Page 11 of Sheltered By the Mountain Man

“Oh my God.” Harmony’s voice drops to a whisper. “Are you okay? Orblushing, flustered, might’ve seen abs,okay?”

I feel my cheeks heat all over again. “Option two.”

“Yes!” she whoops. Then drops back to a whisper. “I mean... who is he? Do you know him?”

“His name is Mason Walker. I think he might be one of the military men Caleb was talking about.” Harmony’s husband is former military also and has been working to help some of the men from his past units.

“Mason's not huge—he's abear.”

I giggle “That's what I thought he was at first. You know him?”

“I met him a couple of months ago. He came to help Ezra and liked the area so much, he decided to stay. Caleb says he's a good man.”

Relief sweeps through me. If Caleb thinks he's honorable, then he's not an axe-murderer. That means I'm safe, for now.

“Wait, did you say you found him injured and you're at his cabin? Details, girl!”

The wind howls and the phone crackles. Something thumps outside. Like a branch hitting the porch? I jump, pulse hammering. It’s probably just the wind. The storm must really be intensifying.

“I'm not sure what—” The phone cuts out then, and she's gone. My stomach flips over. Looks like I might be spending the night with a mountain man.

A nervous flutter fills my belly at the thought. Mason is intense at times, yet my phone call with Harmony made me even more curious about him.

This cabin is simple. If he's only lived here for a couple of months, that explains the lack of personal decor. His bedroom has a king bed with a navy comforter, nightstands, and a dresser. The bathroom is clean, though a couple decades out of style. The kitchen is about the same, except the new-looking appliances. The only decor to tell me about Mason Walker are those few photos by the door—the ones he doesn't want to talk about.

The shower is decadently hot, and it's hard not to linger under the spray. I don't want Mason to have a cold shower though, so I hurry to wash up. I choose one of his flannels, which is longenough to be a dress. It's comical how I have to roll up the sleeves. I debate for just a moment, then put on a pair of his boxer briefs and complete the fashionable ensemble with socks that almost go up to my knees. I may look ridiculous, but for the first time in hours, I'm dry and warm.

When I return to the main living area, there's a fire burning in the fireplace, and some candles and a lantern sitting on the dining room table, ready for use. Nitro is snuggled on his plaid dog bed, and there's water running in the hall bathroom. Mason must have made his way to the shower, despite his injury.

The storm continues to rage outside, the howling wind whipping at the trees as darkness falls around us. Lightning streaks across the sky, followed by a loud boom that shakes the cabin.

The lights flicker once... twice...

Then the power goes out.

I hear a rough curse from the bathroom. The water shuts off, and a couple minutes later, Mason throws the door open.

Another flash of lightning illuminates the room for a split second, revealing a very large, wet man in only a towel.

My breath catches as the firelight flickers across his body, casting shadows across every inch of rippling muscle. Each slab, cut and carved as if by a sculptor, is seared into my memory. I want to touch him.

Mason's eyes meet mine.

“Guess it's just us and the storm now, sweetheart.”

Chapter Five

Mason

Of course, the powergoes out. Why wouldn't it?

I curse under my breath and kill the water, reaching for a towel in the dark. I scrub it over my hair and down my chest. My thigh throbs and my ankle isn't much happier. The pain meds and ice helped, but not enough.

Bellahelped.

She's an angel of mercy. Since I opened my eyes to find my head in her lap, she's all I've seen. Her cute little grumbles as we made our way through the forest, those adorable blushes when I teased her, and her sweet laugh have enchanted me. And Jesus, she's beautiful. Even muddy and rumpled.

Wrapping the towel around my waist, I gingerly step out of the shower, careful not to put my full weight on my ankle.

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