Page 21 of The Mountains Edge

Time to make the mountain man lose his mind.

"You're plotting something," Old Joe says as I rearrange the store window. "Got that look in your eye."

I adjust the antique carving Marcus made, letting early sunlight catch the wild things in the grain. "Just updating the display."

"Uh-huh." He sips his coffee. "That why you're wearing that outfit?"

I glance down at my chosen weapons, my leggings and crop top. My hair's loose how Marcus likes it. Am I cold? Yep. Do I care? Nope.

"No idea what you mean."

Joe's chuckling follows me to the back room where I'm supposedly doing inventory. Really, I'm waiting.

Three... two... one...

Marcus's truck rumbles past right on schedule. Our eyes meet through the window and he nearly crashes.

Mission accomplished.

My phone buzzes seconds later: You look cold.

I snap a photo of me "checking inventory," bent over in my leggings , and send it.

Come and warm me up then.

His response is immediate. He is out of the car and opening the door in seconds. He nods to Joe, telling him to see himself out, before picking me up and throwing me over is shoulder and walking towards the back room. I had the perfect view of his butt and was enjoying this possessive side of him.

Sweet lord

"No more interruptions."

Tonight, Marcus Steel loses his legendary control.

The Trading Post's back room glows with candlelight. His restored furniture gleams. Everything's perfect.

He drops me onto his workbench, and steps between my legs.

Holy Moly, I could see the animal hunger in him, and I wanted it. Desperately.

I slowly strip my crop top off, watching his eyes take me in. He goes to touch me and I tell him to stop.

This time we are both getting naked first. I want to touch him and I want him in me.

His eyes darken. “What are you doing?”

"Taking control." I tell him.

His free hand finds my hip, thumb stroking bare skin above it as he hooks his fingers into my leggings and starts to drag them down my legs as I lift up to help him.

He steps back and drinks me in. I’m left in a pair of pink lace panties. Especially chosen for him. For tonight.

"Beautiful." He traces pink lace with his roughened fingers. "So beautiful." He leans in and kisses me. The kiss is different, hungrier, desperate. No chance of interruption making us hold back. I’m panting for him as he breaks off the kiss.

I tug his shirt up. "Your turn."

He lets me strip it off, my hands learning the map of his scars. They are worse on his chest. I’m not sure what happened to him, but I know now is not the time to ask. Now is the time I need him to see that I want him, all of him, scars and all.

I lean in and lick his nipple, slowly bringing it into my mouth. He groans and hold me head to his chest, as I kiss his scars, my fingertips tracing them around his back. I pull at his dog tags, resting against his broad chest and pull him down, so I am laying on the workbench under him , as I wrap my legs around his.

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