Page 6 of My Devoted Mountain Man

"You haven't even seen the inside yet. You'll love it. I had a ton of fun building it."

"You built this yourself?"

"I had help, but I did most of the work."

I go to open the truck's door, but he signals me to wait. He gets out of the car and goes to my side, opening the door for me.Before I know it, I'm being carried like a bride toward what will be my home for the next few days.

Once we're inside, I see how every single inch of the place has Fletcher's touch. There are carvings on the walls, and some of his wooden pieces of art are in each room. There's a masculine feel to the place, but a thought goes through me that I can easily put some feminine touches to this beautiful house, making it a home.

I chide myself. I'm not his bride, moving in after our wedding. He's just helping me out. Knowing I'll see him every day still gives me a thrill, though.

"Do you want me to put you to bed or set you down here in the living room?"

The mention of a bed makes me flustered, and I hide my face in his neck.

"Living room is fine. I'm tired of being in bed."

He gently sets me down on a recliner and stands in front of me. He looks like a beautiful giant looking down at me like that.

"I'm here to serve you, sweetheart. Whatever your heart desires, I'll give you."

The words make me shiver. They are somehow more personal than just him helping me out while I recuperate. They make me feel vulnerable.

"I'd like some water, and if you could bring me my work bag, I'd be set. I won't bother you for a bit."

"Let's get this straight. Nothing you say or do will be a bother to me."

His tone is sincere, and I lean back into the recliner, basking in his presence. These next few days are going to be harder than I can imagine.

The afternoon passes quickly as I message numerous customers about my situation and the delays it will cause. There is one event at the end of the month that I can't postpone, and I'llneed Fletcher's help to pull it off. My mind, however, is still on the delicious mountain man that's somewhere in this house.

I close my laptop and put it on the coffee table in front of me. I try to get up from the recliner, but there's a twinge of pain when I try, and I cry out. Fletcher is immediately beside me, and I don't know where he came from.

"I was going to go look for you."

"What do you need, sweetheart?"

My brain immediately respondsI need you, but thankfully, I don't blurt it out. This is not the time for such confessions.

"Let me move you to the kitchen, and you can watch as I fix dinner for us."

I gasp when he picks me up as easily as if I were a doll. There's no pain, though, so I take it as a win.

"You cook?"

"I know a few things. This time will be easy, though, only a chicken salad. I might have some canned soup I can heat. See, nothing too difficult."

"I'll be the judge of that."

His kitchen is huge and he sits me on one of the stools in front of a big island where he's already set out vegetables for the salad.

"I've never asked you, how long have you lived here in Hunter's Peak?"

"I've been here for a while. Fifteen years. I came after I left the military. I was a bit lost back then, and the peace and quiet the mountain gave was very attractive. It's the best decision I've ever made."

"Where did you learn how to work with wood?"

He looks at me with a smile on his face. It's surprising, but after working together for the past six months to sell his art, I've never questioned him about his background. I felt like it would have been intrusive, and I wanted him to trust me.

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