Page 15 of The Mountain Man's Second Chance Bride
"I didn't trick you," she says, a flash of defiance in her eyes. "Everything I told you about myself was true. My interests, my skills, what I was looking for. All of it honest."
"Except your name. Except our history."
"I used Mom's maiden name because I knew if you saw 'Wynonna Crow' you'd dismiss me immediately." Her voice remains steady, though I catch the slight tremble in her hands. "I wanted a chance for you to see me as I am now, not as the girl you remember."
I stand abruptly, needing distance to think. The manipulation of it gnaws at me, the deliberate planning, the subterfuge. For a man who values honesty above almost all else, it's a bitter pill.
"Do you have any idea how this looks?" I demand, grabbing my jeans from the floor and pulling them on.
"Yes," she interrupts, eyes flashing. "I did all of that. And I'd do it again."
The bold declaration stops me short.
"I knew what I wanted," she continues, letting the sheet fall away as she rises from the bed, gloriously naked and unashamed. "I wanted you. Have wanted you for years. So I found a way to make it happen."
She stands before me, chin lifted in defiance, but I catch the vulnerability beneath her bravado. The fear of rejection lurking in those brown eyes.
I study her, this woman who crossed a country to find me. Who maintained a decade-long devotion that defies rational explanation. Who gave me her virginity with a trust that humbles me.
"Why?" I ask, genuinely needing to understand. "Why go to such lengths for someone you haven't seen in years? Someone who rejected you before? What if you've built me up in your mind all these years into something I can never be?" I ask, voicing the fear.
Her expression softens. "Josiah, I didn't fall for some perfect image of you. I fell for the man who taught me to split wood properly when I kept doing it wrong. Who lectured me for an hour about mountain safety when I took a shortcut through bear territory. Who always told me the hard truth even when I didn't want to hear it."
She reaches out, her small hand resting over my heart. "I fell for your grumpiness and your integrity and the way you take care of everyone around you whether they want it or not. I didn't build up some fantasy. I remembered the real you. And that's who I came back for."
The anger fades. The idea that someone knows me, flaws and all, and still crossed a country to find me... it's humbling. Terrifying. Exhilarating.
"You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met," I say finally, something like admiration creeping into my voice.
"Persistent," she corrects with the hint of a smile. "I prefer persistent."
The tension between us shifts, transforms into something else entirely. I reach for her, one hand cupping the back of her neck, the other settling possessively on her hip.
"You should have told me the truth from the beginning," I say, even as I pull her closer.
"Would you have given me a chance if I had?" she counters, rising on tiptoes to bring her face nearer to mine.
"No," I admit, the truth easy now. "I wouldn't have."
"Then I don't regret it," she whispers, her breath warm against my lips. "Not if it led us here."
I should be angrier. Should maintain some principle about honesty and transparency. But as she presses her naked body against mine, as I feel the heat of her skin through my jeans, principles suddenly seem far less important than the woman in my arms.
"You manipulated me," I repeat, but this time there's a rough edge of desire in the accusation. "Seems like I need to teach you a lesson about honesty."
Her eyes darken, pupils dilating at my words. "And how would you do that, Mr. Stone?"
The challenge in her voice snaps the last thread of my restraint. I capture her mouth with mine, kissing her with all the confused emotions churning inside me—lingering anger, reluctant admiration, and overwhelming desire.
She responds immediately, eagerly, her arms winding around my neck as she presses herself more firmly against me.
Unlike last night's careful exploration, this kiss is demanding. Possessive. I walk her backward until she hits the wall, pinning her there with my body as my hands roam freely over her naked skin. She gasps into my mouth when my fingers find her breasts, teasing her nipples into tight peaks.
"Josiah," she moans as I break from her lips to trail bites down her neck. "Please."
My hand travels lower, sliding between her thighs to find her already wet and ready. "Is this what you wanted?" I growlagainst her skin. "When you crossed half the country to find me? When you schemed and planned?"
"Yes," she admits breathlessly, hips bucking against my hand. "This. You. Everything."
