Page 15 of Her Mountain Man Recluse

“This smells amazing,” Lila calls when I finally bring out two bowls of mac and cheese a little while later. We eat at the table, watching as it starts to snow outside, flakes drifting lazily down to the ground.

“This might be the best mac and cheese I’ve ever tasted,” she says, taking an appreciative bite. I’m relieved to see that she doesn’t try to hide herself as she eats like she did at breakfast.

“Glad you like it. I have a lot of great recipes. One of the benefits of growing up with a chef dad.”

Lila smiles. “I’ll bet. Do your parents still live around here?”

“No.” The pang in my stomach is weaker than it used to be when I add, “They both passed away while I was in the military.”

She stops mid-bite, her face drooping. “Oh, Ridge…I’m so sorry.”

I shake off her words. “It’s alright. It’s been a while—I’m used to being alone these days. Well, until—” I cut myself off and take another bite of macaroni, scowling.

“Until what?” she asks, confused.

Until I met you, Lila.

Until you woke up my heart with that pretty smile.

I think it, but I don’t say it.

“Nothing.”

I can feel those big brown eyes on me, but I don’t meet her gaze. It would be a mistake to tell Lila how I feel about her. It won’t change anything. Hell, she might decide to leave early. It will be easier for both of us if I keep it to myself, even if it feelslike my heart is about to explode every time I look at her pretty face.

After lunch, I get a call from the guys fixing my cabin. They already removed the tree and fitted a new window. Fortunately, the structural damage wasn’t significant. My cabin took the weight without buckling, and all that’s left is to patch up the hole in the roof.

“Should be ready tomorrow afternoon,” the man says. “Got my whole team on it.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

He runs through everything they’ve done so far, but I’m only half listening. Lila is curled up on the couch with Middy on her lap, her nose in a book. She’s changed into comfier clothes—sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt—and my cock twitches at the sight of her. I swear this girl could make a garbage bag look sexy.

Once the man has finished talking, we end the call and I join Lila on the couch, my curiosity piquing when she automatically tilts the book so I can’t see it. Her eyes are darting across the page, and she’s nibbling her lip, cheeks pinkening as I watch her. I don’t want to disturb her, but I’m also desperate to know what it is on those pages that’s captivating her so much.

“What are you reading?”

Her gaze flickers toward me. “A romance book.”

“What’s it about?”

She swallows hard. “Um…it’s about a man and a woman who work for the same company. They’re rivals, and they hate each other until they end up stuck in an elevator together. It kind of goes from there.”

“Can I see?”

Her eyes widen, big as snowballs. “Uh, I don’t think it’s your thing.”

“Try me.”

Reluctantly, she hands me the book, and I scan the first paragraph.

…as Logan slid his hardness inside her. Ember panted with need as his thick cock pounded her, the sounds of sex bouncing off the walls of the elevator. “Oh, Logan! Yes!” she cried with abandon as their sweaty bodies slapped together…

I tear my eyes away from the page and glance at Lila. She’s biting her lip, her face flaming. “The whole book isn’t like that.”

“Oh.” I don’t trust myself to speak. My pulse is thrumming, heat flooding through me as I look at her.

“Actually, that’s a lie,” she says quietly. “Most of it is like that.”

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