Page 4 of Mountain Man Bodyguard
If so, why was I even questioning myself? Not only had my injury on the last movie set I worked on been a wake-up call and just the unplanned reset I needed, but all the time I’d had to think since moving here made me realize the lie I’d told myself and others for so long wasn’t true any longer. The one I told about preferring to be alone. Truth be told, I craved connection with a woman. Like I’d seen my buddies find here. Turned out I really was lonely. And now, as if written into that improbable rom-com script, Chassie had appeared.
Her intellect and passion were easy to pick up on and only added to my attraction to her. But there was something chemical going on here. An explosive reaction that had me reigning in my need to sweep her up in my arms and shit — I didn’t just say any of that out loud, did I?
“Um, yeah, deal. You okay? You look kind of, I don’t know you well enough to know, but you look like the hero in one of those movies you stunt double in, breathing heavy, fists clenching, nostrils flaring, like the person sending me all those nasty texts is standing in front of you right now and you’re getting ready to take them out or something.” Chassie was worrying her lower lip and damn if it wasn’t the hottest thing I’d ever seen. I wanted to soothe her injured flesh, suck her swollen lip into my mouth, heal it with soft kisses until…shit. Enough daydreaming.
“Yeah, something like that. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your stalker or whatever gets nowhere near you up here. You have my word on that.” Blowing out a breath, I picked her suitcase back up. “We’re almost there. I wasn’t expecting company for a while, well, ever really, and the road won’t be paved until the spring, so I hope you have a sturdier pair of shoes in all this stuff you packed.”
It was the best I could come up with, and I hoped it settled her nerves about me. But whatever she was really thinking would have to wait. I hadn’t told her the worst part about staying with me. There was no Wi-Fi.
FOUR
CHASSIE
So earlier had not been my finest moment, but his cabin was spectacular, even though it wasn’t quite finished. The view? Stunning. The décor? Non-existent. And it sent my brain into overdrive picturing all the things I could do to make it a home. Shaking off the “not gonna happen” thought, I tuned back into my new bodyguard.
Kane had been giving me a tour while I’d admired the other view that had been holding my attention. His butt encased in tight black jeans. I’d never considered myself much of an ass person, but damn he had a fine one. And the rest of him was equally yummy.
If he served with Finn, he must also be around forty, and like my brother, he kept himself in shape. Actually, all of my brother’s former Army buddies had. Must be a Ranger thing. But whatever it was, and I can attest, the women of America were grateful.
“…the bathroom has running water thanks to a water tank out back. The mornings are a bit chilly so you might want to wear socks at night, but luckily the temps haven’t been too bad, yet.” Kane had been talking for a good five minutes non-stop ashe showed me around and all I’d been doing was ogling him and nodding.
I would not apologize for it, but it made me wonder if he found me attractive too. Not that it mattered. Finn, I’m sure, warned him off, and a girl could dream about having some short-term fun.
That’s all I could handle at the moment, anyway. Okay, maybe that’s all I’d ever been capable of handling, but who could blame me considering how we grew up. I’m still amazed Finn did the commitment thing with Sami, although they were great together. And now they have Theo. I really hoped they moved back to Pineville. Maybe if they did, then I could convince our sister Caitlyn that she should too.
“I’ll, uh, show you the bedrooms, then you can put your stuff away.” Kane had a weird look on his face, but I didn’t think too much of it. This whole day had been weird.
So, there were three bedrooms. The first two were empty. Maybe he had the furniture on order? Then we got to the largest one. This one had a bed. A freaking hand-carved, mammoth sleigh bed with a gorgeous headboard that must have taken untold hours to carve out the mountain scene.
But it was the only bed in the place.
And the only other pieces of furniture were a dresser with a TV and a leather couch in the great room facing a wall of windows looking out over the forest with a ridge peeking through. The couch didn’t look like it was made for sleeping on unless you wanted to stay in one position all night long.
I was a restless sleeper, always had been. But I couldn’t expect him to give up his only bed for me. Sighing, I’d resigned myself to sleeping on the floor of one of the empty bedrooms, but then he’d dropped the bomb on me.
“And I’ve only got a generator until we get the final permit to hook me up to the electric grid out here. The plan was for it tobe completed last month, but you know small towns and all.” He showed me the bathroom and pointed to where I could put my things. And I was a tosser-turner.
To his credit, he looked sheepish, apologetic even, that he and my brother had not only plotted this effort to “protect” me, but that I’d have to rough it. I did my best to cover my disappointment. So, maybe I was as girly as they came. I mean, I did have pink hair, but I’d done some camping in my youth with college friends. I could handle this.
Okay, maybe it was more like glamping, but not to have electricity on demand, and did that mean no Wi-Fi as well? Didn’t either of them understand what an influencer was? Despite the crazy messages I was getting, and the fact that the police were helping me figure out how this person got my personal cell number, I’d been posting my content as if nothing was going on.
“So, why do you have all this …" Kane paused as he swept his very muscular arm over my very female horde of beauty products... “stuff?" Okay so I may be a wee bit like a dragon when it comes to my pots of lotions and potions. I had every type imaginable, but I would not apologize for it. To me, skincare was as important as breathing, and my top personal self-care indulgence.
"Not used to being around women, I see." I didn’t mean to sound, well, you know, bitchy, but yeah…. “I like to take care of my skin. And sometimes I get free stuff from other influencers.”
Kane simply gave me a blank stare. Alright then, I'd have to do a better job of digging to learn about his past with women. Hm? Guess that’s what I was doing without realizing it. "Do you have sisters?"
"Nope. Two brothers."
"A mom? Surely your mom had 'stuff' like this lying around when you were growing up?"
"Not that I remember. She worked two jobs and didn’t wear a stitch of makeup."
" Really? Well, good for her. Not every woman needs it or is a slave to it, but having a good moisturizer is a must. Need to maintain a healthy top layer and protect it from the sun.
I can recommend several products if you'd like. Might score you some points on her birthday or Mother’s Day." I needed to get him out of my space before I forgot my resolve not to touch the sinfully hot mountain man and threw myself at him.
Breaking eye contact, I offered one of my favorites. It was formulated for women over fifty, but anyone could benefit from it. Kane stared at it for so long, I thought maybe I hadn't made my offer clear.
