Free Hide and Seek by Alyssa Brooks

think she could.
    No! She had to and she would! If she could handle him, she could handle any man.
    Yeah right.
    She might as well chain herself to this cabin and throw in the towel. Seclude herself for the rest of her life and become a miserable, crazed hermit.
    â€œYou already vowed never to leave this cabin,” she reminded herself out loud. “Several times in fact.”
    But after a few weeks here, she was lonely, bored, and wishing she were somewhere else, anywhere , making some sort of difference. She had too much to offer to just wallow in solitude for eternity. Surely, she could find a place in this world…it would just have to be one where no one knew about tabloids. Like a tribal village in South America. Or Antarctica.
    â€œOh, why does humid weather and bugs or miles of snow and ice sound so good right now?”
    Because she’d already gone insane, hence her decision to allow Maxim in her house, and possibly even her body. Hence her new habit of talking to herself.
    â€œYou’ve really done yourself a favor this time, genius.” Shaking, Elisa sliced the tofu she’d marinated earlier and slid it into a pan coated with olive oil. While the large white chunks cooked, she chopped some carrots and tomatoes.
    She had to stop worrying. Guarding her heart from him would be easy. She just needed to distance herself from anything emotional. To stay aloof.
    â€œUse him and lose him,” she reminded herself, pouring cold, canned lentils over the salad. Several vibrated right out of the can and onto the floor. “Damn it!” She gathered the spilled beans, shaking her head. “I have to pull it together. Handling Maxim is not that hard. Not hard at all.”
    A deep chuckle sounded behind her. “But I am, Elisa.”
    Elisa practically jumped out of her skin, whirling around, beans flying in Maxim’s direction. “What?”
    Maxim leaned in the doorway, looking right at home, relaxed, except for his cock, which stood proud and tall, forming a tent in the painted-on grey jogging pants he’d apparently stolen from her dresser. Her body practically floated inside the leisure wear, but the sweats clung to his sturdy hips and thick thighs like a second skin. He wore no shirt, and little droplets of water still glistened on his tanned flesh, which was mottled with goose bumps. She could never have imagined such a hilarious sight would look so incredibly sexy, but it did. All. Too. Much.
    Desire buzzed through her, gathering at her center. Clenching the handle of the spoon so tightly her fingers hurt, she stared at him, caught off guard by the instant, intense way she craved him.
    â€œYou’re pretty damn cute when you talk to yourself.” He flashed her a lopsided, dazzling smile that just about knocked her over. “I was enjoying that.”
    Elisa swallowed, working the muscles in her throat, but the knot lodged in her windpipe refused to abate. For the second time, her eyes darted to his cock, thinking of the immense width he’d had pressed against her pussy only a half hour ago. She could have taken him.
    Why hadn’t she?
    Oh, right. Control.
    She had to stop this! Get a grip…and not on a spoon!
    Elisa lifted her chin high enough that she couldn’t look down at his raging erection. “So you were spying on me?”
    Maxim cocked a curious eye at her. “What was I supposed to do? Hang out in the bathroom until you called me for dinner?”
    â€œYou were supposed to take a shower.”
    â€œI did. I took a cold one.” He gestured to his cock, a hand movement she absolutely refused to follow. “It didn’t cool me off, as you can see, so I’m glad you’ve loosened up some. Where’s the wine?”
    â€œI didn’t drink any.” Elisa bent and picked up the rest of the scattered lentils. Maxim strode into the kitchen, kneeling next to her and aiding her efforts.
    â€œWell, how about we pop open