Page 5 of Broken Mountain Man

“What’s your name?” she asked. When I didn’t answer immediately, she tried again. “Or should I just keep calling you Smoky the Grump?”

I glanced over my shoulder. Just a glance.

Big mistake.

She stood behind my couch in an oversized sleep shirt—on the front was some faded cartoon character I couldn’t make out. The fabric was so thin I could see the outline of her body underneath, could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples were visible through the cotton, peaked from the cool air or maybe from the way I was looking at her. Or maybe wanting to be touched.

My cock twitched, and I forced my gaze away before I did something stupid.

“Elias.” I cleared my throat. “My name is Elias.”

“Elias.” She repeated my name like she was testing how it felt on her tongue. I wanted to hear her say it as she came aroundmy cock. Scream it. “That suits you. Very mountain-man-ish. Do you practice the brooding in the mirror, or does it come naturally?”

Despite everything—the unwanted attraction, the disruption to my peace, the way she was making me feel things I’d sworn off—I almost smiled.

“It’s a gift,” I said.

She laughed, and the sound hit me square in the chest. Light and genuine and completely at odds with the fear she’d shown earlier. I wanted to hear it again. Wanted to be the reason for it.

I was beginning to venture into dangerous territory.

“Sit down and eat.”

She tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear. “You made that for me?” She said it like no one had ever simply offered her comfort before.

“Yeah. It’s not much, but it will fill up the empty spots.”

She sat down on the couch, crossing her legs beneath her. I was disappointed that she was wearing a pair of knit shorts beneath her shirt. The thought of her sitting there, her pretty pink pussy playing hide and seek with me…

“What made you sign up for the retreat?” I asked, needing to redirect this conversation before I did something we’d both regret.

“Technically, my best friend signed me up. After my, um, breakup.” Her fingers twisted in the hem of the shirt. “She said I needed to reconnect with my wild side. Whatever that means. I’m hoping getting lost in the woods wasn’t what she had in mind. Because it sucks.”

The mention of an ex made something dark and possessive rise in my chest. Some bastard had hurt her, made her doubt herself enough that she’d ended up here, in my woods, looking for something she thought she’d lost.

“Tell me about him.” The words came out harder than I’d intended.

She looked up, startled by the edge in my voice.

“My ex?” When I nodded, she shrugged, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. “Typical story. Three years together, I thought we were building something but turns out he was building something with someone else too. His secretary, because apparently, he wanted to be a walking cliché.”

Rage burned through me, hot and immediate. The kind of protective fury I hadn’t felt in years. “He’s an idiot.”

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just not enough.” Her voice was quiet, almost small, and it made me want to punch something—like her asshole ex.

“That’s bullshit.” The words exploded out of me, sharp enough to make her eyes widen. “Any man who’d cheat on you is too fucking stupid to deserve you in the first place.”

The beautiful color flooded her cheeks again, and I realized I’d revealed more than I’d intended. Shown her exactly how much the thought of someone hurting her affected me.

She didn’t respond immediately, just looked at me with those dark eyes like she was trying to figure me out. Finally, she smiled—soft and a little shy.

“Thank you.” Her voice was back to the sassy tone.

I nodded once, not trusting myself to say more. Because what I wanted to do was drag her into my arms. I wanted to push my fingers into that wild hair, tilt her head, kiss her until she forgot she’d been lost in the woods. Forget about the retreat. And forget the name of her damn ex.

Instead, I stood up, needing distance before I did something irreversible. I picked up her empty plate and glass. I couldn’t look at her directly, afraid of what she’d see in my eyes. “The bedroom’s through there. You should get some sleep. You take the bed. I’ll take the couch.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but something in my expression must have warned her off. “Okay. Thank you. For everything.”

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