Page 2 of Her Mountain Man Stalker

It's not just chopping firewood: I build furniture, sell lumber, and do just about anything I can to keep myself busy. I sure as hell don’t do it for the money—I made millions back in San Diego, and the cash I make from my woodwork is pocket change in comparison. I do it for the distraction. And when I collapse into bed each night, I’m so exhausted from a full day of physical labor that I don’t have to lie awake thinking about the past. I don’t have to torture myself over everything I should have done differently. It’s why I’ll never go back to life in the city. The mountains are the only place I feel any peace.

With a low grunt, I make a start on the next batch of logs, raising my axe before my arm freezes in midair. I can hearfootsteps somewhere nearby, and instinctively, I draw back into the shadows. I try to avoid people when I’m out here in the woods—that’s why I chose such an isolated spot. People are too damn nosy for me. They ask questions, want to know things. When my old colleagues in the city heard I was giving everything up for a cabin in the mountains, their interrogations were fucking relentless, and these days I prefer to keep to myself. That’s not the only reason I try to keep my distance, though. I’ve always been a tall guy, but after so long out here doing manual work every day, I’m stronger and brawnier than ever, with a thick beard and even thicker muscles. I know I must look pretty intimidating out here carrying an axe, and it doesn’t help that my natural expression looks grumpy as hell. There have been a few times were I’ve accidentally encountered hikers out here. Sometimes the poor fucks actually turn and run, like I’m Shrek emerging from his swamp. It doesn’t bother me, and I’m glad my appearance keeps people away, but I’m not in the mood to deal with some terrified walker right now, so I keep back as the footsteps get closer.

To my annoyance, it sounds like the person is about to walk straight through the clearing I’ve been working in, and I huff out a sigh as I duck behind a clump of thick bushes, frowning impatiently. I peer through a gap between the leaves, waiting. A moment later, a figure approaches, wending its way through the trees. As the person gets closer, I can see it’s a woman. My heart starts to thump as she comes fully into view.

Holy shit.

I almost scratch my damn eyes out as I lean farther into the prickly branches of the bush, trying to get a better look. She’s so fucking beautiful. She looks about twenty-one, and her golden brown hair bobs around her shoulders as she walks, framing her youthful face. I stare at her wide doe eyes and her plump red lips, unable to stop my gaze from roaming down her body. Bluejeans hug her wide, curvy hips, and even her thick sweater can’t hide the generous swell of her breasts. I’ve never seen such a gorgeous woman. She looks so damn sweet, so pretty…

Fuck, I shouldn’t be thinking this shit,I tell myself as the girl gets closer and closer to the bushes I’m hiding behind.She’s half my age, goddammit.

My mouth goes dry as the woman suddenly stops in her tracks, interrupting my thoughts. She peers around warily, like she can sense somebody watching her. I hate myself for scaring her, but showing myself, emerging like a giant from the bushes…well, that would probably terrify the life out of her. So I stay hidden, hardly daring to breathe, until the girl finally seems to decide she must have imagined it and keeps on walking, passing inches from the bush I’m hiding behind before continuing deeper into the woods and out of sight. For a moment, I don’t move. I can feel my pulse thumping in my ears, deafening me as I stay frozen.

I should get back to work. I should continue with my day, finish chopping up all this wood, and head back to my cabin just like I always do. But something stops me—a nagging sensation in my stomach. The girl looked wildly unprepared for a trek through the woods. It can be dangerous out here—mountain lions prowl around these parts, and some innocent-looking streams and creeks are far deeper than they appear. Slippery rocks and boulders, falling branches…not to mention that it will be dark in a couple of hours. What if she gets lost?

Before I can talk myself out of it, I slowly creep out from behind the bushes, drawing up to my full height. I can just about see the girl in the distance slipping between a pair of thick fir trees, and instinctively, I start to follow her. Blood thrums through my veins as I weave as quietly as possible through the trees, my eyes fixed on the girl, occasionally looking away to check for any dangers ahead of her. Part of me feels like a creep.I mean fuck, what am I thinking, following a young woman through the forest? But I can’t bring myself to turn back. I can’t tear my eyes away from this angel. I have to protect her. It’s an urge I can’t explain, something deep in my chest that forces me onward, trying to close some of the gap between us. In my haste to keep her in sight, I get clumsy, and I cringe as I step on a branch, the loud crack reverberating through the trees. Just in time, I leap behind a thick pine tree, watching through the needles as the girl looks around once more, definitely unnerved now.

“Hello?” the girl calls, fear in her sweet voice.

There’s silence except for the babble of the stream winding through the trees nearby.

Shit.

Part of me desperately wants to show myself and explain that she’s safe…that I’m just keeping an eye on her in this dangerous stretch of woods so she doesn’t hurt herself. But I’m not an idiot. She’ll probably think I’m a crazy axe murderer or something and could end up tripping and breaking her neck trying to run away from me.

“Is someone there?” the girl continues, taking a step backward as she looks around frantically, then another. I see what’s about to happen a second too late. The girl stops in front of the stream, but the ground there isn’t as solid as it looks. The mossy earth beneath her feet crumbles into the water, and with a shriek of surprise, she tumbles backward, landing in the stream with a splash.

There’s nothing for it. With my heart banging wildly against my chest, I dart out from behind the trees, rushing toward the girl. She’s lying flat on her back in the shallow creek, groaning as she catches her breath. Her clothes are soaked with icy water, and in her dazed state, it takes her a second to notice me. But as Iclimb down into the stream, her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open in shock.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I tell her quickly. “I heard you scream. I’m here to help.”

She stares at me for a few moments, still looking dazed, but she nods. “Th-thanks.”

I reach down and scoop her out of the stream. Her sodden clothes drip all over my shirt, but I barely notice. All I can focus on is the feeling of holding this perfect girl in my arms as I carry her back to the solid forest floor and set her gently down so that she’s sitting with her back against a tree.

“Are you okay?” I ask, urgency pulsing through me as I look into her pretty face. “Did you hit your head when you fell?”

“No. I landed on my feet and then fell back onto my butt.” She winces slightly. “My left foot is really sore.”

I nod. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here—somewhere warm,” I add as I notice her shivering in her wet things.

“Thank you. My cabin isn’t far.”

Her cabin?

This gorgeous girl lives around here?

How long has she been living just a few minutes away? How long have I failed to notice there was an angel so close to me?

“I’ll get you back to your cabin,” I tell her. “You’re gonna be okay.”

The girl smiles up at me but still looks pained, and my stomach twists with shame and guilt. I feel like an asshole. I should have prevented this. I was following her to keep her safe, but instead she ended up flat on her back in a creek because of me. She shouldn’t be thanking me; she should be telling me to leave her the hell alone.

“What’s your name?” the girl asks tentatively, pulling me from my thoughts.

My chest squeezes tight as I look into her eyes. They’re a breathtaking blue, like the sky on a summer afternoon, and I swallow hard as I say, “I’m Gunner. You?”

“Scarlett,” she says simply with another smile, her plump lips curving upward, sucking the breath from my lungs.

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