Page 6 of Relentless Mountain Man

He stared at the screen a long time, probably trying to figure out what about his prom date made her not quite the perfect girlfriend. Then he looked over at me. Was he thinking about how I was different from her? Maybe I was closer to his type?

No, I couldn’t get my hopes up about that.

“How tall are you?” he asked.

“Five foot four.”

He gave a nod. “Someone who’s five foot four. Long, dark, slightly wavy hair. Big brown eyes. Smart while still being laid back and fun. That’s my perfect woman.”

He was describing me. I knew that not only because my physical appearance matched, but because of the way he was looking at me as he said the words.

“What about you?” he asked.

He was asking what my idea of the perfect guy was. I didn’t want to copy him and describe him exactly, so I decided to be honest.

“I never really knew until now,” I said. “I mean, I kind of pictured a tall, dark, and handsome guy. That’s the stereotype, right?”

He definitely met all three of those. But would he see himself as tall, dark, and handsome? I had no idea.

“I’m always the one most guys pass over,” I said. “They just don’t really look at me. Maybe it’s because I don’t wear a lot of makeup or dress to show off my figure.”

“You don’t have to. You’re beautiful just the way you are.”

This man knew how to charm a woman. Normally, it would worry me. I’d feel like he was just saying whatever it took to get me into bed. I didn’t get that feeling from him, though. I trusted him. I couldn’t explain it. It was like the safety I’d felt last night, when he pulled back the covers and I hadn’t even gotten a look at his face. Not only would he never harm me, but he would keep me safe from harm from others.

“You were the first man to see me naked,” I blurted before I could talk myself out of it. “Last night. I guess you didn’t really get a good look at me. It was pretty dark in there?—”

“I got a good look at you,” he interrupted. “But that’s not possible.”

“What’s not possible?”

“That you’ve gone all this time and never been with a man.”

Now I was confused. “Why isn’t it possible?”

“A beautiful woman like you? None of this makes sense. You said guys don’t even notice you. You couldn’t walk into any public building in this town without getting attention. Maybe guys in Tennessee are idiots.”

Or maybe I was selling myself short. I’d been an insecure teenager, never feeling quite beautiful enough. I naturallyblended into the background. But I didn’t really look to see if I was getting that kind of attention when I walked around. I kept my focus on work and my friends and whatever was going on in my life.

“I’m not just blowing smoke up your ass,” he said. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day, and I didn’t even know your name until I asked someone.”

I reached up and closed the laptop, setting it on the coffee table in front of us. Then I returned to my position but facing him slightly, making it easier for him to kiss me.

“What are you going to do about it?” I asked.

I held my breath in the seconds that followed, not sure which direction this would go, but somehow knowing my life was about to change forever.

4

QUINN

The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen wanted me to kiss her. No way could I turn her down.

I’d been battling this extreme attraction the entire time we’d sat here. It had been tough enough when we were on separate ends of the couch, but bringing out my laptop had only made it tougher.

She sat just inches from me, our bodies not touching but our arms separated by what had to be millimeters at times. It had taken everything in me not to lean to the right just a little, putting my arm directly against hers.

But now she’d shifted and was facing me, and the look on her face seemed to dare me. What are you going to do? Are you going to go for it?

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