Page 14 of Her Mountain Man Rescuer

6

WESTON

I haveto stifle a groan when Audrey opens the bedroom door. She looks so fucking adorable in her pink pajamas, her dark hair piled into a messy bun. I’ve been up most of the night, tossing and turning, thinking about that moment on the bed when we nearly kissed. It’s been driving me crazy. Part of me wishes I’d gone for it, raccoon be damned. But another, more logical part of me knows this beautiful girl is going to leave at any moment. Kissing her would make everything more complicated than it already is.

“Good morning,” she says sweetly.

“Morning.”

“Breakfast smells good.”

I usher her into the living room, where our bacon and eggs are plated up alongside a stack of syrupy pancakes, pastries, fruit, and a jug of orange juice.

“Wow.” Audrey’s eyes brighten. “Nowthat’sa breakfast.”

“Wanted to treat you after what you told me last night,” I say, feeling my jaw tighten. It wasn’t just the almost-kiss that kept me up. When Audrey told me her apartment had been broken into, it filled me with a rage that burned like acid. I hate knowing that she’s been made to feel unsafe in her own home. It makesme sick to think what could have happened if she’d been there—she could have been hurt. The thought of somebody ransacking her home, running their hands over her possessions…

Fuck, I wish I’d been there.

All I want is for Audrey to be safe. I want to keep her close to me so I can protect her. But she’s about to walk out of my life for good, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I can’t protect her if she’s two hundred miles away in Denver.

“So, I have a question,” Audrey says, sitting down across from me.

“Go ahead.”

“Would it be okay for me to stay here one more night?” Her cheeks look a little pink, eyes fixed on her plate. “It’s just that Lila has some family thing she can’t get out of. She forgot to tell me about it before. But if it’s inconvenient for you, I can still go?—”

“Of course you can stay.” Happiness floods through me. I can’t believe my luck. I want to grin from ear to ear, but I try to arrange my features into something more natural.

Audrey beams at me. “Awesome. Thanks, Weston. I promise I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow morning.”

“You can stay as long as you want.”

“I really appreciate it.” Her smile drops slightly. “But after today, I really do need to get going.”

One more day.

It’s not much, but hell, it’s better than nothing.

“How are your knees this morning?” I ask her. “Maybe we could go for a walk after breakfast if you’re feeling up to it.”

Audrey nods, finishing a bite of pancake before she answers. “My knees are fine. It’s just my wrist now, but even that hurts less this morning. A walk sounds nice.”

“Let me get you a fresh ice pack.” I start to get up.

“No, it’s okay.” Audrey touches my arm, encouraging me to sit back down. “I took some Tylenol when I woke up. I’m good.”

“If you’re sure.”

She smiles at me, a bead of syrup glistening on her lip. “I’m sure. But thanks for looking after me, Weston. It means a lot.”

She licks the syrup away with a dart of her pink tongue, and I have to fight down the tightening in my boxers.

Goddammit, she has no idea how sexy she is.

After breakfast,we each take a shower—not together, unfortunately—and get dressed, before Audrey follows me out the front door. It’s a brisk morning, but the sunshine warms us through the trees as we walk into the woods toward the sound of running water.

“Where are we headed?” Audrey asks, taking my arm as I help her over a narrow creek.

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