Page 15 of Possessive Mountain Man

Finally, his face relaxed, followed by his body. Then he pulled out and rolled onto his back, partly on the sleeping bag, partly on the ground.

“I want to sleep in your arms,” I said.

After we lay there for a few minutes, we decided maybe we could fit these sleeping bags together. Neither of us had the energy for that, though. Instead, he crawled over, grabbed the other sleeping bag, unzipped it, and used it to cover both of us.

Then I snuggled up against him, his arm wrapping around me, and closed my eyes. As I drifted off into the most peaceful sleep of my life, one thought hit me. I had to tell my friends I wasn’t going back.

I’d tell them in the morning. Right now, I just needed to enjoy being in the arms of the man I loved.

6

HAYDEN

Eve!

Maybe I should shout her name at the top of my lungs until she entered the lobby and assured me she was still in town. Yes, I’d turned into a psycho. But eight hours of no replies to texts would do that to a man.

I was being ghosted. That was what Eve’s generation called it. Hell, I guess everybody called it that these days. While I was in the military, all kinds of terms came up in the outside world that never made their way to us.

Even the front desk was deserted. I made a beeline for the bar and grill. It was dinnertime, so it was likely Eve and her friends were there.

But I had no idea what my plan was. Was I just going to march in there and demand she talk to me? Or sit at the bar and wait to see what she’d do? Likely the latter.

Today had started out so perfectly. I’d dropped her off here bright and early, and everything seemed fine. We’d even kissed goodbye. She programmed her number into my phone, and I’d called her, at which point we both saved each other into our contacts.

Since she had my name programmed in her phone, she knew I was texting. She just wasn’t responding.

The second I entered the restaurant, I knew this had been a failed mission. There was no sign of her among the sprinkling of guests who were having dinner at the tables and drinking at the bar.

Now what? I cut my losses and headed home. What else could I do?

“Rappelling guide!” the bartender called out. “I got this barstool saved for you.”

He pointed toward the seat on the end. The one I’d occupied twenty-four hours ago. No abandoned food basket and drink in front of any of the other barstools this time.

“Come on over,” he gestured.

I headed toward the bar for one reason and one reason only—I thought the guy might have intel on Eve. He didn’t. No message for me—nothing. I didn’t specifically ask if Eve had been here. Just if anyone had stopped by looking for me. That was a negative.

“The chick from last night,” the bartender said after a long diatribe about business being slow. “Is she in town with you or those other three girls?”

They weren’t chicks or girls. They were women. But I didn’t have the energy to correct him.

“No,” I said. “They were on vacation. I guess they abandoned Eve last night.”

He frowned. “That sucks. Gin and tonic?”

I didn’t drink gin and tonic. Never had. I had no idea where he’d gotten that. Maybe he had me mixed up with someone else.

I shook my head. “Just a sweet tea.”

I didn’t want a beer. I planned to take another sweep up and down the main strip, and I needed to stay sharp.

While he grabbed my drink, I cast another glance around the restaurant. I didn’t even care if anyone noticed I was on alert for signs of the beautiful brunette. I didn’t care about anything right now but finding Eve.

I looked at my phone screen again. No missed messages or calls. She and her friends were probably over in Adairsville. If so, they wouldn’t be rolling in until late. And I couldn’t just hang out in the lobby until they returned. No, I needed to find my dignity and go home.

But I couldn’t. Something bugged me. It was at the back of my mind, and I tried to ignore it, telling myself it was just wishful thinking. There was no way what I’d felt for her was one-sided. I’d seen it in her eyes.

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