Page 5 of Sinful Mountain Man (Cold Mountain Nights #5)

Bradford

No note.

A cold bed.

I have no idea how that little minx slipped out of my house without waking me, but if she thinks she can run away after last night, Hartley Byrnes, soon-to-be-Maloney, has another thing coming.

I try to calm my raging fury at finding my bed empty this morning as I race down the mountain.

Turning on music doesn't help.

Driving faster doesn't help.

Nothing is going to help until I can see Hartley.

I calm down slightly, but then I pass her car, still wedged between two rocks, and remember I almost lost her yesterday.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

It's not until I pull into the front entrance of The Palmer and notice the tents set up along the far side of the resort that I remember what today is.

A large banner boasts, The Firelight Games .

Hartley has been working her sexy butt off for months to make this day amazing.

Which means I cannot, in good conscience, sling her over my shoulder and escape up the mountain. At least, not yet.

Channeling the way I treated Hartley until yesterday, I square my shoulders and prepare to pretend she barely exists.

Except now I've been inside her. Felt her shudder around my fingers as she called out my name.

Her lips wrapped around my hard cock and swallowed my seed like something straight out of an erotic fantasy.

It can never be the way it was before yesterday. I don't want it to be.

But does she?

I shake my head. It doesn't matter. Today is not about me. It's about Hartley's event, and I'll do everything in my power not to add stress, even though every fiber of my being is begging me to claim her as mine.

Swallowing my pride, I head through the entrance to the back field of the resort and stop short. "Holy shit."

I look around, marveling at the scene before me.

The grass landscape has been transformed into a fall fantasy.

Deep greens and purples mix with yellow, orange, and red.

Pops of gold sparkle among the decor, which is at once over-the-top yet tasteful.

Plain white tents are elevated with elegant drapery and twinkle lights.

Traditional carnival games meet a high-end casino as women in thousand-dollar coats toss small rings onto bottles of champagne.

Vendors from local shops sell high-end goods and mouthwatering treats.

In addition to more specialized fare from renowned local chefs, I notice a create-your-own funnel cake station with a long line of customers, as well as a snow cone truck. It's incredible.

As I take everything in, my gaze lands on Blaze, the plumbing supervisor for the new employee tiny houses going up on the back property. He's chatting with a tall, muscular man over by the dipped apple stand. Blaze sees me and heads over, bringing the younger man with him.

"Mr. Maloney," Blaze says, shaking my hand in greeting. "This is Archer Jackson, one of the temporary contractors we hired to get us through the fall projects."

Archer appears to be about my age. He holds out his hand, an easy smile breaking across his handsome face. I make a mental note to keep Hartley as far away from this pretty boy as possible.

"Please call me Bradford," I remind Blaze.

He shakes his head. "No, sir. I'm afraid Susan might be nearby, and I wouldn't dare call you by your first name around her." His gruff voice holds a note of amusement.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Bradford," Archer says, grinning.

I nod stiffly. It's Mr. Maloney to you, Casanova .

"We've almost finished what you hired me for, so I'm headed out in about a week. Blaze convinced me to check out the festivities tonight, and I'm glad I did. The team did an amazing job." Archer looks around appreciatively.

I can't help but feel a sense of pride in Hartley. "Yes, they did," I agree. "Thank you for your work here. I'm sure Blaze will write you a letter of recommendation for future employment."

"No need," Archer says with a grin. Now that I know he's leaving and won't be anywhere near my woman, I don't mind his incessant smiling as much as I did a few minutes ago.

"I'm headed to Duhring Park. Got hired on with a new construction crew there, and I start next week.

" He eyes the funnel cake stand. "I’m going to get in line for one of those because I've never seen a funnel cake like that.

" He saunters away, winking at a couple of young women who hold on to each other and swoon after he's out of sight.

"Do they only hire models around here?" a woman asks as she walks by.

"Jesus H. Crackers. It's like he walked straight off a runway," her friend responds, and both women laugh.

"Ah, to be young again." Blaze grins.

He celebrated his fortieth birthday last year here at the resort—a party organized by his niece, Celeste Blazewood, The Palmer's assistant manager. It was like a medium-sized wedding. The Blazewood family is extensive, with many members employed by the resort in one way or another.

"Forty is hardly old, Blaze." I eye him curiously. He's not married and doesn't have any kids as far as I know. His dark hair hints at a few gray strands at the temples, but he's strong, built like a linebacker. Can't imagine why he hasn't settled down yet.

"Maybe not," Blaze admits. "It's hard to imagine finding someone at this age, given my family's history.

My parents were high school sweethearts.

Got married right after they graduated high school.

Just two months before my oldest brother entered this world.

They're coming up on sixty years together.

I'm the youngest of five, and I was the bonus baby.

I'm also the only one still single. My two older brothers married their high school sweethearts, and my two sisters each got married before they turned twenty-one. "

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "That's a lot of pressure."

Blaze chuckles. "You're telling me. My dad said when he met my mom, he just knew. Both my brothers? The same thing." He shrugs. "I haven't met the girl who takes my breath away yet."

I have.

And then, there she is. She walks along the path to the booths, pausing here and there to take notes or check in with the vendors. Her hair falls in loose waves, and she's wearing a smart wool coat, a chic winter hat, and those eyeglasses that make me want to bend her over my desk.

I say my goodbyes to Blaze and walk toward Hartley. As I get closer, she glances up and pauses. The immediate grin across her face lights up my heart, but then it falls, and she bites her lip with a worried expression.

Before I reach her, she hustles down one of the other paths. I race to catch her, pulling her behind the snow cone truck before she can escape.

"Mr. Maloney," Hartley says with professional aplomb, although the way her breath catches gives away her true feelings.

"You snuck out on me," I growl, stalking her backward.

"I-I had to get down here to finish setting up. I missed most of it yesterday." Hartley's eyes are locked on mine, but a light blush rises on her neck.

"I remember," I say, loading my voice with sexual tension. "I kept you occupied all night long."

Hartley whimpers when I reach out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, then shakes her head.

"I don't play games. You've been cold to me since I started, and now I'm your favorite girl?

No. I'm tired, Bradford. Tired of watching you smile at everyone but me.

Charming, grinning, and being kind to everyone but me. "

Her eyes fill with sadness, and I'm furious with myself that I'm responsible for it.

"I like to get what I want," I admit, shrugging my shoulders.

I step toward her again, crowding her against the side of the snow cone truck.

She swallows hard, her eyes locked on my mouth as she whispers, "And what is it you want, Bradford?"

"You." I capture her mouth with mine, and she melts into my touch.

We take our time compared to last night. The urgency is gone because I know without a shadow of a doubt that we’ll kiss each other like this every day for the rest of our lives. But the heat? It's just ramping up.

"Bradford," Hartley gasps, pulling away and breaking the spell. "I want to do this. But I'm at work. And so are you."

"Yes," I say, even as my hands find their way inside her coat to cup her round ass. I give it a hard squeeze before I lift her into my arms.

She groans, wrapping her legs around me as her tongue invades my mouth, but she pulls back again, torn between needing my touch and her obligations to her job. She's so fucking perfect.

"Give me one hour, and then you can fuck me over your desk."

I grind my hard cock against her hot core. "Thirty minutes. And you need to wear those glasses the whole time."

"Deal," she agrees.

I set her down next to the truck, keeping my arms around her and gazing at her like I mean to memorize her face. "Hartley, I love you."

She stares at me for a moment before breaking into a wide grin. "You said it last night, but I thought..." She trails off, shaking her head like she's trying to wake up from a dream.

"I've loved you since that first day in the lobby. You stole my heart, and I was too stupid to do anything about it until now. I’ll never make that mistake with you again." I bend, sealing my lips to hers as I pour all my love into the kiss.

When I reluctantly pull back, she looks up at me with a dazed, sultry expression.

"Okay, put me to work. Where do you need me?"

"In your office," she pants. "Now."

She takes off for the resort, and I follow her like the luckiest puppy on the face of the planet.

Mine .