Page 14 of Craving the Mountain Man
***
We head into town later because we're low on coffee and I need fresh air. Space to think.
She tags along, riding shotgun with one foot on the dash, humming to some indie pop band. I have to force myself to keep my eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.
"You're being weird," she says without preamble.
"I'm not being weird."
"You're brooding again. And not the sexy kind of brooding. The 'I'm having second thoughts' kind."
I pull into the parking lot of Murphy's General Store, the only place in town that carries decent coffee. "I'm not having second thoughts."
"Then what?"
I turn off the engine and look at her. "Your brother's my best friend, Cass."
"I know."
"He trusts me."
"I know that too."
"And when he finds out it will ruin everything."
"If he finds out," she corrects. "And even if he does, that's not your decision to make. It's mine."
At the general store, she disappears into the snack aisle while I grab supplies, her words echoing in my head. Maybe she's right. Maybe I'm overthinking this.
I'm halfway to the register when I hear it.
A low, flirty laugh.
Hers.
Then a male voice. "You new in town, sweetheart?"
Every muscle in my body goes rigid. I turn and see him, a younger guy, maybe mid-twenties. Probably one of the summer workers from the ski resort, the type who thinks charm and a pretty face are enough to get whatever they want.
He's standing too close to her, one hand braced against the shelf above her head, boxing her in.
Cassidy's smile falters when she sees me. Like she was waiting for me to notice.
I don't say a word.
I just walk up, set the coffee on the counter with more force than necessary, and wrap a firm arm around her waist, pulling her against my side.
The contact is possessive. Territorial. A clear message that she's taken.
The guy blinks, finally noticing my size, the way I'm looking at him like I'm deciding which bones to break first. "Oh, sorry, man. Didn't realize."
"You realize now," I say, deadpan.
He scurries off like the coward he is.
Cassidy arches a brow, but there's a flicker of heat in her eyes that makes my blood run hot. "Jealous?"
"No," I lie. “And I don’t like the games Cassidy.”
