Page 170 of Mountain Men Heroes

They called me the Beast. An uncaged animal the second I had a mission laid out in front of me. And right now I felt every bit of the man who earned that moniker.

I wanted to roar through my rage at myself for being such an asshole to my sweet baby girl.

It took at least half a gallon of coffee to get my ass in gear. That accomplished, I had a to-do list to tackle. A list with precisely three things on it—breakfast, stop by the newspaper office to place a help wanted ad and then convince Trinity to forgive my stupid ass for walking out the previous night instead of demanding an answer.

Yeah, that shouldn’t be too difficult. Hopefully.

I dropped onto a stool at the counter, nodding to a few familiar faces as I replayed last night one more time. Could I have been a bigger asshole?

“Good to have you home, Sawyer. Coffee?”

I twisted my stool to face the man behind the counter, a pristine white apron covering most of his front. “Pete, good to see you. Coffee’d be a good start.”

Pete reached for the coffee pot and I couldn’t help but grin. The short, stocky man looked like what he was—an old sailor who’d never shied away from a barroom brawl. His grizzled face and sturdy build made him look like he’d lived six lifetimes. Looked that way for as long as I could remember. Kind of like this place, but one of the best men I’d ever met.

The Sugarbush Stand didn’t make a pretense of being anything but what it was—a small go-to place for a bite to eat and the best coffee on this side of the mountain and if you knew to ask, the best doughnuts too. A little treat only the locals knew about. Perfect for the metabolism of your average mountain man. And the first stop after coming off the mountain after a good ski run on the slopes.

The floors were covered in shiny hardwood and the walls featured tens of black frames showcasing smiling faces of tourists and locals alike all having a good time. The tables were a mix of black vinyl booths, Formica and chrome tables with white vinyl chairs.

When I stopped to really think about it, besides the Rusty Nail this place felt like home. Warm and welcoming. I flipped over the cup sitting upside down in its saucer on the counter.

Pete filled the cup to the rim. “Heard you’re sticking around for good this time.”

I nodded. “You heard right. The guys and I are starting up a security business.”

Pete nodded. “’Bout time you young ones settled down. Someone will be out in a minute to get your order.” He turned and headed back to man the hot cocoa machine.

This time I didn’t fight my grin. Pete might be old and grizzled, but he made no bones about his devotion to this place and town.

The door to the backroom swished open and I lost my grin as Trinity pushed her way through it. Her long dark hair pulled up high, showcasing a long queen-like neck I’d love to nibble my way down and kiss my way back up.

She slugged a rack of silverware. Her eyes scanned the room as she moved behind the counter, checking on her customers, most likely. But she came to a dead stop when her eyes landed on me.

Just like last night, her eyes widened and her lips parted. The tip of her tongue peeked out to wet her lips, drawing my gaze to her glorious mouth.

I could almost see her shake herself. She stood up straighter and twisted to deposit the silverware on the back counter.

Even in Sugarbush’s white uniform t-shirt and faded jeans, a few strands of hair falling from her ponytail, and dark circles under her eyes, this woman was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. When her teeth sank into her full, pink bottom lip, I swear my dick throbbed against the zipper of my jeans.

“What are you doing here?” I found myself asking again.

She rolled her eyes. “Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

Without waiting for an answer she grabbed the pot of coffee from the burner and made her way around the room, refilling cups.

Each pass she made I enjoyed the nice view of her round ass in those tight jeans and I loved how the heels she picked for today made her legs look impossibly longer. I couldn’t wait to have them spread wide and wrapped around my waist as I sank balls deep into her hot channel.

By the time she made her way back to me, I’d drained my cup. She topped me off, sloshing a bit over the side when her hand became a little unsteady.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” She looked up at me from under thick, black lashes.

I offered a slow grin. “No problem, baby.”

With some strain, she asked, “Did you order yet?”

“No. But I mean it, Trinity, I want you to explain to me what you’re doing here in Wild Ridge.”

On the drive over here I planned my groveling out down to me getting on my knees if need be.

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