Page 17 of The Mountain Man's Heat
He rakes a look over me, his nostrils flaring, and lets out a choppy breath. “You took off this morning.”
A lump settles in my throat. “I did. Sorry.”
“Why?”
The lump grows thicker. “You have a blanket with a woman’s face on it.”
He frowns and then chuckles, shaking his head. “That’s my sister. She has a peculiar sense of humor. Especially when it comes to gift-giving.”
I blink. “Sister?”
“Yeah.” He rubs at the back of his neck. “Is that really the reason?”
I grimace. “Yes. Mainly. I don’t trust easily. And my old boss turned out to be a creep. And I was scared…”
He draws in a slow breath. “Of me?”
Swallowing, I bite my lip. “No. Yes. No. I…I was scared I’d lost my heart to you. So I ran.”
Gaze locked on mine, he presses his hands to the doorframe and leans a little towards me. “Iris, just so we’re clear, I’ve fallen in love with you, and if you open this door right now, I will show you just how fucking much.”
My heart smashes into my throat. Heat sweeps over me. My nipples harden, pushing against the towel.
“Archie?” I say, without breaking eye contact with Hudson. “On your bed.”
Archie, perhaps the best wingdog in the world, trots away from my side. I have no clue if he’s heading for his beanbag. I can’t look away from Hudson.
Body aching for the mountain man on the other side of the threshold, I unlock the screen door.
Nostrils flaring again, Hudson pulls it open, removes the small space between us, and cups my face with his big, strong hands. Brushing one thumb over my bottom lip, he lowers his head to mine. “I never wanted a relationship,” he murmurs, his breath kissing my lips. “And then you ran through the storm and into my life.”
My eyes flutter closed for a pounding heartbeat, and then I smile up at him, sliding my hands up his broad chest. The rapid beat of his heart under my palm turns my blood hot. He’s as affected as I am. “Ask me again if I’ve ever considered moving north,” I whisper, tangling my fingers in the hair at the back of his head.
“Have you ever considered moving north?” he asks, kicking the door shut behind him. “To Hartley Ridge?”
I tug his head down to mine. “Hell y?—”
His lips crush mine before I can finish. He drags his hands down my back, tugging the towel off as he does. It pools at my feet as he grabs my arse and lifts me up. I lock my legs around his hips.
Tearing his lips from mine, he gazes into my eyes. His heart thumps against my breast, a pounding rhythm in perfect harmony with my own. “Fuck, you are amazing,” he murmurs. “Marry me?”
Concentrated joy rushes through me, and I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Yes.”
He lets out a low growl and draws me closer, his hands squeezing my butt cheeks. “Today?”
I laugh. “Hell yeah.”
Epilogue
Hudson
“The Fire and Rescue New South Wales Medal for Conspicuous Bravery, awarded only for acts of the most striking bravery by a firefighter in circumstances of extreme peril, goes to Hudson McKinney.”
Raucous clapping breaks out in the Sydney Town Hall’s ballroom as the spotlight finds the table where the Hartley Ridge brigade are all sitting. Puffing out a breath, I turn to Iris—in the chair beside me, her fingers threaded through mine—and give her a lopsided smile. “Do I really have to go up on stage and accept this?” I whisper.
Lifting an eyebrow at me, she smooths her other hand over the beautiful swell of her belly, gives it a gentle tap, and says, “Hey, if I can face putting heels on tonight when seven months pregnant with twins, you can go up on stage and receive the highest honor a firefighter can get.”
“Get your arse up there, McKinney,” Jake orders on my other side. “Before I go up and accept it for you.”
