Page 2 of Stepbrothered by the Mountain Man

“I,” I say, but no more words come out, only tears.

He releases me to take off his rifle before gathering me in his arms again. We sink to the floor, me on his lap like the small child I felt like. He keeps one hand on his gun, his eyes occasionally scanning the trees before they land on me again.

“I thought I’d have to use this,” he says, tapping the rifle.

Of course, I’d never want him to. The bears were just curious, and we were in their habitat. They weren’t doing anything wrong. Still, I couldn’t say I wanted to be mauled to death, either.

“You’d get a massive fine plus jail time,” I say, once the hiccups subside. “Even with proof it was a last resort.”

“Maya, I’d go to jail for an eternity if it meant keeping you alive,” he says, causing my breathing to hitch. “Why did you come here alone?”

I look over the cliffside. “It’s just so beautiful here. I come all the time and I’ve never run into a bear before.”

“But you know how unpredictable the wilderness is,” he says, sliding a finger under my chin and forcing me to look up at him. “Just because we don’t see them often doesn’t mean they aren’t lurking.”

Behind his head, the golden rays of the sun illuminate his shoulder-length, dirty blonde hair. Shadows fall into the hollows of his cheeks and shade his sea-foam green eyes that still manage to twinkle in the low light. He’s like a freaking Norse god and I’m under his rule, being scolded.

I want to be scolded. I want to be subjected to his rule. Whatever he commands I—

No. No! Nope.

Focus!

This is a serious matter, and he’s right. I’ve only spotted bears about four times since living in the mountains, and I’ve been here for three years. Our electric fence at the lodge seems to keep them far at bay.

“I know. That’s why I came prepared.” I point to the cans I’d dropped.

“You need to be within three feet of the bear to spray it, and if you’re that close, you’re already half dead.”

“You don’t think I know that already?” I grab his hand and place his warm palm over my racing heart. “Feel. It’s about to give out.”

“It’s sputtering like Beau’s truck.” A smile cracks his full lips. It’s infectious and in seconds I’m smiling too and then laughing in relief. But as our relieved chuckles fade away, Levi’s hand stays put over my chest.

Suddenly, I’m aware of the fact that half his palm covers the swell of my breast. I’m hyper-aware that I’m on his lap and his scent of cedar and fir that always alerts me of his arrival is making my brain grow fuzzy. I’m aware that my ass is pressed against his crotch and that his arms are squeezing my waist.

I’d fantasized about being in this position since I first met him at eighteen. Right when my mom and Nicholas, his dad, finally confessed their relationship and introduced us.

But I couldn’t think like that anymore. Ever since our parents married two years ago, Levi became my stepbrother and only my stepbrother. Any crush I have on him has to be...well, crushed. The problem is, I’ve been trying for the past three years to destroy it. It doesn’t make matters any easier given how affectionate my new brothers are. They’re definitely huggers, something I wasn’t used to as an only child with a single mom who was always working. With Grant and Beau, it was sweet, comforting. With Levi, it was electrifying, arousing, and, most importantly, one-sided.

Of course, I love my mom, but I’d always craved a community, a family, and I’ve finally gotten one that loves and cherishes me. I can’t be the idiot who messes up the whole dynamic. Not if I want to keep working at Bear Lair Lodge, plus become their neighbor when I finally built my cabin. With each passing week, I’m already realizing how badly I need my space from Levi if I want to keep from crossing a line.

It’s too tempting bumping into him in the halls at night, or in the kitchen where I’ve found him countless times, shirtless and bent over a cup of hot chocolate. He’s an insomniac, just like me, and our cozy midnight conversations revealed that we have far more in common than just our sleeping habits.

No, I could never mess up our relationship.

Levi reluctantly releases me as I shuffle to my feet with another nervous chuckle. Grabbing his gun, he slings it over his shoulder as I blow the bear horn again in warning. We didn’t need more visitors.

“What’s this?” he asks, grabbing my drawing pad as I pack away the scattered colored pencils.

I’d filled the pages with images of my imaginary but very real cabin. “My dreams,” I say as he flicks through the pages before assessing the matching landscape.

“You were scoping out the place?” he asks, brows raised.

I nod. “Isn’t it perfect?”

“Stunning.” His eyes meet mine and I look away with a blush. I always read too deeply into his words.

I pause. “Wait, why are you here? Not that I’m complaining. You were seriously my guardian angel.”

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