Page 27 of Saved By the Mountain Man

“We need to talk,” I finally said when everything was packed away. I’d taken a piece of meat from the smoker and carved pieces off it, chewing.

“About what?”

“Why you’re really here.” I looked at her, holding her gaze. “Are you going to bring trouble to my doorstep?”

“It’s not the plan.”

“What are you doing here in Silver Ridge? Are you working for him?”

There, the question was out there. I didn’t know if she’d tell me if she was working for my ex-boss, but I had to ask.

“Him, who?” She looked confused.

I stared at her, holding her gaze until she broke and talked again.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I told you. I needed a place to hide. I’m not here for anyone. I’m hidingfromsomeone. Surely you know the difference. I didn’t even know you were here until you barged into my cabin that first night.”

“It’s usuallymycabin.”

“Whatever,” she said. “I’m not here to do whatever it is you think I’m doing here. I’m just hiding to be safe. The people I’m running from…” She hesitated. “He’s dangerous.”

He?

My protective instincts flared, and I wanted to wringhisneck. Or shoot him in the face. Or beat him to a bloody pulp.

Dangerous, she’d said.

“What did he do?”

Rae shook her head. She wasn’t going to tell me. I guess I couldn’t push her.

“What about you? What are you doing here?”

I frowned.

“Come on, I told you, now you have to tell me.”

“This isn’t a give and take.”

Rae rolled her eyes, and fuck it, if her sass didn’t make me want to kiss her… But I wasn’t someone who could be with her. She deserved more than me. Better than me.

“You don’t know what I’ve done, Rae.” I tried to find the right words. “You shouldn’t have someone like me in your life.”

She set her jaw, jutting her chin up. “Don’t you think that’s for me to decide?”

“No,” I said flatly. “I decide that.”

Her eyes flashed, and she was suddenly furious. Fuck, I was in trouble.

The angrier she got, the hotter she was, and fucked if I didn’t want to grab her, kiss her, carry her to my bed and fuck her.

“You made that pretty damn clear when you left,” she said angrily, but her voice broke and being emotional seemed to just piss her off more.

“I had to protect you,” I said. “If I’d stayed…

“Love means facing trouble together,” she shot at me. “Itdoesn’tmean running away.”

We glared at each other but my heart ached with regret.

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