Page 14 of Mountain Man's City Girl
When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard. His pupils are dilated, turning his eyes nearly black. I feel flushed, light-headed in a way that has nothing to do with altitude.
A small laugh escapes me, because I can't not react to the absurdity and perfection of kissing Victor Myers in a fire lookout tower in the middle of nowhere.
"What?" he asks, voice deliciously rough.
"Your beard," I say, rubbing my slightly raw chin. "Rougher than I expected." I meet his eyes, my own smile turning wicked. "Better."
His hands tighten on my waist, and for a moment I think he's going to kiss me again—deeper, harder. But instead, he takes a steadying breath and steps back.
"We should head back," he says, though his eyes say something entirely different. "Storm's coming."
I glance out the window. The dark clouds I spotted earlier have crept closer, and the light has shifted, taking on that peculiar golden quality that precedes rain.
"Okay," I agree, though leaving this tower—this moment—is the last thing I want to do.
The climb down the tower is quieter than the ascent. Not awkward, exactly, but charged with something new and fragile. Every time our eyes meet, I feel that kiss again, like an echo vibrating through my body.
At the base of the tower, with solid ground beneath our feet once more, I finally find the courage to ask what I've been wondering.
"Do you regret it?" My voice is deliberately casual, though my heart pounds hard enough to bruise my ribs.
Victor doesn't look at me as he secures the tower door, checking the lock twice. When he finally turns, his expression is unreadable.
"Only that it wasn't sooner."
The simple admission steals my breath. I can't quite form words after that, so I just nod, a ridiculous smile threatening to overtake my face.
The hike back is quicker than the journey up, gravity doing most of the work. Thunder rumbles in the distance as we descend, the air growing heavy with impending rain.
By the time we reach the cabin, the first fat raindrops are falling. We make it inside just as the sky opens, rain drumming on the roof like impatient fingers.
"I should..." I gesture vaguely toward the guest cabin.
"Yeah." Victor nods, though he doesn't move away. "You should get some rest. We can review your shots later, decide where to go tomorrow."
Tomorrow. Our last day together. The thought sits heavy in my stomach.
"Okay." I step toward the door, then pause. "Victor?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you. For the tower. For sharing it with me."
His expression softens. "You're welcome."
I slip out into the rain, dashing the short distance to the guest cabin. Once inside, I lean against the door, heart racing like I've run miles instead of yards.
What am I doing? This wasn't supposed to happen. Victor Myers was supposed to be my guide, nothing more. Maybe a connection to my father's past. Not... this. Not the man whose kiss I can still feel on my lips, whose hands I can still feel in my hair.
I change out of my damp clothes and lie on the bed, listening to the rain.
Chapter 6 – Victor
I sit on the edge of my bed, elbows on knees, head bowed under the weight of want. The rain drums against the cabin roof, a steady percussion that matches my heartbeat.
I've been sitting here for twenty minutes, trying to talk myself out of crossing the clearing to the guest cabin. Trying to remember all the reasons Jade King should be off-limits.
She's half my age. She's Mark's daughter. She's leaving tomorrow.
