Trapped Read online

  “I don’t need a good person,” she says, shuffling her feet in place. “I need an honest one.”

  “That I can do“

  “And a cabin to stay in, maybe. Just for a little while.”

  “Are you sure it won’t be too quiet for you?”

  “I don’t think it’ll be quiet all the time,” she says with a smile.

  “Anything else you need?”

  “Just some ice for my hand. It bloody hurts.”

  “I have ice,” I say, smiling at the thought of her punching that guy. Despite her innocence, she can clearly handle herself. I like that about her. She’s tough at her core, like me. “At home.”

  “I can give you a lift if you like,” she says, opening the passenger door of her car and nodding towards me. “If you trust my driving.”

  “I trust you,” I say, climbing in.

  “Good,” she replies before getting in herself.

  She starts the engine. I don’t need a drink anymore. I don’t need a bottle or two to take back with me. I have all I need beside me, my hand on her thigh as she drives. She feels warm. She smells good.

  She parks where she did before. We get out, leaving the car in the last of the snow. I take her hand in mine and we head into the forest. “It’s so quiet here,” she says as the trees close in above our heads.

  I smile and look across at her. “It won’t be for long.”

  ELEVEN - ISOBEL

  WE WALK SLOWLY THROUGH THE forest, enjoying the quiet. It is so different to what I thought I wanted. My mind is having to adjust. The stress of what happened in York fades away. I can deal with the consequences later. For now I just want him and the cabin.

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  “Ash,” he replies. “You?”

  “Isobel.”

  We lapse back into silence and I continue thinking. What would have happened if he hadn’t appeared in the pub. I was trapped by those men and when one of them reached out to grab me, I didn’t think, I just reacted. But then it turned into a barroom brawl like something from an old Western. Would I have made it out of there without Ash?

  Fate had played a part in bringing us back together. There couldn’t be any doubt about that. For me to fail to get the house, to lose all the money I sent, although the bank would hopefully claw it back, then to end up back here, by his side. It was hardly possible for it to have happened at all. But like so much in life, it has happened anyway. We are together.

  We walk off the track and along the tiny narrow trail to the cabin. When we reach it, he steps aside and I enter first. I see the door is open through to the second room. The baby deer isn’t inside the cot. “Where did your friend go?” I ask.

  “Outside being looked after by Ica.”

  “Ica? Who’s Ica?”

  “Another deer. She’s pretty tame since I rescued her from a trap a few years back.”

  “And you call her Ica? How come?”

  He frowns as if thinking hard then comes out with it. “Ica, after Jess.”

  I realise. Jess. Ica. Jessica. “Who was Jessica?”

  “My wife.”

  “Oh, I-”

  “She died,” he says abruptly, turning away and starting to deal with the fire. I sit looking at him. Is that why he’s shut himself away here? To deal with his grief?

  “I’m sorry,” I say quietly. He doesn’t answer.

  When the fire is going he stands up again and turns to face me. “It was a long time ago.”

  We sit together in silence. He rigs up a battered old kettle and makes it sing within minutes. Once we’re drinking black coffee, he seems to relax. I look at him, unable to keep quiet any longer. “I’m glad you found me,” I say.

  He scrapes his chair back and stands, looming over me. “I’m glad you came back.”

  Those are the last words either of us speak for some time. He grabs me and before I know what’s happening, my clothes are on the floor. There is a rug by the fire and I’m lowered onto my back, the softness of the wool contrasting with the roughness of his hands as he starts to toy with me. I look up at him when he stops, watching him hungrily as he strips, tossing his clothes aside. He’s already hard, his cock pointing towards me. I want it in me and spread my legs, silently pleading with him.

  He doesn’t reward me yet. First he plays with my body, running his hands and his lips over every inch, from my ears down to my toes. He turns me onto my front, rubbing at my back, his shaft nestling between my buttocks. I can feel the heat of it, hotter than the fire at my side.

  All of a sudden, he’s in me. It happens out of nowhere and I let out a cry of surprise. His entire length slides through my wetness, burying itself all the way in me. I am crushed into the floor under me as he starts to thrust. He’s in control and all I have to do is enjoy the moment. I can barely breathe but enough air gets into my lungs for me to moan loudly as an orgasm reaches me in what seems like no time at all. When it hits, he is still for a moment before sliding out of me. I feel him nudging my ass and then he’s using my wetness to glide into there.

  At first I am sure he is too big. He prods and probes but doesn’t give up as I rock in place, reaching back to spread my buttocks apart. Then he does it. I wince in momentary pain but it passes as he eases deeper, filling me in the most wonderful way.

  My hand snakes under me, finding my clit, stroking it frantically as he starts to thrust harder. His hands are beside my shoulders, I can hear his breathing becoming laboured, the smell of him filling the air as he uses me for his pleasure. He grunts loudly as he gets closer and I’m almost there.

  He comes just before I do. The feel of him spurting deep into my ass tips me over the edge and an almighty climax tears through me, leaving me not knowing what day of the week it is.

  Afterwards, he slides slowly from me, turning me onto my back. I lay there as he strokes my clit to yet another orgasm, his mouth teasing my ear, kissing and nuzzling as I wonder what I’ve done to deserve such pleasure.

  We spend the rest of the day by the fireside. I don’t dress until late into the night and only then to move across to the table while he cooks on the dwindling fire. The cold draws in but by then we’re snuggled up in bed together. At last he speaks, turning onto his side and whispering in my ear. “Stay.”

  I do. There is not an iota of doubt in my mind that I’m doing the right thing. It might not have been what I planned, it might not have been something I ever imagined doing but I know it’s right.

  I will tell my parents where I am at some point. I will deal with all the problems that life will throw at me. But for now, all I do is nod my reply and then kiss him. That is enough for both of us.

  EPILOGUE- ASH

  One year later

  I walk off the main track and onto our trail. It’s wider now. I’ve spent months cutting back the tree branches, making life easier for getting in and out. We spend most of our time in the cabin but occasional trips into town are not the nightmare they used to be.

  I am carrying bags from the car. The extension is halfway done. It should be finished in time for our little one’s arrival. An extra room tacked onto the side of the place, not a huge job but big enough to keep me working hard for a long time. Not that all I did was work. We spent a lot of time together, in peace and quiet, sometimes swimming in the lake at the bottom of the hill.

  I reach the clearing and there she is, gardening in the little vegetable patch to the left of the hammock. I frown. She is not supposed to be working hard this late into her pregnancy. She stands up and beams and my anger fades. That smile is enough to take away all of my worries in an instant.

  I glance from her to the cabin and take in everything she’s done. The flowers in pots, the beautiful fresh blooms, the herbs smelling so fragrant in the last of the autumn warmth.

  I drop the bags by the door. In the distance Ica appears, sniffing the air. She vanishes into the woods a second later, like she knows we want our privacy. Beside her are two younger deer. I recognise
them both. They follow her silently.

  I embrace Isobel, kissing her warmly, having to work around her bump. “I’m glad you came back,” she says. “I was getting worried.”

  “I had to get something special,” I say, passing her one of the bags.

  “A piece of paper?” she replies, reaching inside.

  “Read it.”

  “Planning permission for an extension,” she says, flicking through the pages.

  I nod. “I know you were worried about what happened if someone spotted it so it’s all legal now.”

  “My wild man is becoming civilised,” she says with a half smile. “Who’d have thought.”

  “Not that civilised,” I reply, swatting her ass lightly. “Get inside.”

  She does as she’s told. I follow her in, thinking what a fairy tale my life has become. I was the beast, hidden away in the forest, her the beauty come to bring me out of the rage that took over my soul. I have learned to forgive myself with her help. She told me again and again that what happened was an accident, that I shouldn’t blame myself. Eventually, I started to believe her.

  As she slides her fingers down the back of her trousers and starts to lower them, I stare at her ass and think that if this is a fairytale, it’s one that will need a lot of editing before its a suitable one to be told to a family audience.

  The first snow is due next week. I’m not worried. Neither is she. She knows I will do anything to protect her. We have each other. She has her phone. If worst comes to worst, we can get her to a hospital. But I get the feeling things are going to go just fine. We have fate on our side. It brought us together, it kept us together even after the trying visit from her parents.

  Little needs to be said other than they were not fans of our lifestyle but at least they respected their daughter’s right to choose how to live. She told them she had chosen me and that was an end to the discussion. Her strength shone through that day and it has shone brightly ever since.

  She bends over the table and I cross to her, undoing my trousers as I move. I cannot resist her today any more than I could the day we met. As I slide into her, I lean down and whisper in her ear, “I love you.”

  She glances back and grins. “I love you too.”

  Her voice fades into a moan as I start to rock inside her. Outside the wind blows through the trees. Autumn is coming to an end. The winter chill will be here soon. We don’t care. It’s warm enough in the cabin. That’s what matters. The warmth of her and the warmth in my heart. Together we will be fine, through this and many more winters to come.

  THE END

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  BONUS STORY

  MY MOUNTAIN MAN AND ME

  I fell out of my boat and into his arms...

  Joy: I almost drowned when my kayak capsized, sending me plunging into the icy cold water. It was worth it when a handsome stranger rescued me, especially when I find out how badly he wants me.

  The way he looks at me, the hunger in his eyes when we sit together on his island, my body is melting with desire for him- but does he just want a quick fling?

  Rich: I didn’t have a choice when I saw her drowning. I had to rescue her. Now she’s here, I’m not letting her go any time soon. I’ll do whatever it takes to make her mine.

  But will she still want me when she learns the truth about who I really am?

  ONE - JOY

  IT WAS JUST ME AND the water. I held the oar loose, letting the tide nudge the kayak along, enjoying cutting through the deep blue, the ocean my friend, buffeting me slowly along the coast. I never saw the wave coming.

  It was my first time kayaking along the seashore at Amble. I’d spent months on the river and naively assumed that meant I’d be fine setting out to sea for the first time. I was wrong.

  It all went smoothly enough at first. I had parked the car up at the end of the road, beside a rusty old camper van and a mountain bike, both next to the steel barrier that barred access for vehicles. Drive any further and you’d be in the sea.

  I stood by the barrier, looking down at the golden sand and the sparkling light that played across the azure blue ocean. The waves were almost non existent, the wind barely enough to make the dune grass rustle at my feet. It was a perfect day for my first attempt.

  I unloaded the kayak from the top of the car and hefted it onto my shoulder. Once I’d got that down to the shoreline, I returned for my bag. Inside was my phone, purse, car key, and emergency flare, not that I thought I’d need it on a day so calm.

  My plan was to follow the shoreline between the mainland and Coquet Island, situated about a mile off the coast. From where I stood on the beach, I could see the island. It was barely a quarter of a mile long. There was a lighthouse with someone just visible walking out of it. Next to that was a clump of trees and a few walls. Not much to describe but beautiful to look at. I’d long said this would be my first destination when I felt brave enough to head out to sea.

  I got cocky. That was why it went wrong. Afterwards, as I shivered from head to foot and tried not to pass out from the blow to my head, I ran over what had happened, the parts I could remember anyway. I shouldn’t have gone so far from the shore on my first time out to sea, I shouldn’t have ignored the growing wind, I should have told someone where I was going. But it had all been a bit spur of the moment.

  I’d managed to land myself a new job and it was likely to be pretty full on when it began. I knew this could be my last chance for a while and with the summer coming to an end, the weather was only likely to get worse. I had reasoned that if I didn’t get out to sea at least once before starting on my epic career as a conservation trust admin assistant, I might not get chance until next summer and that seemed a very long time away.

  So Saturday morning, before anyone was up in my house, I was loading the car to make the drive towards Amble. By the time I got there, the sun was already bright, not a cloud in the sky. I felt blessed. I felt lucky to live in such a beautiful area. There wasn’t another soul to be seen. Whoever owned the camper van and bike were presumably off doing their own thing, same as me.

  The water was cold but I soon got used to it, pushing off away from the beach before turning south west, easing my way deeper out. I had the entire day free so there was no rush. I had two housemates but they were both night owls so they probably wouldn’t even notice I’d gone until the afternoon. I’d left a note for them, just in case.

  The lighthouse looked amazing with the sun behind it and I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone still lived there. I knew that most of them had been automated, run from some central office somewhere. It seemed a shame to me, there was a romance about the place and I felt sad that it might be left empty and unloved. At least one person was there that morning though, heading down towards the tiny beach where a motor boat had been tied up to a jetty. I gave them a little wave but they didn’t seem to notice me.

  Once I’d been rowing for a few minutes, the island didn’t seem as far away and I took that as a sign that the tide was pushing me away from the shore and towards Coquet. I made the stupid decision to try and reach the bay. Maybe the figure I’d seen would let me have a nosy inside if I was nice enough about it.

  I didn’t expect the waves to build, the wind funnelling down the side of the island and rocking my little kayak and me. I tried to turn but managed to get caught on the side of a wave. As I twisted away from it, I made the mistake of glancing over at the island, something had caught my eye and I lost concentration. I rocked hard over another wave, almost tipping but managing to right myself.

  I caught a glimpse of someone on the shore waving at me. They were shouting something but I was too far away to make out what it was. I shifted my oar to try and hit the next wave full on but I wasn’t fast enough. I went over.

  I’d done plenty of Eskimo rolls in my time
, I knew how to right myself. I didn’t panic, at least at first.

  But as I tipped, just at the point where I was ready to spin back around and emerge into the air, my head slammed into a rock jutting upwards from the sea bed. Either it was shallower than I’d thought or I was running too close to the island. I was wearing a helmet but the blow was still enough to turn my entire world dark. The last thing I saw before I passed out was a quizzical looking crab scuttling away down the side of the rock, then I saw nothing at all.

  TWO - RICH

  I DON’T LIKE TO THINK about what might have happened if I hadn’t gone for a swim. If I hadn’t needed to be on Coquet that morning. So many ifs. None of them to the point. I was there and that meant I saw her go under.

  I was out there because there was a glitch in the computer that ran the main light. As I was based in Amble, it made sense to call me. I was out there last night as soon as the news reached me, headlight of the boat illuminating the way as I sailed across from the mainland a little after three in the morning. It felt odd seeing the island without the reassuring sweep of the light passing over the waves, only the bulb on the front of my boat keeping me from losing my way in the dark.

  I got to work straight away, hoping to get things back online quickly. It wasn’t to be and I had to message Trinity House to warn them this was a bigger job that they’d thought.

  They sent out warnings to the coastguard and to any boats in the area while I got to work, trying to fix the battered old processors that ran the place. The whole thing needed upgrading of course but budgets being what they were, it wasn’t likely to happen until the system died completely.

  I’d been working on the problem so long, the sun came up without me even noticing and an hour after that, I was able to step away, let the rebooting do its thing. I was exhausted, having had to concentrate solidly for so long.