Page 12 of Broken Mountain Man

"I can at least wash the dishes," Lyla offers, starting to gather the used plates and utensils.

"Just leave 'em," I wave her off. "Ain't got any running water hooked up in here."

She pauses, frowning at me incredulously. "You're serious? Then how do you shower and stuff?"

A rusty chuckle escapes my lips for the first time since she arrived. But I quickly clamp my mouth shut, reverting to my usual taciturn manner.

"You saw me taking a bath in that lake earlier, didn't you?"

Lyla's eyes widen slightly as realization visibly dawns.

"Oh...right. That's why you were, uh..." She trails off awkwardly, clearly having said too much.

An unexpected flare of heat tingles across the back of my neck as I remember her glimpsing me naked earlier. At the time, I hadn't even considered the possibility of someone stumbling across me like that—just my dumb luck.

"Uh, yeah. That," I mutter gruffly, shifting my weight and suddenly struggling not to squirm under her gaze like a damn schoolboy. "Anyway, we should...probably just get some sleep."

Lyla gives a jerky nod of agreement, seeming equally flustered despite her usually unflappable demeanor.

"Right, of course. Big day of...wilderness lessons tomorrow and all."

Clearing my throat, I gesture towards the doorway leading to the tiny bedroom. "Ladies first."

She hurries ahead towards the bedroom, but I can't entirely stop my eyes from lingering on the sway of her curvy figure as she moves.

Unconsciously, my fist clenches at my side as an unwelcome flare of heat stirs low in my belly and makes my cock throb.

It's been years - too many to count - since I've felt any physical urges like this. Sure, I've kissed a woman or two back in the day, but I always shied away from taking things further. I never felt sure about it.

So why now? Why is the mere shape of this stranger setting me aflame in ways I haven't experienced since...hell, I can't even remember when.

We reach the bedroom doorway, and Lyla turns to face me.

"Wait." The word slips out unbidden, stopping her in her tracks. I clear my throat roughly. "I changed my mind. You take the other bedroom—I'll sleep on this one."

To my surprise, she immediately shakes her head in protest.

"Don't be ridiculous. It’s your house, and we can always sleep in the same bed. Isn’t yours a bigger one?"

My jaw tightens at the innocent suggestion, and my mind kicks into overdrive with vivid imaginings I have no business entertaining right now.

"That ain't a good idea."

"Why not?" She defiantly props her hands on her hips. “Are you scared I'll try something while you're sleeping?"

The flirtatious words are clearly meant in jest, but they still manage to spike my pulse in a most distracting way.

"Trust me," I say gruffly, "that ain't the problem here."

Chapter 7 - Lyla

"What's the problem exactly?" I ask, arching a challenging brow despite the confusing flutter in my own stomach.

Why am I pressing this ridiculously handsome mountain man to share a bed with me? It's not like I have experience with intimate situations like that.

I've always been the one pushing guys away before things could progress too far, my blunt personality too much for most to handle long-term.

Russell shifts his weight, his jaw tightening.

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