Page 61 of Mountain Daddy (Mountain Men #2)

Kendra

“Uh, you sure this is a road?”

He hums. “Technically… yes.”

I eye Luther as the truck continues to bump along the road that is actually just a pair of tire tracks worn into the dirt, heading through a field, toward the forest. “Is this where you reveal you’re going to murder me so no one will ever know what we did?

Because I’m telling you now, I will haunt you. Hard.”

As I’d hoped, Luther smiles. “How exactly do you haunt someone hard ?”

I sigh. “So much to teach you.” I turn in my seat so I’m facing him. We’re still bouncing down the road , but we’re going about ten miles an hour, and there is literally no one and nothing out here, so I’m not worried about an accident. “It’s like those episodes of Ghost Hunters where?—”

“Episodes of what?”

I blink at him. “ Ghost Hunters . The TV show.”

“I gathered that much.” He lifts a brow as he glances at me.

“You’re so uncultured.”

Luther laughs. Really laughs. And the heaviness that had been filling the truck vanishes.

I don’t know what happened back at the bake sale, but when Luther came to get me, something wasn’t right.

I didn’t want to press it. I’d already asked him, twice, if everything was okay. And he said it was, so I left it alone.

Luther knows he can talk to me.

Or at least he should know.

Later. We can have a serious talk later. For now, we’ll talk about ghosts.

“So, you’re saying if I murder you, you’ll fling knives out of kitchen drawers.”

I cross my arms. “You’re acting like that wouldn’t be terrifying. You could lose a toe, Luther. Do you have any idea how much you need your toes for balance? You’d have to go to physical therapy.”

Luther shakes his head. “The way your brain works…”

“Pretty amazing, I know.”

He turns his head to look at me. “You are pretty amazing.”

I stare at him.

It’s a simple compliment. Just repeating what I said. But, like everything Luther says, it sounds like he means it.

There’s nothing empty in his words.

Not ever.

I feel my smile soften. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

Luther smirks, then tips his head, gesturing toward the windshield.

I look. And my mouth drops open.

I don’t know how long we were driving through the woods. But we’re not in the woods anymore.

“Holy shit.” I lean forward until my seat belt is taut across my chest. “Where are we?”

Instead of answering, Luther does a U-turn so the view is behind us, then he turns the engine off. “Come on.”

I climb out and walk to meet Luther at the rear of the truck, but I keep my eyes on the scenery.

“It’s so pretty,” I whisper.

The mountains are everywhere out here. I literally live in them. But this is different.

The ground we’re standing on is flat, but a few yards away, the land slopes steeply down into a valley. And the earth dropping away creates the perfect vista.

Bright blue skies.

Soaring mountain tops.

Birds floating on the wind.

Pine trees and aspens as far as the eye can see.

Just… wow.

Luther clasps his hand in mine, drawing my attention away from the view.

I let him guide me over, then he releases my hand and grips my hips, lifting me so I’m sitting on the open tailgate.

I spread my knees, and Luther steps between them.

“Sorry about today.” He reaches up and tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I?—”

I shake my head and place my hands on his chest. “Don’t apologize. We got to spend time together. There’s a bag of mini pies in your truck. And if I’m guessing correctly… I’m about to have my first outdoor sexual experience.”

He leans closer, not stopping until our lips are just inches apart. “You’re guessing correctly.”

The smile reaches his eyes this time, and it’s an even better sight than the mountains behind him.

I slide my hands up his chest, over his shoulders. “I love it when I’m right.”

He hums, then leans in a little more, lips brushing against mine. “Kiss me.”

My body replies.

I arch my neck and press my mouth against his.

The first kiss is soft.

Gentle.

Luther cups my face, his palms warm against my cheeks.

He pulls back just enough to speak. “Open for me, Kendra.”

His words are a warm breath against my lips. And even if we didn’t speak the same language, I’d still know what he was asking for.

I open.

And this time, it’s less gentle.

Luther slides his tongue into my mouth.

I moan.

He groans.

I cling to his shoulder with one hand while I slide the other up the back of his neck, dragging my nails against his scalp until I’m gripping his hair.

He groans again.

He wraps his arms around me, hands against my back, holding me steady.

I shift, widening my thighs.

Luther fills the space with his body. Pressing into me.

His teeth scrape across my bottom lip.

I tug on his hair.

He smiles against my lips. “Brat.”

“So you keep saying.” I release his hair and slide my hands back to his chest. “And you keep promising this punishment.” I undo the top button on his shirt. “But…” I pop the next button free. “You keep rewarding me instead.”

“How am I rewarding you, Baby?”

“Pie.” The next button goes. “Compliments.” The next. “Kisses.”

His fingers flex as he grips my hips. He tugs me to him, closing the last inch until our bodies are flush.

Two layers of denim are between us, but that doesn’t stop the heat from pooling where his hard length presses against my core.

All the buttons undone, I grip his shirt and pull the two sides of his flannel apart, revealing the bare muscles beneath.

I slide my fingers down his stomach.

“I’ll punish you next time.” He speaks the words into my mouth.

I swallow them.

I moan against him, and his abs flex beneath my touch.

“Next time,” I agree.

I drop my hands to his belt.

His hands go to the hem of my shirt.

I tug at the leather.

He starts to lift my tank top.

And then a throat clears. “I just know you’re not about to fuck in my park. In broad daylight.”

I freeze.

My eyes snap open wide.

Luther opens his slower.

Then he sighs, his breath warm on my lips.

Luther tugs the hem of my shirt down before he straightens and turns toward the man.

“You suck, you know that?” Luther’s tone is full of annoyance but no real anger.

“How about a thank-you,” the other man replies. “Wouldn’t you like to make it to retirement without indecent exposure on your record?”

I bite down on a laugh over his dig about retirement as I slowly turn to face the man who interrupted us.

Then I narrow my eyes. Because god damn , what are they feeding the men out here? Why are they all so fucking hot?

This park ranger is in the typical uniform of dark green pants and a tan button-down short-sleeve shirt.

But with tattoos covering both arms, shaggy dark hair under a worn baseball hat, and…

Does he have two different colored eyes?

… He doesn’t look like a park ranger. He looks like a bad boy playing at being a park ranger.

Then I notice the gun on his hip.

Okay, so not playing.

“You could’ve just walked past.” Luther rests one hand on my knee and gestures at the vast amount of land around us with the other.

“Not gonna do that.” The man turns his mismatched eyes on me. “You good?”

“Me?” I glance between the men. “Like, do I know this guy?” I point at Luther.

The ranger nods.

I nod back, setting my hand on top of Luther’s on my knee. “I know this guy.”

“Dude,” Luther says flatly, holding his free hand out, palm up.

The man lifts a shoulder, not at all apologetic.

And then the men stare at each other.

Luther drops his arm. “You gonna stand here until we leave?”

“Yep.” The man crosses his arms.

This grump seems like kind of a dick, but it comes off funny.

But looking at the men’s serious expressions, I wonder if maybe I’m the only one who’s feeling the humor.

Luther tried to bring me lunch. My dad showed up and thought it was for him.

Luther tried to take me to a bake sale. My dad showed up, and I had to hide in someone’s house.

Luther tried to give outdoor sexy times. A grumpy park ranger catches us before we can begin.

I look around, verifying that we’re still in the middle of nowhere. Not a person or road or manmade structure in sight. And still, someone interrupted us.

I snicker.

Luther turns his head to look at me.

I lift my hand to my mouth and place my fingers against my lips.

Luther heaves out a breath, then grips my waist and drags me off the tailgate, setting my feet on the ground. “Kendra, this is Ethan. Ethan, Kendra.”

I wave at Ethan. “Sorry about the, um… trespassing?”

“Not your fault, I’m sure.” He dips his chin.

Luther rolls his eyes and places his hand on my back, guiding me around to the passenger side.

I debate if I should say goodbye to Ethan, but it’s like Luther can read my mind and doesn’t like it, because he increases the pressure on my back.

Reaching past me, Luther pulls my door open. “Get in the truck, Baby Doll.”

I do as he says.

Once I’m settled in my seat, Luther shuts my door.

Through the side mirror, I watch him walk to the back of the truck, where he shuts the tailgate and says something I can’t make out to Ethan.

A few seconds later, Luther opens his door.

“… little young for you, yeah?”

“Fuck off.” Luther climbs into the truck and reaches into the back seat, pulling a mini pie from the paper bag.

Then he chucks it at Ethan.

“Luther,” I hiss, even as Ethan catches the pie.

It breaks under the impact, and I can see some of the gooey cherry filling seep out, but Ethan doesn’t act mad.

He lifts his hand, like he might lick the pie filling off his fingers, and I decide to focus my attention forward.

“I hope that attracts a bear,” Luther calls out before he slams his door shut.

I snort. “Friend of yours?”

Luther starts the truck. “Seat belt.”