Page 4 of Her Mountain Man Giant (Crave County: Mountain Men Love Curves #5)

TANNER

I lie on top of the covers, staring up at my ceiling fan as it whirs above me.

I’ve been in bed for hours, but no matter how much I toss and turn, I can’t sleep.

Every time I shut my eyes, all I see is Violet’s pretty face, her big brown eyes blinking up at me.

If I concentrate, I can almost hear her saying my name in that sweet voice, and the memory makes my pulse quicken.

Goddammit.

I’m forty-two years old and acting like a kid with a crush.

Finding her notebook was one hell of a lucky break.

I spotted it on my way home through the woods, the flash of pink catching my eye.

It was nestled in the underbrush, and I picked it out, recognizing it immediately.

I shouldn’t have read it. I know that. But fuck, I couldn’t resist. I was too desperate to know more about the beautiful stranger in the woods.

Every page was full of notes about romance stories—plots, characters, ideas.

Violet is obviously a writer. That should have been enough to sate my curiosity, but I kept flicking through until I reached the most recent page.

That’s the part that got me. It was a few scribbled details about her latest romance hero, and my heart stuttered the moment I read it.

She was describing me. Everything from my height to the clothes I was wearing, all jotted down beneath the title “Hero”.

It was too damn specific to be a coincidence, and it only made me more desperate to see her again.

It was a lucky guess, heading to Emma and Brody’s rental cabin.

I know the two of them, even helped them fix up the cabin to make it ready for tenants, so I figured Violet might be the newcomer renting it out.

Still didn’t prepare me for the moment she opened the door, looking even more beautiful than before.

I expected her to be intimidated, like she was when I met her in the woods.

It’s a reaction I’m used to at my height—even back in my basketball days, I was the biggest guy on the team—seven feet tall.

But Violet didn’t seem to mind. The way she looked at me… it was almost like she liked it.

Or maybe you’re just a delusional old man.

That’s probably more likely. Violet is a beautiful twenty something, sweet and soft, and I’m a grumpy middle-aged man with gray hairs and a fucked-up knee.

Not exactly Prince Charming. But that doesn’t stop me craving her, wishing I could run my hands through her caramel-colored locks, down her curvy body…

Fuck, I need to see her again.

It’s my last conscious thought before I finally drift off into a restless sleep.

I’m only half awake when I wander into the kitchen the next morning to fix myself a strong coffee.

The forest looks hazy outside my window, the sunlight filtering through a thin veil of cloud.

I need to head out and finish chopping up the juniper tree I felled yesterday, and I pull on some clean clothes, downing my coffee before brewing a second.

A knock on my door stops me mid-sip, and I set my mug down, heading for the front door.

It’s Wyatt. He’s my nearest neighbor out here, a serious-faced mountain man of few words. We’re not exactly best buddies—neither of us are big on talking—but he’s a good guy, always letting me borrow his tools and helping me out when I need it.

“Morning,” he says.

“Hey, Wyatt. Everything okay?”

He nods, reaching down to pick up a cardboard box from the ground. “This was delivered to my cabin this morning by mistake. Wondered if you recognized the address.”

I squint at the bad handwriting on the box, and immediately, I’m wide awake. It’s addressed to Violet.

“Yeah, I know the address,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m actually heading out that way right now. I’ll make sure the right person gets it.”

“Appreciate it. Thanks.” Wyatt hands me the parcel. It’s hefty, and I’m surprised to see a deep tear in the side of the cardboard.

“Did it arrive like this?” I ask, frowning at the damage.

“That was my bad,” Wyatt says. “I assumed it was the new tools I ordered and started opening the box before I realized it was addressed to somebody else.”

I nod and we exchange quick goodbyes before I haul the package to the living room and set it down on the table. Through the gash in the box, I can see that it’s full of books—at least ten of them. As I peer closer at the books’ spines, I realize they’re all the same.

The Cowboy’s Obsession

Violet Cassidy

Carefully, I slip my hand into the hole and pull out one of the books to get a better look. The cover features a man in a cowboy hat, his arms wrapped around a blond girl. The words “Author Copy” are stamped on the front, and I raise my eyebrows.

Violet wrote this?

I guessed she was a writer after I read her notebook, but had no idea she was published.

I’d love to read the whole thing, immerse myself in something she wrote, but I’m too impatient to see her again.

So instead, I skim through the pages, pausing when my gaze catches on a passage halfway through the book.

“She arched beneath him, gasping his name as he drove into her. His thrusts were deep and relentless, driving her wild with need as their bodies moved together in a desperate rhythm. She raked her fingers through his dark curls, moaning against his lips as pleasure threatened to consume her…”

I swallow hard. Knowing Violet wrote these words, her dirty thoughts spilling onto the page…fuck, it drives me crazy. My cock throbs beneath my boxers, a bolt of need zipping through me as I get up from my chair. I can’t wait any longer. I need to see her. Now.

I slide the book back into the box and hurriedly tape up the tear.

Then I carry it out the front door and into the woods, striding quickly toward Violet’s cabin.

My heart thumps with anticipation the closer I get.

Finally, I climb the steps of her tiny porch and knock, adrenaline thrumming through me.

I hear movement inside, and a second later, the door swings open.

Holy shit.

Violet looks more adorable than ever in her pretty pink pajamas, her long hair tied back in a messy bun. For a moment, she looks surprised to see me. Then her perfect lips stretch into a smile, her eyes lighting up.

“Good morning,” she says sweetly.

“Hey, Violet.” I hold up the box. “This came for you this morning. Delivered to the wrong address.”

She looks at the parcel and nods. “Thank you for bringing it over! I was starting to think it would never arrive.”

“No problem. It’s heavy—want me to carry it inside?”

“Yes, please.” She takes a step away from the door, giving me space to enter the cabin.

I’ve been in here before, back when I was helping Brody to fix the place up, but Violet has made it her own.

It’s like stepping into a garden. There are plants on every surface—succulents in pots, hanging plants, flowers.

Books line the shelves, and the walls are covered in paintings and posters of everything from the Eiffel Tower to a vintage advert for cheese.

“Nice place,” I say as I take it all in, setting the box down.

“Thanks! I just finished decorating last week.” She pauses, biting her lip as she looks at me. “I, uh…actually, I was about to make some breakfast. Want some?”

I know I should refuse. I’m already losing my mind over this girl, obsessing over her. Spending more time with her sure as hell won’t help. She’s half my age and sweeter than honey—not meant for a broken old man like me. But fuck, how can I resist? She’s an angel, and I’m only flesh and blood.

“Sure,” I tell her. “Breakfast sounds good.”

When she smiles at me again, it lights up her entire face.

And suddenly, I forget every reason I should stay away.