Page 5 of Mountain Man's Christmas Star
“You have to come off the ramp before you even see what’s going on here,” I agreed.
“Exactly.” He looked up at me then, and my heart went a little melty. I had to take a few deep breaths to calm my racing pulse. “So what about you? Where are you from? Is this your full-time job? Do you have a storefront, or do you run it out of your house? So many questions.”
I smiled. “My home’s in Cincinnati, but I’ve been traveling around for these fairs. Until recently, I was just covering expenses, but now I’m starting to do pretty well for myself. I’m putting money aside in the hopes of making a down payment on a house or condo.”
None of this sounded as exciting as it would have a couple of months ago. I’d had a condo picked out downtown and had visions of living an exciting city life—walking to restaurants and coffee shops, running my online business from a desk in the corner of my bedroom, and getting together with friends for girls’ nights out on weekends. Why was I suddenly thinking that might not be the best life?
“As for a storefront, I do everything online. Maybe someday I’ll do brick and mortar, but I don’t think so. My stuff is a little too niche for that.”
“What about a boyfriend?” he asked.
I opened my mouth to answer, but suddenly the server appeared at our table to take our drink orders.
“I’ll have a Coke,” I said quickly.
“Coffee for me,” Gunnar said. “Black.”
The server—a teenager with bright red lipstick and a Santa hat—nodded and bounced away.
“So,” Gunnar said, settling back in the booth. “Boyfriend?”
“No boyfriend,” I said. “Never really had one, actually. I have very little patience for immaturity and jerkish behavior, so I find myself kicking guys to the curb at some point during every first date.”
I watched his expression change, saw something shift in those pine-green eyes. Oh no. I was scaring him off already, wasn’t I?
“Not that you’re like those guys,” I rushed to say, my voice coming out higher than normal. “You’re different. You’re not—I mean, you’re?—”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “How am I different?”
The server reappeared with our drinks and pulled out her order pad. “You folks ready to order?”
“Uh...” I grabbed the menu, scanning it quickly. Everything was typical diner fare—burgers, fries, milkshakes. “I’ll have the classic cheeseburger with fries.”
“Steak sandwich for me,” Gunnar said. “Medium rare. Fries on the side.”
“Got it.” She scribbled on her pad and bounced away again.
Gunnar was still watching me with that amused expression. “You were saying? How am I different?”
I felt heat creep up my neck. “Well, you’re mature. And intelligent. You’re the take-charge kind of guy who actually gets things done instead of just talking about it. Plus you’re…” I gestured vaguely at his face. “You know. Hot.”
His eyebrows rose slightly.
“I mean, attractive,” I corrected quickly. “In a rugged, mountain man kind of way. Not that I’m objectifying you or anything, it’s just—” I was digging myself deeper with every word. “The truth is, most guys my age are immature and selfish, and I always pictured my first time being with someone who actually knows what he’s doing.”
The words were out before I could stop them. Gunnar went very still.
“Your first time,” he repeated slowly.
I nodded, my face now burning with embarrassment. “I’m a virgin. Which probably makes me a total freak at twenty-three, but I’ve always figured I’d rather wait for the right person than settle for some college guy who’d be more interested in his own pleasure than mine.”
The silence stretched between us for what felt like forever. I held my breath, knowing exactly what I wanted to say next, but not sure if I had the courage to speak the words.
Finally, I took a shaky breath and met his eyes. “Actually, I want it to be with you.”
“Ivy,” he said finally, his voice rough.
“I know it’s crazy,” I rushed on. “I know we just met, and I’m probably coming on way too strong, but?—”
