Page 6 of Devoted Mountain Man

I took slow, deep, calming breaths, hoping that would help. Then I walked around the bed to the window and peered through the blinds. Dayton’s cabin was dark, so I could only assume he was asleep. That made sense. He’d seemed to be winding things down when he walked me to the door after a good twenty minutes of conversation and reminded me that he was just a phone call away if I needed him.

There had been something at the end of that, though. A look. It was almost like he was thinking about kissing me, like men did at the end of dates.

It wasn’t a date, though. I’d just brought his dog back to him—a dog that looked very sad to see me go.

Scratch, scratch.

I gasped and stepped back from the window, the blinds slamming together with aclack. Great. Now, if someone was in here, they’d know I was in the bedroom. I’d just given away my location.

Maybe Dayton had snuck over to see me. That was a better story than the one I was thinking about writing. I could incorporate it into my book, actually. The husband sneaks in on her and she thinks he’s a burglar. Maybe she hits him over the head with a pan. Or comes out with a gun.

Okay, the latter was a bad idea.

I thought about my laptop, still on the coffee table. I could go in there, open it up, and start writing. Yes, that was exactly what I was going to do.

With a nod, I walked to the bedside table, snatched up my tumbler full of water, and headed toward the living room. The beer had upset my stomach a little, but it was worth it. It made it easier to sit and talk to an older guy who was smart and handsome and all-around awesome.

I was so excited about writing, I forgot about the scary noises I’d heard. As I stepped out into the living room, everything looked fine. No deranged lunatic holding an axe, a knife, or a gun. Just a hot lumberjack next door who probably used an axe all the time to chop down trees. A moan escaped my lips as I imagined him shirtless, muscles flexing as he whipped the axe through the air, landing with a loud crack.

Smiling, I sat on the sofa, cross-legged, and opened the laptop. I set the tumbler on the side table next to me. The movereminded me of the way my hot neighbor had casually sipped from the beer bottle he set next to him on the table.

Was he up right now, watching TV and drinking beer? Had he given me a single second’s thought since I walked out of there? Probably not.

Bam, bam, bam.

A series of noises from the back of the cabin had me nearly knocking my laptop to the floor as I whipped around to see what it was. Luckily, I grabbed the laptop just in time as I felt it shifting on my lap.

Nothing behind me. Where was that noise coming from?

All kinds of thoughts ran through my head in the seconds that ticked by. Thoughts of bears, axe murderers, hot lumberjacks with axes… Well, one lumberjack in particular.

What would he do if I rushed over there and told him I was scared out of my wits? Would he put his arms around me and make me feel safe?

I didn’t have to legitimately be scared to run to him. It would give me an excuse to see him again.

What if he was in bed naked? Holy crap. The idea had me thinking about rushing next door. But no, I couldn’t do that. I was brave and strong. I could handle my first night in a rental cabin in the middle of nowhere alone. Sure, I’d never done it before, but how hard could it be?

Click, click.

Okay, that sounded like someone messing with the back door. Maybe testing to see if it was locked. Or trying to pick the lock.

There was no faking the fear that coursed through my body at that thought. I could picture it clearly—some scary guy standing out back.

Click.

That was the back door opening. I was sure of it. I didn’t dare look back. I tossed my laptop on the couch next to me and ran for the front door like my life depended on it. It was very possible my lifediddepend on it.

Dayton’s cabin was dark. Not a light in any window. But I didn’t care. I sprinted across the yard, not taking my eyes off my destination. Only when I was safely on his porch did I look back at my cabin for any sign of trouble. Not a single sign—not from here, anyway.

I immediately questioned what I thought I might possibly see there. It wasn’t like the burglar would be hanging out on my front porch. No, he’d be in there looking for something to steal or someone to kill.

I returned my attention to Dayton’s door. Should I knock? Maybe I should just try the door. But what would I do if the handle opened easily under my touch? Would I just walk into his cabin? What if he slept naked?

Heat rushed to my face at the thought. It went straight up my neck and toward my cheeks. He’d definitely be able to see I was blushing if I caught him in his birthday suit. But I couldn’t help it. Just thinking about that gorgeous guy from earlier wandering around his cabin naked had me feeling things I’d never felt before. Things that made me a little embarrassed.

I couldn’t just barge into his house, though. Even if the idea of stumbling upon him naked appealed to me more than I’d like to admit.

But what was my other choice? Run back to my cabin and risk getting murdered? Yeah, I think even he would agree the better of the two options was just to barge into his house.

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