Branded By The Mountain Man (Thickwood CO)

Where am I?

I’m definitely in a bedroom, specifically in a bed.

A very large bed.

It’s king sized and extra-long because I’m 5’9 and my feet are nowhere near the bottom of the mattress. I look down and I’m wearing a long white t-shirt… a man’s shirt, the sleeves rolled up to my wrists, and it’s buttoned all the way up, except two buttons near my neck. I sit all the way up, fear beginning to blossom inside of me.

“Hey Sunshine, good to see you’re finally awake and alert this time.”

My head jerks around to see Braden leaning against the door. Briefly, I take in the wood walls and trim, and the large floor to ceiling windows. There’s also a huge stone fireplace. Together it’s beautiful, but it pales in comparison to Braden. He’s wearing a black long-sleeved Henley and faded blue jeans and he’s barefoot. His hair is still down, but freshly washed and though it’s long enough it covers around his face it’s gathered in the back by a hair tie. He’s holding a steaming coffee mug and there’s something sensual about the way he’s holding the cup.

“How did I get here?” I whisper, my voice cracking because my throat is dry.

“I found you in your van with a high fever,” he says putting the cup down on the table beside where I’m lying. There’s a bottle of water there too, and he gets it and reaches it over to me. I take it from him cautiously. I take a sip, it’s not cold, but it still feels good as it slides down my throat.

“I remember feeling bad and chilling,” I murmur.

“You were burning up, honey. You needed a doctor.”

“Then, why am I here and not in the hospital?”

“The bridge was washed out, so you were stuck with me, Sunshine.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” I ask him, suspicious and wondering if I’m delirious with fever in my van and dreaming all of this.

Braden smiles and at that point I think I might really be dreaming all of this.

“I can be nice.”

I roll my eyes, even though it hurts.

“I need to get back to my van. Poor Bogo will be starved to death.”

“Honey, Bacon is fat as a Butterball turkey. Trust me on that.”

“Huh?”

“He eats all of the time. Rascal has to fight him for his food every day.”

“Rascal?”

“My Husky—which by the way, is a real pet.”

“Bogo is a real pet, but this conversation is leaving me very confused,” I murmur falling back on the pillow.

“How about I help you to the shower and I’ll change the sheets on the bed while you clean up.”

“If you were afraid I’d leave cooties on your sheets, you could have just left me at my van,” I huff, although weakly.

“Cooties?” he laughs. “Sunshine, you’ve been in that bed for three days and last night your fever broke, and you sweated the bed full. I just thought a shower and clean sheets would make you feel better.”

“It probably would,” I admit grudgingly.

“Good. Then let’s get you into the bath,” he says walking toward me.

“I think I could make it there myself,” I respond, panicking for some reason at having Braden so close to me.

“You haven’t walked in I don’t know how long, Ophelia. I’m going to help you to the shower.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means you’ve been mostly out of it while you’ve been here—which is three days. I don’t know how long you were out of it at your van before I found you.”

“Oh. Thank you for helping me….” I murmur, as he pulls the covers back. I turn, carefully and I can admit just that simple movement makes me dizzy.

“You’re welcome, Sunshine,” he responds, his voice softer than I remember it ever being before. “Let’s get you in the shower,” he adds, and he kisses my temple, his fingers sliding into my hair, the pads of them massaging into my scalp and somehow making my entire body tingle. I’m not sure what happened while I was sleeping—or heck even if I’m just dreaming now. If I am, however, I kind of hope I never wake up.

“Hey, Braden?”

“Yeah, Sunshine?” he prompts as he takes into the adjoining bathroom.

“How did I end up with nothing but your shirt on?”

“Don’t worry, Ophelia. I did it without peeking.”

“You did?” I gasp, thinking I really must be asleep.

“Well, not much,” he adds, and he winks, which makes my heart trip in my chest.

I don’t know what’s going on...but I think I like it.12BradenI close my eyes, the sound of the shower echoing around me. I didn’t tell Ophelia that her temperature was so high that I basically bathed her with a cool water. At the time, I was more worried about getting her high fever down, than the shape and curves of her body. Right now, however, with the shower running, knowing Ophelia is naked under the water, those curves are all too easy to recall.