Page 4 of Fired Up By the Mountain Man (Fall for a Mountain Man #1)

Erika

After last night's disaster I just want to hide away, but I had arranged to meet Annie. For a little moment there I had felt strangely free. Something about being naked in the forest with no one around, it was liberating. That was until the interruption.

All night I had gone over it all in my head. Carter Kingsley. He is even more handsome than I remember. Age has given him a rough, rugged look that I’m sure has melted more than a few hearts around town.

But it was that look on his face when we parted. Like he really saw me. Like he might be interested in me. Want to see me again. It is too crazy to even think about. People like Carter aren’t interested in people like me.

“How’d it go last night?” Annie’s wearing a knitted jumper with a big carved pumpkin on it, her tights have pumpkins all over them, and her outfit is topped off with a bright orange scarf.

I shrug. “I don’t think it worked.”

I don’t want to tell her about the embarrassment of being caught naked.

That it was Carter Kingsley just makes it worse.

We used to dream of growing up and marrying a Kingsley brother.

They are rich, good looking, and charming.

But crushing on a Kingsley and being tackled to the ground while naked in real life is a different thing.

“I think maybe it might have worked.” Annie whispers like something magical has occurred.

“What?”

“Well, last night, in the middle of the night I was struck by the most marvellous idea. Why don’t you open a shop, right here in town? Remember the old toy shop, well it’s been closed for years. Storm damage or something. I bet you could get it cheap.”

“You want me to open a toy shop?” I ask.

“It doesn’t have to be toys. It could be whatever you want. You would be your own boss. You could stay here in town. Come on, I’ll show it to you.”

It’s an interesting idea. I’ve done office jobs and worked in call centers and hated all of it. I’m not really qualified for anything else. It would be nice to have a job that I love, something that gets me excited to start each day.

Grabbing my hand she pulls me down the street. The front of the store’s windows are boarded up, the dust on the awnings showing it’s been closed for a long time.

We push through the back door, ignoring the Do Not Enter signs. Annie shrugs, "What's the worst that could happen?”

Inside is cold and dirty, but it’s a good size space with storage space up on a mezzanine floor. It’s up there that my run of bad luck kicks in and we learn for a fact what could go wrong.

Me, stuck in a hole in the floor on the upper level, legs waving in the air in the space below.

The floor had been creaking under foot but I was excited by the balcony doors and was heading that way when my foot went right through a rotten floor board.

I jumped back and that’s when I went right through the floor.

Wedged between two planks of wood. My fat ass saved me from falling all the way through.

Thank you to all those pastries all my life.

But the wood at the back must have cracked, because no matter how much Annie pulled on my arms. I could not get out.

Wiggling threatened to break the wood more.

So I’m left here properly wedged in the floor while Annie runs out calling that she’d get help.

If I fall to my death here in this abandoned building it will be a fitting end to my cursed life.

* * * * *

“Well, well, well, what have we got here?”

Oh God, she could have gotten anybody but Carter. To be caught in an embarrassing situation twice in the space of twenty four hours is just too much!

Through the hole in the floor I can see Carter looking up at me. Damn he is sexy with his wavy hair and blue eyes.

“You know, I don’t remember you being this much trouble.”

I scoff. “You don’t remember me at all. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, could you help out of this hole?”

I watch as he drags a big, heavy wooden table under my feet. In a moment he is up on the upper level and walking towards me with a grin, shaking his head. It’s probably not every day that you see a woman stuck in a hole in the floor.

“You can’t climb out?”

I shake my head. I can feel my cheeks going red. “I think my butt is stuck.”

“It’s alright, I do this for a living. I’ll get you out of there.” His tone is calm and soothing. But just seeing him again has my nerves jumping and heat racing through me like a fever.

Laying on his stomach he edges closer to me, one strong arm wrapped around my waist he holds me tight as he looks behind me.

He is so close I can feel the heat of his body.

I could count the hairs on his sun kissed arm.

Can smell his aftershave. It’s a crisp, clean smell, like apple cider but with some fucking sexy, masculine undertones.

I can feel his hand on my ass and I hold in a breath, trying to suck in my stomach.

He has seen me naked and yet this feels so much more intimate.

And embarrassing. Maybe more embarrassing than being found naked in the woods. It’s a real toss up at this point. I feel him move but I’ve decided to squeeze my eyes shut hoping this is all a bad dream.

“It’s all right, Erika.” His husky voice is just a whisper.

And so gentle, my eyes flutter open and I find myself gazing into those dazzling blue eyes.

Again I wonder how one man can be so beautiful.

His arms still around me. We are so close.

I forget that I’m stuck in a hole in the floor, it’s just us, spellbound.

Intimate. This could just be a normal romantic moment.

And then. “I’m going to squish in the fat on your ass and then I should be able to pull you right out of there.”

I blink a few times and then the embarrassment comes rushing back.

He gets up on his knees. Then with both his arms around me, two big hands on my ass cheeks. Just a moment for me to think how good it feels and that he smells so good. One hard yank and I’m being lifted by those strong hands.

Out of the hole and over. Landing on Carter’s big chest as the weight of me throws him to the ground.

It takes me a moment to realize that I am once again on the ground with Carter’s arms around me. This time I’m on top, straddling him. My hands on his big, broad chest, fingers spread wide, feeling that hard muscle beneath his t-shirt.

When we realize we are gripping onto each other, staring into each other’s eyes, the world just stops. Frozen. Just him and me. In that moment nothing else matters but the feel of his hard body under my hands.

“Oh, thank God you’re okay!” Annie’s explanation brings me back to my senses and I scramble off Carter and onto my feet.

He puts his hand to the base of my neck. Warm. Comforting. But possibly even more sexy than when I had my hands on his abs. He guides me towards the steps.

“We all need to get out of here before anything else happens.”

I’m not sure if he means the floor collapsing, us groping each other, or just my run of bad luck.