Page 3 of Assembling with the Mountain Man (Heroes of Apple Falls #2)

CHAPTER THREE

Chevelle

The handsome mountain made my heart race in a way I’d never experienced before.

He came out of nowhere like a hero waiting to jump into action, ready to rescue a crying stuck in the mud city girl.

I didn’t even know his name, and yet I wanted to know everything about him.

My car inched slightly forward as he slammed on the gas in his truck, mud flying in the air behind his large tires and splatting on my windshield. The car rocked back and forth and soon his truck was no longer moving, his back wheels spinning.

Oh fuck. He was stuck too!

My stomach fell to my feet as I watched him walk back over to me, a concerned look on his face. When he reached my window, I rolled it down, water and mud trickling down the sides of his head, yet my attraction for him didn’t waver in the slightest.

“Now I’m stuck. The mud is a lot deeper than I expected. I called for a tow, but we might have to wait it out a bit. With only a few tow trucks around here, storms can really back things up.”

“Okay. I’ll wait right here.” I tried to joke about the shitty situation we were in and thankfully, he chuckled. “I’m Chevelle, by the way.”

“Lucian. Nice to meet you, Chevelle. I can keep you company if you’d like.” He grinned and, holy shit, he grew ten times hotter.

Say no to a sexy mountain man? I think not!

“That would be nice, thanks.”

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a loud boom of thunder. I jumped and immediately my cheeks flushed. Dammit, I was like a little girl with a crush around him. Was this what it was like when Leighton first met Cash? I’d have to ask her.

“Man, it’s only getting worse. I gotta grab my phone. One second.” Lucian sprinted back to his truck and before I could blink, he was standing outside my passenger door.

I hit the unlock button, and he climbed inside with his phone, a towel, and a t-shirt. What did this dude have in his truck? A closet or something?

Lucian towel dried himself off, starting with his hair and face and down over his arms before peeling off his wet t-shirt.

My mind short-circuited as I took in his sleek, muscular form. He really was too good to be true. Who the hell was breeding these men around here?

He caught me blatantly drooling, no staring at his hot bod and my cheeks flamed even hotter. I must look like a damn tomato.

Lucian shot me a wink as he wiped down his chest and abs, his shoulders, arms, and back. My knees felt weak, though I was still sitting. The effect he had on me was crazy.

I couldn’t believe it, didn’t believe it.

“Sorry. I can’t stand sitting in wet clothes.” Lucian informed me as he slipped his t-shirt back on. He tossed the towel and shirt down at his feet. “I could’ve changed in my truck, but then I would’ve gotten soaked again.”

“Oh, it’s totally okay with me. I mean, if you want to go shirtless, that’s okay, too.” I rambled and then promptly clamped my mouth shut.

Lucian laughed, and I loved the sound, wanting to hear it again and again. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go topless, if you do.” A wolfish grin spread across his handsome face.

“Nice try,” I quipped. “But that at least takes a date or two.”

“I think I could manage that.”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Maybe. Would you say yes?”

“Maybe.”

“You’re cute. And sassy.”

“Guess it’s just that city sass.”

“What’s a city girl doing in this small town, anyway?”

“My best friend moved here, fell in love with a mountain man, and lived happily ever after. I figured, why not I try?”

He looked at me like I couldn’t be serious.

“It’s the truth. But really, I missed my best friend a lot. Plus, I landed a really cool job. Which as you can see, my first day isn’t going so well. My boss was great. She called me right away and said she’d find a tow truck. But last I heard from her, there was a three hour wait for one.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. Where are you working?”

“Hmm, should I be telling a stranger so much about me?”

“Trust me, we won’t be strangers by the end of this.” Lucian said with so much confidence, I squeezed my legs together.

“I work with Amara at her new flower shop.” My eyes flicked over to his. I wanted to run my fingers through his beard. I wanted to kiss his lips and see if he tasted as sweet as I imagined he did.

“That’s awesome. I heard she was looking for some help after her store seemed to grow in popularity overnight.”

“I’ve always enjoyed making custom floral arrangements. And for a long time, it was hard finding a good-paying job doing what I loved. So, when this opportunity came up, I took it as a sign to finally take the leap and move here.”

“That’s admirable, Chevelle. Few people take chances. I recently took a chance myself and I still feel guilt around it.”

“Why guilt?”

“My family owns the garden center in town. The one I imagine you bought all the flowers from?” Lucian pointed at my back seat, and I nodded in response.

“I’ve worked there, spent countless hours there, and it’s like a second home.

But it’s not my passion. Not like my father’s anyway.

I’ve always been interested in construction, so with the new construction crew in town, I jumped aboard.

Luckily, the foreman took me under his wing as an apprentice.

But leaving the family business…” He blew out a breath as his shoulders sagged.

“I don’t want my dad disappointed. He says he’s not, but I don’t know…

I wonder if he’s only saying that to spare my feelings. ”

“I’m sure he wants to see you happy. And if that’s doing construction, then so be it. Sure, he’ll probably always wish you stayed with the family business, and that’s okay. Parents can expect and want for their kids, but they’re going to grow into their own person, no matter what.”

Lucian fell silent as he studied me. Did I say too much?

“I’m sorry, did I overstep? I didn’t mean to.”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I enjoyed hearing what you had to say.”

“I understand how you feel. My dad is a lawyer, retired now, but he wanted me to follow. Law was like a foreign language to me. He got over it, but I always wondered if he thought differently on the inside. Eventually, I let the guilt go. He was happy for me, and I needed to be happy for myself. You’ll get there. ”

Lucian’s eyes held mine in a locked gaze. Silence fell between us as time slowly ticked by, the rain pelting the roof as the sky lit up and crackled.

I wanted to ask him what he was thinking. Feeling. Wanting.

What I wanted was loud and clear, at least in my mind.

Kiss me.

Kiss me.

KISS ME!

Lucian leaned forward. “I think I know what might make me happy…kissing you.”

Yes!

His lips found mine in the small space of my car and the rest of the world, the wind, the rain, all of it melted away as I lost myself in his kiss.

Down, down, down, I fell for the mountain man.

And I loved every second.