Chapter One
Ellsinore sighed and blotted her face with the tail of her apron. She’d just finished canning one hundred and five jars of green beans and freezing eighty-two pints of creamed corn. Exhausted didn’t begin to cover how she felt.
But it felt good .
With all the fruits and vegetables she’d frozen and canned this summer, she’d be set for the winter for sure. She’d moved to the mountains of Eastern Tennessee in the hopes of being left alone, and this year, she just might make it. She had plenty of beef and pork in the freezer, and with any luck, the chickens and milk cow would yield plenty of eggs and milk to curb the need to trek to the grocery in town.
Alone. Blessed seclusion. Life was good.
Well, alone except for the cat. Clover wound around her legs lazily, looking at Ellie as if to say, “Sit down. Take a load off. And while you’re at it, hold me and pet me and scratch that spot between my ears…”
“Not until I wash, Clover. I’m hot and sweaty and I just want to be clean. Not sticky.
Clover seemed to take it well, though she was still a bit disgruntled. She jumped on the worn but comfortable couch, turned around a couple of times, then lay down and closed her eyes. Ellie smiled and scratched the yellow tabby’s ears before heading down the short hallway to the bathroom.
She took her time in a cool shower, enjoying the water washing away the sweat. She soaped her hair and body before rinsing thoroughly. As an afterthought, she brushed her fingers through her sex, lingering a moment on her clit. She shivered. It was a pleasing sensation and she always repeated it in the shower. It made her feel deliciously naughty, and sometimes it led to the most wonderful sensations. Not this time, though. She was too tired to devote much effort to it.
After a while, she stepped out of the tiny shower and dried off. As she did, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She let her hands wander down her body to mold her curves. Her pale skin was still damp, and her body lotion made it silky soft. Dark chestnut hair floated around her, hanging down her back in a cloud of springy curls. She wandered nude back to the main room as the late-evening breeze caressed her skin like a gentle lover. Her nipples puckered and pebbled and she shivered. It was a good feeling. Perhaps she’d explore her secret places more, after all.
She checked on the jars of beans she’d canned. All of them were sealed tight. With a satisfied smile, Ellie stood and rested one hand on the still warm stove. It had been a good day. All was peaceful. The way life should be.
“Good evening, Ellsinore.”
Ellie screamed and grabbed the cast-iron skillet as she spun around. The deep, gravelly, quiet voice startled her so badly, she thought her heart might explode. With one mighty swing, Ellie hit the man in the face as hard as she could. His head snapped back, but unfortunately, he seemed otherwise unaffected.
“Oh, God!” she whispered. He just stood there. One eyebrow rose, but other than that, he didn’t move. Ellie was sure she should be terrified. He obviously wasn’t human and could probably do some real harm to her if he chose, but all she could see was the man.
And he was very special, indeed.
His skin was the color of rich, dark soil and his hair the color of red-clay mud. Tall, dark, and muscular, he filled her tiny living room with his big body. Dark red hair dusted his skin liberally, especially the thatch nestled around his groin. Ellie tried not to stare there, but it was quite difficult. Her gaze kept wandering to that thick cock hanging lazily between his legs as he stood there, tall and proud. He certainly didn’t seem to mind he was naked, so why should she? All she could think about was what he could do to her secret places if she allowed him to play with her.
Snapping her eyes back to his face, Ellie tried her best to regain some sense and asked sharply, “Who are you and what are you doing
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