Page 8 of Mail Order Mountain Man

I clear my throat and sit back at the table, squeezing my thighs together as I push away thoughts of getting on my knees for him… because none of this is allowed. He’s off limits, and tonight can’t happen.

Chapter Four

Cole

She looks good wearing my flannel like a dress. It’s been driving me crazy for hours. Her hips, her tits, her creamy thighs, the way she moaned just slightly when I had her up against the wall. We were playing pretend, but I can’t imagine we both didn’t know there was more behind it. If there’s not, I’m way off base, and it’s probably for the best. She’s young. On paper, it looks like a number. In person, I feel like a pervert.

She’s talking about vet school, telling me about the online courses, and how they let her work from Waylon’s ranch to earn credit hours. She tells me that she loves being a farm vet but she’ll always have a soft spot for cats. That cats are God’s perfect animal and every time she sees one, she can’t help but be drawn to it.

I hang onto her every word, desperate to memorize the way her lips move. It’s cliché and I almost hate myself for falling this hard so fast, but Junie isn’t like other women. She’s a paradox… even to herself. On one breath, she’s telling me how much she loves small town life. On the other, she’s telling me how she wishes she could disappear in a crowd of people.

I lean in closer and take in the scent of flowers in her hair, remembering the way her skin tasted just an hour ago. I don’t know how I’ll go back to normal after this. How do you stare at everything you’ve ever wanted, then let her walk away like you never met at all?

Filthy thoughts surround me, and for a second, I’m lost, wondering what she would look like bent over, begging for me with those beautiful lips open just enough to let out a whine.

Fuck my life.

Why does she care about holding back? What would Bob really do? Yell? Be pissed for a while? He couldn’t really fire me. Hell, maybe it would be worth it. I’ve been wanting to put more into the carving business, anyway.

What the hell am I thinking?

It doesn’t matter what I want. Maybe Junie doesn’t want this because she respects her relationship with her father and being with someone so close to him would fuck their relationship worse than I can imagine.

All I know is that the time is ticking. Twenty-four hours to figure this out isn’t ideal. In a perfect world, I’d love to finish this cabin, show her the life we could live here, and work things out with her father. Unfortunately, if she holds to this clock, I need to get her to start seeing things the way that I do.

“What do you think?” She looks toward me with wide blue eyes, sliding a spoon full of vanilla ice-cream between her pink lips.

“About what, sorry.”

She laughs. “Am I that boring?”

I shake my head and blow out a breath of hot air. “The opposite, actually. I’m still lost in what happened an hour ago. I don’t think I’ve ever felt energy like that.”

She looks down at her bowl and smiles the sweetest grin. “Me either. That doesn’t change anything, though. My dad is still—”

“If this is about my job, I can find work elsewhere.”

She laughs. “Wow, that’s not scary. You’re giving up your job for me after one date.”

“Sorry. It’s the time constraint of that stupid app. I don’t want to lose you. I mean, what’s the worst thing that can happen, anyway? We don’t get to use the soul mate service again?”

She bites her bottom lip. “When you were daydreaming, I asked how many kids you wanted.”

I suck in a heavy sigh. “Shit. As many as possible. A houseful if we can. If we can’t do it naturally, I’d pursue adoption. You?”

“I’ve always wanted the biggest family I could have. I want to be surrounded by a world we create, you know? A nice farm, a bunch of kids, and the kind of love story they want to retell over and over.”

The fire pops and crackles beside us, illuminating her face.

“And what would I have to do to give that you, Junie?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m not sure it matters.”

I stand from the couch and reach for her hand. When she accepts my touch, my hormones take over, and every sense of reason I’d been holding onto leaves my body and burns up in the fire.

Her eyes narrow and focus. Her lips part, and she leans against me.

My hand lands on her throat as a single breath releases. “I’m not sure I have the willpower to walk away from you, my little kitty cat.”

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