Page 1 of Mountain Man's Curvy Girl

Chapter 1

Chloe

“I’m telling you, he’s into you.”

I shoot Mia a glare over the rim of my mug, even though I know it has zero effect on her. Growing up in the system in an urban area, I was always used to sticking to myself. That was until I applied for a job in a small town and got hired. Now I live up a beautiful mountain where I help run the admin side of things at city hall, and I’ve gained a sassy best friend who loves meddling…

Mia just smirks, her eyes glittering with mischief as she leans against the counter of the bakery where we’re hiding from the bad weather. Outside, rain falls from a gray sky, but inside, it’s dry, cozy, and annoyingly filled with Mia’s teasing.

“He’s not into me,” I say, setting the mug down with a little more force than necessary. “He barely looks at me.”

She snorts. “Oh, he looks. You’re just too shy to notice.”

I shake my head, my cheeks heating. “You’re imagining things. Ethan is… I don’t know, grumpy. Quiet. He doesn’t even talk to people.”

Mia’s grin widens. “Exceptyou.”

“He said, ‘Nice weather,’ Mia,” I point out, rolling my eyes.

“That’s practically a poem for him. Come on, Chlo’, the man looks like a lumberjack crossed with a Greek statue, and he’sbeen your neighbor for years? And you’ve been crushing on him for almost as long. Make a freaking move already, girl.”

I duck my head, my hands curling around the mug like it can shield me from the truth. Yes, I’ve had a hopeless crush on Ethan Cole—the gruff, broad-shouldered welder who lives three doors down from my house ever since I moved to town from the city. But making a move? Uh-huh. Nope. Absolutely not. Not in this lifetime.

“Let’s say you’re right,” I mutter, avoiding her gaze. “Let’s say he does… notice me,” I finish shyly. “Why would someone like him want me? I’m not… you know… exciting.”

Mia sets her cup down and levels me with a serious look. “Babe, you’re gorgeous, you’re kind, and you’re real. If Mr. Mc Beefy can’t see that, then he’s even dumber than he looks.”

I can’t help but laugh, then quickly sober up. “I don’t know.”

Mia shrugs, smirking. “Then you’re lucky you have me to push you.”

* * *

Ethan

“Goddamn weather,” I mutter under my breath as I open the door to my truck.

The wind bites at my face, cutting through my flannel like it’s paper. Another freak summer storm is coming. Nothing our small mountain town hasn’t dealt with before, though. I just checked on my folks. They already hunkered down at their place, and I’m on my way home.

The truck door slams shut behind me, and I take a moment to breathe. The silence inside feels good. It’s been a long day—too many welds, too many people asking for last-minute work before the storm hits—but my mind isn’t on any of that. It’s onmy sweet neighbor. Chloe. She moved here from the city a few years ago. And stole my fucking heart.

I grip the steering wheel tight, like the memory of her voice can be squeezed silent. I walked past her earlier. She was getting into the bakery. Her dark hair tucked under a wool hat, soft brown eyes sparkling as she talked to her friend. More lively than she ever is around me. Her gorgeous brown skin making my hands itch to touch. Fucking beautiful. She was smiling, and when Chloe smiles, both my heart and cock stand to attention.

I drag a rough hand through my hair, scowling at the windshield like it’s its fault I can’t get her out of my head. She doesn’t know how hard it is to keep my distance, to keep my hands steady when she walks by. Doesn’t know that every damn time I see her, I have to remind myself why we would be a bad idea. She’s too sweet. Too soft. I’d fucking ruin her. She deserves better than a grumpy recluse like me. But fuck if that stops me from wanting her.

* * *

Chloe

The rain has picked up by the time we leave the bakery. Mia and I say our goodbyes and part ways on the sidewalk.

I tug my jacket tighter, wishing I thought about driving instead of walking to town. The streetlights glow softly in the falling rain, casting everything in a golden halo, but all that beauty is lost on me when the wind slices through my coat.

Halfway down the block, I spot a familiar truck parked near the hardware store, and my heart does that stupid flutter it does every time I see Ethan’s beat-up Chevy. I wonder why he keeps this old thing. The man’s probably too much of an alpha male forsome fancy new truck. I snort to myself. And, of course, that’s when the driver’s side door opens, and Ethan steps out.

He ishuge, all broad shoulders and bulk, his flannel stretched over a chest that looks like it was carved from granite. His dark hair is a little messy, and his beard, thick enough to make him look like he walked straight out of a wilderness survival magazine. And his hands—Lord help me… strong, rough, capable hands that make my knees go weak whenever I think about how they’d feel on my skin. Deep breaths, Chloe. You can do this. You can have a short, non-awkward conversation with Ethan Cole. And that’s when he glances up. Our eyes meet. My heart skips a beat, and I freeze halfway to waving like an idiot. Ethan just nods, his usual frown firmly on, before walking into the hardware store.

I exhale deeply, my breath clouding the freezing air. “You’re an idiot,” I mutter to myself, quickening my pace. I need to get home before this damn storm hits. Not stand in the rain thirsting after my grumpy, hot neighbor.

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