Page 5 of The Beast of the Mountain
“You’re not far off, Riley.”
Her eyes, pale green and arresting, meet mine as she smiles. She’s gorgeous. Stunning. Full lips. Auburn hair. She’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and I’m not sure there’s a damn thing she could wear that wouldn’t drive me wild.
“Ready to move on?” I ask, gaze dipping to her lips, wondering how they’d feel against mine. Their taste. How they’dlooked wrapped around my cock as her tongue swirled against my length.
“Yes,” she says in a voice so soft and delicate that acts like a salve for my aching heart.
I swallow hard. I’ve only just met her and I’m having crazy thoughts. Thoughts I’ve never had before.
I don’t want to take her to my truck and drive her into town. I want to throw her over my shoulder and make this sweet girl mine. It sounds crazy but from the moment I heard her scream, breathed in her scent, and then laid eyes on her, my life changed. There’s only one thing I want, and she’s holding onto my arm.
I want to keep her on the mountain with me where she belongs. Protect her. Keep her safe. Give her everything. Make her—fffuck!
I’m acting like a possessive beast with someone I just met, but I can’t stop the urges.
“Let’s go,” I say. “We’re almost home.”
That’s what I’d like her to think about my cabin. Home. It’s nothing like the cabin she showed me on that listing. It’s nothing flashy. A simple cabin built by hand generations ago. I’ve made some upgrades and improvements but it’s probably nothing like the home I’m sure Riley’s used to.
I know because I left these mountains once. I’d lived my entire life here and thought I wanted to see what the rest of the world had to offer. Had a fancy degree with a job to go with it. Made more money than any person ever needed but I was hollow through it all.
The mountains called and I answered. I’m never leaving again. And I hope Riley doesn’t leave.
What the fuck?
I was joking about the mountain lions. I haven’t seen a mountain lion on this side of the mountain in decades. But as much as I want to dismiss what I’m seeing, I can’t.
That’s a mountain lion, and it’s slinking through the forest next to us.
Riley tugs on my shirt. “Bear…”
“I see it,” I say, sliding in front of her. This motherfucker has another thing coming if it thinks about coming after my girl. “Stay behind me. It’s likely to move on. They rarely attack unless they feel threatened or think they’ve got a free meal.”
Good luck with the latter, mountain lion. I’ll tear it limb from limb if it makes a move at us. I’ve got brothers the size of bears. Tussled with them all my life. A mountain lion won’t stand a chance when my protective instincts kick into overdrive to keep my girl safe.
After making a few loops to extend our hike to my cabin, I connected with one of the lesser-known trails. Tourists don’t often hike this one because it can be dangerous. But the danger comes from the sheer cliffs, deep ravines, steep inclines, and loose rocks—not from mountain lions.
After pausing for a few moments in the brush, the cat sniffs the air and then moves on. “You’re safe, Riley,” I rasp, eyes still trained on the forest’s edge. I need to get her to my cabin. The animals must be sensing the shift in the air—a storm’s coming soon so they must be preparing.
“Thanks,” she says, letting go of my shirt as she edges around me. “I’ve never seen a wild animal like that up close before.”
If she spent the night with me, she might see another beast. My jaw tenses as I swallow. Again with the thoughts I shouldn’t be having.
“Better get going,” I say, readjusting her suitcase. “I think the impending storm might be making the animals uneasy.”
“Storm?”
I nod. “A big one’s coming later today. Nothing to worry about though. You can ride it out with me if you’d like.”
Riley worries her lip with her teeth. She’s not sure. I get it. She just met me. Must not be feeling the same way.
“But if you’re not comfortable, I can set you up at the Inn when we get back to town.”
“Okay,” she says, tearing my heart to shreds.
We keep hiking, and no more than a few minutes later I see a damn bear bounding down the path. I grab a couple of sticks off the ground, leaping in front of Riley before screaming at the beast and hammering the sticks together. My heart stills when it comes to a skidding halt. That’s not a bear—that’s Squeak.
I toss the sticks and drop to my knees, arms outstretched as I call out to Griff’s dog. He comes lumbering over to me, giving me a sloppy greeting.
