Page 6 of Rugged Mountain Man
“What?”
“My name,” she said. “It’s Mika. And that’s the truth.”
I studied her face, her dark brown eyes, so serious, filled with a mournful expression. I detected no hint of a lie.
“I’m Cormac," I said. "My brother calls me Mac. But he’s also a little shit, so I wouldn’t recommend following in his footsteps.”
The ghost of a smile flickered at the corner of Mika’s lips. She cautiously circled around the couch and perched on the edge of the cushions. Even though she didn’t let go of that damn fire poker, she didn’t seem as skittish as she was before.
“Are the two of you close?” she asked. "You and your brother?"
I shrugged.
“We don't talk as much as we used to when we were kids. I got busy with work and my marriage. He joined the military. Life happened, took us in different directions.”
“I always thought it would be fun to have a brother or sister,” Mika replied.
I turned to glance at her, hearing the longing in her voice. Seated on the couch, shoulders curled forward, dark circles shadowing her eyes, she seemed so…lost. Vulnerable. Set adrift in the world like a dandelion seed on the wind.
I offered her another slice of toast. She smiled softly and accepted it with a faint murmur of appreciation.
“You’re very kind for a grumpy mountain man,” she said.
“Yeah, well, let’s just say you could put the fear of God into anyone while you’re waving that fire poker around like a madwoman,” I replied.
Chapter three
Mika
Wind battered the cabin, making it creak and groan, as if it would fold in on us like a house of cards. But Cormac didn’t seem concerned, continuing to toast bread and cheese with calm, measured movements.
“You should probably take off that coat,” he said, his attention on the fire.
I glanced down at the Carhartt jacket I wore.Hisjacket. It hadn’t occurred to me that I’d been caught red-handed, stealing his clothes. I could argue that I was just borrowing it, but either way, I had trespassed on his private property and taken his belongings without permission.
Just as I prepared to apologize and explain myself, Cormac continued.
“It has a mouse nest in the pocket, last I checked.”
I yelped and leaped to my feet, frantically stripping off the coat. I nearly flung it halfway across the cabin. Cormac huffed anoise of amusement. Then he shrugged off his own coat and held it out to me
I stared at him, wearing a dark blue thermal shirt, practically glued to every bulge of muscle in his body.
I wasn’t blind, I could admit Cormac was attractive, with steel-gray eyes, a pleasantly low timbre to his voice that I would willingly listen to for hours, a strong jawline shadowed with stubble.
He was built like a Viking, too, with broad shoulders, a thick barrel chest, large hands that could undoubtedly do a lot of damage.
But I tore my gaze away, silencing the slow burn of feelings creeping up on me. The last time I fell for a man, it was the worst mistake of my life. And Brock wasn’t nearly as huge as Cormac. I didn’t want to imagine what an angry Cormac would look like.
“If you’re still cold,” he said. “You can wear my coat instead.”
He stood there, holding the coat fanned out. I would have to turn my back to him in order to slide my arms into the sleeves.
That definitely wasn’t going to happen.
“I’ll be fine,” I said.
Cormac hummed and folded the coat, setting it on the couch next to me.
