Page 11 of My Guarded Valentine

“Well, I’ve known Buck for a long time and let me tell you, there is something about Buck. He’s kinda lucky. Sometimes the people around him are lucky, so I bet you somehow won’t lose your job or something better is gonna come along for you.”

I laughed once more. “You’re acting like me and Buck are best friends already.”

“He could have pawned you off to anyone in the town. He kept you around. Feels like that means something. We should probably get back together.”

As we walked back into the living room, the only spot available to sit down was right beside Buck on a small loveseat. Our thighs touched as I sat down and my cheeks grew warm with embarrassment, even as I fought back the flutter of desire. This wasn’t just some random mountain man named Buck. This was Connor fucking O’Brien, looking at me in a way that was not a friendship sort of way. Then again, I was not looking at him in a friendly way, too. What was I gonna do? Do I blow his cover and save my job? Or do I see if I can get him to open up not in a journalistic manner?

Chapter 9

Buck

When she returned with Curtis, Mitzi seemed a bit antsy, but she sat beside me. Mitch grabbed Hope from Curtis and smiled at the baby as he finished feeding her. Fatherhood looked good on him. A swath of sadness braced through me as I watched him. Could that have been Lance and Mitch in another world and time?

Mitzi leaned towards me. “They seem nice. You have good friends,” she whispered.

I nodded. “Yeah. They’re the best.”

“Thanks for helping me, by the way.”

“You ready to go?”

She swallowed and nodded. After saying our farewells, we walked back to my truck. Soft, fluffy snowflakes fell from the overcast sky, each one a tiny, silent dancer in the grey light. I glanced at Mitzi and a grin spread across her face. Whatever tension she had in Mitchell’s apartment, erased as she spun around.

“Yes. I know it’s not like I live so far away from here that it doesn’t snow ever. It’s just you know what they say about like the mountains in the hills in the valleys in certain places no, just the location of it causes there to be more snow so when we do getsnow, it’s a lot not a lot and it tends to just be ice or not. Kind of magical.”

“You know that smile looks really good on you.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Oh, are you flirting with me?”

I shouldn’t be flirting with her. That was the problem. I couldn’t seem to help myself. A deep need for her rose within myself. I didn’t deserve her. She was bright and wonderful and what if I was cursed? What if no good can come from this? “No.“

She stepped closer towards me and poked my nose. I chuckled. “You know you don’t have to punish yourself for perceived slides that you caused. And what has it been, ten years? You punished yourself enough. Even criminals get released on probation.”

Did I mention how long I had lived here? I couldn’t remember and brushed off that worry. She had no reason to suspect who I really was. “What are you saying?”

“Well, what do you think I’m saying?” she asked with a small smirk on her face.

“You’re telling me I need to go out and have a one-night stand,” I joked.

Mitzi covered her mouth and giggled. “That’s not what I’m saying. ‘Cause I’m not saying you’re hideous, but you look kinda good. Maybe I can go down to the diner and find one hot farmer or something. Maybe I can find a better lumberjack. I don’t know what I’m saying, honestly.”

“Well, not to my own, but I might be that most handsome ass fucker around.”

“Oh, really?”

Her laughter filled the air as the snow twirled around us and it’s special dance. Wasn’t entirely sure what came over me. I leaned in towards her soft and plump mouth and pressed my lips against hers. Her hands reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck as she sunk deeper into the kiss. Her bodywas soft against my hard body, and I wish we didn’t have all these layers separating us. A few moments later, she pulled away from the kiss, panting. Her cheeks were flushed. Was that from the snow or was that from that kiss? Her throat bobbed as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

“Well, that was something. Where are we going next? You never told me.”

“I figured we should go get some food, since you’ll be here with me for the next few days. Oh shit, I figured we get some stuff that you like being a good host.”

“Awesome, are you paying?” She laughed once more as she hurried to walk back to my truck. I hit the button, and it unlocked. She swung her shapely ass into my truck before shutting the door. I wasn’t sure how to respond. What happened to the smooth man I used to be years ago? It’s like he died that night my brother died. Or maybe I felt deep down at this, this woman, this woman wasn’t a one-night stand. Because that’s what I was most known for. All the old tabs used to make jokes about how I was the Playboy billionaire. That’s not me anymore and Mitzi… Mitzi wasn’t that sort of girl. Mitzi could be the one for me. But I needed to let her in first.

“By the way, I wasn’t insinuating anything when I said that. I just have to think about the bills, ya know,” she said. “I’m babbling.”

I started the truck, and we drove to the local grocery store. This one had survived the big box stores even though there was a big box store forty minutes away. This one was luckily a local family. I waved towards the sign as we parked. “This is a family business. You could write an inspiring story about how they have survived in this economy. It could be like ultra inspired exactly what people love to read.” Mitzi nodded as I buckled my seatbelt. “Yeah. Definitely heartwarming and inspiring. I got an idea earlier. I just don’t know if I should do it.”

“What? Sort of idea?”

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