Page 3 of Tempting the Mountain Man

As I return to my work, I can’t shake the image of Gabe’s warm eyes and genuine smile. I’ve never felt such an immediate, intense attraction before.

I take a deep breath, trying to focus on the task at hand. I have a business to run. I can’t afford to get distracted by a handsome face, no matter how much I might want to.

But despite my best efforts, a small part of me hopes Gabe will make good on his promise to return soon. And as I lose myself in the familiar motions of baking, I can’t help but wonder what might happen if he does.

CHAPTER 2

GABE

Ihammer the last nail into place, securing the freshly cut beam. Sweat trickles down my back as I straighten, admiring our handiwork. Chuck’s cabin is coming together – the new deck gleams in the afternoon sun, and the frame for the second-floor guest room looms above us.

“Looking good,” I say, wiping my brow with the back of my arm.

Chuck nods, smiling as he looks up at the cabin. “Yeah, not bad. Speaking of looking good...” He jerks his chin toward the overflowing trash can near our makeshift workstation. “You might want to ease up on those pastries, buddy. I’ve seen more coffee cups and bakery bags in there than I can count.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “With all this work? No chance. I’m burning it off faster than I can eat it. Besides, you’re the one who sent me in, to pick up that birthday cake for your sister.”

“Cynthia loved that cake, as expected,” Chuck chuckles, leaning against a support beam. His eyes narrow playfully. “But I sent you there once—you’ve been at that bakery every day for two weeks now. What’s up with that? You got a crush on Polly?”

The heat rises in my chest, and it’s not from the exertion. I pause, unsure how to voice what I’ve been feeling. My cock nearly exploded in my jeans as I drooled over her perfectly thick ass when I saw her bend over that first day I went in. Her ass is why I went back the next day and the day after that. Even with her delectable ass making me go back daily like an addict, I’m learning I’m drawn to her on a deeper level.

“Maybe,” I admit, focusing intently on coiling up an extension cord.

Chuck’s grin widens. He’s known me long enough to recognize when I’m holding back. “I knew it! Man, it’s about time. You’ve been moping around long enough.”

I roll my eyes, but there’s no real annoyance behind it. “I haven’t been moping.”

“Oh, come on,” Chuck says, grabbing his water bottle and taking a long swig. “Since that mess with Sarah, you built a wall around yourself. Have you looked at another woman since Sarah?”

I wince, not wanting to admit how right he is. “No, I haven’t. Sarah soured me on relationships, and I’ve never been one to want a new woman in my bed every night. Besides, with Polly, it’s only coffee and pastries, Chuck. Don’t make it into something it’s not.”

Chuck raises an eyebrow. “Every day for two weeks? That’s a dedication to baked goods I’ve never known you to have. You don’t even have a fucking sweet tooth. It’s undisputed that Polly makes the best apple turnovers I’ve ever had, but I’m also not going into Sweet Nothings daily or even weekly.”

I can’t help but chuckle. “What can I say? She makes me want things I didn’t think I wanted.”

“Does she now?” Chuck looks at me, a curiosity and surprise in his voice.

“Could be,” I hedge, wondering if I’ve said too much. It feels surprising to me to admit that I’m interested in her, but maybe Chuck’s right that it’s time for me to put everything with Sarah in the past and be open to trusting another woman. I’m not sure I’m ready to actually do it, but maybe I’m ready to consider it.

“Hey, you hear from any of the old gang lately?” Chuck asks as he picks up tools and stows them away.

I shake my head. “Me? No. I haven’t been out long enough to miss those yokels. You?”

Chuck nods, a grin spreading across his face. “Yeah, actually. Martinez got me on the horn last week. You’re not gonna believe this.”

“What? I haven’t seen him in…” I count the months. “Probably not in two years. We were on different deployments our last few times out. Martinez finally learn how to tie his own shoelaces?”

Chuck snorts. I know he’s remembering how Martinez always managed to break his shoelaces. The whole platoon had to carry extras for him because he went through so many pairs. “Better. He’s getting married.”

I drop the hammer I’m holding. “Martinez? Mr. ‘I’ll-Never-Be-Tied-Down’ Martinez? You’re shitting me.”

“Hand to God,” Chuck says, holding up his right hand. “Apparently, he met this woman while we were still serving. She was Army, too, a mechanic. They kept in touch after they both got out, and now...” He shrugs. “Love, man. It’ll get you when you least expect it.”

I shake my head, still processing this information. Martinez was the platoon’s biggest horndog, swearing he’d never in a million years settle down with one woman. The idea that he has…it gives me pause.

“You remember that time in Kandahar?” Chuck asks, a nostalgic glint in his eye. “When Martinez swore he was going to charm that CIA analyst?”

I burst out laughing at the memory. “Oh man, how could I forget? He strutted up to her like a peacock, all confident...”

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