Page 10 of Burning Mountains

"How'dit go, darlin'?" he asked asIapproached, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine.Ormaybe that was just the mountain chill.Hardto tell when you're busy swooning.

Ibit my lip, still processing everything. "Itwas... interesting.Axel,IthinkImight need to stay a bit longer thanIplanned.Isthat okay?"

Therelief in his eyes was evident. "Stayas long as you want,Zoe," he said, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of excitement. "I'vegot plenty of room."

Aswe drove away from the lodge,Ifound myself sneaking glances atAxel.Hisstrong profile, the way his hands gripped the steering wheel with casual confidence – it was all so distracting.Iforced myself to look out the window, taking in the breathtaking scenery.

"So,"Axelsaid, breaking the comfortable silence, "Iwas thinking.Ifyou're gonna be sticking around for a while, we should get you properly outfitted."

Iraised an eyebrow so high it nearly disappeared into my hairline. "Outfitted?What, are we going to war against the chipmunks?"

Hegrinned, a mischievous glint in his eye that made me both excited and terrified. "Can'thave you traipsing around the mountains in those clothes, now can we?"

BeforeIcould protest, we were pulling up to a quaint little store with a wooden sign that read "MountainThreads:WhereFashionMeetsFrostbite."Axelhopped out and came around to open my door, ever the gentleman.Ifgentlemen looked like they could bench-press a moose.

"Axel, this really isn't necessary,"Istarted, but he was already guiding me towards the entrance, his hand warm on the small of my back.

"Trustme," he said, his voice low and close to my ear. "You'llthank me later."

Abell jingled as we entered the store, andIwas immediately enveloped in the scent of leather and pine.Itwas like walking into a lumberjack's cologne.Racksof rugged clothing lined the walls, interspersed with displays of hiking boots, backpacks, andgearIcouldn't even name.Wasthat a bear taser?Pleasetell me that's not a bear taser.

Anolder woman behind the counter looked up and broke into a wide smile. "Well, if it isn'tAxelHawke!Haven'tseen you in here in ages.What, did you finally learn to make clothes out of bark and leaves?"

Axelchuckled, giving her a friendly nod. "Hey,Marge.Beenbusy.Thishere'sZoe.Sheneeds the full mountain makeover."

Marge'seyes twinkled as she looked me up and down. "Don'tworry, honey.We'llhave you looking like a proper mountain woman in no time.Orat least like someone who won't be mistaken for bear bait."

Forthe next hour,Ifound myself in a whirlwind of trying on clothesInever thoughtI'dwear.Axelinsisted on picking out most of the items, andIhad to admit, he had good taste.Fora man who probably thought "accessorizing" meant adding extra pockets to cargo pants.

"Howabout this one?"Iasked, stepping out in a pair of form-fitting hiking pants and a moisture-wicking top.Ifelt like a sexyParkRanger.Ifthat's even a thing.

Axel'seyes roamed over me appreciatively, andIfelt a blush creep up my cheeks. "Nowthat's more like it," he said, his voice a little husky. "Turnaround, let me see the back.Gottamake sure you're prepared for all angles of wilderness survival."

Irolled my eyes but complied, doing a little twirl. "What, no wolf whistle?I'mdisappointed."

WhenIfaced him again, the intensity in his gaze made my breath catch.

"Perfect," he murmured, andIwasn't sure if he was talking about the clothes or something else entirely.Maybehe was just really intoGore-Tex.

Marge'svoice broke the moment. "My, my,Axel.Ihaven't seen you this invested in a makeover since... well, ever."

Axelcleared his throat, looking a bit flustered. "Justwant to make sure she's prepared, that's all.Themountains are no joke."

"Mhmm,"Margehummed, not looking convinced. "AndI'msure it has nothing to do with how good she looks in those pants.Theydo say the couple that hikes together, stays together.Orgets lost together.Oneof those."

Ilaughed atAxel'sembarrassed expression.Itwas nice to see the tables turned for once.

Bythe time we left the store,Iwas outfitted with everything from hiking boots to a waterproof jacket.

Axelhad insisted on paying, waving away my protests with a gruff, "Considerit a welcome to the mountains gift.Besides, if you freeze to death,I'llnever hear the end of it fromMarge."

Aswe loaded the bags into his truck,Axelturned to me with an excited glint in his eye. "Readyto put all this new gear to the test?PromiseIwon't throw you into a survival situation."

Ihesitated for a moment, thinking about all the workIshould be doing, all the emailsIshould be sending.Butlooking atAxel'seager face,IfoundIcouldn't say no. "Leadthe way, mountain man.ButifIdie out there,I'mcoming back to haunt you."

Wedrove, the road winding higher into the mountains.Theair grew cooler and crisper with each mile, the scent of pine filling the truck's cab.Axelpulled off onto a small dirt track, barelyvisible unless you knew where to look.Heparked at whatIrealized was the start of a hiking trail, though it looked more like a game path to my city-trained eyes.Orpossibly the beginning of a horror movie.Fifty-fifty at this point.

"Thisis one of my favorite spots," he said as we got out of the truck. "Nottoo challenging for beginners, but with views that'll knock your socks off."

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