Trapped with the Mountain Man Read online

  “That’s a lot of money.” Ivan whistled at the amount. “College debt, I presume. Well, you might never earn enough in one season to pay off that debt, but I’ll compensate you well. That’s a promise.”

  “Fair enough.” I heaved a deep sigh. At that moment, I considered asking him just how good that compensation would be. Still, I kept my mouth shut. This was a job. It was money and a roof over my head.

  “Good.” He gave a nod of appraisal. “Now, follow me.” He added, gesturing towards his front door.

  I started off behind him, curious about the specifics of my new job. Yet, when his broad back blocked my view, my curiosity shifted to a desire to stare at him yet again. I had always had a thing for backs, and this was hands down the absolute best I had ever laid my eyes on. More than that, I loved confident men, and Ivan was oozing with confidence. The way he swaggered his shoulders and walked like he owned the world was clear evidence of that. I hadn’t even heard what he wanted of me, and I could imagine him in my bed, doing all the dirty things I had been missing out on for the past year or so. I shook my head and quickened my pace, unwilling to let my mind drift in that direction. Yes, I could assume that the job was mine, but making him think less of me by acting like a sex-starved bitch could get me kicked out of there in a heartbeat.

  “I’m not very detail-oriented, so this is my worst nightmare.” Ivan confessed, strolling into his office. “Remember the two trucks you saw outside with all the logs and the Meyer Spruce trees? I have to enter every detail of their trip in the computer. That’s how I track things and that’s basically how folks get paid. It’s how I get paid too.” He went on, moving around his desk. “Type of wood, exact weight, the name of the driver, the destination… I even have to enter the license plate of each truck. By the way, it’s going to get a lot busier around here. Obviously, demand for Christmas trees is very high in December.”

  “I know it can be a pain, but it won’t be a problem for me.” I assured him, throwing a quick glance down at the computer monitor. “You have the right equipment for the job. It’s going to make my life a whole lot easier.”

  “Actually, I thought the monitor was a little too small when I bought it.” He claimed. “And Nina used to complain that it was a little too bright.”

  “Nina?”

  “The previous bookkeeper. She’s sick and won’t be returning,” he said.

  I frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. The monitor’s not too small and I can adjust the lighting to help with the brightness. I work with computers all the time.”

  “Alright,” he said with a nod. “Once you’re done with all the entries, you are to back up your day’s work on flash drives. That’s my IT people’s advice, just in case the hard drive fails. I don’t have anything too fancy, but this procedure has been working ever since we started the business.”

  He opened a drawer, took out a pack of brand-new flash drives, and sat them on his desk.

  “You’re well-prepared, but we can never be too careful, can we?”

  He leaned against the edge of the desk and folded his arm across his chest. “Tell me a little bit about your bookkeeping experience.”

  I loved talking accounting and finance and I gave him a rundown of all the work I did for the hotel and the accounting firm I worked for.

  “If you already have a bookkeeping system in place, I’d have no problems learning it or we can just start from scratch. Whatever you prefer. All of this depends on the state of the records, of course,” I explained.

  He smiled. “You seem knowledgeable enough, but let’s stick with the system in place, but I’d love to hear your suggestions if you see any need for improvement.”

  From the way things were going, I could tell that Ivan was impressed with my experience. A huge weight lifted off my shoulder to know that I had a good chance of nailing this job. I was confident I could help him out.

  When I caught his gaze again, I didn’t miss the way he assessed every inch of me with his dark, seductive gaze.

  “Unless you have any questions, we’re done in here,” Ivan said. “Come on. I want to show you the rest of the house.”

  “Lead the way.” I urged, my tone relaxed. I let him pass me by, eager to catch a glimpse of his sexy wide back once more. Okay, I wasn’t supposed to marvel at my new boss, but I was only human. And desperate. I was a desperate human and I couldn’t help myself. I bit my lip and followed him.

  When we did walk into his living room, I noticed a number of pictures on the far wall. Judging by the poor color of the first two, I was looking at his ancestors. Generations of Zorićs greeted me as I scanned the large hall. His house was riddled with luxury. Silver chandeliers, fine furniture, hardwood floors, Chinese vases… Everything seemed expensive, perhaps a little too expensive for a man who sold Christmas trees for a living. That conclusion gave birth to more suspicion. What did Ivan Scott really do? And why did he live alone in such a huge house? I glanced at more pictures along the way, searching for signs of female presence in his life, but all I could see was him in pictures with his father, his mother and another man that looked a lot like him. I meant to ask him; yet, I decided to swallow my words. I had just met him. Such questions would not go down well with him, or so I thought.

  “Like I said in the ad, housekeeping will be light.” Ivan's deep voice snapped me out of my thoughts as we entered his kitchen. “I don’t want you to scrub floors or anything. Just make sure the house is clean.”

  “Okay.” I was relieved that the house wasn’t in a mess already. It’d probably only take me an hour or so a day to tidy and straighten the place up.

  Just as I expected, the two level log cabin was huge. Actually there were three levels including the basement. I had counted a total of five bedrooms and three full baths. There was more than enough room for an entire family, which made it hard to believe that Ivan lived here all alone.

  He paused in the great room after giving me the grand tour. “Why don’t you come back tomorrow morning with some of your belongings for a trial run?”

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.” I told him, reaching out for another handshake. This time, the feel of his rough hand against my skin sent shivers down my spine. I couldn’t tell if it was a result of my enthusiasm for finding a job or my attraction to him. Either way, tomorrow would mark the beginning of my new life in Mount Greylock, and I was much too grateful to ponder over this reaction. I didn’t have to leave here just yet. I didn’t have to worry about my past breathing down my neck at odd times of the day. I could work out everything in the days to come.

  Ivan

  I couldn’t think of a more fitting name than Scarlet for that woman.

  Her thick wavy hair which was the color of mahogany and playful, hazel eyes struck me the moment our eyes met across my front yard. Her defined eyelashes and high cheekbones added even more finesse to that gorgeous girl. Her eyes had a warmth I had yet to encounter. She looked like a porcelain doll, which had me wondering all night if hiring her was the right call.

  Did I need help with my business? Yes.

  Could I work next to a beautiful distraction like her and not be affected? No.

  Sexy, curvaceous women were distractions and Scarlet fell under that category. I had a feeling I would end up staring at her curves the way I did today. Although she knew her stuff, I could hardly focus on the words coming out of her mouth while she talked about her past work. I didn’t even want to think about what would happen in such case. Still, what choice did I have? She was the best candidate.

  The skies above Mount Greylock had opened the next morning. Burying my nose in my coat, I waited for Scarlet outside. I regretted not showing her around the farm the day before. Yet, I wanted to be sure she’d want to stay and work for me. I didn’t want to scare her off by showing her my setup outdoors. I wondered if she liked being outdoors. She was certainly smart as hell, but she was still a city girl.

  I heard her coming down the dirt and gravel road. Her small, red Toyo
ta drove through a puddle, splashing water around the sides of the narrow road. Stepping on the brakes, she brought it to an abrupt halt on the driveway. I rushed off the porch towards her.

  “Good morning,” she said with a smile, getting out of her car.

  “I’m glad you came back.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” She cast a teasing glance my way.

  “I know the employment arrangements aren’t ideal.”

  “Well, I’m not picky, especially since I’m the one who needs a job,” she said.

  “I’m going to show you around the farm today. Hope you’ve got on a good pair of walking boots.”

  She extended a feet. “Will these sneakers do?”

  I grinned. “For now. Follow me.” I urged, starting off. “What you’re about to see isn’t really your field. I mean, I don’t expect you to carry logs or work on any machinery. I have men for those jobs. It wouldn’t hurt knowing where everything is, though.”

  “I’m just dying to see where that tree farm of yours is.”

  The way she said it persuaded me to put her wants on my list of top priority. I was tempted to drop everything I had planned for this morning and show her all the Christmas trees she wanted to see. She was just that darn convincing. But it was business as usual, and if I wanted to bring in enough to pay Scarlet and all my other workers I had to stay the course.

  “First things first, Scarlet.” I uttered, assuming a businesslike tone as we walked up the hill that led to one of the warehouses. “We’ll get to the trees later. Why are you so anxious about the trees anyway?”

  “Because I’ve never seen a tree farm up close.” She explained with a short giggle. “I can’t help but wonder what it looks like. In Ohio, I’d always see vendors set up shop on the side of the road or in an abandoned lot somewhere, but I’ve never seen where the trees actually come from.”

  “Well, now you will. I’ve got a few vendors like that. They’ll buy my trees by the truck full and then drive out to all the nearby cities to get them sold.”

  “So, they’re kind of like a middle man?” she asked.

  “Something like that. Not all of them are middle men. I presume some of them grow their own trees, but many of them are vendors and not growers.”

  “Wow, I learned something new.”

  “Right.” I nodded, halting outside the warehouse. Pushing the creaky door open, I strutted inside, and then pressed the light switch on the wall. The fluorescence revealed a huge room, with stacks of logs, neatly piled on top of one another. All of them were up against the walls, leaving the necessary room for the trucks to back up inside.

  “This is where I keep all the equipment. Sometimes I store large orders in here too until the vendor comes to pick them up,” I told her.

  “It’s so huge. I bet you could park half a dozen trucks in here.”

  “We’ve done it before. The business has a total of four trucks in any given year. One big rig, two smaller delivery trucks, and a Ford F-150. Some of the guys who work for me have their own trucks. I reimburse them for mileage and gas and stuff like that though.”

  “Good to know,” she exclaimed.

  “Wait till you see what’s in the other shed.” I said, turning around.

  “Machinery?” Scarlet ventured a guess.

  “That’s right. Mostly for my logging business which runs all year round,” I replied. “I am a lumberjack by trade. Selling the trees was just a way for my family to supplement income. So not only do I chop trees down, I also grow them. Don’t want the environmentalists on my back, you know, so I try to do the right thing for the eco-system. I’ve even worked with them a couple times to clear out several forests near upper Minnesota in some of the national parks.”

  “That’s odd that environmentalists would actually want you to thin out a forest?”

  “It’s not what it seems. Apparently, if trees are grown too densely, they start to crowd each other out. Cutting down the thinner trees and leaving the older trees up reduces the competition for water and sunlight.”

  “Had no idea,” she mused. “You know so much about this.”

  “This is my life,” I said, holding my arms out and gesturing across the field.

  “Right.” She grinned. “Ivan the Lumberjack.”

  I couldn’t hide my smile or amusement. “My family’s been in the business since the early 1900s.”

  “That’s impressive.”

  “I guess.” I pulled the door closed and dusted my palms off on the front of my jeans.

  Big, fat snowflakes began to fall from the sky. The air was still warm and the snow melted on contact with every surface. Not only that, it started to rain. Soon, the fields would be one big muddy mess. I would hate for my new employee to be knee deep in the mud.

  “Oh no!” she exclaimed. “I really wanted to see the trees.”

  Just as I locked my gaze on her face, she frowned. I didn’t want to let her down.

  “Come on. The rain’s not too heavy yet. We could probably make it there and back before the real rainstorm hits. Those clouds overhead look terrible.”

  Her eyes brightened and she offered me the biggest, prettiest smile I’d ever seen. For the first time ever, I couldn’t get to my tree farm fast enough. I lengthened my strides, my boots sinking in the muddy ground. Minutes later, we were standing on top of the hill that overlooked the farm, but, even though she halted, I did no such thing. Instead, I kept on going, until I was just a few feet away from the first trees.

  “Well, what do you think?” I asked her, slowing my pace. Scarlet kept her silence. Instead of a reply, she left me behind, letting out a pretentious scream. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There she was, jogging parallel to the trees, looking like a child with a new toy. Perhaps I should have anticipated this. Her eagerness to get here was a sign, but I had missed it.

  “It’s beautiful!” She bent down to sniff a short tree on her right. Inevitably though, within seconds, she reached what remained of the roots of the trees that had been cut down in the past week.

  “You never said you loved flora so much.” I closed the distance between us, admiring Scarlet’s beauty and the way the snowflakes melted into her warm olive complexioned skin.

  “I do.” Scarlet’s gaze still settled on the twigs that littered the ground. “This is sad, kind of. Cutting these beautiful trees down.”

  “It’s a tree farm, Scarlet. I grew them.” I assumed a sarcastic tone. “They grow up to six or seven feet tall, and then I have them chopped down. Look at it this way. Think about the hundreds of children when they see their dads walking in with one of these. They’ll love it.”

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her gaze shooting up to meet mine. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “It’s okay.” I softened my tone as I watched raindrops flow down her cheeks. “I know my job isn’t exactly ecological, but it’s the family business. My father left it to me before he died, and I’m honored to continue his legacy.”

  “You must think I’m a terrible person,” Scarlet groaned, shaking her head in disapproval.

  “Believe me, you’re not,” I murmured, a broad smile bursting upon my lips. “If you were, you and I wouldn’t be talking right now. Let’s go back before one of us catches a cold, okay? Mount Greylock weather is super bipolar. It’s the worst thing about living here really.”

  “Okay. Sure.”

  I didn’t dare tell her, but she had just shown me that I could trust her. Scarlet wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and ask for what she wanted. To me, this meant more than she could ever have imagined.

  As we approached my home, my heartbeat once more escalated. Scarlet had been clear about wanting to work for me, but she hadn’t said anything about moving in. I was torn. My mind was screaming at me that it would be difficult to form any kind of working relationship with her when all I wanted to do was grab her and whisk her off to my bedroom where I could intimately explore the rest of her. I imagined that she’d be squealing in delight for
a different reason once I claimed her pussy.

  I needed to get it together. I was seeking a bookkeeper. Not a one night stand. Not a wife to warm my bed. And certainly not a woman who could make me forget what I wanted to accomplish in the first place.

  Instead of taking her to my bed, I led her to the guest room. I pulled my keys out of my pocket, hoping that Scarlet had decided to accept the offer of free room and board.

  “Consider this your new home, if you’re still interested.” I said, unlocking the door.

  “Oh, my God…” She whispered, disbelief written all over her face as she stepped inside. “This is bigger than the studio loft I live in!”

  “Is that a yes?” I asked, following her in.

  “Of course it’s a yes!”

  “Great. Let’s go get your stuff from your car.”

  “It isn’t much,” she claimed, a touch of bitterness in her tone. “Just a couple of suitcases.”

  “I’m not letting you carry them in the rain and snow.” I put some force in my voice. “The ground’s too slippery. I already have one housekeeper in hospital. I’d hate to see you end up there, too.”

  “What happened to her exactly?” Scarlet inquired as she strutted out of my house.

  “Pneumonia.” I sighed, recalling the letter from the hospital. “Nina's seventy-eight years old. She’s not getting discharged until mid-January.”

  “Awww, poor thing.” She whimpered, tilting her head to the side.

  “Yep. She’s going to spend Christmas in a hospital bed.” I went on, the rain pelting down around us. “She’s not going to be alone, though. I’m pretty sure her kids are right there with her. I’ll pay her a visit these days, see how she’s holding up.”

  “So, what is a typical day in Ivan Scott's life like?”

  Scarlet's question sent shockwaves coursing through my system. I remained silent, not really knowing how to respond. Still, I couldn’t allow her to think that she had put me in an awkward position. We had already been through one misunderstanding that day, and I didn’t want another.