Page 6 of Loved By the Mountain Man

Hideous? Monstrous? Terrifying?

“…big,” she finishes.

Hailey’s curvy and petite. I could scoop her up, throw her over my shoulder, and hike up the mountain with her without breaking a sweat. Or I could have before I injured my leg.

She’s brushing out her wet hair. It’s dark and ashy colored, but I bet when it dries it’ll be silky blonde. I really want to stick around and see what that looks like.

“You can’t stay here tonight.”

She frowns. “Why not?”

“There’s a storm coming in. It’s gonna be freezing with this broken window.”

She winces. “Sorry, I can pay for it.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a buddy who’s a glazier. And we all work for Angie for free.”

She cocks her head like she wants to ask why, but she doesn’t.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go. I have to stay here.”

I rub my beard as if I’m thinking, but I already know what I want to say. Is it deviant? Maybe. Are there expectations? No. But do I want to get to know this woman better? Hell yes.

“You’re coming with me.”

Her head jerks back, and she looks at me like I’m crazy.

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t stay here with that storm coming. I’ve got a spare room. You’ll stay with me.”

Something flickers in her eyes that I want to believe is excitement, and then they narrow at me.

“How do I know you’re not a murderer? It would be stupid to go stay at a strange man’s house.”

She’s got a point. A very good point. I wouldn’t advise any young woman to do what I’m proposing, yet I know we won’t be strangers for long. I want to know everything about this woman.

I scratch the side of my face where my scar is. Hailey’s eyes flick to it, and I drop my hand quickly. The last thing I want to do is draw attention to my flaws.

“Come down and ask Angie about me. If you feel safe, then come with me. If you don’t, then I’ll help you find a bed for the night.”

Hailey’s looking at me thoughtfully, making a decision. Luckily, it’s the right one.

“Ok. I’ll grab my things.”

She stuffs items into her duffel bag, not noticing the relief that washes over me.

I let her go down the stairs first. Mainly because I want to watch her ass, but also because I don’t want her to see my limp. I’m not ready to show her that yet; she might change her mind about staying.

4

HAILEY

Imight be crazy.

No, I know I’m crazy, because only a crazy person agrees to go to a strange man’s house that’s halfway up a mountain during a snowstorm. And not just any strange man; a huge, broad-shouldered, taller than most mountain man who’s built so big he looks like he’s part of the mountain himself.

Kobe could crush me if he wanted to. I would be powerless if he were to force himself on me.

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