Page 17 of Connecting with the Mountain Man

Luke’s eyes flick up. “You didn’t even let me finish.”

“I trust your judgment.”

Luke snorts. “No, you don’t. You just want to get this over with so you can get back to watching Eden.”

I freeze.

Shit.

“I wasn’t—”

“Silas.” Luke drops the tablet on the table with a thud, levelling me with the big brother stare. “You’re not subtle. You think I haven’t noticed the way you look at her?”

My pulse spikes.

“I don’t—”

“You do.” His brows rise. “Hell, I’ve been waiting for you to make a move for years.”

I choke on my coffee. “Years?”

Luke leans in, dropping his voice. “Look, if anyone’s going to end up with Eden, I’d rather it be you. At least I know you’re not some jackass trying to screw her over.”

I stare at him, half convinced I’m hallucinating.

Luke’s always been protective. Eden’s the baby sister. Untouchable. And yet, here he is practically pushing me toward her.

“She’s… your sister,” I say, grasping at straws.

“Yeah. And?” Luke shrugs. “You think I’d trust just anyone with her?”

My jaw clenches. He’s serious. The weight of his words sinks in, heavy and suffocating.

“Maybe it’s not that simple,” I mutter, staring down at the table.

Luke chuckles. “You’re making it complicated. You want her. She’s clearly into you—”

My head snaps up. “What?”

Luke smirks. “Come on, man. You really think she looks at you like that because she’s bored? She looks at you the same way you look at her with longing in her eyes.”

I blink, caught between confusion and something that feels a hell of a lot like hope.

Luke leans back, folding his arms over his chest. “I’m just saying—if you don’t make a move soon, someone else will.”

Fuck that. The thought sends something dark and possessive crawling up my spine. Eden isn’t for someone else. I grip the edge of the table as Luke watches me with that same easy, knowing look.

“Relax,” he mutters, grabbing the tablet. “She’s not going anywhere. Just… think about it.”

Oh, I’m thinking about it. That’s the problem.

Luke’s eyes narrow. “Look, she’s closing soon, and this meeting is going nowhere. Why don’t you talk to her now?”

I nearly choke. “Right now?”

Luke lifts a brow like he can’t believe I’m this stupid. “Yeah, right now. For fuck’s sake, Silas. You’ve waited long enough.”

I swallow hard.

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