Page 6 of Last Chance with the Mountain Man

Titan walked in the room just as she was putting a new liner in the trash can.What the hell!she thought to herself, seeing him standing in the doorway with his bag full of clothes. Perhaps asking him to stay wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Because when did Titan get abs like that!

CHAPTER FIVE

Titan felt bad about not having a dry shirt to wear. Especially when they’d sat down at the table to eat. In the back of his mind, he could hear his mother, God rest her soul, scolding him for doing such a thing. He was aware she’d raised him better, but given the situation at hand, it was either wear a shirt that was wet or wait until the load of clothes were dry.

Felicia seemed to have relaxed some and when she suggested heating up some soup, he didn’t have the heart to tell her he wasn’t very hungry. Since the funeral, he hadn’t had much of an appetite, surviving mostly on coffee and protein bars. Occasionally, he’d grab a sandwich, but even then he could barely eat half.

With her hair now pulled back in a clip, he watched as she carried the bowls from the stove to the table. He didn’t think she gave herself enough credit—despite her messy hair earlier—and he couldn’t help wondering if she’d finally settled down with someone. From what Matt used to say, she hardly dated anyone longer than a few weeks, so it wouldn’t surprise him to find outshe was single. She was cute, in a ‘Matt’s-little-sister’ kind of way, but that’s where he drew the line.

When they were younger, she used to annoy him like crazy. Not in a bad way, but she was always making excuses why she needed one of them to drop her off somewhere. If they were watching a football game, she’d slide in between them on the sofa and drape her arms over their shoulders.

God, how he missed those days with Matt. If only he’d gone to play cards with the guys that night instead of worrying about the stupid grass. He wouldn’t have missed Matt’s phone call. More importantly, he would’ve made sure Matt got home safely.

“Oh, shit!” Titan cried out as the spoon slipped from his hand. The broth from the chicken noodle soup splattered against his bare chest and he jumped up from the table. “Damn it, that’s hot.”

Felicia grabbed a dishtowel from the counter and began to gently blot his skin. “Oh, my God, are you okay?”

He looked down at the red splotches on his chest and lower abdomen and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine. The spoon slid and I couldn’t catch it in time.”

He didn’t feel it was necessary to mention he was thinking about Matt. He’d keep that part to himself. Thankfully, it was just the liquid in the spoon that had burned him and not the entire bowl.

“I’ll make a cold compress and maybe that will keep it from swelling or leaving blisters. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was so hot.”

Felicia returned a few minutes later with a washcloth. Instead of handing it to him, she took the liberty of pressing it against his chest. Titan tried not to wince, but that was easier said than done.

“I appreciate it,” he said and placed his hand on top of hers. “Thanks.”

When he looked up, he realized she was staring at him. Her eyes were so full of need. Without thinking, Titan pulled her to him and placed his hand against her lower back. He forgot all about the burns or that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. As he held her close, all he could think about was Matt. If he could only go back to that night.

Lowering his head to her shoulder, he began to sob uncontrollably. His body jerked as the tears slipped down his cheeks.

“It’s okay, Titan. I’m here for you,” she whispered.

He had no idea how they made it over to the sofa, but when he finally managed to pull himself together, he realized his head was in her lap. Felicia gently pushed his hair away from his face then trailed her fingers down his jawline.

He blinked his eyes a few times to clear his vision and noticed the room was almost dark. “What time is it?”

“I have no idea,” she replied. “Five or six, maybe?”

“I don’t know what came over me. I…I starting thinking about Matt and—”

“Shhh. You don’t have to explain anything.”

He tried to sit up but she pulled him back down. Then she turned so that she could reposition her legs and the next thing he knew she was curled up on the couch beside him. Titan draped his arm over her midsection and closed his eyes. All he could think about was what would Matt think if he saw the two of them right now?

It’d been quite some time since he’d been alone with a woman, but he had to admit he kind of liked having Felicia in his arms. He didn’t care that she’d let herself go these last few days or that she hadn’t bothered to brush her hair. Everyone haddays they felt off or they needed to escape the real world and if it made helped her cope, then why should it matter?

He actually found comfort listening to her breathe. For a moment, he thought she had fallen asleep but when she leaned her head back, he realized she was very much awake. They didn’t have to say anything to know what was happening.

Titan slowly slid his hand up to her breast then rubbed his finger against her hardened nipple. The thin fabric of the shirt she wore kept him from actually feeling her silky smooth skin, but when she arched her back, he knew she yearned for him to do more. When she reached down and slid her shirt up, he couldn’t resist.

He grasped her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and gave it a slight tug. When she let out a soft whimper, he nudged his nose in the space behind her ear.

Uncertain just how far he should go, he slowly began to work his way down to the waistband of her panties. Her skin twitched underneath his fingertips and he couldn’t stop the stupid grin that appeared on his face. Thank goodness he was behind her and she couldn’t see.

As he slid his hand further, she spread her legs apart. He pushed her panties to the side and gently massaged her swollen folds. He couldn’t believe how wet she was.