Page 7 of Her Mountain Man Protector (Crave County: Mountain Men Love Curves #7)

MILA

I knew I’d have to open up to Holden eventually.

I’ve noticed his curious looks—felt them brewing between us, his unasked questions hanging in the air like living things.

Heck, you can’t show up at someone’s home in a wedding dress and expect them not to have questions.

But I’m still reluctant to talk about Julian Kingsley and my parents.

It’s not that I don’t trust Holden—I do.

It’s just that being here with him is so perfect, and I don’t want to taint the atmosphere with all my dumb family drama.

But there’s no avoiding it.

I owe Holden the truth.

With a deep breath, I look up at him, my pulse quickening the second those deep blue eyes land on me. We’re sitting side by side, our hands still joined—Holden’s giant palm enveloping mine. It feels safe. Steadying, somehow. It gives me the courage I need to talk.

“My groom is Julian Kingsley,” I say. “He was my family’s choice, not mine.”

Holden’s brown creases. “Like…an arranged marriage?”

I nod. “Something like that. I only met Julian once before the wedding, and we barely spoke. He was a stranger to me, but I had to marry him to get the money.”

“Money? You mean Julian’s money?”

“No.” I shift in my seat, wishing we could stop talking about this and go back to unpacking.

“My trust fund. There’s a clause in there which says I can only inherit the money if I marry a ‘suitable’ man before I turn twenty-five.

That’s only a year away. Marrying Julian was a neat solution for both of us.

It meant I’d get my trust fund money, and Julian would get to rebuild his reputation. ”

Holden stares at me, looking baffled. I can imagine how crazy it all must sound to a guy like him—like something out of a historical novel.

“Why did he need to rebuild his reputation?” he asks.

“Julian’s always getting involved in scandals. Drunk driving, bar brawls, drugs, sleeping with married women…you name it. I think his parents hoped that marrying a girl from a so-called ‘respectable’ family would force him to settle down and stop ruining his family’s reputation.”

Holden nods slowly, eyes narrowed as he processes everything. “But you didn’t go through with it?”

My throat burns as I say, “No…I couldn’t.” Tears sting my eyes, threatening to bubble over. “Now I’ve ruined everything for me and Grace.”

“Grace?”

“My younger sister.” I swallow hard, willing myself not to cry.

“We need that trust fund—we need the money to get away from our parents. They’re…

they’re abusive. Controlling. Obsessed with status and money.

They won’t let us get jobs because they say it’s beneath our family to work, so we can’t earn anything ourselves.

They control what we wear and who we talk to and where we go.

And if we try to defy them, they threaten to kick us out and cut us off completely.

We’re desperate to leave, but we don’t have anywhere else to go…

all the money belongs to our parents. Grace and I don’t have a dime.

” I draw in a deep breath, wiping away a hot tear.

“They don’t love us. They never have. To them, we’re like accessories, something they own.

And now…now I don’t know what’s going to happen.

They’ll never forgive me for this. We won’t be able to escape. I’ve…I’ve let Grace d-down…”

The tears I’ve been forcing back rush forth in full force, and I bury my face in my hands, feeling Holden’s strong arms wrap around me.

I sob into his shirt, the reality of my situation hitting me all at once.

Without the trust fund, I’ll never escape.

My parents will make my life hell for embarrassing them, and I’m sure they’ll find a way to blame poor Grace for it, too.

“Mila.” Holden’s deep voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “Mila, look at me.”

I do as he says, pulling back to look at him. “S-sorry, I made your shirt all wet.”

“It’s okay.” His gaze is so intense it almost hurts to look at him. “Listen to me, okay? You don’t need to go back to your parent’s house. You and your sister can stay here as long as you need.”

My heart jumps. “But, Holden?—”

“I’m serious, Mila.” His brow creases. “Hell, never been more serious in my life. I’m not just saying it to be nice, okay? I mean it. I want you to stay here. You need to be safe.”

His words take my breath away. I can feel how much he means it, and I want to tell him yes, yes, yes, of course I’ll stay. But I know I have to be practical.

“That’s so kind, it really is,” I whisper, “and I won’t ever be able to thank you enough for offering, but—but I can’t. I don’t have any money to give you for rent or food or?—”

Holden makes a noise in his throat, cutting me off. “I don’t need your money. I’ve got plenty of it after selling up in Denver. Enough to take care of you.”

A flicker of something stirs in my chest. Hope? Fear?

Could I really do this?

It sounds too good to be true, but as I look at Holden, my gaze roaming from his lined forehead to his thick beard, I start to want it.

We may have only just met, but I’ve felt a connection between us ever since we first set eyes on each other in the shed, when he covered for me with the cops.

Staying with him—even just for a few weeks—would be like a dream come true.

Then Grace and I would have time to find work and finally start earning our own money.

Maybe we could rent an apartment together here in Cherry Hollow, far away from our parents’ house.

It sounds like a fantasy, but with Holden’s kindness, maybe we could make it come true…

“That would be amazing,” I tell him. “If we could stay for just a little while, just long enough for us to find work and rent a place…”

“As long as you need.”

Our faces are only inches apart. We stare at each other, the air thickening around us as I process what we just agreed on.

I’m staying with him…

I don’t have to say goodbye yet.

“Thank you, Holden.” I swallow hard, feeling his thumb rubbing in gentle circles against my hand. “Thank you so much.”

“You don’t need to thank me. Just don’t go back to them, Mila. They don’t deserve you.”

Something melts inside me. Every wall, every defense crumbles to nothing.

All that matters is Holden—the weight of his gaze, the feel of his hand.

I don’t care that we just met, or that I was set to marry another man only yesterday.

He’s making me feel things I’ve never felt before, and desire pools between my thighs as his face inches toward mine, so close I feel his beard brush against my chin.

“I don’t deserve you either,” he murmurs, his voice so quiet I barely hear it. “But fuck, I want you so damn much…”

Before I can say a word, he crushes his mouth to mine with a deep groan.

His hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer.

Heat blooms inside me, rushing through my body, setting every nerve on fire as I kiss Holden back.

His lips are bruising, and I swear my heart might burst out of my chest as he pushes me back against the couch, settling his hulking body on top of mine.

Oh God, this is really happening…

It feels so good to surrender myself to Holden.

His warm tongue slips between my lips, our teeth clashing as he invades my mouth in a way that makes me tremble against him.

He tastes raw and musky, and I can feel his bulge pressing against me through his jeans, thick and hard as rock.

My core throbs with longing, my body crying out for him as he grinds himself against me, making me gasp against his lips.

“Fuck, Mila.” Holden’s voice is hoarse as he pulls back to look at me. “Tell me you want this.”

I don’t hesitate. “I want this, Holden. I want you…”

He swallows, breathing hard like he’s holding back.

I know what he’s thinking. He’s twenty years older than I am; I’m a young woman in a vulnerable position.

But I don’t need him to be noble. I may be younger than him, but I’m twenty-four, and right now, I know exactly what I want. I’ve known it since we met.

“Dammit, I couldn’t resist you even if I tried,” he groans.

Then he’s kissing me again, his lips soft and his beard rough against my face.

I feel his hand snake beneath my t-shirt, squeezing my breasts, his thumbs rubbing my bare nipples.

Shivers of pleasure run down my spine. I squirm against his touch, my back arching, and suddenly he grabs at the t-shirt, pulling it up over my head impatiently.

It falls to the floor. I’m exposed, Holden’s gaze roaming my chest, but it doesn’t occur to me to feel self-conscious.

I’m safe with him.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He sucks in a breath, running his hands over my skin. Then he leans in, flicking his tongue against my right nipple. He sucks it into his mouth, his hand reaching down into my shorts. I feel him brush my clit, my body jolting at the contact.

“Oh!” I whimper.

Holden releases my nipple with a quiet “pop”, watching me as his fingers delve between my folds.

“Fuck, Mila, you’re all wet for me.”

I bite my lip, nodding, and something feral sparks in Holden’s eyes.

He grabs at my shorts, yanking them down along with my panties, moving fast like a man possessed.

Once I’m naked, he pushes my legs apart, exposing my most intimate spot to his hungry gaze.

I struggle to catch my breath, completely at his mercy.

“You’re perfect, sugar.” He leans in, pressing a kiss against my inner thigh. “Fuck, I need to taste you. I need you on my tongue.”

His words make my pulse rocket, every muscle tensing in anticipation as he kneels on the wooden floor, pulling me to the edge of the couch until my pussy is level with his mouth. I can feel his hot breath against my clit, and my legs begin to tremble as I feel him moving closer.

A cry of pleasure rips from my throat as Holden’s mouth latches onto my clit, sucking hard.

My hips buck wildly, but he pins me down with his muscular forearm, holding me still.

It feels incredible. Toe-curlingly incredible.

All I can do is whimper, tugging desperately at his hair as he worships my clit.

“Yes!”

I can feel my arousal seeping down my thighs, my core throbbing with need.

I’ve never felt anything so intense. At twenty-four, I’m still a virgin, and nobody has ever made me come before.

But as Holden pushes two thick fingers inside me, pumping them in an urgent rhythm as he sucks my clit, I know that’s about to change.

He’s stretching me out, pushing me to the edge, and I can feel myself coming undone.

I never knew I could feel so good. Holden’s fingers hit a spot deep inside me, his tongue swirling against my clit, and the mixture of sensations makes me throw my head back.

“Holden!”

My vision turns white as the world explodes around me. Pleasure floods my body. Wave after wave crashes over me until I’m panting for breath, quivering against Holden’s hungry mouth. When he finally comes up for air, his beard glistens with my juices, eyes burning with lust.

“Good girl,” he says. “Fuck, you taste amazing.”

I watch dazedly as he pulls his fingers out of me and sucks each one dry, savoring my arousal.

Holy crap, this man will be the death of me.

“You okay, sugar?” he asks, pulling my naked body against him.

I nod, still breathing hard. “That was amazing. I’ve never…nobody’s ever…” My brain has turned to mush and I’m struggling to find the words. “I’m a virgin,” I say eventually. “This is all new to me.”

Holden’s gaze softens, and he presses a kiss on my cheek. “Me too, sugar. Never been with anyone before.”

His words surprise me. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He says it matter-of-factly, without shame.

“Was never big on dating as a young man. Then I adopted Isabelle, and raising her was my only focus.” He runs a hand through my hair, twirling a thick strand around his fingers.

“It never bothered me. Hell, I never met anybody I wanted in that way until you, sugar.” My heart stutters as he meets my gaze.

“You have no idea how sexy you are, Mila. Your curves have been driving me crazy, you know that?”

I grin at him, melting against his hard chest. “Well, you’re pretty darn sexy yourself. It’s not every day a girl meets a real-life mountain man.”

I’m suddenly impatient to see the rest of him.

His thick muscles. His tattoos. The hard bulge tenting his jeans.

I want all of it, and I reach out to touch his flannel shirt, tugging at his sleeve.

Holden shrugs it off before removing the t-shirt underneath, revealing his burly chest and wide shoulders.

Dark hair covers his tanned skin, ink swirling up his bulging arms in tribal patterns.

He looks more wild and rugged than ever, and I stare up at him as he drops his jeans and boxers, kicking them aside.

Oh my God…

Holden’s huge cock glistens with pre-cum, thick and meaty just like the rest of him. The sight of it sends a buzz of desire straight between my thighs, an ache growing deep inside me.

Holden doesn’t waste a second. He reaches down to scoop me into his arms, pressing me tight against his bare chest.

“I’m taking you to my bed, sugar,” he growls into my ear. “You better be ready for me.”

“I’m ready, Holden.”

So freakin’ ready.