Undercover Ch. 07

The next morning Cade drove her uphill and far into to wilderness. At least that was her impression as she looked out on the surrounding scenery along the narrow road they were driving on. She had never ventured this far away from a shopping centre in her life. The road was barely drivable at some places and she wondered how anyone would want to stay at this cottage at all. No,hunting lodge. Anyway, what was it for? Shooting wild animals for pleasure? Or kill them before they ate you? A howl was heard as in perfect alignment with her thoughts. She shivered.

"What was that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just one of the wolves," Cade replied calmly.

"Wolves? Are there wolves here? Do they eat people?" Erin looked around suspiciously.

She had never liked wild animals, and she had no intention of starting now.

"Don't think so, but you never know," he said and winked at her. Actually winked - he must be enjoying this, she thought glumly. The jerk. The howl came again. She shrank back from the window. Would not look out in case she would see something she didn't want to have any close contact with. She moved closer to Cade. He was a complete asshole but right now he was human and close. That balanced out all his other bad qualities.

***

"Here we are," he finally said and drove up to a collection of wood, sheds and something that could resemble a house -- on a good day. "Let me show you around," he said and almost leaped out of the car. She could barely contain her excitement, but crawled after, looking nervously around for the noisy wolf.

"Don't worry," Cade said. "It's only a bachelor looking for a mate. Not a meal."

She shrugged her shoulders. As if that gave her any relief. "I'm sure he would have to eat once in while as well," she murmured ironically.

Cade showed her the place, pointing out adjustments that needed to be done. It didn't look quite as bad from the inside. Still, she already longed for the comforts of her temporary apartment. Here, water and electricity was lacking, which meant chopping wood and carrying water to ensure some standards. Damn, just what she had feared. A primitive life and back to the basic way of living. How annoying. Most of the work consisted in cleaning - of course - and some painting of walls and furniture. Some hunting friends of Cade would be visiting later in the autumn and he said he wanted the place sharpened up a bit.

"Go and get some water, will you?" Cade was running around eager as a pup. She was shaking her head. Where was the upper class and stiff-lipped boss she was used to? He must have been left behind at the office. This fellow was cheerful and seemed almost happy -- despite the harsh environment. She stumbled over a root, falling face first into some muddy soil.

"Damn," she shrieked and gave the culprit a hard kick.

Luckily she didn't bring her designer clothes along. One of the office girls had been nice enough to lend her some hiking boots and matching clothes. Warm clothes. She thanked her now, although she was not sure what all the layers were for. It could never be that cold, she hoped. And the wool was terrible. She was itching just thinking about it, so she had left the wool in her suitcase. Finally locating the river, she threw the bucket into the stream, and barely managed to hold on to the rope as the bucket filled with water and continued downstream much faster than she had anticipated. The stream was quite strong. Damn, that was probably really stupid of her, but finally she managed to pull the bucket close to shore again. Gasping and breathing heavily she tried lifting the thing. Nothing happened. Again. Still no movement. Oh, for God's sake, she thought.

"Cade," she yelled loudly.

"What?" he stopped a few feet away. "What happened to you?" He looked her up and down grinning at the muddy patches on her clothes. "Have you taken a mud bath or something? I suppose it's good for the complexion, right?"

"Very funny. Why don't you help me with this instead?" Erin said, pointing at the bucket floating around along the rivers edge.

"What? Can't milady carry her own water? Pour out some of it and try again, city girl," he said before turning and walking back to the lodge. She ground her teeth together. The creep annoyed her. No manners, no breeding, she thought.

***

10 half-filled buckets later and she had managed to fill the water tank in the lodge. She was exhausted and sank into a chair. This was not working, she thought. It was pure exhaustion or torture. She was definitely not up to this task and Cade must have known that all along. That was surely why he had given her a task she was bound to mess up. It must also be an added bonus that it would keep her far away from both him and the office.

Damn, she should have thought about this earlier. There was no way she could do anything useful about her assignment from this place. She had to come up with some ideas so that she didn't get stuck up here in the mountain for the rest of the month -- waving goodbye to that promotion she had wanted and worked so hard for. Clearing up this place would definitely not be done in a few days, more like weeks. And she would not spend one more day out here in the wilderness. No, Cade had to be persuaded somehow, but how?

Perhaps she should just bash him over the head and leave him to do the cleaning? Good idea, but how would she find her way back? The roads around here were not exactly littered with road signs. Okay, so she would have to bring the creep as well -- preferably bound and blindfolded. So, it was on to the next plan then. If only she had one.

At the same time Cade came trampling through the door, carrying a large pile of wood in his arms. The pile was so large it would surely have knocked her to the ground quite easily if she had attempted the same stunt. Nice muscles, she thought while admiring his arms and the ease with which he moved around and stashed the wood in the box next to the fire. She continued staring at him as he moved around the lodge. She had been right in her assumption that this man was definitely at ease out here in the wilderness.

Right now it was difficult to imagine the sharp suit-wearing and smooth-looking boss from the day before. His jeans looked worn and the wool sweater looked much more comfortable than she knew it really was. Every item was glued onto a well-kept body and glorified each body part she had a clear recollection of having seen. He looked incredibly manly and as if he could take on the whole world and always end up on top. Finally he seemed to be tired of her staring and looked her way.

"What is this, Miss Laziness? Get to work. There's a lot to be done before dark. With this speed I will not make it downhill before darkness falls."

What a pity, she thought. "Actually, you have to instruct me before you go back, so you'll probably not be able to drive back today anyway," she said sweetly and putting a matching smile on her face.

Cade's face darkened, but he agreed. He started to show her how to light the fire, before moving on to explain all the details she would need to know and specifying what work he needed her to perform. She pretended to be even more slow learning and clumsier than ever --not that she had to struggle much to achieve that. The wilderness was definitely not her cup of tea as she stared at the wood-burning kitchen stove. How would she ever learn how to operate a monster like that? There were simply no buttons to press.

***

After a dinner fried beyond recognition, the darkness had fallen. The only light was some candles placed around the lodge.

"No TV?" she asked. "How on earth am I going to manage without Oprah?" she asked ironically. Cade just grumbled. Not catching the irony in her voice. He had finally located his old and grumbling self again. It was almost a relief since the happier version had a smile that made her knees weak and instantly made her catch her breath every time she looked at him. It was troubling, to say the least. This grumpy fellow was much more fun to tease anyway apart from being a lot more familiar.

"Look, Cade, it is rally unfair to leave me here in this place. Just because of a few mistakes at the office. Do you really think I will burn down your office?" she asked teasingly.

"Yes," he answered, only half listening to her prattling along. "For heaven's sake, woman. You can talk a hole in a man's head sometimes. Now, quit the prattling and go to bed!" He got up and located some blankets for the beds. He threw one at her, and before she realised what was happening it landed straight over her head -- darkening her visions as well as stopping her ogling of Cade's backside.

"Hey!" she protested.

"Go to bed, Missy," he said. "Your bed is over there," he pointed into the corner of the lodge.

"And the bathroom?" she asked.

"Outside."

"But what about the wolf? I'm sure he must be lurking about looking for a meal by now. All that howling would surely have built up some hunger."

"He won't come near the lodge," he replied shortly.

She walked slowly outside. Saw nothing or no one. Didn't hear anything either. Maybe it was safe. At least she would scream loud enough for Cade to hear if she ever saw anything animal-like apart from the brute she was with. His good mood had vanished along with the daylight. He had not been able to drive home before darkness and he would have to stay the night as it was too dangerous to drive the murky roads in darkness. It suited her just fine, because now she would get another chance to plan how to return to the office with him and finish off her assignment.

Cade was definitely not pleased with the situation and he was grumpier than ever, even though she had behaved very nicely toward him all day long. Well, nicely as in not trying to pull any pranks on him. Some clumsiness she could not help, as she was unused to all the strange tasks he had tried to teach her throughout the day. She could need a bath though. The mud had not been easy to remove and she felt sweaty and as unsexy as she could. H'mmn, maybe she should apply her new skills in warming some bathwater? She had to manage on her own soon enough so Cade could not blame her for practising, now could he?

***

Running back into the lodge, she swore never to drink any more water during this stay. Or she would simply wait until the morning and the light was up again. She stumbled into an impressive sight. Cade had removed his shirt and was arranging his own bed alongside the door -- displaying a fine set of muscles in the process. The candles provided just enough light to caress every portion of his skin and the remaining shadows only made her long for a better look of what was hidden from view. Wow, she could only stand and glare at him as she tried to memorise the beautiful sight in front of her.

"Did you find any monsters?" he asked. He had heard her running - that was for sure. Next time she would change into shoes that allowed her to move more quietly. She turned her back to him and started preparing her own bed.

"Very funny. Only one very rude one." He laughed at her murmuring and ventured out into the darkness.

***

After a while he came back inside and started to take of the rest of his clothes. She could admire his backside as he had turned away from her. The candlelight made his skin look both smooth and inviting, and she knew the hardness he displayed was just as real as it looked. He was almost irresistible, she thought. Oh well, she could not state the same for herself. She did not feel the slightest bit irresistible right now. She had to get rid off some of the mud and sweat that completely covered her skin -- before the mud got stuck forever and she would have to remove it by scrubbing off a layer of skin.

Cade would surely find that quite hilarious and perhaps a fitting punishment for pulling all those pranks on him. She turned to the fireplace and started lighting the fire. She had already filled a kettle of water. After a couple of tries she finally managed to light the fire. Now it was only to wait.

"What are you doing?" Cade asked suspiciously.

He had stopped in the middle of undressing himself and was only wearing his pants now. Erin almost groaned when looking at his tempting body. What wouldn't she have done to be able to share a bed with him tonight? Well, maybe she could if she played her cards right. Damn she really had no dignity around this man. Still, what was dignity when her body ached for him? Craved him?

"I'm heating some water."

"I can see that. What for?"

"I need a bath?"

"What? Can't you use the stream as any other person?"

"But it's cold," she complained. Did he actually plan to bath in that icy water? He must be insane.

"If I can, then so can you."

"Oh, so that explains why your good mood has gone so sour. Ice-bathing is probably good for one's health but not for the mood, I suppose," she said laughingly. "Me, I prefer warm water. You can have some if you like," she tempted him.

"No thanks," he replied grumpily and went back to his bed.

Keeping his back to her she watched mesmerized as he quickly stripped off his pants and lay down on the bed wearing only his boxers. The brief glimpse of his naked legs made her salivate and long for a thorough examination of every part of his skin. The lodge suddenly felt a lot warmer and she stared at him as he covered himself with the blanket and turned over on his side, facing away from her. All right, so he wouldn't want to watch, was that it? Well, maybe he should get a show anyway. Or at least his ears would.

The water was warm now. She reached for the soap and placed it and the candle right next to the bench. It would be so good to get out of the sweaty clothes. Luckily she had another shift she could use the next day. Dragging off the clothes she did so making as much noise as possible. It was no use if Cade fell asleep too quickly. She started humming as she went to work, happy with the idea of getting clean and comfortable again. Well, as comfortable as could be expected in such a primitive setting.

"Will you stop that?" Cade grunted from the other side of the room.

"Stop what?" she asked innocently.

"The singing."

"Oh that. I'm sorry. I was not aware I was doing it. You sure you don't want any warm water? It's plenty for both of us here."

"I'm fine," he growled.

Fine indeed, Erin chuckled. He didn't sound fine at all. More like angry, as far as she could tell. She hoped he was becoming aroused. So aroused he could barely sleep this night. And if she could help him get to that stage... Oh well, she would at least give it a fair try. She lifted up her sweater and unfastened her bra. The cold air hit her skin and she gasped as it made her nipples tighten. She bent down and unfastened her trousers, dragged them off and stood only wearing her panties.

She was freezing now, but it would not do any other way. She had to endure some cold in order for this to work. She slowly turned toward the water bowl, aiming her body sideways in Cade's direction in case he wanted to watch. She slowly removed her panties and undid her long hair. She reached for the cloth and wetted it in the warm water. The difference in temperature made her sign with contentment as she let the warm cloth slide over her face and down her front. She reached out her arm and washed carefully at the mud still there. The soap was doing its job and she relished in the new sensation of total cleanliness.

Soon the smell of lavender filled the room and she rejoiced as she removed every trace of the mud that had dried on her arms. The scent of sweat was forced away and replaced by a far more womanly scent that made her sign with the shear pleasure of feeling normal and clean again. This wildlife was not so bad after all once one got a proper washing, she thought as she continued to clean her hair as best she could. A shower would make everything easier but since that option was not available, she would have to wash it in the river in the morning.

She had almost forgotten the cold as she run the warm cloth down her legs and massages her aching muscles carefully. Her thighs felt tired and she longed to lie down and rest. Her arms did not feel much better. She was obviously not used to chores like chopping wood and collecting water and her aching muscles clearly portrayed every muscle she had not been using for a while. She chuckled when thinking about it. This was probably better than a few hours at the gym, and after a week of this she would definitely have improved her strength. She stretched her body as she moaned to the ecstatic feeling of the warmth spreading through her every time she roamed the warm cloth over her skin.

***

What on earth was she doing? Cade wondered. All the sighing and content sounds accompanying her bath was making him crazy. He could not bear it any longer and turned slowly around to see what she was doing. This was a mistake, he almost groaned as he stared at the naked woman standing in the candlelight and dragging a cloth over her breast as she bared her throat as if she enjoyed the act so thoroughly she could barely contain herself. The sigh that escaped her mouth only enhanced the fire already burning inside of him and he felt his cock getting harder than before.

The sounds had been worse enough, accompanied as they were by pictures in his imagination. The reality was much worse, or far better depending on how much he enjoyed a raging hard on. How could he be so stupid as to end up in this situation? He should simply have dumped the woman here and headed back to his office a long time ago. But somehow she had managed to derail him so long it had been too late to drive back. Curse her.

He closed his eyes to the tempting sight and tried to shut out the moans and content sighs that escaped her mouth from time to time. To know that she wanted him as well did not make the situation any easier. He could have her body any time he wanted he knew that, but, what then? Would she laugh at him the way she had done before, thinking him a green boy from the country that wanted marriage when all she thought about was a bit of fun between the sheets? Well there had been no sheets it suddenly occurred to him.

Damn, he didn't want to think about that. To imagine what it would feel like having her in a bed. To have all the time he wanted to prolong their arousal to such an extent they could not wait any longer. To have her screaming her release so loudly he would have to close her mouth with a kiss, and all the time not having to worry about somebody interrupting them.

He opened his eyes and turned toward her again. She was moving the cloth up her legs and directly onto her cunt. She gasped suddenly and he could smell her arousal from the other side of the room. She spread her legs slowly and wet the cloth with more warm water before she stroked softly across her cunt again. Rubbing slowly up and down he could only guess what she was doing to herself. It sounded like she was masturbating and trying her best to swallow the sounds. She probably thought he was sound asleep by now -- as if there was any chance of that happening. He made his decision and quietly discarded the blanket and his boxers and moved toward her shivering body.

***

Nearly there, Erin thought. Her mind having almost shut out her surroundings and the cold air on her skin. She had forgotten about Cade and lost herself in the pleasure her playacting had caused in her body. She had never felt this alive before, and never had she dared to pleasure herself with a wash rag when a man slept only a few meters away. She moved the cloth across her clit again, and gasped as pleasure was seeping through her veins. She imagined a lover holding the cloth and pleasuring her with it, before he placed his tongue at her glowing centre and finished her off. She gasped and stretched her body, preparing for the inevitable as the orgasm was mounting in her body.