Page 26 of Auctioned to the Mountain Man

“Oh no, don’t you dare put that on me. Not after you just traumatized my sister.”

“Come on, that’s completely over the top. Even for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?’

Fuck. I’m digging myself into a hole. I know when to bow out. This can be fixed. But not right now when our tempers are too high. It’ll either end in complete disaster, or porn-worthy hate sex that’ll scandalize my entire family. I hold up both hands, palms out in surrender, and retreat a step towards the door. “I’m going downstairs to have breakfast. If you still want to leave when I’m done eating, then I’ll take you home.”

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

ALIDA

“I want you gone, Fox.” The words burn my throat as we sit in my driveway. Almost a foot of snow has covered my mangled car. I’m sure my neighbors are having a field day, too. There’s footsteps leading up to my door, where one of them probably came over to complain.

“Alida—”

“No. I can’t.” It’s not fair to cut him off now. Not when I refused to let him say a single word to me on the drive home. But if I let him speak now, my resolve will crack right down the middle and break me in two.

I can’t deny that I’ve fallen in love with this man I vowed to hate.

But it’s better for everyone if he never knows the truth I realized in the middle of one of our orgasms. He could make me happy. He could make me happy forever.

“I need to call Kayleigh, and you need to get back to your family.” This morning, when I crept down the stairs, I overheard Fox’s family announce that they were staying in Evergreen Pass through New Year’s. My heart ached to stay with them.

But that fantasy can never be my reality.

“This is how you want it?”

I push the door open and hop out. “This is how it has to be.” I slam the door and trudge through the heavy snow, refusing to look back as I unlock the door and slip inside. He waits in the driveway until I’m inside.

Meatball lets out a loud yowl.

“I know you’re mad, but I left you plenty of food.”

“Alida?” a sleepy voice asks from the couch.

I drop my bag in shock. “Kayleigh, what are you doing here?”

“I came home for Christmas to surprise you.”

“Why?”

“Why?” She sits up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Because I missed you, dummy.”

“When did you get in?”

“This morning. But you weren’t here. And your car was—what happened to it anyway?”

Meatball rubs up against my legs. The two of us have a love-hate relationship. Seems like the curmudgeonly feline has chosen love for Christmas. Maybe the whole world isn’t going to shit. “Long story.”

“Where’s Fox?”

“About that?—”

“What did you do this time?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

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