Page 3 of Claimed By the Mountain Man

She bit her lip, and my eyes tracked the movement before I could stop myself. “I really don’t want to try driving back down in the dark. Especially not towing that. I mean, it was terrifying enough coming up, and that was in daylight.”

She had a point. The mountain road was treacherous enough during the day. At night, with a trailer? Protective instincts rose inside.

“Fine,” I growled, stepping back. “One night.”

“Thank you.” The smile she gave me was like sunrise breaking over the mountain—bright, warm, and completely devastating to my peace of mind.

She hurried inside as if she thought I’d change my mind. And I knew that I should. But I didn’t. Didn’t want to I realized watching the sway of her hips, obvious even under the weight of her coat. Thick hips. A lover’s hips.

Damn it. Why did she have to be curvy? Women with curves were my Achilles’ heel.

I watched her take in my living room, her eyes lingering on the bookshelf, the fireplace, the worn but comfortable furniture. She belonged in a city apartment with modern art and sleek furniture, not my rustic cabin with its handmade tables and braided rugs.

I headed down the hallway to my bedroom, acutely aware of her eyes following me. The weight of her gaze felt like a physical touch trailing down my back, and something stirred in my gut, something I’d pushed away years ago. I grabbed a shirt, taking longer than necessary to pull it on, trying to get my body under control. This woman was going to be trouble—I could feel it in my bones.

When I returned to the kitchen, I pulled leftover chili from the fridge, more to have something to do with my hands than out of actual hospitality. The domesticity of the moment wasn’t lost on me—a woman in my kitchen, watching me cook.

“He really did it, didn’t he?”

She looked up, confusion crossing her features. “Did what?”

“The mail-order bride app. He’s been playing around with that idea for ages. He told me he was tinkering with it when wemoved back.” I stirred the chili with more force than necessary. “Ethan could sell ice to Eskimos.”

“Is that how he talked you into it?” A small smile played at her lips. “Into being his guinea pig?”

I snorted. “I didn’t know anything about it. Though I should have guessed he’d try something like this. He’s been threatening to ‘fix my love life’ for months.”

“So,” she ventured, “you live here all alone?”

“Yep.” I grabbed my bowl and sat down at the table.

“Not even a dog? I thought having a dog was kind of mandatory for a mountain man?” Another smile curved her full lips. Lips I was having a very difficult time ignoring. Along with all her curves. Damn my brother. I didn’t know if his app had matched us legitimately, or if he had manipulated the algorithm, but this woman could be my perfect match. Dark haired, brown eyes, curves for days. Even her sunny disposition was the perfect foil for my grumpiness.

“Nope. And mountain men have wolves for pets.”

That made her laugh. The sound strange, but soothing in the silence of the cabin. “Must get pretty quiet.”

“Exactly how I like it.”

“Right.” She took a bite of the chili, then her eyes went wide. “Oh my God, this is amazing.”

“It’s just chili.”

“No, seriously. If this is what you eat every night, I’m moving in.”

I stiffened, and she quickly backtracked. “Kidding. Mostly.” She took another bite, then looked up at me through her lashes. “Though you have to admit, it would make a great success story for the app. City girl meets mountain man through dating app, falls in love with his cooking...”

“This isn’t a romance novel. And living on this mountain can be brutal.” Even though I had every amenity I needed, I knewsome who didn’t. I frowned, thinking of who she could have been matched with.

“No,” she agreed, her smile fading slightly. “I guess it’s not.” She stirred her chili thoughtfully. “I helped Ethan develop it, you know. The app.”

That caught my attention. “You did?”

“Mm-hmm. He hired me to do the interface. It was a cute concept. A modern twist on an old tradition, he’d said. Connecting mountain men with women who dream of a simpler life.” She paused, then laughed softly. “I never thought I’d end up using it myself. But after my ex... well, let’s just say I needed a fresh start.”

I stopped eating, studying her. The way she ducked her head when she mentioned her ex, the slight tremor in her voice—there was a story there. One that made me want to hunt down whoever had hurt her.

The thought startled me. I didn’t do protective. Didn’t do emotional entanglement. Yet here I was, feeling territorial over a woman I’d met less than an hour ago.

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