Page 21 of A Very Grumpy Mountain Man

“I like you, Kye. You’re my closest friend here, and I have so much fun with you. I didn’t want to mess things up or lose you, and I feel like I ended up doing that anyway.”

“No, you didn’t. You could never lose me, Sienna. I…” He trails off.

I lean forward in my seat, desperate to hear what he was about to say. “What?”

He swallows hard. “I love you, Sienna. It’s crazy, but it’s true. I have since I first saw you in town. I made up this job, thiscompany, all of it, so I could be close to you. I need to be with you, to be around you. I’ve never been so sure about anything. It was a feeling in my soul, in my bones.”

“What if you change your mind?”

“I won’t. These last few days with you have only solidified my feelings for you. I love you, Sienna, and I always will.”

My heart races, but it’s not from fear or nerves. It’s excitement. “You love me?”

“More than anything. More than you’ll ever know, but I’d love to prove it to you every day for the rest of our lives if you let me.”

“Yes,” I whisper.

Tears sting my eyes, and I hurry to brush them away as Kye stands and rushes to my side. He drops onto his knees beside me and softly wipes away my tears.

“I love you, too,” I tell him.

His face breaks into a wide grin. “Thank fuck,” he sighs. “I was so worried it was a one-night stand for you and you regretted it.”

“I didn’t. I’m so sorry I made you feel like that. I should’ve talked to you and been honest.”

“Me too.”

He cups my face, leaning his forehead against mine. I close my eyes and smile as we breathe each other in.

His lips find mine, and he kisses me softly. I pour every ounce of feeling I have into the embrace. I’m euphoric. I have the man of my dreams, and he loves me.

The kiss deepens, slow and unhurried. His thumb brushes my cheekbone, and I sigh into his mouth, fisting the front of his shirt to pull him closer. He responds with a low rumble, something between a growl and a groan. It vibrates through me, settling low in my belly.

He tilts his head and kisses me again—this time with more urgency, more heat. His hands slide to my waist, gripping me like he’s afraid I’ll vanish. I part my lips for him, and he takes the invitation, our tongues meeting in a slow, sensual dance that leaves me breathless.

When we finally pull apart, we're both panting.

I smile up at him. “I don’t want to stop.”

He grins. “We don’t have to.”

“Want to have sex in a king-size bed?” I ask him, my voice low and seductive.

“Fuck, yes.”

I giggle as he leaps to his feet and grabs my hand. He pulls me to my feet, and I gasp as he lifts me into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist and cling to him as he carries me up the stairs and into his bedroom.

The bed smells like him, and I inhale deeply, breathing him in as he lays me down and hovers over me.

“So much room,” I say, spreading my arms wide.

“Your apartment is the worst. You should move in here. Then we could spend every night together.”

“That does sound nice,” I agree.

“I’ll make itverynice,” he promises me as his lips claim mine again.

ELEVEN

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