Page 5 of Fired Up By the Mountain Man (Fall for a Mountain Man #1)

Carter

Out in the sunlight I take a moment to look over Erika head to toe. She doesn’t look to be injured, maybe a bit shaken up. It’s just funny that I was heading off to the festival hoping to see Erika again, when I was called on to help her.

She looks even more beautiful today. Well, almost. Nothing beats the sight of her last night.

But she does look damn good in jeans and a t-shirt.

Her hair up in a ponytail. A little dusty from rolling around on the floor.

And looking anywhere but at me. I let out a little sigh.

I wish she wasn’t as awkward with me. I’d give anything to see her relaxed.

To let her guard down for a little while.

I cross my arms and give Annie a stern look. “What were you girls doing in here?”

“Erika’s thinking of setting up a shop here in town. We thought this might be a good space.”

I look at Erika and she gives a little shrug. “It’s probably a stupid idea.”

“I think it’s a great idea.” I like the thought she might be sticking around in town. “What sort of shop?”

“I don’t know yet.” There is a lost look in her eyes that I don’t like. There are two sides to Erika. The fiery Goddess who dances naked in the forest and is funny and a bit weird. And then this little lost soul.

“Why don’t you girls come to the festival, it might give you some ideas.”

They both shake their heads. Annie says she has to meet her sister and immediately turns and takes off.

Looking at Erika she looks all awkward to be left standing there with me.

Again I have a feeling she is going to run off and I’ll never see her again.

And again I have the strongest urge to stop her from leaving.

I don’t know what it is about this girl. This thing between us. But something tells me I can’t let her out of my sight. That I want to know everything about her. Want to be next to her. To learn about her. To watch her mouth as she talks because it’s sexy as anything.

“I’ll just go back…”

“No.” I interrupt her. Putting my hand at her back and guiding her towards the town square. “I’m going to have to insist. You're a known fire starter and now a trespasser. I think it’s best I keep a close eye on you. Anyway, the festival will be fun. It’s like being back in high school.”

She shakes her head but walks grudgingly alongside me. “You and I remember high school very differently.”

I can imagine that she didn’t have a great time in school.

Kids can be pretty mean and in a small town like this where everyone knows everyone, it can be hard to escape.

I loved high school. But then everybody knows my family.

We’re well off, big in the community, lots of family duty to give back to the town.

Everybody knows Erika’s family too, but for different reasons.

A single dad who keeps to himself. The family is poor and nobody knows where the mother is.

Erika is a little weird. People talk. I can imagine that her experience of growing up here in town might have been very different from my own and that causes an ache in my heart for her.

And a determination to see her smile. My family pretty much runs this town.

And we can’t have one of our own so unhappy.

Plus, the idea of spending the day with Erika gives me a warm buzz of excitement.

I like this girl a lot. I’m determined to be my most charming.

Of course, I want to see her naked again, but more than anything I want to see her smile and laugh and enjoy herself.