Nash: A Rough Romance by Piper Stone (book series for 12 year olds txt) 📕

are rules to follow as long as you’re in my house.” He eased me onto my feet, even taking the time to slide hair out of my eyes. The next few seconds were tense, but only because of the savage look in his eyes, brutal desire that told me in no uncertain terms what he wanted to do to me.

Devour every inch, fucking every hole.

For a few seconds, I wouldn’t have cared. Then another dose of reality settled in.

I was mortified that some stranger was touching me in such a gentle manner. Jerking back, I almost tumbled over the coffee table in my effort to get away from him. I turned away in continued embarrassment as I struggled to yank my panties and jeans back into place. Tears of anger and frustration, fear and the horror of what I’d experienced over the past two days came rushing into my mind.

Threats.

Warnings.

Terror.

Within seconds, I was sobbing as quietly as possible. I hadn’t broken down even once until now. I’d tried so hard to remain strong in order to find a way out of the mess I’d put myself in, but it seemed like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.

Or maybe I just needed a hero.

Not that this savage man was going to fit the bill.

I heard his heavy exhale from a few feet away and continued fighting, but my fingers were entirely too numb from the cold as well as paralyzing fear. When I heard his boots thumping behind me, another wave of embarrassment rushed into my system. I was standing half naked in front of a mysterious mountain man of a stranger, bawling my eyes out. This wasn’t my finest moment.

I wasn’t certain what to expect, but when he gently and very slowly pulled my panties into place then my jeans, I realized I was holding my breath.

“You can relax now,” he said in such a reserved manner, totally unlike the brute who’d just had me over his lap.

He walked away, as if giving me a moment of privacy was the only thing that would help my raw emotions. In truth, I was grateful, managing to button and zip after two failed attempts. By that point, I sensed his return, shivering as I heard those same boots slapping down on the hardwood floor. Then I heard a slight thud and my throat almost closed. If he was going to kill me, I didn’t want to know.

However, I’d seen a truck outside before barricading myself in his woodshed. If I could get ahold of the keys, snowstorm or not, I might be able to find a way out of here. My truck certainly wasn’t in any shape to go anywhere. At least I reserved the thought in the back of my mind. I certainly couldn’t trust him, and I definitely wasn’t going to stay here.

He reached around me, a glass in his hand, forcing me to jump. “Take this. I think you need it.”

“What is it?” I managed to ask.

“It’s bourbon, not some poison. The liquor will help warm you up. Come by the fire. You’re freezing.” Exhaling, he forced my arm to lift and placed the glass in my hand, making certain my fingers were able to hold the dense weight.

His voice was just as commanding as before but there was an air of concern in the tone as well, lulling me into a hint of trust. I was crazy to think such a thing, but right now I had no other choice. I did as he suggested, moving closer to the fire as he tossed in two more large chunks of wood on top, sparks flying almost immediately.

After he pushed and prodded the wood for a few seconds, he moved toward the couch. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his concerned gaze continuing as he sat down. After a few seconds, he tugged his weapon from his coat, obviously placing the gun where I could see it. I took his actions as nothing more than a threat. A look of amusement crossing his face, he pulled a glass of his own into his hand. “If I’d wanted to hurt you, sweetheart, I could have done so with my bare hands.”

I opened my mouth to utter a harsh retort then thought otherwise, closing my eyes for a few seconds.

He continued to chuckle, as if my predicament was the funniest thing in the entire world. I hated him. Then again, I hated the world right now.

Stop acting like a child. You need to get out of here.

My inner voice was correct.

A sharp exhale rushed up from my chest as fear and adrenaline mixed together. Was it possible he’d poisoned the drink? I swirled the liquid, taking a deep whiff before finally bringing the rim to my lips and darting my tongue inside. The taste of the liquor was refreshing, and I relished in the almost immediate burn as the bourbon slid down the back of my throat.

He remained quiet, although I knew he was watching everything I did. At least within a couple of minutes, the warmth of the fire began to thaw out my hands. I rubbed one against my jeans, shuddering as I remembered the events of the past few days.

The horrible men had almost managed to catch me, their scarred faces something I would never forget. Then the single shot had echoed in my ears, the bullet barely missing the cab of the truck. How I’d gotten away from them was nothing short of a miracle, but I knew they would never stop looking for me. I closed my eyes, biting back a cry. How had my entire world been turned upside down in such a short period of time?

Because you were stupid.

Yeah, there was that realization.

The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire, the flames licking around the wood in a dazzling display of orange tinged with a slight hue of blue. I was mesmerized for a few