I spentmost of what turned out to be an eight-hour drive grinding my teeth. The farther we drove, the smaller and windier the roads became. Eventually we turned onto a dirt track, bumping our way through the woods.
There were trees as far as I could see. Which admittedly wasn’t very far since the road was small, barely fitting one car. Nature was slowly taking over, the foliage so dense in places it was blocking out the sun.
I rolled down the window, inhaling the fresh air. There was just something about being in the woods that calmed me down and made me think maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as I thought.
The trees eventually gave way to a picturesque clearing. We pulled up in front of a small cabin that was hidden from sight until you were right in front of it. There was a small creek running behind it, making it look like something out of a fairy tale. I grudgingly admitted to myself that it was the perfect hideout. Not that I would tell Gunner that.
I’d always wanted to get out of the city and spend more time not inhaling smoke and pizza wherever I went. Not that I would tell Gunner that either.
He leaned over, and I pushed myself back into the seat. Despite our long drive, he still smelled delicious, and not a hair on his head was out of place. I, on the other hand, desperately needed a shower and a hairbrush.
I watched him reach for my cuffs, trying not to breathe in too much. This just proved my theory that he wasn’t human. Nobody looked this put together after an eight-hour drive.
His arm brushed my belly, and I tensed.
Gunner turned to me, bringing our faces close together. “Relax. I’m just uncuffing you.”
He was my kryptonite, causing my insides to twist and turn every which way.
After all this time, he still had the power to destroy me. And there was nothing I could do about it. Because where I once thought I only had a silly crush, I now knew it went so much deeper than that.
“There’s nothing around for miles except bears, snakes, and wolves. And you don’t want to run into any of them on your own. Or without a gun. So running wouldn’t be in your best interest,” he said.
I didn’t respond, choosing to glare at him instead. He just grinned and got out of the car.
Muttering under my breath, I stumbled out of the shag-mobile, lifting my arms and stretching. Being handcuffed wasn’t the most comfortable way to travel. I turned in a circle, taking in all the sounds and different smells. A smile stole over my face, and I took a deep inhale.
My circle ended with me looking at the cabin and Gunner, whose attention was focused on me, his hand halfway to the door, holding a key. He had the emergency bag in his other hand, the muscles on his bare arm bulging.
I gulped at the sight that I would never admit was now burned into my brain for all eternity. After all, I had vowed to hate him for the rest of my life. And an Olysses never broke their word or vow.
I wrestled Killer’s cage out of the back of the car and joined Gunner on the little porch, our moment broken.
Stale air hit me as soon as we stepped inside. There was one room with a high ceiling, a double bed in the corner, a couch in front of a fireplace, and a small table near the kitchen, making up the entirety of the furniture. No closet or bookshelf, only a wooden board screwed to the wall in the kitchen that housed a variety of cans and jars and a few bags of coffee beans.
One door led to what I hoped was the bathroom since I didn’t do well with doing my business in nature. And a shower would be welcome as well.
“Home sweet home,” Gunner said, sweeping his arm around the small room. “The bed is all yours, but you might want to wash the sheets first. I haven’t been out here in almost two years.”
“This is yours?” I didn’t think he was the lumberjack type, but I could get on board with this side of him. Especially if he decided to do some lumberjacking. Without a shirt on.
“I bought it ten years ago when I needed to get away from everything. Lived here for a year. And I usually come out once or twice a year to unplug.”
There was so much more to Gunner than he let on. I hadn’t even scratched the surface yet.And why hasn’t he been out here in two years?Not that I want to know more about him.
I set the cage down on the table and got to work pulling the sheets and blankets off the bed. I walked to the only door in the room besides the front door, sighing in relief at what I found.
At least I wouldn’t have to pee in the woods. Or in an outhouse.
“There’s electricity?” I asked when I spotted the washing machine wedged in the corner next to a toilet. There was also a small shower and basin.
“I have a generator. Should last us for a while. It’s got a full tank, and I have extra gas in the shed. The water comes from the creek. It’s safe to drink.”
I found the laundry detergent, and after adding a liberal amount, I turned the washing machine on. There was no way the sheets would be dry in time though. I hoped he had more somewhere.
“There are spare sheets and blankets under the bed,” Gunner said from the living room, as if he’d read my mind. “But I’m not sure if they’re any less dusty than what was on top of the bed. I put everything in plastic containers, but sometimes the mice get in.”
While mice weren’t my preferred roommates, the only time I lost my head was when it came to spiders. Too many legs and eyes.
