Page 8 of Charmed By the Mountain Man

Huxley is the guy that I've never been brave enough to dream for. Plus, judging by the incredible aroma of dinner, he can also cook?!

My mind is beginning to spin – half of me wanting to believe that this is the start of the most incredible relationship ever.

The other half knows that if something seems too good to be true, some kind of stress must be coming. Nobody is this perfect.

6

HUXLEY

Willa insists on helping clean up after dinner, so I load the dishwasher while she scrubs the stove and counters. Who knew that cleaning the kitchen with a woman could be such a blast? Not me.

"How does a person manage to spill so much pasta sauce on the stove?" she laughs.

I wipe my hands on a dish towel, then stand behind her and cup her luscious ass. "Maybe somebody was walking around withthisand distracting me?"

She laughs again, spinning in my arms to face me. "Wait! My hands are all dirty."

"Good. Then you can't defend yourself."

I dip my head and kiss under her ear and along the side of her neck. Her soft, uneven breath sends my blood south until my jeans feel way too tight. Then I release her, spinning her around to face the sink so she can rinse off.

Maybe I came on too strong when I mentioned making her fall for me before she left at the end of the summer, but I need Willa to know I want her to stay – even though everything is happening too fast. I'm just getting settled here myself. I'm notgoing to risk losing her. I already know in my heart, my soul…and certainly the rest of me…that Willa is the one.

I put the last few things away, then Willa grabs a cabinet door before I can close it. "Oh! That teapot." She stares up at the yellow flowered china. "My grandmother had the same one."

"Was she a doctor too?" It was meant as a joke, but she sighs.

"Close. She was a nurse. My grandfather was a doctor as well."

I swing her up onto the kitchen counter. "Your parents are doctors. Your older sister is a doctor. And now your grandpa too? I feel like your family has had quite enough of those. Much more than their fair share. So you should feel free to do whatever you like."

Her eyes light up. "Wow. I've never thought of it that way."

"And as for that diploma… Did they ever say there was a deadline?"

"Everyone else went straight into?—"

My finger lands on her lips. "We're not talking about anyone else. We’re talking about you. Have your parents ever explicitly told you that they will disown you if you don't get a diploma before you’re, say, twenty-five?"

"N-no."

"So while you're here for your self-guided summer school, maybe we can toss some ideas around." Lifting her by the waist, I hoist her over my shoulder and march into the living room. "In fact, I’m going to start by tossing you around right now."

She dissolves into fits of giggles as I sit on the couch, pulling her down into my lap.

"I'm really grateful that you want to help me solve this problem," she says softly. "I guess I'm just so used to doing what's expected of me."

"Hmm. One of the amazing things about being twenty-one and living on your own is that you can make your own decisions."

My fingers walk up from her wrist to her elbow, then slide back down to hold her hand. "I'm older than you are, Angel. But I don't want it ever to sound like I’m telling you what to do. Anything I say is simply a suggestion. Is that okay?"

"Totally okay."

I nuzzle her neck gently, loving the way she cuddles right into me. The feeling of her soft breasts against my chest sends another deep wave of lust surging through my system. "I can't wait to see what kind of charms you make with that beach glass," I murmur, kissing along the top of her hair. "I love that you're so creative."

"You must be creative, too. I mean, who designs the interiors when you flip a house?"

I shrug. "Huh. I've never thought of it like that. I just kind of stick to whatever open, neutral layout those home design websites are currently featuring."

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