Page 70 of Mountain Wood

“Your mother will have a coronary if she finds out, Gracie.”

“I know.”

“I kind of want to tell her, just to see her head explode.”

Harsh, but not uncalled for. My mother put Nicole and Mason in a very hard place once and the damage was catastrophic for Nicole. “Can you imagine what family dinner would look like if he came with me?”

“In a flannel shirt, I’d hope.”

“Dirty boots too.”

We giggle again and there’s a louderthumpfrom somewhere outside my room. I hold my breath and wait to hear if there’s any more noise. There isn’t. Dean’s downstairs, on the other side of the cabin, so I don’t think I’m loud enough to wake him up, but maybe I should drop to a whisper, just in case.

“He sounds hotter by the minute.” Nicole sighs. “Maybe I should see if Landon will dress as a lumberjack for me.”

Oh, he would. That man will do anything Nicole asks. Same for Kerrington.

“Dean’s so sweet. You’d really love him.”

“If you do, then you know I will.”

My smile falls.

She cocks her brow at me again. “Girl, don’t even play. You’re so in love right now.”

“No, I’m not.” Wait. Am I? “That’s not going to happen.”

“Mmkay.”

She doesn’t believe me. “Nicole, I’mnotin love with him.”

“If you say so.”

“This is just a business arrangement.”

“Big Dick business. Got it. Negotiate hard, Gracie.Reallyhard.”

Ugh, she’s worse than a teenager sometimes. “I’m going to bed.”

“I bet you are. Tell Daddy Lumbersnack I said hi.” She waves goodbye and I hang up.

As mad as I want to be that she’d even suggest I’m in love with a man I just met… there’s a little part of me that won’t argue with it.

I’m so fucking screwed.

Chapter 17

Dean

I thought I was doing the right thing by giving Grace privacy and not dragging her back to my bedroom to fuck. She’s helped me do so much work and needs sleep. But the idea of having her upstairs, instead of in my room where I can hold her in my arms all night, doesn’t sit well with me.

I try to hold off as long as possible, which has been what? Ten fucking minutes? My ass is at her door before I even have the sense to slow down. Just when I’m about to knock, I hear her crying.

My stomach drops.

Her voice cracks when she says, “I’m just lonely.”

“Aw, babe. Come stay with us for a while.” It’s a woman she’s talking to.

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