Page 122 of Mountain Men Heroes

She shivered delicately, the reaction so minute only an astute person would pick up the change in her stance. The way her heart rate fluttered along the pulse point in her neck and her pupils dilated. She arched her brow but continued on as though she didn’t notice anything. The sweet blush that dusted her cheeks told him otherwise.

Damon grunted something following her weird train of conversation about berries, but couldn’t take his eyes off the way she rubbed the pad of her finger over the rim of the mugs.

She dipped her head and the glasses slipped just slightly but enough to bring every librarian and school teacher fantasy he had rushing to mind.

“And did you know that Alaska is home to three million lakes.” She looked at some book on the counter.

Damon cocked a grin, but not that she saw with her attention on the pages. What a peculiar woman. Zahara said her sister was a little nerdy, more so than herself as a linguist teacher, but he never imagined nerdy would be so damn edible. “Do you do that a lot?” he asked, taking his mug from her hands, careful not to touch her finger.

He’d watched her at the bar last night talking with everybody that approached her with gentle ease and a book sticking out of her back pocket. He’d been curious about it then but forgot to ask when the night kicked into overdrive and beer slinging took precedence.

He drew near and mentally shoved down the fire that torched his insides the closer he came.

“What?” she shrugged sheepishly flipping page after page propped on one foot as she sipped at her coffee. “Facts intrigue me.”

He chuckled. “This explains a lot. How long have you had this?” He tapped the cover with “Everything You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know About Alaska” printed on the front.

“A couple of weeks.” She shrugged and snatched the already well-worn book from his hands before tucking it away in a drawer by the refrigerator. The small kitchenette didn’t offer much in the way of anything elegant and fancy but it did okay in the day to day needs of sustenance.

“Come. Take a seat and I’ll whip us up some eggs and bacon.”

Her nose scrunched. “Sorry. Not really a scrambled eggs kinda girl. And bacon makes me sick.”

What? He turned, already pulling out pots and pans from under the counter and mentally taking stock on what he needed to grab from his apartment. Or he could take her over there. “Tell me you are lying. Those are words that have caused wars. I’m sure of it. You’re kidding?”

The green of her eyes darkened, and he immediately regretted teasing her as she shook her head. “Not even in the slightest.” She bit at her lip before she continued. “It was the last food my dad made us girls.” Her face shut down.

She didn’t offer more and he didn’t push. But still, something deep down drove him to want more from her, know more of what made his curious med student tick. But one thing his past taught him was patience, and he had that in spades.

He rounded the counter and took the coffee mug from her hand and set his down beside hers.

He was faced with two options. Kiss away the sadness dulling her eyes which would lead down a path of his taking more than just a kiss from her.

Or…

He tipped her chin up, dark circles under her eyes. They stole away the kind woman he met yesterday and that was a crime in and of itself.

“Then what kind of girl are you, Ivy.”

She lifted a shoulder. “Donuts. Coffee. Sometimes a bagel. Anything sweet and fast on the lips.” She did that damn nose crunch again, and her glasses slipped. “Anything I can eat on the run and not have to use a fork with. A curse of not having much time for myself lately or at all really.”

Damon tore a hand through his hair and weighed the options. Settled, he reached out as she stepped around the stools pushed up against the island counter. “I think I have something that can cure the Alaskan blues and give us a nice chance to talk.”

“Unless you have a glazed donut tucked away somewhere, I highly doubt it. And talk about what?”

“Work of course.” He snatched a coat and scarf from the coat rack situated next to the door before walking back to her.” We have a lot of orders coming in and we’ll need to work out a schedule. Thought you wouldn’t mind helping me.” With a gentle nudge, he turned her around and helped her into the coat before he set to work on wrapping the scarf around her neck.

“Not at all. I’d love to. It would be a good distraction from...” Her words suddenly trailed off to silence.

“Distraction from what,” he coaxed.

“Nothing. Just school and work.” She shrugged, not meeting his gaze with hers. His little angel was hiding something, and she made teasing the truth from her pretty pouty lips a temptation he wouldn’t refuse.

He paused and considered his guest from a corner of his eyes. “Ready?”

“Where are we going?”

“Trust me, you’ll love it.”

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