Page 7 of Mountain Man

I strode over, trying not to look at her legs or the way my shirt had ridden higher, exposing her soft, pale thighs.

Jesus Christ.

I swallowed audibly.

I could see the thin scrap of lemon yellow fabric that covered the soft heat between those lovely thighs. Beau used the term pussy to describe that part of a woman, and I suddenly understood why. I’d never wanted to stroke anything more in my life.

I’d tried not to look at her panties when I’d undressed her, and failed. It was only for a second, and I felt terrible for doing it, but knowing what that innocent-looking article of clothing covered, it did things to me.

I had the strong and sudden urge to drop to my belly, crawl closer, and bury my face against her. Smell her, taste her.

My mouth watered.

I shoved my arms under her knees and behind her back and lifted her into bed again. “Don’t move from this bed again without my help. Your ankle looks worse than it is, but it won’t get better if you pull shit like that again.”

Her eyes dropped to her hands that were pulling the covers back over her, and I watched her throat work. “You’re right. That was, that was stupid of me.”

I frowned. “Not stupid.” I shook my head. “Just…be careful.” I felt like shit for barking at her, but I didn’t know what to say, so I shoved my feet in my boots and pulled on my jacket. It was still snowing outside, and I needed to make sure we didn’t get completely buried. “I need to shovel some snow, get wood.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

I stood there for several seconds longer, not sure what to say. In the end all I managed was a grunt then I stomped to the door and headed outside.

I stayed out there until my hands and feet were numb, and then came back in with a load of wood for the fire, enough to get us through the night.

I shut the door behind me and pulled up short.

Birdie was on her back, one hand up by her face, the other on her belly. Her hair was spread across my pillow and her cheeks were rosy from the fire. My gaze dropped to her lips. They were puffy, fuller, like she’d been biting them.

I quickly looked away, walked to the fire, and dumped the wood as quietly as I could on the hearth. But when I straightened, I couldn’t stop myself from looking back.

What would those lips taste like, feel like against mine?

I slammed my eyes shut and looked away again.

The sooner I could get her off my mountain, the better.

* * *

Birdie

I woke with a start and it took me a few seconds to work out where I was. Then it all came rushing back to me. The hike, getting lost…Hank.

I sat up in bed quickly and looked around. I was alone. But I had no time to contemplate Hank’s whereabouts because I also needed to pee so bad I thought my bladder might actually explode. My gaze flew around the room, looking for another door, a bathroom. There was no other door. The room was made up of a small area that was used as living, bedroom, and kitchen. There was a rustic, scarred wooden table and three chairs, a double bed, and various shelves, racks, and cupboards.

No bathroom.

And if I didn’t relieve myself in the next few minutes, I was going to actually pee in Hank’s bed. I shoved the covers back, and remembering my ankle this time, did my best not to put any weight on it and half hopped, half stumbled across the cabin.

Peeing out in the open, where there could be bears and mountain lions, in freezing conditions did not sound fun, but neither did humiliating myself. I grabbed a cable-knit sweater that was hanging over the back of one of the kitchen chairs and shoved it over my head. It dropped down below my knees, giving me decent coverage. Doing the same hop/stumble routine, I made it to the door and grabbed the handle—

“Where’d you think you’re going?”

I jumped at that impossibly deep voice and spun on my good leg toward the fire. Hank was lying on the fur rug in front of the fire, up on one elbow, watching me. The single woolen blanket covering him slipped, falling away to reveal his bare chest.

I blinked, mesmerized by the sheer muscled expanse of it…of him. “I, ah…I need to use the bathroom.”

Hank climbed to his feet instantly. “I’ll take you.”