Page 2 of Thrilling the Mountain Man

I frowned at her. “I’m a living, breathing mammal. A woman takes off her shirt, I’m not going to look away.”

Especially if that woman had large, plump breasts and curves for days. Not to mention a sweet face with thick, kissable lips and big, blue eyes. Now that I’d seen her up close, I’d probably end up with a permanent hard-on.

“So if I’d taken off my shirt, you would have just stood there, watching?”

This was weird. She didn’t look angry anymore. Mostly curious. It was as though she was intrigued by the possibility that I might watch her undress.

“I wouldn’t have walked away,” I said. “Name a man who would.”

“A gentleman would.”

“I’m a gentleman.” I crossed my arms over my chest and widened my stance. My goal was to show I was standing my ground. “I pull out the chair for a woman, hold the door, and pay on a date. But I’m human, and I’ll bet you can’t find a man in this town who wouldn’t find it hard to look away from the sight of you naked.”

Her eyes widened. “How would you know?”

I backtracked, trying to remember what I’d said. Oh, right. The sight of her naked.

“I can use my imagination,” I finally said.

Nice save. She’d almost busted me.

“So you’re imagining me naked?”

Fuck. I couldn’t win here. Every which way I turned, I was being forced to face my inner perv.

“Right now?” I lowered my eyes to her chest. “No, but I could. Give me a second.”

She sucked in a breath, making that generous chest rise. What I wouldn’t do to flick my tongue over those beautiful nipples. To slide my cock into that wet pussy—wet because she was turned on by me.

That was the fantasy. But it could never be more than a fantasy. Women like Layna didn’t fall for fuckups like me. If they slept with us, it was just so they could say they screwed the bad boy.

Suddenly, she relaxed her stance, looking past me into my cabin. “Sorry.” She looked down. “I guess I accused you unfairly. I just got a little freaked out when I saw someone watching me. I’m not used to small-town life, and it can get kind of quiet and creepy up here at night, especially when you’re alone.”

“You’re not alone.”

I blurted the words out, meaning them to be reassuring. Did they come across that way? I sure hoped so. I cleared my throat and started over.

“I mean, I’m here and my buddy Wes is across the street if you ever, you know, need help with anything.”

Layna nodded. “Well, I’m only here until Monday morning. That’s when the Stewarts come back.”

The Stewarts. That threw me for a second. Stewart was Grayson’s last name. I wasn’t used to it being plural, but he was married now. He and his bride met less than a couple of months ago when some of the guys on our logging crew dared her to show up at his house with some muffins. Muffins that supposedly made people fall in love with just one bite.

It was ridiculous, but it seemed to be working. Maybe I could get this woman to take a bite.

No, I tried the muffins a couple of weeks ago, and nothing happened. Unless the reason I couldn’t stop thinking about this woman had to do with that muffin.

“Thank you for the offer,” she said, taking a step back. “And I’ll try to avoid taking my clothes off in front of windows.”

“Probably a good practice.”

I was surprised how much I meant those words. Yes, I was being cut out of the privilege of seeing her strip every night, but it was far more important to keep her safe. If she stripped in front of her window when she was back in the city, no telling what kind of lunatic could see her.

“If you get scared or anything, come on over here,” I said. “I’ve got an extra bed you could sleep in. Or I’ll come over there and keep watch all night.”

I’d do it too. I wondered if she could tell that from my dead serious expression. Her gaze lingered a little longer and she nodded, flipped around, and started back toward Grayson’s cabin. All I could do was watch her walk away, wishing there were some way to keep her in my life for good.

2

---