Charmed By The Mountain Prince(14)

“What do you mean?”

“I grew up here, but it’s not my home. Not anymore.”

Her eyes narrow, confused. “Where do you live, then? If not at the castle?”

“I live in the woods.”

Puzzled, she tilts her head to the side. She thought this was her new home.

But she’s in for a fucking wake-up call, because my cabin is no fucking palace.





9





He doesn’t live here?

“Wait a second ... where do you live then?” I ask, reaching for my panties, suddenly feeling exposed.

“I live outside of town. In the woods.”

“In the woods,” I repeat, trying to understand.

He doesn’t give me any more. His mouth is set in a hard line, and the endorphins from our sex-frenzy seem to be fading. He pulls up his pants.

“I want to go. This cake is still on my face,” I say. “And I’m tired. It’s been a long day.” I grab my dress, slip it on over my head.

“You don’t want to stay at the reception any longer?” he asks, running his hand over his scruffy beard.

“No. I’m going to use the restroom, and then let’s just call it a day, okay?”

He nods, and I use the en suite bathroom. Running cool water, I splash it on my face. I look in the mirror, trying to see if I look any different, now that I’ve been filled with a man.

Maybe it’s terribly naive, but as I dry my face with a towel I can’t help but think I do look different. At least I feel different. I feel more whole, even though so much has been taken from me. My family, my home, my freaking virginity.

They don’t feel like loses though.

Being here feels like a gain.

I just wish Garrick made more sense. He’s impossible to read. He swerves from intense heat to intense cold with the flip of a switch.

And I’m apprehensive about this house of his in the woods. I don’t need a castle, but being here tonight ... I’d be lying if I said I don’t want it. It’s decadent, yet warm. No one is trying to prove anything, and no one is pinching pennies to make ends meet, either. Garrick’s parents seem comfortable in their own skin.

It’s Garrick that seems to be fighting something.

I turn off the faucet. Exhale. Tonight, I don’t want to fight anymore.

Tonight, I just want to see my new home.



Garrick’s parents kiss us goodbye, seeming to know they’ve pushed their luck with their son. Quickly enough, Garrick and I leave the castle grounds with zero fanfare, slipping away into the dark night.

Before I can mention being cold, Garrick wraps his arm around me, that warmth of his returning. The temperature has dropped considerably since this afternoon, and my sheer dress and his flannel shirt are no match for this cool fall weather.

We walk in silence, my eyes alert as we pass through the village and head toward the other side of the square. Toward the forest.

“Is it a long walk?”

“Less than a mile,” he says, not offering any more. Soon enough, we’re cresting a hill. Down a path through the trees, I see a simple, rustic cabin.

Not like a luxury cabin; more like a shack.

I brace myself for the interior, hoping that it at least matches the interior of the castle.

The castle, though an old building, still had leather chairs and couches, a sitting room and a massive hall where the meal was served. There was a library, and a hall filled with portraits.

But if the outside of this cabin is any indication of what lies ahead, I shouldn’t get my hopes up.

“Home sweet home,” he tells me.

“Right, home sweet home,” I say tightly as he pushes open the front door. Well, the only door. Because we’re in a one-room cabin.

“This is your house?”

“No, Iris. This is our house.”

At that, my knees go weak and the confident exterior I so desperately want to cling to fades away. As does the night.

I faint, not even knowing if someone’s catching me.



My eyes open. I’m lying in bed; the room is dark save for a hurricane lantern on a bedside table casting a soft glow over the room.

I blink, remembering where I am and how I got here. This morning, when I left my sister and my father, seems so very long ago. In a chair, watching me, is Garrick. His arms rest on his knees and he leans toward me, staring intently.

“Fuck, woman,” Garrick sighs. “Talk about a grand entrance.”

“I take it you carried me over the threshold?” I say, smiling softly. I fainted before I even took two steps inside. The reality of this being my home is just a little bit more than my knees could handle at the end of this long day.

But now, looking at Garrick—his dark eyes and his strong jaw and his broad shoulders—things look a little more appealing than at first glance.