Page 8 of Stuck with the Mountain Man

But there was still an elephant in the room, a very real situation hanging between us, and I should be the one to say something since my actions caused it.

“I kissed you because I wanted to. I couldn’t hold back my feelings for you any longer. But I’m sorry?—”

Suzie placed one finger on my lips and shook her head. “Don’t apologize for something we both enjoyed.”

I searched her eyes for answers. “You did? But?—”

“I was mad about what you said, Jack. Of course I’m not going to want a kiss. That’s women 101.”

I laughed. “I guess I need to study more, then. Unless you’d like to be my teacher?” My eyes fell to her lips, and the urge to kiss her—the strong, inescapable one—came back with a vengeance.

“Have you always had a secret crush on me, Jack Miller?” She bit her bottom lip, and my dick sprang to life, thickening beneath my jeans.

“I could ask you the same thing, Suzie Q.”

“Less talking, more kissing,” Suzie whispered.

I wasn’t arguing with that. I took her mouth with mine and kissed her over and over.

CHAPTERFIVE

Suzie

I didn’t wantto rush things with Jack. As much as I wanted him to throw me over his shoulder and fuck the shit out of me, and as much as I got myself off every night with my vibrator thinking about it, I held off.

I wanted him to wine and dine me. To take me on dates and to talk for hours, building the anticipation.

So that was exactly what we did. We’d gone out to dinner almost every night. He deleted his profile on Mountain Mates. And when he walked me to the door of my studio apartment, we kissed then and only then.

Except for last night, when he kind of talked me into letting him inside. He said he needed to use the bathroom, but then we made out on the couch for hours and got a little handsy.

I’d declined his offers to come to his place. But I was close to giving in. How could I not? I felt myself falling in love with him more and more.

Call me a hopeless romantic, but I hadn’t had much dating experience. Most guys wanted sex and then ghosted when feelings came into play. Jack was so much different.

“He better be wining and dining you,” Adalynn said over a cup of coffee before I led her into her office and showed her my finished paintings.

I’d spent the past few weeks painting portrait after portrait of the orchard, all different angles and views, various times of days and seasons I imagined based on memory. We were at the end of the spring season, and with the weather growing warmer as summer approached, most of the paintings were full of sunshine. But I also did one in the fall with pumpkins, one with snow, and one at Christmastime. The star in every painting was the beautiful red apple.

After the paintings were finished, Jack and I transported them to Adalynn and Forrest’s cabin, where we set them up on display in her office early this morning.

“Wow, Suzie. These are gorgeous. Better than I ever could’ve imagined. You are so talented.”

“Aw, thanks, Ads.” I pulled her in for a hug and squeezed tight.

“Paws off my lady, Sis.” Jack’s voice boomed through the room. He’d been waiting downstairs with Forrest while I showed Adalynn the paintings first.

“Wow, I never thought I’d hear you say that.” Adalynn laughed as Forrest came up from behind and squeezed her tight. He looked over her shoulder in admiration at my artwork that filled the room. “Wow, Suzie. Your work is amazing. I’m speechless.”

“Aw, thank you, Forrest. I appreciate it.” Tears filled my eyes as I looked around the room and saw a few of the people I loved most in the world admire my art.

And when the three of them surprised me a week later with a gallery show of my artwork on display in the orchard, I didn’t have enough words to thank them. My parents were there with my two sisters, Shannon and Marlowe, and the sun was shining high in the sky.

Jack introduced me as his girlfriend and spoke to my parents with such pride and love and admiration in his eyes, I knew right then and there that I loved that man with my whole heart.

Tonight, I was going to show him just how much.

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