Page 20 of Rescued By the Mountain Man

“I wouldn’t call the hours I kept cushy,” Zara mumbled, then swiveled her eyes to me. “Don’t ask.”

So, I didn’t, and soon enough, the spattering of buildings on the outskirts of the city grew to the large concrete jungle of the city. Traffic was light, and I called my accountant, asking him if he had the latest numbers ready and if I could just run in and get them.

“Sure,” Edgar said. “It’s all printed out.”

I turned onto Prospect Ave, glad there was a café down the street where I sorely needed a cup of coffee—or three. I found a parking spot and shut the truck down. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

She nodded curtly and looked down at the notebook on her lap. She was avoiding me—again. With Zara, I felt like I was running an obstacle course, with an eyepatch covering one eye, blinding me, and a cast on the other leg, dragging me down, but I still had to jump over hurdles.

What the fuck was I doing wrong with her?

I was attracted to her.

The attraction wasn’t mutual.

She was city.

I was country.

I needed a country girl by my side.

She probably wanted an executive to wine and dine her.

Not to mention, I’d make the mistake of wanting to kiss her in the middle of her panic attack.

Sleezeball alert.

I hopped out of the car, more confused than a blind fox in a chicken coop or a chameleon in a bag of Skittles. I got into the office, said a few words to Edgar, grabbed my thick file, and, with a few parting words, left again.

She blinked, “That was quick.”

“I didn’t need to linger,” I handed her the file. “Now, do you want to go to the phone store or get a coffee? I don’t know if you need one, but I need four.”

I gunned the truck on as I looked over to her, and she slowly turned my way. The instant our eyes locked, it was me, her, and nothing else. It was just her sharp green gaze burning into mine. And burn it did.

The heat in my veins made my skin feel too tight. Almost too tight. The beat in my head and under my ribcage was like a caged animal trying to make its escape. It’d been years.

Seven years, for shit’s sake. And still, she was the only woman who could evoke such a visceral reaction in me. Not that she knew. Judging by the way her beautiful mouth pressed into tight, thin lines, the feeling most definitely wasn’t mutual.

But then she licked her lips.

And I wondered if I was wrong.

“I’d like to get the cell first,” she replied. “Thank you.”

“The store it is,” I replied.

Chapter Seven

Zoe

Every time Warrick even so much as looked at me, I wanted to curl into a hole and disappear. I was beyond embarrassed or ashamed…I was goddamn mortified.

The memory of me screaming that I was going to die rested on top of my head like a bag of bricks, and nothing I did or said would reduce it. I knew he was trying to be understanding about my scare last night, and maybe he was trying to backstep on the would-be, could-be, almost kiss, but I didn’t know how to look him full in the eye.

Until now.

He was trying—maybe I should meet him halfway.

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