Page 15 of Taming the Wild Mountain Man

Before Tenley can respond, her nose wrinkles, and I cover my nose with my hand. "What on earth is that smell?" she asks.

We both turn our heads to Chewy, who's happily snoring—and farting—away to her heart's content a few feet away from us.

"Her sleep farts are the worst," I say, guiding Tenley by her elbow away from the blast zone. Once we're clear, we both burst out laughing.

"I hope it's not my cookies doing that."

"It's not," I assure her, wiping away a tear. "She's been checked out by the vet, and there's nothing wrong. I've just had to get used to it. I believe it's called unconditional love."

Tenley's breath hitches, and I suddenly notice I'm still holding her elbow. I take a small step forward, watching her closely for any signs she may be uncomfortable. Her other hand slides up my torso, slowing down when it reaches my pec, before landing in the same spot she touched last time before we kissed.

My chest rises and falls rapidly. Could I be so lucky to receive the gift of another kiss with Tenley? She curls her fingers around the back of my neck and rises, tilting her face toward me, and yep, looks like I'm one lucky son of a gun.

Our first kiss surprised me, and while this one is also unexpected, I'm better prepared now. Our lips meet, and I want to take my time and really savor every taste, every lick, every sensual moan she makes.

I clamp my hand around her waist and tug her against me. She makes a surprised "oomph" sound, but before I can check to make sure she's okay, her long fingers are in my hair, dragging against my scalp, and she's the one deepening the kiss.

The thought of her being as into this as I am turns me on. My self restraint snaps, replaced by a frenzy of adrenaline I haven't experienced since my stunting days in Hollywood. With our lips fused and tongues tangling, I close any gaps that exist between our clothed bodies. I'm not going to go any further than this, but Ineedto know what her body feels like against mine. She's so soft, smells so sweet, tastes so good.

I'm wild with lust for her, and despite knowing better, I'm racing ahead and imagining a world where this isn't a one- or two-off occurrence, but that Tenely is mine. Permanently. That I'm bestowed this honor of kissing her every day as much as she lets me. That I'm the one to give her everything she wants and needs. That I'm the one she shares her life, her heart, and her bed with.

When we finally break apart, her lips are swollen and the skin around her mouth is red. But any fantasies I have about a life together are instantly shattered into a million pieces when she looks up at me and says, "So, does this mean I get my neighbor discount?"

My heart caves in on itself as I plummet back to reality. We're neighbors. I'm going to be her contractor. That's it. Nothing more.

I swipe the back of my hand down her cheek for probably the last time and say, "Yeah. You get your discount, sweetheart."

7

Tenley

"You want shutters?" Hume asks, perplexed, standing next to me in my front yard, looking up at my house.

"The windows are the soul of any house, and you can't have eyes without eyelashes," I explain rationally, even if shutters aren't normally a feature of a rustic mountain cabin such as mine. "That would be weird."

"Riiight. Of course."

I take the clipboard he's perpetually holding, tuck it under my arm, and grab his hand. His thick, calloused fingers curl against mine, and a bloom of warmth erupts in my chest, as it does whenever we touch.

Hume and his team began the mammoth undertaking of un-saggifying, un-crookedifying my house two weeks ago. They're here every morning, working from the crack of dawn.

I've tweaked my work schedule a little to start earlier so that when I return, the guys are wrapping up for the day. I bring them food the incredible chef at the lodge makes, and it also gives me a chance to get an update from Hume.

Except, on the second day, when I handed him his food container, he asked if I wanted to share it with him, and ever since, he's been giving me updates at his place over dinner. It's important, as a homeowner, to be on top of all the repair work being done and has nothing to do with getting to spend a few hours together every evening.

Okay. So I'm totally kidding myself. I love spending time with Hume and Chewy. We've fallen into a comfortable, fun routine even if there is one thing that's missing.

Kisses.

We haven't kissed since the night I interrupted him working on the beds in his shed. I'm confused because we hang out every evening and have a great time together. But when he walks me back to my place at the end of the night—something he insisted on even though it's complete overkill—there's no kiss. He gets a funny look in his eye, and sometimes I think hewantsto kiss me, but for some reason, he doesn't. I can't figure it out.

"I'll add shutters to the list," Hume says, taking the clipboard back from me. He waves goodbye to the last of his crew as they leave for the day, and I yell out my thanks and goodbye. They're working six days a week, including Saturdays.

"Enjoy your day off tomorrow," I call out.

Once they're gone, Hume turns to me. "What is that amazing smell?"

I've left the insulated carrier on the lawn, but it doesn't stop the delicious aroma from filling the air. "Curries," I say. "Chef's theme this weekend is Tastes of India. Hope you can handle a bit of spice."

---