Page 82 of Ten Mountain Men

I close my eyes and bow my head, hoping Gold won’t ask any questions about that last statement of Hunter’s.

“Didn’t get a lot of peace or quiet for a while,” Hunter went on.

That was a long time ago—Rusty was still knee-high to a grasshopper—but none of us want to relive those days.

“It’s probably stupid, anyway,” I say, to change the subject. “The idea of me going to Hollywood. Following his dreams didn’t work out so well for Lynx, right?”

“Medical school,” Gold says, as if remembering. “What happened with that?”

That’s not really my story to tell, not that I even know the whole thing. Lynx said the other students were more interested in him—but not in any flattering way—than learning. I think they might’ve asked him to leave because of it but I’m not sure.

“So, anyways,” Hunter says, and shifts the subject as if he didn’t hear her. “If you want to stay, and you want to be with us for a spell, you can. For as long as you want. We don’t expect you’ll want to marry any one of us and settle down up here, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“But Luke—” she says and I shush her. Hunter runs his thumb across her lips to silence her protest.

She flicks out her tongue and licks his finger, then flushes prettily, like she just couldn’t help herself and is embarrassed.

“You taste yourself on my fingers, sunshine?” he asks. She nods. “You taste real good, don’t you, baby?”

That gets another nod out of her.

“Like I told you, snapdragon”—I give her shoulder a squeeze—“don’t you worry about a thing. Luke’s bark’s a hell of a lot worse than his bite.

“Before long, Luke’ll be begging for your kisses. Just you wait,” Hunter says.

I’m not so sure about that.

“But—”

“You’re coming back to the cabin with us and that’s that,” Hunter says.

“I can’t, not if Luke is going to move out…I can’t go back to the cabin. I can’t tear you all apart.” She groans and before either of us can ask what’s wrong, she says quickly, “Actually, no. I’d like to head back to the cabin right now and take a bath.”

She’s scrambling to her feet. Snatching up Hunter’s T-shirt and pulling it over her head. It fits her like a dress, hanging completely off one shoulder, and she looks so sexy I want to rip it off and fuck her again.

“Um…you two have to go fishing or something, probably, right? So you go do that and I’m going to the cabin to take a bath. I can find my own way back.”

I am real confused. But women do tend to change their minds real quick-like, I guess.

Hunter stands too, and he swoops her up before she can get more than a couple steps away. “I don’t think so, darlin’. We’ll all go back to the cabin, but not right this minute.”

“But I really would like a bath—” She’s fidgeting, an antsy look in her eye.

“Oh, sunshine, if you want a bath, you’re going to get a bath, all right,” he says with a chuckle. “But if you’re gonna be staying with us, well…the tub ain’t how we best like to wash up and you know that.”

Chapter 25

Hunter

Ma would say, “Hunter James Björnsson, don’t you ever sweep a lady off her feet without askin’ if she wants to be swept first!”

But as soon as Goldie starts to walk off, I’m on my feet and plucking her off the ground, holding her luscious body tight against my chest, something inside me unwilling to let her get away from us again.

Well, that sounds like you’re planning to take her back to the homestead and keep her locked in the shed, weirdo, I think to myself. I’m quite grateful I didn’t say,You ain’t going nowhere, little ladyout loud, because that’s one-hundred-percent the energy I’m bringing to the table right now.

I force a chuckle. “Oh, sunshine, if you want a bath, you’re going to get a bath, all right. But if you’re gonna be staying with us, well…the tub ain’t how we best like to wash up and you know that.”

“But,” she says, and good heavens, if sunshine isn’t the perfect nickname for her, because she’s sunshine personified. She even smells like sunshine. Sunshine and, in the here and now, sunshine and sex, and I damn near let out a growl of desire as my cock grows hard again for her.

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