Page 5 of Mountain Man Protector

“Lars, it’s okay. I’d like to help. Is there a conflict between you and….”

“Dylan. Her name is Dylan. She’s different from Lauren, she’s a bit taller, more willowy I guess, and her eyes are this…indescribable hazel color. Um, what I mean is, she’s driving me crazy. Seems like she has some very strong opinions on everything. I’m supposed to be her boss, but I can’t seem to deal with my, I mean her, ideas and—” Lars' cheeks had darkened as he talked. Then he’d stood up and began pacing the small room.

Poor man. If she was anything like Lauren, he was in as much trouble as West had been. And West hadn’t minded one bit. “Well, there are ways of handling employee expectations. Maybe you could draft a workflow of some kind. Are you planning on conducting weekly meetings or maybe monthly reviews where you could address these issues in a more structured manner?” Lars' face went from red to sheet white, and I had to cover my mouth so he wouldn’t notice my reaction.

Before he could answer though, the man who’d been hanging out in the back of my mind this entire time appeared in the doorway. Much the same as he had last week. Dammit, my body again went into hyper awareness just as it had the first time I saw him at the pub, and the second time and now I was the one flustered and red faced.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the employee in question is hunting for you, my man, and I think she’s got another idea for the guest rooms. You might want to go on one of those long walks you’ve been so fond of lately if you’re not prepared to say no again.” Ridge laughed as his friend flipped him off.

“Uh, sorry Addy. But he deserved it. Thank you for the idea and for listening to me.” Lars left the room, making sure to bump shoulders with Ridge as he did. Instead of it instigating a fight, all it did was make Ridge laugh more and give his co-owner a pat on the back as he retreated. A hard pat, but no doubt the large man could take it. I wasn’t so sure he was going to handle the mysterious Dylan. I needed to make a point of introducing myself before I left.

“So, he gets to call you Addy, but me you ignore?” Ridge sounded hurt and I wasn’t sure what to do with that. It shouldn’t be a big deal, and yet somehow all I wanted to do was reassure him. Silly considering I had no intention of having a relationship with him beyond professionally polite.

“When did I ignore you? The lodge isn’t officially open, so there was no reason for me to come back yet. And I don’t even have your phone number.” Had he been thinking about me all this time? Because that’s exactly what I’d been doing.

“True. But you could have easily asked for it. West or Lauren would have been happy to give it to you. It wasn’t until I asked West to contact you about Paxton, to get you back out here.”

How was I supposed to respond? And did he somehow know how many times I’d been so close to asking for his number? I’d unpack the Paxton connection, later. “I guess I could ask you the same thing. West knows how to reach me. Why didn’t you ask him for my number?”

Another smile, another step into the room. His scent filled the space, the addictive notes of musk and man wrapped around me. Déjà vu struck, and my ears rang with anticipation. Lightheaded and instantly needy, my nipples hardened. Followed by an ache that hadn’t truly ever left me low in my belly. Ridge was exactly as advertised, walking sex on a stick, and my body wanted another serving.

“You ran from me, if you remember. I may want you more than I want anything, or anyone. Because lying isn’t my thing—there’s no one else that compares to you. To us being together. But the next move is all yours.”

“If that’s the case, then why interrupt my private conversation with Lars?”

His final step into the room shrunk the space between us. Still sitting, I had to lean back in the chair in order to keep looking him in the eyes. Otherwise, my gaze would have landed on his chest. No, probably lower. It was a danger zone for sure considering how much I wanted every square inch of his hardness pressed against mine.

It was as if he knew exactly where my thoughts had drifted as he sat down and settled in. Leaning his upper body forward until it closed the distance between us. Inches from my face, he paused before finally speaking. “Lots of reasons. One, the door was open. Two, I enjoy messing with him, especially now that he’s all tied up over Dylan, and numbers three to infinity. I’m tired of waiting for you to decide we’re good together.” His tone, low and raspy, not unlike it had been after my first striptease performance for him.

At a loss for words, my mouth had gone suddenly dry. All I could do was blink in response. There had to be a way we could both get what we wanted without it turning into something complicated.The ball’s in your court, Addison. Do I take a chance or leave?

FOUR

RIDGE

A conflicted Addisonwas not what I’d hoped for when I walked back into the same room she’d bolted from last week. I’d hoped time and another taste of us together would change her mind. Now I wasn’t so sure she still felt the same intensity as I had, still did.

Over the past six days, I’d chopped more wood than we’d likely need for the next three winters. I’d cleared the area around the lodge and each of our cabins to create a fire line should it ever be needed, plus I’d worked with the county surveyor to map out three more home sites further up the mountain. We planned on building additional cabins for short-term rentals in order to supplement the cost of running the lodge.

None of the work had kept my thoughts from Addison for very long. There was something keeping her from acknowledging our connection, and the need to figure it out had been keeping me awake. Was she running from something or someone? Had she’d been so hurt in a past relationship that she refused to open herself up again beyond one night?

Whatever it was, I was determined to find out, to protect her if I needed to, and most importantly, show her that not every man was a complete ass when it came to caring for someone’s heart.

“Okay, I can see you’re not ready to go there. How about we have dinner? I’d like to know you better. In spite of how we met, the things we did, that’s not my typical mo. But you’re different, and I want a chance.” Reluctantly, and against my urge to take her beautiful face in my hands and kiss her until she agreed, I moved back in the chair, so she’d feel more at ease.

“What if I say no? That the only relationship between us needs to be a professional one? No more kissing…no more anything.” Her gaze had landed on my lips, and her eyes widened ever so slightly. Did she realize she’d licked her plump bottom lip as she stressed the word “anything?” Because her words and her body’s response were definitely at war. Good thing I had some experience with conflict. That I could handle. Her running away again—not so much. I’d handle it, but I wouldn’t like it.

Time to be real, and more vulnerable than I’ve ever been with a woman. “I wouldn’t like it, and to be honest, it would be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. To not to keep going after you until you were back in my bed. I wouldn’t push you for more than you wanted from me. That’s not the kind of guy I am, Addy.”

“How come I hear a ‘but’ in there?” She licked her lips again, and I just about jumped across the table.

“See, you already know something about me other than I’m a world class kisser. But, you can’t deny this thing between us. And I hear what you’re saying, but your body is telling me something else entirely. And I’m here for it. In fact, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you want.”

“You-you have?” Addy wiggled in her seat and a flare of hope, and need, thrummed through me, settling in my dick as it pressed against my zipper.

“There’s no one else I want to be with, and you don’t want a relationship, but we obviously want each other, right?” I didn’t wait for an answer, just barreled on. “So, I’m asking again for whatever you’re willing to give me. Call it friends with benefits. And then if someone else comes along…then, we let the other know. No harm, no drama.”

But God help any other man who got in my way.

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