Kept By the Beast by Hallie Bennett
CHAPTER THREE
POPPY
A fitful night of sleep follows last night’s debacle, and I dread what will come today. The only good news is that my phone seems to be working again after Asa let me borrow his charger, and there’s one message from Tory asking what happened with the car. After responding, I toss the phone aside and stare at the ceiling ﹘ more tears threatening to spill over.
Geez, will you get over yourself?
Crying seems to be the only thing I can do lately, but I can’t help it. Only one person cared enough to check on me. One. I could literally disappear, and no one would wonder where I’ve gone. Hell, I’m currently lying in a stranger’s bed with no one the wiser. Ironically, the knowledge that I’m residing in a man’s home isn’t my top worry. Asa seems like a decent guy, verging on a saint with as much as he’s helping me.
No, I’m more concerned with my lack of a social life and what to do about my car as my gaze wanders over the ceiling above.
Wooden beams span the room, adding to the rustic feel of the cabin and creating a cozy warmth that the large bed enhances with its fluffy pillows and heavy blankets. If only that comforting embrace had alleviated my stress and anxiety during the night or even the pity I’m feeling for myself currently.
Sighing in resignation, I throw off the covers and prepare to face the day. Asa mentioned last night visiting the mechanic’s garage once they opened at ten this morning. The clock on my phone reads eight-thirty, so there’s still some time to kill.
Wandering around the room, it reflects the same bare-bones layout as downstairs. Nothing adorns the walls, and it’s clear Asa believes in function only. There isn’t a piece in the cabin that doesn’t serve a useful purpose ﹘ unlike my apartment in Everton.
Hoards of knick knacks populate every nook and cranny of my home. Honestly, I probably shouldn’t have bought the seasonal decorations yesterday because my place doesn’t have any more free space. But it’s hard to walk away from cute foxes and owls especially when shopping gives me a nice boost of endorphins.
Something in short supply lately.
Ambling across the hardwood floor, a curious noise draws me to the window. My breathing stutters to a halt at the sight before me. Asa stands shirtless, chopping short blocks of wood like a lumberjack.
A hot as hell giant of a lumberjack.
Sweat drips down his chest despite the cool temperature, glistening in the mat of dark curls that trail down to the button of his jeans. He lifts the axe above his head and brings it down again with a loud thwack causing me to jump at the sound. Muscles flex in his shoulders and arms as he removes the split halves of wood and adds another block.
Stop watching. Don’t be weird.
But it’s difficult to look away. I’ve never seen a man like him ﹘ like this ﹘ up close and personal. Truthfully, I thought they only lived in the fantasies of my dreams or books and movies. Yet, the dream had come to life in this flesh and blood man who rescued me from an uncertain fate last night.
If I were a different kind of woman, I’d figure out how to use this to my advantage, but that just feels icky considering his good nature so far. He didn’t sign up to get manipulated or used by me ﹘ a needy virgin who’s too plump for her own good. Best to long for things I can have from afar, safely ensconced in this room.
Without warning, he glances towards me, and I pivot away from the glass pane, back banging into the wall. Please don’t let him see me. All I need is for Asa to know I was spying on him. Long minutes pass before my heart rate returns to normal, and I chance another peek outside.
He’s no longer there which explains the abrupt silence. My eyes close in relief as I slide down the wall like a glob of jelly. Footsteps stomp down the hall before a door closes, and pipes rattle in the walls as a shower starts.
Don’t even go there, I warn before my mind conjures images of a naked Asa. Think about your dead car. About your adult responsibilities. Unfortunately, those incite anxiety instead of the pleasant rush of hormones Asa sets off.
I wait until the shower turns off and Asa goes back downstairs before deciding it’s time to follow him. It’s closer to the time we need to leave, so hopefully, there won’t be a lot of awkward moments until then. Especially now that I’ve seen him bare-chested and imagined what the rest would look like without all the denim and flannel.
If I had a problem with being tongue-tied prior to the lumberjack scene, I’m really screwed now. But hiding in his room isn’t exactly the smartest move either. Better to face him and get this day over with.
I quickly pull on the same jeans from yesterday but keep the cozy button-down of Asa’s that I’m wearing ﹘ tying the overly long ends into a knot that rests at my hips. The need for such a thing makes me smile. I might’ve found the one man whose clothing actually dwarfs me, and the unfamiliar sensation lets me feel petite for once in my life.
Heading down the stairs, I find Asa stacking a couple of split logs beside the fireplace. “Good morning.” My hand lifts in a short wave of greeting, gauging his reaction to my arrival. Did he see me watching him earlier?
“Morning. How’d you sleep?”
“As well as expected.” His demeanor remains relaxed, and relief calms some of the worry in my gut.
“That good, huh?” A commiserating grin softens his rough-hewn features, and the effect it has on my heart sends me reeling. Though not classically attractive, Asa exudes a raw aura of masculinity that my body can’t help responding to ﹘ blood racing, nerves tingling, preparing to receive him like I’m in heat.
Is my period starting soon?
I inwardly chuckle at the thought. Thinking of sex isn’t out of the ordinary but these types of sensations usually increase in frequency around that time of the month. Or it could just be the man… Either way, my body needs to chill and let my brain focus on what matters: my car troubles.
“If you’re ready to go, I figured we could grab breakfast at the diner next door to the garage. By the time we’re done eating, it should be open for us to talk to the mechanic on duty.” Asa straightens to his full height and slaps the dust from his hands, eyes travelling over my body before meeting my gaze.
Flushing at the inspection, I manage a jerky nod. “Sounds good to me.”
The sooner my car’s fixed, the better, because the longer I’m here, the greater the chance I embarrass myself with the chaos of hormones flooding my system in his presence. And that would be truly mortifying.
An active man like him? Not interested in chubby and shy, I’m sure.