Page 22 of The Curious Mountain Man

He opens his mouth. "I really like yo—"

Something flaps right above Branum's head.

"Holy shit!" I pull back and fumble for my binoculars, bringing them to my eyes as fast as I can.

"What is it?"

I don't answer straightaway.

There, soaring in the mid-afternoon sky, is a mountain bluebird. Now, it's not a majestic bird. We're not in bald eagle territory here. Mountain bluebirds are much smaller. They're delicate but scrappy, so I guess I relate.

I'm tracking a bright turquoise-blue bird, which means it's a male as the females are a duller blue with a gray chest.

"It's a mountain bluebird," I mutter after a few moments, then hand Branum my binoculars. "Here. Have a look."

He takes them from me and his head bobs around a bit as he searches for the bird. I can tell the second he spots it because his lips stretch into a wide, toothy smile. "It's beautiful," he murmurs, not taking his eyes off it.

My body fills with heat, my attraction to this man ratcheting up to a whole new stratosphere. He's so much more than just a gorgeous mountain man. He's kind and considerate and romantic, even if he doesn't realize it.

But he will.

The second he lowers those binoculars, I'll show him just how much I really like him, too.

11

Branum

The mountain bluebird isn't big, but it is truly beautiful.

But that's not what's making my heart dance away in my chest. No. That'd be due to us putting the first-kiss debacle behind us. I'm glad PJ gets where I was coming from, even if I did manage to screw it up royally.

He's not mad, which means I'm in with a shot for a kiss do-over, and this time, I'm not going to fuck it up.

I begin to lower the binoculars when two small warm hands wrap around mine. PJ takes the binoculars from me and rests them on the picnic blanket, then those same warm hands are cupping the sides of my face, and an equally warm body is straddling me.

I stare into his incredible dual-colored eyes. I'll never tire of seeing them, they're spellbinding.He'sspellbinding.

His lips quirk as he gazes deeply at me. "I really like you, and it means a lot to me that you like me…" He closes his eyes. "All of me. Even the parts no one else does."

I curl a finger into a bright lock of red hair. "If that's the case, people are idiots. There is so much to like about you, PJ."

And with him on my lap, the sun beating down on us, and the sounds of bird calls filling the air, I lean down, and our lips meet for the first time.

He tastes so sweet, and instantly, I want more, but I rein my impulses in. Slow and steady. Tender and delicate. That's how PJ deserves to be kissed, and, goddammit, that's what I'm going to give him.

He sinks into my lap, the hardness in his khakis rubbing against the hardness in my too-tight, way-too-expensive jeans I ordered online.

I snake my arm around his waist as I deepen the kiss, setting about mapping the inside of his mouth, committing every part of it to memory.

He lowers his body even more, and as we kiss, he slowly begins rocking his hips against me. I drop both hands to his round ass and grind him down onto me.

PJ's fingers scrape through my beard, sending pleasure coursing through my entire body. He speeds up his hip rolling as his tongue spears into my mouth.

"Want this," he pants. "Want you."

Is he…is he talking about more than just kissing? Does he want to do more?

"What are you saying, baby?" I murmur around our kiss.

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