Page 21 of The Mountain Man's Retribution

“Really?” I question, my mouth instantly dry. He nods, comfortingly. “I’ll hold your hand if it helps.”

I nod, working hard to keep my face calm. Walking up the porch stairs, my knees feel shaky and weak.

Bodie knocks on the door a few times until we hear an old woman hollering, “Coming! One minute!”

A lady wearing a brown and purple floral apron, leaning against a metal device with wheels on the bottom, answers.

I eye the mountain man, whispering, “What does she lean on?”

“A walker.”

The woman scowls. “About time you showed up.” She looks angrier than a kicked hornet’s nest.

“This is always the day of the week I barter and trade,” he says.

She opens her mouth to say more when her eyes settle on me. “Andwhois this?”

“My homesteading partner, Fawn.”

“Pretty name for a pretty girl. But your clothes,” she laments, shaking her head.

“Mrs. McCartney, I’m also hoping to barter with you for some clothes from your store for my homesteading partner. Would that be alright?”

“Oh, from the store? Well, it’s been a while since I retired, you know. So, they may be slightly out of date.” She eyes me as though she’s doing measurements in her head. “But yes, I think we could find some nice things.”

“Good,” the mountain man says, releasing my hand. “I’ll go grab some eggs and meat—” My hand seizes his, and I eye him nervously, reminding him of his promise.

He looks down, catching himself. “Actually, we’ll all look together and then square up afterward.”

She shrugs, grimacing. Shuffling the length of her cabin, she bids us follow, throwing open a back bedroom door filled with clothes. Full closets, full bed, every inch covered. “Help yourself to anything you fancy,” she invites, glaring at us.

Her mouth tightens, and she snarls, “Surely, you would like some privacy?”

But I cling to Bodie’s hand, shaking my head.

The mountain man replies gruffly, “Fawn is a bit shy. I’ll stay with her.”

The woman mutters under her breath, walking away, “Kids these days.”

Bodie closes the door, and I eye the chaotic room, feeling overwhelmed. The giant mountain man looks no more comfortable. Letting out a long breath that puffs out his cheeks, he says, “Let’s start with finding what fits, and then you can decide what you’d like.”

Dropping the jogging pants to the ground and struggling out of my top, I stand naked before my burly giant, watching his eyes dilate and his nostrils flare. He licks his lips slowly, letting his eyes linger over me more thoroughly today, like a hungry wolf. My heart races, challenging the handsome, strong man to wantme as much as I need him. The melting swirl of his eyes bears all the evidence I require.

“I can barely think,” he murmurs, running his hand over his face and turning to the clothes. “Focus, Bodie. Focus on the fucking clothes.”

Every part of my body aches to reach out and touch him, but I remain well aware we are in a stranger’s home. So I work quickly, trying on the things he hands me until we have a neat, folded pile of clothes that makes me smile.

Bodie grins too, eyeing the last outfit I wear—a pretty blue sundress that he calls periwinkle, with big, splashy flowers on the front. The bottom hem hits just above my knees, and he grabs a light denim jacket to go with it, along with a tan pair of embroidered cowboy boots that fit perfectly.

“You’re breathtaking,” he says warmly, crossing his arms and devouring me with his eyes. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Thank you,” I say, looking down at my hands.

“We’ll order you underwear and bras online because I don’t see anything suitable here.” Drawing closer, he says against the shell of my ear, hot breath making my body sizzle, “I want to eat you tonight, Fawn. Every little bit of you. If you would like that?”

I lean back on my heels, eyeing him confusedly, and he chuckles deeply.

“Don’t worry, little elf. It’s a good thing. Something you’ll love.”

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