Page 7 of Beastly Mountain Man

He grunts, his mouth brushing along my skin. “Right here isn’t dangerous—only the surrounding area. I know where and where not to go. This cabin is safe.”

He states it with persuasion, confusing me. This is his home; it shouldn’t matter if I believe him or not.

“What happened then?” Moving my thumb to his cheekbone, I realize I enjoy touching him. Maybe a little too much.

“I went somewhere I knew I shouldn’t when I was younger. Ran into a bear, this was the outcome. Learned my lesson, and that’s all there is to it.”

That’s all he gives me, too. Like he doesn’t enjoy talking about himself, he starts to itch for more information on me.

My favorite things to eat. My hobbies. Whatever little pieces he can gather to put together the picture of who I am.

I’ve never met someone who cared so much to find out who I am. It’s like a breath of fresh air.

It… makes me want to stay right here in his lap for the rest of my days.

Though I didn’t come to this mountain for him.

I can’t start changing my future because of some beastly mountain man.

If he suddenly loses interest in this glittery object popping up in his life, then what’s there to become of me?

I came to this place with my mind set, and I can’t let myself waver now.

4

June

It takes more strength than I knew I had to peel myself away from him. The moment cool air replaces his warmth, my body rebels—skin prickling with goosebumps, legs trembling like they’ve forgotten how to hold me. And there he is, arm already outstretched, fingers twitching like he’s fighting the urge to yank me back.

I want to let him.

I want to sink back into his lap, to let his hands trace the same paths they’d taken before—to lose myself in the heat of his attention all over again. That’s how far gone I am.

Somewhere, a sliver of sense remains, whispering that I shouldn’t surrender so easily—not to the first person who makes me feel seen, even if his gaze burns through me like fire.

Once I’m free, I’m moving toward his front door.

I need to get a hold of Taylor. If he can tell me if the job is off the table, I can fall back into this dream of a man and let fate decide what’ll happen to me.

If he’s still willing to give me a chance, I should still go for it. It’s the smart thing to do. Even if my body begs me to stay, I must follow my brain on this one.

The scrape of his chair tells me he doesn’t want me moving around by myself.

Ace follows behind when I leave the table. Like he has nothing better to do, he acts as my shadow as I open his front door.

Fetching my bag, I dig out my phone. Checking to see if I still have no signal, a sigh leaves my lips. Turning to head back inside, he’s still there, blocking the path. He’s a giant, a brute the size of a brick wall.

He’s looking at my phone with a frown.

“I’m going to lose an opportunity of a lifetime if I don’t get hold of him,” I explain. “I need a place to stay, and he’s offering a room and–”

I don’t get enough time to try to explain my situation.

Ace is cupping my jaw with one hand before he’s swooping down. Right before he makes contact, his breath tickles my parted lips.

“You can stay right here. Stay with me.” The words leave him rough, like a demand.

Before I can blink, he eliminates the remaining space between our mouths before they are sealed together, his tongue invading. Just like that, my phone slips from my fingers, clattering against the porch.

---