Page 8 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

Throw it back, Aleks!

“Aleks,” I say, staring at Chance. Or straight through him. I’m not sure. My fingers and toes tingle, ever so slightly. “My brother, Aleks.”

The view before me shifts. By the time I realize what’s happening, Chance has dashed across the room, landing on his knees to reach me before I fall. I’m startled by my own reaction and sit up straight with a huff.

“You’re okay,” he says, his tone gentle.

“It’ll take a while for this noggin to get back to normal, I suppose.”

“But you’re remembering, which is a good thing,” Chance replies. “That brownstone is where you and your brother grew up.”

“I figured that much. In New York. I’m from New York.”

He smiles, and the way his lips stretch, drawing dimples underneath his brown and subtle grey stubble, leaves me breathless. I’ve had nothing but time to observe the brothers, to notice the little things and the big things with equal, growing interest. Chance and Booker are twins, for example. Almost identical.

“Yes, you are,” Chance says. “This is progress, Anya.”

“You were there, weren’t you?” I ask. “In New York.”

“We practically grew up together. We lived on the same block before my brothers and I joined the Navy.”

I nod once, feeling my senses gradually return. “You were in the Navy.”

“Wait, you remember that?” he raises an eyebrow.

“No. Not yet.”

“Nevertheless, it’s progress.”

We’re a little too close to one another. His hot breath tickles my face. I catch a whiff of coffee and mint. His cologne makes me lightheaded, but in a different way. My skin sizzles when he or his brothers change my dressings or to help me eat or anything else I can’t quite do on my own without crying out in pain just yet.

I’m not indifferent to any of them.

On the contrary.

And it’s concerning.

“I think I need a hot bath,” I decree, deciding to distract myself with something.

“There’s hot water running,” Chance says. “The central heating system is working well so far. We also have an electric backup boiler, just in case.”

I’m impressed. “Wow, you really turned this lodge into a home away from home.”

“It has been our home for almost five years, now,” he replies. “We fitted the lodge with every comfort and amenity a city apartment could offer. And given the extreme weather events in the region, we went the extra mile to make sure we’d never be caught unprepared or unprotected.”

Nodding slowly, I rise from my chair.

Chance stays close, hands out and ready to catch me, but I appreciate the way he lets me do things on my own before he intervenes. This man may be swift at taking control of a situation, but he, much like his brothers, respects my desire for autonomy.

He asks, “Still lightheaded?”

“No. Not right now.”

“Head into the bathroom, then. I’ll be here if you need my help,” he replies. “I’ll get you a pair of pants and a sweatshirt from the dresser. Our cousin visited us last winter. She left some stuff behind. I washed it and stored it for her. She’s about your size, so they should fit well.”

I stare down at myself.My figure is curvy, my hips and breasts are big. Plenty of meat on these bones, and I’m feeling rather self-conscious all of a sudden. Where is this coming from?

“Are you sure?” I hear myself asking.

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