Page 5 of Jealous Mountain Man
“So you think I’m straight out of a romance novel?” he asked.
Was it my imagination, or did I see a hint of a smile on that gorgeous face of his? To this point, he hadn’t shown himself to be someone who smiled. I honestly wondered if his features were locked in a permanent scowl.
“You’re exactly what romance readers want,” I said. “In fact, you could easily be on one of the covers.”
“Maybe I should look into that. How much money is in it?”
I really had no idea, but I also knew he wasn’t serious. This guy would not like his face plastered on book covers—even if it was chopped in half like some of them were.
“I’ll hook you up,” I said, looking around. “Is this a popular pond or…?”
“Only for those who live on it. Anyone else has Betsy to contend with.”
I turned my full attention to him, eyes wide. “Betsy?”
Was that a dog? A mean relative who lived with him? A wife with a weapon?
“My Glock 19,” he said. “I keep her safely tucked away, but I can have her out and aimed at an intruder in a minute or two.”
“Is that a military thing?” I asked. “Are all the guys around here that…” I hesitated, searching for the right word. “Vigilant?”
Vigilant. That was perfect. Like a vigilante.
“Probably,” he said. “It makes sense that we’d be on guard to a certain degree. I’m sure your uncle has a firearm.”
Did he? As close as we were, I had no idea. He definitely would’ve kept that safely tucked away when my family visited. Especially with young kids in the house. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he had an entire gun collection hidden somewhere in that cabin of his.
“I wouldn’t know.” I shrugged. “He’s been so busy with his new girlfriend, I barely see him anymore. I moved to town to help out, and he got too busy to spend time with me.”
Did that sound like a complaint? I certainly didn’t mean to whine about it. I was grateful he gave me this job. He’d also helped me get into one of the cottages next to the shopping center. The rent ate up most of my paycheck, but if I could get this influencer thing going, I’d eventually be able to move to a bigger cabin. Even with a roommate, that would be the dream.
“So what else do you have in store for me?” he asked.
His question pulled me out of my thoughts. Wait—what? He expected me to have things planned out?
The truth was, I had all the video I needed. I could always use more, but right now, I was done. I could tell him that. We’d head to the bank, get dressed, and I’d go back to my cottage.
But today was my day off, and I had no plans whatsoever. What was I going to do? Sit on my sofa alone, watching movies on my phone because I couldn’t afford a TV?
“I’d offer to take you to dinner to thank you,” I said, “but money’s kind of tight. I could cook for you. Do you have food?”
He didn’t answer for what felt like forever. He just stared at me, leaving me wondering if I was being too forward. Maybe his question had merely been a cue for us to go our separate ways.
“I have a freezer full of meat and a grill out back,” he finally said. “I’ll fire it up and make us some dinner.”
It was midafternoon, but I’d skipped lunch. Come to think of it, aside from coffee and water, I hadn’t consumed anything all day.
“That sounds like a plan,” I said.
Neither of us moved. Our eyes met and held in a stare that hit me deep inside. It seemed to push past the wall I’d put up to keep myself safe.
Sure, I knew I was attracted to him, but this was the first time I’d let down my guard enough to feel this almost magnetic pull toward him. This could be dangerous.
What was my plan exactly? To develop a crush on a guy who was probably friends with my uncle? An uncle who definitely wouldn’t be happy with me getting romantically involved with someone he knew? And that was assuming this guy didn’t laugh in my face at the idea that I could ever have a chance with him.
After a long silence where we just stared at each other, it hit me that he wasn’t sure how to get out of the water. To be fair, neither was I. I was wearing only my bra and panties. I couldn’t guarantee the now-soaked cups weren’t completely see-through. What if he got a glimpse of my nipples?
“I’ll close my eyes,” he said. “You get out first and get dressed. Then I’ll grab my stuff and head back to the house.”
