Page 8 of How to Wed a Mountain Man

Minutes later, she sets down a plate of golden chicken and roasted vegetables. The food is arranged with care, not just thrown onto the plate like I do.

“This looks good.” My voice comes out a little gruff but sincere. The words feel inadequate for what she’s brought to my solitary life. “Thanks for cooking. Not just tonight, I mean. But all the meals you’ve made.”

Her smile brightens the room. “I’m enjoying it.” She gives me a teasing look. “And maybe I’m trying to make sure we never have to eat mystery stew again.”

“It was that bad, huh?”

“Let’s just say you have other talents.”

That pulls an unexpected laugh from me. And it opens something up between us, making the conversation that follows flow better than our previous attempts—though we still hit awkward pauses now and then. We’re still learning each other’s rhythms, figuring out how to fill the spaces between words. It’s not perfect, but it feels like we’re building something real.

When we’re done eating, we fall into a natural rhythm cleaning up the kitchen. A warm feeling settles in my chest as I watch her move, putting things away like she’s done it a hundred times before. Like she’s carved out her own place here, the way I carve shapes from wood.

I turn toward the drying rack and move wrong. Pain shoots through my neck.

“What’s wrong?” Paige asks, catching my wince.

“Just stiff muscles. I’m fine.”

“That’s it.” She sets down her dish towel with surprising force. “I’m giving you back the bed tonight.”

I shake my head. “I’m not putting you on the couch.”

“Then we’ll share the bed. It’s certainly big enough for both of us.” Color floods her cheeks. “We’ll be married soon anyway, right?”

The question hangs between us. I’m surprised at how much it pleases me to hear her talk like that, like our marriage is a certain thing. But I haven’t forgotten that we still need to figure out the kid thing. And probably other things we haven’t thought about. Still, the idea of sleeping in my bed again is hard to resist…

“Okay.” I keep my voice steady. “I’ll join you.”

Later, when I climb into bed, the mattress feels like heaven compared to that damn couch. My whole body relaxes, a quiet groan of pleasure escaping my lips. Then the bathroom door opens, and I nearly forget how to breathe.

Paige stands there in an old t-shirt that barely reaches mid-thigh. My heart slams against my ribs as she walks toward the bed. The sight of her like this hits me harder than any deliberately sultry outfit could.

She slides under the covers on her side, and suddenly the mattress feels like a minefield. Every tiny movement sends awareness shooting through me. We lie there in charged silence as she reaches over and turns off the bedside lamp. But the darkness makes everything feel more intense.

“This okay?” Her voice is soft in the dark.

“Yeah.” I swallow hard. “Goodnight, Paige.”

Sleep comes eventually, but something wakes me hours later. I surface from sleep to find myself wrapped around Paige, her back pressed to my chest, her ample curves fitting perfectly against me. My arm circles her waist, holding her close. Her scent fills my head, making it impossible to think straight. Fuck, this feels right, like this is exactly where she belongs. When she shifts in her sleep, pressing back against me, a quiet groan escapes my throat. My cock, fully erect and rock hard, throbs needfully against the plump cheeks of her ass.

“Paige.” I try to ease away, but she makes a soft sound of protest and follows my movement. “Can you…you’re…”

She stirs, and I feel the moment awareness hits her. She quickly shifts away, looking at me apologetically in the moonlit darkness. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to?—”

“Don’t apologize. I just don’t know if we should touch like that yet.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “Why not?”

“We still need to figure some things out.”

“You mean like the kid thing?”

“Yeah.”

She hesitates, and I can feel the weight of what she’s about to say. “Hawk, I want kids. I think I’ll really regret it if I give that up.”

I try to imagine it—this quiet mountain home filled with unruly voices, chaos where there’s always been control. The thoughtstill scares me, but it hits different now. They’d be our children. Mine and Paige’s. Part of us both.

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