A Mountain Man Christmas Crush (Mountain Men of Granite Junction #1)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

G ene was definitely going to hell for leading Sarah on, but damn it, he wanted more time with her. What started out as a way to give her a nice evening out quickly morphed into a way for him to spend time with her. When he saw other men dancing with her, the green-eyed monster reared its head, prompting Cam Miller and Colt Raines to tease him about falling prey to the love monster. Ugh, like he needed them to notice. He and Cam spent a lot of time together since their shops were adjacent and they shared a resource, Daniel, who managed their online presence, something for which Gene was eternally grateful since he didn’t have to deal with customers. His customers were probably grateful too, since he was a grouchy bastard on the best of days.

But Cam also knew some ghosts that plagued Gene, not in explicit detail, but they’d spent some time talking, especially around triggers, since Gene had wanted Cam to be aware of them if they were going to be partners of a sort. Clearly, Cam also had noticed his attraction to Sarah, something that had only grown despite his avoidance of her over the past week. And now, with those young bucks prancing around her, he only saw red.

Cam leaned over and said, “You’d better watch it, or Zane will toss you out of here. Then who will watch over her?”

He’d seen Zane eyeing him and knew he had to settle. It had been years since he’d had a bar brawl in any bar, but Zane had a long memory and was about the only guy who could take Gene. He gave a slow nod to acknowledge he was fine, then turned back to Sarah.

“They should watch their hands.”

Cam shrugged. “Then lay a claim or get out of the way.”

Gene grunted. It truly was that simple. He knew he shouldn’t, but he craved her like an alcoholic craved a drink and he needed his fix. Avoiding her only made him more desperate for her, and now that he’d tasted her, he needed more. A slow song came on and he was lost. Before he knew he was moving, he was in front of her and holding out his hands. The uncertainty and longing in her eyes almost killed him. But then he had her in his arms and it felt so right, so perfect, and he never wanted to let her go again.

As soon as the song ended, he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and take her home. He barely restrained himself, letting her talk with her friends and say goodbye. Soon, he was escorting her outside and to his truck, helping her inside, his hands lingering on her waist just a moment too long.

He got in the driver’s side and headed for home. Her home. He had to remember that. His home had burned, but he would rebuild. It was temporary. Her words slowly penetrated the haze of desire that plagued him.

“Daniel? Yeah, he’s very smart. They think your soaps and lotions could sell online? If anyone could set you up, he could. I don’t know half the stuff he does, but he’s brilliant.”

“Well, he puts up with you, so he must be able to do something right,” she teased.

He cocked his head and smirked at her. “Puts up with me? Is that any way to talk to the guy who gave you the best night of your life?”

“Best night? Not quite. Maybe top 10. You have a ways to go to make best night.”

He pulled into the driveway and parked the truck. He wrapped his hand around her neck and tugged her close. “The night isn’t over yet.”

He sealed his lips over hers, devouring her in a single, scorching kiss. She gasped into his mouth, her hands clutching his jacket. Their tongues tangled wildly, stoking the heat between them.

He pulled back, his breath fogging the air between them. “As I said, the night isn’t over yet. Unless you want it to be.”

She stared at him, her eyes wide and dazed with passion. “What about what you said last weekend?”

“I was a damned fool. I don’t know that there’s a future, but I want the present, if you’ll have me.” He paused. “But Sarah, I can’t stay the night. I’m too afraid of what I’ll do if I have a nightmare. If we do this, understand that. I don’t want to hurt you.”

She looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. “You’d never hurt me, Gene, but I understand. Take me to bed.”

* * *

G ene swept her out of the car and kicked the door shut, not putting her down. He stalked to the house with her hands twined around his neck for balance, not that she thought he’d drop her. His arms held her in a secure grip, but she was right where she had always wanted to be and she didn’t want to let go, not yet. She was terrified that she had fallen asleep in his truck and would wake up at any minute to grumpy Gene, and this would all be a dream.

He opened the door and Bo darted out to go to the bathroom. “Damned dog. Go fast or you’re sleeping out here all night.”

She patted his chest, unable to believe she was about to say this. “Check on Bo and the goats and I’ll meet you inside.”

His arms tightened around her as if he didn’t want to let her go and he studied for a long moment. She sighed. “Come to my room when you’re done. I just want to be ready.”

“You seem plenty ready to me,” he muttered, but obligingly let her slide down his body, his erection prodding her stomach where she pressed against him.

She stared up at him, his dark eyes watching her carefully. “I am. I won’t change my mind. I just want to change into something more comfortable.”

He arched his eyebrow. “You look gorgeous to me. I’ll be inside soon.”

She rose on her tiptoes and brushed his lips with hers, shivering at the feel of his beard against her face, imagining it against other parts of her body. “Be quick.”

She turned and sashayed into the house, pausing and looking over one shoulder to catch a look of pure hunger on his face. A sizzle of pure arousal coasted up her spine, and she raced inside to implement her plan.

She opened the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a tissue-wrapped item, something she had bought a few years before but never got to wear. She had bought it when her father had persuaded her to marry a lawyer at his small practice, but then her father had gotten sick and the engagement had fallen apart. So she never got to wear this, which was fine with her.

She shook out the red lace lingerie with the lace corset, high waist and hip length lace and matching lace shorts that wouldn’t cover a damned thing. She stared at it doubtfully, not sure she had the guts to wear it, then she remembered the heat in Gene’s eyes and the ticking clock. Here was her chance. She stripped quickly and changed, dimmed the lights and knelt on the bed, waiting for Gene. She didn’t know what a sexy pose would be, but she wanted to be true to who she was.