Page 4 of Her Mountain Man Recluse

“It’s not?—”

“I’m not an axe murderer. Or a cannibal.”

“Good to know.”

“And if you leave,” I continue, “and wrap your truck around a tree in this weather, then it will be all my fault.”

Ridge frowns at me. Grumpy seems to be his default expression, and I’m starting to realize his scowl is a permanent fixture. He looks pretty intimidating, but I can’t kick him out. It wouldn’t be fair. Staying with him isn’t exactly the secluded getaway I planned for myself, but I can handle it for one night.

“Okay,” he says eventually. “I’ll stay. We can figure this out tomorrow.”

I nod, and a heavy silence descends between us. I don’t know what to say. There’s no guidebook on how to talk to hot mountain man strangers who end up double-booked in the same vacation cabin as you. It sounds crazy, like the plot of one of the romance novels in my suitcase. But then I’m saved by a gentle meowing as a sleek black cat slips into the room, cocking its head at me curiously.

“Oh!” I say, bending down and reaching out a hand. “You brought your cat?”

“Yeah. Her name’s Middy.”

“Middy?”

He nods. “Short for Midnight.”

I smile as Middy approaches, my heart melting as she nuzzles against me, purring loudly. “She’s so sweet! I love cats. I always wanted one growing up, but my mom’s allergic.”

As I fuss over Middy, stroking her soft fur, I can feel Ridge’s eyes on me. It’s like two holes are being burned into the side of my head, but when I finally look up at him, he’s already turning away, facing the fire instead.

“I don’t know if anybody’s ever told you this,” I whisper, turning back to Middy, “but your dad’s kind of grumpy.”

She purrs louder than ever.

3

RIDGE

My heart poundsas I force my gaze away from Lila. I can still hear her soft voice. She’s muttering something to Middy, and every nerve in my body seems to tingle at the sweet sound.

Shit.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the door and saw the most beautiful woman in the world standing outside in the storm. The cabin was empty when I arrived, the key in the lockbox like I expected. I never dreamed I’d be sharing this place with an angel.

Fuck, this isn’t good.

I chance another glance at Lila. She’s inspecting the cabin now, distracted, and I let my eyes roam over her thick, curvy body. Blue jeans hug her plump ass, and her cream-colored sweater does nothing to hide the swell of her breasts. When my gaze reaches her face, I feel my breath hitch all over again. She looks like a painting with those pretty brown eyes and rosy cheeks, her long hair falling to her waist in waves the color of chocolate.

She’s so damn perfect it hurts.

And this is the woman I have to share a cabin with?

Part of me still wants to leave. I could brave the storm and find another place to stay—there’s bound to be a motel open somewhere. Hell, it’s probably the right thing to do. Lila is half my age, and I shouldn’t be thinking about her like this. Not to mention the fact that I’m a grumpy asshole who doesn’t know how to talk to people. She’d be better off if I left.

But I can’t bring myself to go.

I can’t leave this pretty little angel out here by herself. Especially not in this weather.

“Goddammit,” I mutter under my breath, running a hand over my beard.

If only that damn tree hadn’t fallen…

“So,” Lila says, eyeing me as she sits on the couch, “what brings you out here, anyway? Are you on vacation?”

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