Page 3 of Crushing on the Mountain Man (Mountain Man Summer #3)

Brandy

Seeing Knox makes me feel fourteen again.

God, I had such a crush on him. He and his family own the big stone lake house.

Gran’s little cabin sits right on the border of the back of their land.

The Kingsley family had four boys. Pierce and Carter were older, in their early twenties.

But Knox was the same age as my brother and Wesley just two years older.

Those boys would explore the lake and have adventures.

I was the little kid sister running after them.

My mom would have preferred I stayed clean and in nice dresses, even on a mountain lake holiday!

Luckily she had my little sister to fawn over otherwise I’m sure I would have been trapped with the grown ups.

But given the choice of staying with my mom and sister or having wild, messy adventures with the boys. The choice back then was easy.

I’d been ten years old the first summer we came here. The family in their big stone house fascinated me. Four boys who seemed to run wild and do whatever they pleased. I’m not sure when it happened. But by our third summer at the lake I was well and truly smitten with Knox.

I loved the way his hair fell over his forehead.

How he would always yell out as he jumped off the rocks.

His pure love of life. But there was a quiet, sensitive side to him too.

Unlike his brother Wesley, who was always laughing, there were nights around the fire when Knox would talk about his father’s rage.

The family obligations. What it was like trying to live up to his older brothers, the family expectations.

Knox wanted to run away from it all. And I loved him fiercely for everything he had to go through.

Of course, that was just childish emotions. Teenage hormones. Nobody actually falls in love at fourteen. At least, that’s what my mother told me.

But still, it’s been over ten years and one conversation with Knox and all those old feelings come rushing back.

Along with some new ones. Like how much he has grown.

A man now, with broad shoulders, toned, tanned muscular arms. A flat stomach.

Big, strong thighs obvious through the long swimming shorts.

He still has the greatest hair. Wavy light brown, lightened by the sun. It falls over his forehead still and curls at the ends. It’s the kind of hair you want to run your fingers through. Just to touch it.

And if touching is allowed. My fingers itch to touch his golden tanned skin. Explore just how wide his chest is now. How it would feel to run my hands over his shoulders. I wonder if those arms could pick me up and carry me as he did once when I cut my foot on some glass as a kid.

But, he is not the only one who has grown up. I grew up a little too much. My thighs are chubby, I have a belly and my boobs jiggle no matter how much I invest in bras.

No, I don’t think I’ll be swimming or boating with Knox. It is true, that I have too much to do. But the truth is, I would be embarrassed for him to see me in a swimsuit now. The fact that he just got hotter as he got older is even more reason for me to keep my thunder thighs to myself.

The very next day I answer a knock at the cabin door to find Knox there grinning at me. Just the vision of him in the morning light takes my breath away.

“Thought I’d come by and see for myself the state of this old place.”

As he steps into the cabin it makes the space feel smaller.

Intimate. He stands looking around. You can see almost everything from this spot.

Back in the day, his family would host dinners and barbecues and I remember walking through the stone house in awe of all the space, the different rooms, the size of the kitchen.

One whole side of his place was windows looking out to the river and letting light flood in.

Gran’s cabin has two small windows but the trees are so close it is always dark inside. Knox is once again without his shirt. It just feels wrong to be standing inside, in such close quarters, with a half naked, sexy hot man.

“It still all looks the same, just as when we were kids. Except, some of this wood work doesn’t look too sturdy.” Knox is looking around as though this is just a normal situation.

“It’s nothing like your place.”

“That house is too big. It’s ridiculous. I remember that old loft. I always thought that was so cool.”

“That’s where we used to sleep.” God, this feels awkward. “Are you up here for the summer?” I ask.

“I live here.” He does a little shrug. He seems so relaxed, while I am a bag of nerves. “I help out at the store. I fix light bulbs and generators. And I have a bit of a side business.”

With his family money I am sure Knox doesn’t have to work. Must be nice to just live by the lake all year round and not have to worry about a career or paying bills.

“What sort of side business?” I ask, out of curiosity.

He pauses for a moment before answering. “I post stuff on social media. Just me doing stuff. Hammering in nails or taking out the rubbish.”

I frown and it dawns on me. “You doing stuff without a shirt on?”

He grins at me. And then he shrugs. “People seem to like it.”

I laugh. “I bet they do….Oh, I don’t mean I would like it….watch it… I mean, you’re hot so I guess I….. well, good for you.” My face on fire I turn around to move a small vase on the table that doesn’t need moving.

I decide to put the vase in a cupboard and slam the door shut with a little too much force. A loud crack fills the air.

I look up but then suddenly Knox has his arms wrapped around me and dives us to the floor. His body takes most of the impact but the shock leaves me breathless.

His arms still wrapped around me, I look over to see a part of the beam has fallen to the floor.

Looking back at Knox I find his face close to mine.

So close I can feel his breath on my cheek.

The rise and fall of his chest with my body held close to his.

All at once I feel a rush of heat. My mind whirls, trying to grasp the fact I’m lying on the floor with Knox.

His arms around me. Thighs touching. Hips touching.

Chest touching. I blink up into his green eyes.

Lick my lips and his gaze drops to the movement.

Is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to kiss me? Does he think I want to kiss him? And why am I feeling so hot all over?

We stare into each other's eyes. The cabin dark and silent. My heart racing. I don’t know whether to touch him as I want to or get up and get the hell out of there.

“Shit. Sorry.” I awkwardly get up to my feet while he seems to jump up, like the fit, athletic God he is.

Looking upwards, he takes my hand and pulls me away towards the door. “Well, I definitely don’t think you should be sleeping up there anymore.”

“No. I don’t.” I sputter. “I sleep in the bedroom.”

He looks at me. A look of concern on his face. “Look, why don’t you come stay with me? Or you can stay at the big house if you want? Nobody is there.”

“No. No.” I shake my head. “I couldn’t do that. I’ll be fine here. It’s not like the whole place is going to collapse. You don’t have to worry about me.” After that moment passed between us on the floor, I just want him to get out of there and to never see him again.

I would be mortified if he knew that I still have a crush on him. I’m trying to pretend to be a grown up, sophisticated woman here. And it seems that around him I turn into a stuttering idiot.