Page 12 of The Silent Mountain Man

My eyes open, and I pull back sharply.

"Everything okay," he asks, his eyes narrowing as he assesses me.

Harrick isn't Michael, my subconscious chides me, but I can't deny that for a brief second, I got my wires crossed, and the thought did pop into my head.

Talk about ludicrous.

For starters, they look nothing alike—Michael had long, dirty-blond hair and was lean—not to mention, hello, he had a different freaking name. Even if Michael wasn’t his real name.

What is wrong with me? Maybe surviving a near-death experience has shaken me up more than I realized?

"Sorry. I'm fine," I say, shaking my head and latching on to his rock-solid shoulders again. "I just need a good hard fuck. It's been a while."

Harrick keeps staring at me, and I wonder if he can tell I'm holding something back. He can't. He doesn't know me. He's not in my head. But still…he looks as if he knows I'm hiding something.

"Been a while for me, too. If you want to stop, at any time for any reason, you just tell me, okay?"

I nod. "I will."

"Good."

He smiles, and then before I know what's happening, he stands, scoops me into his arms, and carries me over to the sheepskin rug by the fire.

He places me down gently on it, then undresses me, his attention switching every few seconds between the clothes he's removing and my face.

I take a few deep breaths. I don't know why or how Harrick has stirred up memories of Princess. Maybe it's not even Harrick, maybe just being in the mountains is enough to take me back there.

But how much longer am I going to keep doing this for? It's been over a decade. Why am I still stuck on someone from so long ago? Someone who didn't fight for me. Someone who never even bothered to find me when I was taken away in the middle of the night.

I've spent so much time since that summer trying to find someone who makes me feel even half of what Princess made me feel, when maybe what I really need is a hot encounter with a guy I'll never see again to reset me. A one-night stand is about the only thing I haven't tried to get over Michael.

The past is the past. Pa is gone. Princess is gone. But Harrick is here. And I am beyond ready to leave the pain behind and move on with my life.

Harrick has completely undressed me, and I'm lying here naked on the rug, with his hungry eyes roaming over my naked body. I'm defenseless and completely exposed, and yet, I have this complete sense of safety with this man who I've known for barely a few hours.

Why do I feel so safe with him…?

"You're so beautiful," he whispers reverently. "Anyone ever tell you that?"

I squeeze my eyes shut, tryingnotto think of Princess. He used to tell me that all the time.

"No." I'm unable to bring myself to open my eyes and lie straight to Harrick's face.

Silence follows, and then his lips nudge against my hip bone, his warm breath tickling my delicate skin.

I open my eyes and peer down. Harrick licks my hip, then nibbles a trail of kisses from my hip bone across to my belly button, then up my chest, leaning over toward my left pec.

He stops kissing me. "Oh."

"What is it?"

He frowns deeply, studying my left nipple.

"I used to have my nipple pierced," I explain. "That's what those little marks are. Nothing to be worried about."

"Right."

His eyes flick over to my right nipple.

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