, bending back down to finish the wiring. "So I've been told."

The silence stretches between us, and I can feel her watching me. The air between us is still buzzing, thick with everything unsaid. But now, at least, the noise from her past is gone. For now.

"You think you've got all the answers, don't you?" she asks after a moment, her voice lighter but still laced with something I can't quite place.

I glance up at her, grinning. "I never said that. But I know how to handle guys like him. And I know what I want."

Her lips part, like she's about to say something, but she stops, biting her bottom lip instead. The way she's looking at me—it's like she's torn between wanting to punch me and wanting to kiss me.

I straighten up, letting the wire fall from my hands. "Look, Bella, whatever you left behind, it doesn't matter now. You're here. He's not. Don't let him keep dragging you back."

She stares at me, something shifting behind her eyes. And then she nods, just barely, but it's there.

I lean back, giving her space to breathe, even though every instinct in me wants to pull her closer. But I don't. Not yet.

She takes a slow breath, finally relaxing just a little. "You're really not going to let this go, are you?"

I chuckle, shaking my head. "Not a chance."

She smiles, a real one this time, and damn if it doesn't do something to me. But I hold back, keeping it light.

"Good," she says, her voice soft. "Because maybe... maybe I don't want you to."

A quiet groan escapes my lips before I stand, wiping my hands on my jeans and let a slow smile curl my lips. I take a few steps to her, closing the distance as her breathing quickens. I can see the effect I have on her–the way her nipples tighten and pucker under her blouse, the flush of her cheeks, and the way her top teeth sink into the pillow of her bottom lip. I raise a hand to cup her jaw, caressing her lips with the pad of my thumb. "Keep biting that lip and I can't be held accountable for what I do next."

"Oh?" Comes her small reply.

I smirk. "It's taking everything in me to not kiss you right now."

"That…doesn't sound very professional."

"Fuck being professional." I growl, holding her gaze suspended with mine. Tension thrums like a heartbeat between us, her thighs shift and she sucks in a small breath of air. My grin turns up as I caress the angle of her cheek, my lips moving a few inches closer as if I'm about to kiss her, but before I do, I clear my throat and put some distance between us. "Got to grab something at the hardware store, I'll be back in a while. You gonna be here when I get back?"

She gulps, eyes widen before she swallows and nods. "Y-yes."

"Good." My eyes flick down her sweet form. "Don't get into any trouble without me."

Her eyes narrow but before she can reply I spin, heading out the front door, but I can feel her eyes on me with every step.

By the time I'm stepping back through the doors of the inn an hour later, the house is silent. The late autumn sun has already dipped below the horizon, splashes of pink and orange cutting through the dust motes that swirl in the house. My toolbox is sitting on the kitchen counter where I left it, and there's no sign of Bella anywhere.

I tuck the copper wire I just bought into my back pocket and grab my toolbox, headed for the circuit box in the cellar. Before I get there, I pass a small room off of the hall that's stacked high with boxes and Bella, standing at the light of the window in a strappy night dress, her hair falling down around her shoulders, and her curvy body outlined by the setting sunshine that's streaming through the only window in the room. This window has a view of Copper Mountain, the snow-capped peak rising out of the sea of evergreen that hugs the base of the mountain.

My body reacts to her the moment I see her in the soft light, and before I can stop myself, the words escape me.

"You don't know what you do to me standing there." My voice is rough, thick with need, and I watch her spin, startled, a book falling out of her hands. It hits the floor with a clatter, but I barely notice. All I can see is her—bathed in the golden light, looking so damn beautiful it almost hurts.

She's flustered, her breath quickening as she looks at me. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were back." Her voice is shaky, and I can feel her tension, the way her eyes dart around the room like she's trying to find a way out.

I don't let her off the hook that easily. "You didn't change into this flimsy excuse for a dress for me?"

I see the flicker of uncertainty flash across her face. Good. I want her to feel the weight of what she does to me.

She hesitates, swallowing hard before replying, "No." Her tone is defensive, sharp, but I catch the hint of vulnerability beneath it. She's scared—not of me, but of what she's feeling. The same thing I've been feeling since the moment I laid eyes on her this morning.

I can't help the chuckle that escapes me. She has no idea what's coming. I step forward, closing the distance between us, and when I'm standing toe-to-toe with her, I tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at me. "You're so beautiful," I murmur, my thumb brushing across her jaw. The warmth of her skin under my fingers sends a rush of heat straight through me. "I look at you, and I know you could be my everything." My grin tilts sideways. "You just don't know it yet."

Her breath hitches, and I can see the conflict in her eyes—the mix of desire and fear, the way she's fighting to keep control. But I'm not letting her hide from this. From us.

"Make no mistake, Bella," I continue, my voice dropping lower, rougher. "What happened earlier will happen again." My thumb traces the line of her lips, watching the way she shivers under my touch. Her reaction is electric, and it drives me wild knowing I'm the one who gets under her skin like this.

"You body wants me–craves me. I can see it in your eyes, hell, I can smell your arousal in the air and I'm about to burst through the zipper of my jeans if you keep looking up at me with those big, beautiful eyes," I warn, my fingers tilting her chin back toward me, forcing her gaze to meet mine. I'm not playing games, and she knows it. The tension between us crackles, thick and heavy, and I watch as she swallows, her lips parting as if she wants to say something but can't quite form the words.

She finally nods, a small, almost imperceptible movement, her eyes wide and locked on mine. "Oh," she whispers, her voice barely audible, but the way it trembles sends a surge of satisfaction through me. She's mine. Whether she's ready to admit it or not, she's mine. I feel like I've peeled back her roughened exterior, the protective armor she wears for the world has been shed, she can't hide herself from me.

I step back slightly, letting her drop to the floor to retrieve the book she dropped. My gaze never leaves her as she moves, her fingers trembling as she fumbles for it. She's rattled, just like I want her to be.

When she stands again, our eyes meet, and I can see the confusion, the desire, swirling in those beautiful depths. She's torn, caught between wanting me and running from what she's feeling. But I'm not letting her run. Bella is different, strong but soft in a way that obsesses me.

She turns to leave, but I can't let her go. Not yet. "Bella?" I call, my voice soft but commanding, stopping her in her tracks.

She pauses, her hand gripping the doorframe, and I see the way her shoulders tense, the way her breathing picks up. "Archer?" she whispers, not daring to turn around.

I close the distance between us in an instant, my body pressing close to hers, the heat between us palpable. My nostrils flare as I take in her scent, her arousal evident even though she's trying to hide it. She's fighting it, but her body betrays her—just like mine does every time I'm near her.

"You look good enough to eat," I growl, my fingers brushing against the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. The soft skin beneath my fingertips is like a live wire, sparking with electricity as I push aside the strap of her silky nightgown, exposing her shoulder to the cool air.

Her body reacts to me instantly, her breathing quickening as I lean in, my lips hovering just above her skin. I want to devour her, to claim her right here, but I hold back, teasing, knowing it'll drive her crazy.

Her fingers lift to her lips, tracing the softness I kissed just hours ago, and I watch, fascinated, as she bites her lip, her body trembling with the effort of holding back. She wants me. She needs me. And I'm not going to let her forget that.

"Good night, angel," I whisper against her skin, pressing a featherlight kiss just below her ear, my tongue flicking out to taste her. Her soft gasp fills the room, and I smile against her neck, knowing I've got her right where I want her.

My hands slide down her body in slow, deliberate strokes, lifting the hem of her nightgown. I can feel her muscles tense, her breath hitching as I push aside her panties and find the heat between her legs.

Her reaction is immediate—a soft gasp, her thighs trembling as my fingers begin to circle her clit, teasing, coaxing her closer to the edge. "That's it, baby," I murmur, my voice rough with desire. "I want to hear you. Tell me I own this pussy."

Her fingers tighten in my hair, and I can feel her body shaking with the need for release. But I'm not letting her off that easily. I need to hear her say it.

"Tell me, Bella," I growl, thrusting a finger inside her, feeling her tighten around me. "Who does this pussy belong to?"

Her voice is breathless, shaky, but she answers, "You."

The words spill from her lips, and it's like music to my ears.

But I want more.

"Say it again," I demand, stilling my hand, watching as her body trembles with the effort of holding on. She's so close, but I need to hear it.

"You own it, Archer," she whispers, her voice desperate, pleading. "It's yours. Please."

The moment the words leave her mouth, I'm on my knees, my tongue replacing my fingers, tasting her. She gasps, her hands flying to my hair as she arches against me, her thighs trembling as I work her over, driving her closer and closer to release.

Her taste is intoxicating, and I revel in the way her body responds to me, the way she's completely at my mercy.

"You taste sweeter than I imagined," I murmur against her slick folds, my voice thick with satisfaction.

My thumb rubs against her nipple, the sensitivity of the hardened bud making her gasp, and I can feel her body trembling beneath me. My teeth find her clit, nipping at the swollen flesh while my fingers pinch her nipple just enough to send that rush of pleasure surging through her. I love the way she responds, the way her body arches against me as if every nerve is electrified.

Her head falls back, her eyes closing, and her breath comes in ragged pants. She's right on the edge, her toes curling, thighs shaking. I can't get enough of this—watching her come undone, knowing I'm the one who's driving her there.

"Ahh, that's it, beautiful girl," I murmur, my voice low and gravelly, pulling her back from the brink of her release. Her taste lingers on my tongue, sweet and addictive. "Mmm, I love the taste of your pretty cunt on my tongue."

I press my lips to hers, my tongue slipping past her parted lips, letting her taste the honeyed sweetness of her arousal on me. Her body melts into mine, hands tangling around my neck, fingers pulling me closer as if she can't get enough. I kiss her deeply, the hunger between us palpable, but I'm still in control, holding the moment just out of reach, savoring her desire.

When I pull away, a cocky grin spreads across my face, and I can see the dazed look in her eyes. She's nearly shaking, her body spent but wanting more. "Naughty girl," I tease, my thumb tracing the corner of her mouth where the wetness lingers. "You like the taste of your pussy on my lips too."

I watch as her eyes flutter closed again, and I wipe the remnants of her desire from her skin before popping my thumb into my mouth, savoring the taste once more. "So sweet," I say, shaking my head in mock amazement. She really is intoxicating.

I let the silence linger for a beat, just enough to make her feel the weight of my words, before I lean down, my lips brushing lightly against her ear. "Sweet dreams, beautiful Bella."

I wink, sauntering away like I own the room—because right now, I do. I know exactly what I've done to her, what I've left her with.

As I walk out, I can feel her eyes on me, jaw slack, still caught in the web of everything I've just given her. She's shaken, in the best way, and I know she's standing there wondering what the hell just happened.

This thing between us is more than lust—it's something bigger. The way she tastes, the way she responds—it's unlike anything else. And I'm not done with her. Not by a long shot.

I glance back one last time before I disappear down the hall, and there she is, licking her lips, relishing the flavor of her own desire mixed with mine. Sweet dreams, indeed.