Page 18 of Mountain Man's Redemption

“I can’t believe you didn’t really want the painting,” Daphne muses with a smile. “I guess I should have worked that one out for myself.”

“Well, now I definitely want it. I’ve seen how talented you are, sugar. Can’t wait to see the end result—you can bet it’s going straight above the mantel.”

Daphne grins at me. “At this rate, there’s never going to be an end result! Not if you carry me off to your bed when I’m meant to be working.”

“Sorry, sugar. Work’s gonna have to wait.”

Then, before she can protest, I kiss her hard on her open mouth, my cock stirring as she moans against my lips. I climb on top of her once more, my hardness melting against her softness, and soon I’m inside her again, rutting her like an animal as her cries echo around my bedroom.

My girl.

Mine.

This perfect angel has stolen my heart, and I know I’m never getting it back.

“Keep your eyes closed,”Daphne says, her hand in mine as she guides me away from the cabin. “No peeking!”

It’s been five days since we first slept together, and since then, we’ve spent most of our time in the bedroom. As a result, the painting, which was meant to take three days, has actually taken a week. But I’m sure as hell not complaining. Every moment with Daphne has been like something out of a dream, and it’s hard to believe that this is really my life. She’s been staying here with me instead of going back to her dingy apartment, and I get to wake up beside her every morning feeling like the happiest man in the world.

“I can see you peeking!” she says accusingly.

“I’m not.” I bite back a smile. “Okay, maybe I was, but I’m not now.”

“Good.”

Finally, we come to a stop about twenty yards from my front door. Daphne rests her hands on my arms, turning me around slightly before she takes a deep breath.

“Okay…you can look now.”

I open my eyes, blinking at the canvas.

Holy shit.

I stare at it open-mouthed, running my eyes over every tiny detail. It looks almost like a photograph. Daphne has captured my cabin perfectly—every color, every shape. There’s something almost dream-like about it, like it’s been plucked from a fairy tale or a fantasy world, and the result is stunning. I don’t knowshit about art, but I know one thing for sure. Daphne is talented as hell.

“It’s incredible,” I tell her, shaking my head. “Seriously, you’ve blown my mind.”

She beams. “You really like it?”

“I love it. Thank you, sugar. I knew you were talented, but damn…” I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Tomorrow, I’ll make a frame for it. Then I’ll put it above the mantel where it belongs.”

She sighs with relief. “I’m so glad you like it. I think it might be my best painting yet.”

“You’re an amazing artist, Daphne.” I draw her into my arms and hold her close. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you.” She rests her head against my chest. “I figured we could go out tonight to celebrate the painting being done. We could have dinner? But only if you feel comfortable…”

“Comfortable?” I pull back to look at her, taking her hands in mine. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you don’t like going into town much. I can’t blame you, with people like Rita around, saying those things about you. So I understand if you’d rather stay here.” She smiles at me warmly. “We could order pizza.”

I shake my head. “Fuck what they say, sugar. I’m not letting people like that stop me from taking my girl out for dinner. Your opinion is all I care about.”

I’ve been cutting myself off from the world ever since I got out of prison, avoiding the judgment and the gossip. But hell, none of that seems to matter anymore. What the fuck does it matter if strangers think they know me? As long as Daphne believes in me, that’s all I care about. She’s my whole fucking world, and I don’t give a damn about anybody else.

“If only they knew you like I do,” Daphne says softly.

“I don’t want them to. All I want is you, sugar.”

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