Espino, Stacey - Surrounded by Wolves [Wolves of Climax 1] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Read Online Free

she had to get her thoughts out of the gutter. Cassidy was here to start fresh, to claim her new home and put down some real roots. Finding Mr. Right was on her list, but getting her life and mental health in order first was a necessity.
    She drove slowly up the last stretch of road. Garret said she wouldn’t miss the house, but all she drove past before hitting the cliffs was an old prospector’s cabin that looked ready to collapse in on itself. A sudden enlightenment nearly stopped her heart. She shifted into reverse and sped backward until she hit the cabin again. Cassie double-checked her paperwork and the numbers on the house and property marker. Sure enough, the oversized outhouse was her inheritance. She’d uprooted her entire life, quit her job, given up her apartment, and withdrew all her meager savings to come northward to bigger and better things. But all she had was a job she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to handle and a piece-of-shit cabin that looked uninhabitable.
    Rather than have a mini breakdown in the middle of the deserted road, she pulled into the driveway. Cassidy cut the engine and stepped out onto the gravel drive. She could hear wildlife in the trees around her, squirrels scampering in the branches, birds singing, and chipmunks scurrying in the underbrush. They were probably laughing at her and her joke of a house. She did a brief assessment of the perimeter. At least the glass windows weren’t broken, but that was the only positive she could find. It seemed the forest was trying to reclaim the home, vines and foliage taking over the property. She dug in her purse for the key the lawyer gave her. The cool metal in her palm brought back memories of the many nights she could barely sleep, anticipating seeing her own house for the first time. All her expectations were now dashed. How much longer must I be tested?
    She stepped up onto the small wooden porch, her footsteps creaking on the aged wooden boards. All the while she was mentally tallying up the damage, trying to visualize the place with repairs done. She could imagine rocking leisurely on the porch in the evenings, a hot coffee and romance novel in hand. There was no turning back now, no matter how dire her situation appeared. She’d have to put on her big-girl panties and prepare for a lot of elbow grease. Sitting in her car and having a full-blown pity party wouldn’t help her situation.
    The inside of the house made things worse. There wasn’t a stitch of furniture besides an old wooden table and one mismatched chair. Just clearing her throat created an echo in the empty cabin. It was tiny, just the one room…and no indoor bathroom, she soon discovered. Motherfucker. The lawyer led her to believe she was moving into an older, but solid, furnished home. She sat on that lonely chair and took in deep breaths, over and over. Where was her fucking apple pie? “Think positive, Cassidy,” she repeated to herself. At least there was a refrigerator and kitchenette. She could use her savings to buy a pull-out sofa, some paint, and cleaning supplies. Obviously her biggest goal would be getting a rough-in for an indoor bathroom, but that would cost money she didn’t have yet.
    Cassidy left the house in search of an outhouse. There had to be one nearby, and although terrified to discover the condition of the outdoor bathroom, she had to check it out and assess the damage. It was deeper in the woods than she expected, making any nighttime trips to the john out of the question. When she opened the door, the whiny hinges made the birds in the overhead trees take flight. The forest had tried to conquer the toilet as well. She tugged at the vines, deciding she may as well get started clearing out some of the vegetation in her way. Once she began, she couldn’t stop.
    Hours passed like minutes as she went on a cleaning binge. She had some Mr. Clean and bleach in her car and found an old corn broom in the kitchenette. By the time she was done, the