Page 66 of Mountain Men’s Nanny

“Bad service,” I shrugged.

Holly and I sat outside with the smell of freshly baked gingerbread wafting from the house and caught up. I told her about Tobias and Lexi, how they came out here with Gideon to get away from the hurt and sadness in the city, I told her about how Gunner hunts and knows the woods like he was born with a self-updating map imprinted in his brain. They were every version of Prince Charming, and they were mine.

By the time I had summarized everything that had happened out here, the sun was setting and a cool breeze swept over the hills.

“So you’re happy?” she asked, nodding. She already knew the answer. She could see it on my face.

“Happier than I’ve ever been,” I confessed.

Holly sighed and stood up. “I can see that. It’s weird, you have to admit, but if it works for you, then I can’t pull you away from it.”

I stood up to hug her. I held her tight and rubbed her back. I had missed her, but it was only the beginning.

I was staying, nothing could make me go back to my life in the city. That chapter of my life had closed before I even knew it. It was over the moment I arrived here to three men competing over chopping wood and the most precious little girl cheering them on.

“Gideon has one of his stews ready,” Tobias said, standing at the door.

“I have to go before it gets dark,” Holly smiled apologetically.

“How?” Gunner laughed, practically bouncing out of the door. “We don’t have cabs out here and the bus only leaves from Salmon in the morning. I’ll drive you in time to catch it.”

“We have room, and it’ll give you a chance to get to know us,” Tobias laughed.

I walked Holly in to find a place set for her next to Lexi and sat down at the table for Gideon’s infamous meatball stew and mashed potatoes with everyone I loved around the same table.

Epilogue

No Ordinary Days

~

Brie

Lexi lay fast asleep on the couch, drool trickling from the corner of her mouth and clothes scattered everywhere. She had graduated from wanting to use glitter for every single one of her school projects to wanting to wear it. Dresses with sequins, glittering bows, frilly dresses, and every shade of pink you could imagine. Even her new boots had bedazzled tips. We had all seen her try them on in the stores we spent the entire day visiting. She’d insisted on giving us a fashion show right after dinner.

“It would be a shame to wake her up only to put her to bed again,” I said, gently wiping her cheek.

“How about you put me to bed instead then,” Tobias suggested, kissing my neck.

He took my hand and led me to his bedroom. We walked quietly up the stairs, careful not to wake Lexi. The bare walls going upstairs were now spotted with framed pictures of Lexi’s drawings and paintings, and Tobias’s carvings. It looked like a home, a place where people did more than exist. We lived here.

We were barely over the threshold of Tobias’s room when he held my face in his hands and kissed me. Pressed his lips against mine. He slid his tongue into my mouth, swirling it against mine in warm, wet passion. My hands rubbed over his back, feeling the tight muscles ripple as he moved. I moved my finger deftly over the buttons of his shirt, quickly opening it and helping him shrug it off.

I reached for the bulging zipper of his pants and rubbed over it while he made quick work of my clothes, quickly and easily sliding my leggings down my legs, breaking our kiss only to pull my sweater and my t-shirt over my head.

I stood in front of him in my underwear and felt the heat of his lust washing over me while he undressed. I watched him, appreciating every inch of him, my breath becoming shallow and fast. He held me, his skin on mine, his hot breath on my neck. He lifted me onto the dresser, our first encounter replaying in my head as he bent down, inhaling me.

He stuck his tongue out, licking my smooth slit, slowly raising my legs and spreading them, opening me up wide. Full access. He stuck his tongue into me, swirling it around.

“I love the taste of you,” he whispered, licking me from the top of my clit down to my ass, pausing to run his tongue over the tight entrance, jolting me.

“Oh, God.”

“Do you like it?” he asked, tracing the same path with his finger.

“Yes,” I said breathlessly.

He repeated the swirling motion over my bud, leaning forward to suck my clit into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue as he slowly pushed his finger into my ass, slowly fingering me while quickening me to a dresser-shaking orgasm. I bit my lip to stifle a moan, my eyes rolling all on their own.