Page 7 of Chased By the Mountain Man

“You do?”

He nods. “Yes. And for the record, you shouldn’t listen to a word that asshole said about you. He asked you out because you’re beautiful as hell, and his shitty little ego couldn’t handle being told no.” He inhales sharply, his jaw set. “And then he went and planted drugs in your car? What a fucking scumbag.”

I blink at him, totally losing the power of speech.

You’re beautiful as hell.

This gorgeous mountain man thinks I’m beautiful?

Trent doesn’t seem to notice that he’s stolen the breath from my lungs. He’s stroking his beard thoughtfully, still frowning. “The cops will figure out what happened. Dave Goodman’s a sharp guy—he’ll find out the truth eventually.”

I force my mouth to move, but it takes a moment before I manage to form any words. “B-but…um…but I don’t see how I can prove any of this.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Trent says firmly. “You can stay here as long as you need. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

His voice sounds so determined, so sincere, that I can’t help but trust him. Despite the scary reality of my situation, being with Trent makes me feel like everything will be okay somehow. He exudes so much strength and authority that I know I’ll be safe with him.

“Thank you, Trent,” I say, swallowing back a surge of emotion. “It means a lot that you believe me. It really does.”

“Of course I believe you.”

He says it matter-of-factly, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and I feel a rush of affection for him. Clearly, Trent is more than just a handsome giant. We may have only just met, but from everything he’s said and done for me so far, I can tell that he’s a good man with a good heart.

“Thank you, Trent,” I say again.

His lips quirk. “You don’t need to keep thanking me.”

“I do. I owe you so much.”

Trent shrugs off my thanks, muttering about how it’s no big deal. As he finally straightens up, I notice him absent-mindedly run a finger down the length of his scar before he reaches down to grab the water basin, cloth, and towel. I watch him, my mind racing with questions. I want to know everything about Trent. I want to know about his medals and how he got that scar. Now that I’ve got my own problems off my chest, so many questions are bubbling up inside me. This handsome mountain man is a mystery I’m desperate to unravel, but something tells me it won’t be easy getting him to open up.

4

Trent

It’s taking a lot of self-control to hide my anger, but I don’t want to scare Jasmine by getting pissed off. After what she told me, there’s red-hot rage pumping through my veins. I’d love nothing more than to find this Danny asshole and knock his lights out. It’s fucking sick what he’s done to this perfect girl, all because she had the good sense to say she didn’t want to date him. No way am I letting that shit go unpunished; I’m going to make damn sure that Danny pays for what he’s done. I’ll force him to tell the cops the truth. I won’t stop until I’ve made everything okay for Jasmine.

But…part of me, a selfish shitty part of me, doesn’t want to do it just yet. Once Jasmine’s name is cleared, she’ll have no reason to stay here with me. I want a little more time with this angel. She’s so damn pretty, so sweet, and I can’t face saying goodbye just yet. I’ll deal with Danny tomorrow, but for tonight at least, Jasmine’s staying here with me.

I don’t know what’s happening to me. All my life I’ve closed myself off from love, relationships, all that shit. Life’s been tough for me from day one, and I figured I’d suffered enough without risking heartbreak as well. Instead, I focused on my military career, being the best soldier I could be, serving my country and rising through the ranks. The army has been my whole life since I was nineteen, and aside from my brother, Rafe, and our grandparents, it’s the only thing that’s ever mattered to me.

But it’s over now.

My career is in the past, and my future has looked like a gaping black hole ever since my honorable discharge. It’s been tough to see a way forward, and wandering around in the woods all day just isn’t cutting it. But Jasmine…she’s like a bright light. With her in my home, all that darkness suddenly feels a little easier to bear, and it’s fucking intoxicating, even if it’s only temporary. For the first time in a long while, I feel truly alive: blood pumping, heart racing, nerves buzzing, cock stirring. I feel like I’ve been shocked back to life by this curvy beauty, and I want more.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to help?” Jasmine asks for the fifth time. “I feel useless just standing here.”

We’re in the kitchen. Now that her cuts are clean and dry, I’m making her some dinner. She’s had a pretty crazy day and she needs a good hearty meal, so I’m making a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.

“I’m sure,” I tell her. “You don’t need to do anything.”

“Can I at least grate the cheese?”

“No. I want to cook for you.”

It comes out bossier than I mean it too. My brother always tells me I’m a bossy asshole, and he’s got a point. Sometimes the words coming out of my mouth sound more like commands, even when I don’t mean them to.

“Sorry,” I say, looking over at Jasmine apologetically.

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