Page 13 of Claimed By the Mountain Man

“No?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, helping himself to coffee with the ease of someone who’d done it a thousand times before. “Logan needed someone. Someone who could handle his particular brand of... intensity. When I hired you to design the interface, I saw how you understood what we were trying to create. A way to connect people who wanted something real, something different from the usual dating scene.”

“Why did you decide to play matchmaker?” I thought I should probably thank him, but I also knew how much Logan valued his privacy. The life he had made for himself on the mountain. And having a gaggle of women show up at his doorstep unannounced would have bothered him a lot. Just like my appearance had. Doubt started creeping in.

“I decided to give my brother a chance at happiness.” Ethan leaned against the counter, studying me. It was that same bold stare his brother had. “I built my first app when I was fifteen. It was a dating app too. I sold it to my high school classmates for pocket money. And even though Logan thought it was a bad idea—which it was—he helped me debug it. He’s always been the practical one, seeing the flaws in my grand ideas. But this time? This time I got it right.”

“Maybe not,” I argued. “He was pretty angry when I showed up.”

“But he let you stay.” Ethan’s smile was knowing. “Logan doesn’t let anyone stay.”

“That doesn’t justify—”

“Are you saying you’re not glad I did it?”

The door opened before I could answer, and Logan’s large frame filled the doorway, his presence immediately dominating the room. His eyes narrowed at the sight of his brother. “Glad you did what?”

Ethan’s grin widened. “Oh, just talking about how I might have played matchmaker. You know, setting up your profile on the app without telling you. And maybe handpicking Samantha here, personally for you.”

My eyes narrowed. “You manipulated the app?”

“Yes. I couldn’t let my brother match up with just anyone.”

“That’s bordering on unethical.”

“No, not really. The site you signed up on was in beta. Nothing unethical about tweaking certain, um, parameters.”

Logan’s jaw tightened as he stepped into the cabin. “You had no right—”

“To help you find happiness?” Ethan interrupted. “To introduce you to someone who could actually appreciate this hermit lifestyle of yours? Someone who’s smart enough to code dating apps but adventurous enough to become a mail-order bride?”

I watched Logan’s expression shift as his brother’s words sank in.

“So, is this working out, or what? I’ll give you a free membership, Samantha, if you want to find someone else. Another mountain man who’ll appreciate you? There are a few guys right here on Lone Mountain who’d love a woman who can start a fire and looks as good as you do as they do it.”

Logan’s eyes darkened dangerously. “She’s not going anywhere.”

“No?” Ethan pushed off from the counter. “You sure about that? Because last I checked, you were pretty adamant about wanting to be alone. What was it you said? ‘I don’t need anyone messing up my peace and quiet’?”

“Things change.” Logan clenched his hands at his sides.

“Really? So, you want her to stay?” Ethan pressed.

“She’s mine.” Logan cut him off, his voice low and possessive. “And she’s staying right here.”

My heart skipped at Logan’s declaration. “I am?”

Logan crossed the room in three long strides, pulling me into his arms. “Yes. Here. With me. If that’s what you want.”

Ethan headed to the door. “Well, my work here is done. You can thank me at the wedding.”

“Get out,” Logan growled, but there was no real heat in it.

The door closed behind Ethan, leaving us alone.

“So.” I tried to hide my doubts. I thought we were heading in this direction but… “You, um, care about me?”

Logan’s expression was serious. “More than I should, given how long we’ve known each other. More than makes sense.”

“Nothing about this has made sense,” I pointed out. “I mean, I showed up on the doorstep of a stranger, with marriage in mind.”

---