Page 92 of Mountain Boss

He lifts his gaze. “No?”

I shake my head.

“Why?”

I cross my arms over my body. “Because… because of why you call me that.”

He raises the flashlight, shining the light on where my arms are crossed over my chest, the edges of the beam lighting my features. “And why do I call you that?”

My stomach twists.

His tone is heated.

The looks he gave me across the fire were loaded.

And the memory of his hand on my thigh is still freshly burned into my mind.

But so is the hurt from the first time he called me that.

“Because of how much I ate. OrwhatI ate that day at Costco,” I admit.

He tilts his head as he drops his hand to his side, the light swinging down. “What?”

“You saw my receipt, and you called me Cookie,” I remind him. Reminding myself as well. “I know I’m… bigger. But I don’t like the name.”

I take another step back.

Sterling stays where he is.

It’s too dark to see exactly where his eyes are looking, but I know he’s staring at me.

I take another step.

“Courtney.” His seriousness stops me. “I need you to listen to me real fucking carefully.”

I press my lips together.

“I called you Cookie for two reasons. And neither of them had anything to do with the shape of your perfect fucking body.” He takes a step closer, finally following me. “Reason one.” He steps forward again, raising his hand and holding up one finger. “Youliterallythrew a cookie at me. And two.” He holds up a second finger. “I call you Cookie because you’re sweet and delicate and”—he reaches out and grips one of my braids—“I want toeatyou.”

The air gets tangled in my lungs.

He… what?

“I know I shouldn’t.” He drags his hand down my plaited hair. “But I can’t resist anymore.”

“Resist?”

“Yeah,Cookie, I can’t, won’t, resist the urge to touch you any longer.” He lets my braid fall from his fingers. “And you have until the count of three to get out of reach if you don’t want this.”

Awareness scratches over my skin.

Sterling wants me.

My boss.

And he’s going to act on it.

Now.

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