Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Maybe I wasn't built for public. Because when I finally get turned around, instead of meeting the gaze of the man I assume is Deacon, my gaze meets his groin. It's right there at eye level. And wow. Either he stuffed a sock in those jeans or nature likes him way better than it likes me because there's a gray-sweatpants worthy bulge.
"Hi," I whisper to his dick. I mean, I whisper it to him, but I'm staring at his dick so I might as well be talking to it. Jesus, take the wheel. Please?
No such luck.
"My eyes are up here, Sunshine," he says.
I drag my gaze up his body. And then up higher.
"Holy, Babe the Blue Ox," I blurt, gaping. I don't know what in the Paul Bunyan they fed him, but I guess that isn't a sock in his jeans. He's got to be the biggest man I've ever seen in my life. He towers over me like Goliath thanks to the fact that he's standing on the porch, but even if he weren't, he's still flipping huge. Dark brows slant over steely gray eyes and a nose that's been broken at least once. His unruly hair and beard give him the appearance of a Viking more than a mountain man, but the blue flannel stretched over his massive chest softens the look. "You are not old."
His dark brows climb.
"I mean, um, all the mountain men on the Discovery Channel are older. You're not, and you're beautiful." My cheeks are so red I actually feel the heat coming off of them. "I'm going to stop talking now."
"You watched the Discovery Channel?"
"I studied."
He doesn't say much. He's very still too, very peaceful. There's a lot going on behind those eyes, but it doesn't reflect on his face. That's still set in a dark frown, as if he isn't sure if he wants to put me back in my car and send me back down the mountain or ask me to shut up.
"Learn anything?"
"Yes." I grin up at him, trying to fight a shiver. Why is it so cold up here? It is not this cold in Seattle. "I learned that I have a lot of questions. I wrote them down so I can satisfy my curiosity while I'm here. I'm going to feed two birds with one scone."
His expression changes now. He blinks at me. "Did you just say feed two birds with one scone or am I hearing shit?"
"That's what I said."
He stares at me for a minute, opens his mouth, starts to say something, and then breaks off. He looks at me again, and then starts to speak again before he gives his head a sharp shake and stops again. "Fuck it," he mutters. "I guess we're feeding the damn birds instead of killing 'em now."
"Oh! I'm your new assistant, Cordelia, by the way. You can call me Cordy. All my friends do," I say, thrusting my hand out for him to shake. Except as soon as he reaches for it, I remember my dress and the wind, so I quickly jerk my hand away, slapping it back down onto my thigh to hold my dress in place. "I can't shake your hand. I don't want my butt plastered all over the internet."
His eyebrows climb, a growl rumbling in his throat. "Who the fuck put your ass on the internet?"
"No one yet. Well, I hope not." I dart a furtive, suspicious look over my shoulder. "On the off chance this place has the internet, I'd like to keep it that way."
"We have the internet, Sunshine."
"You do?" I perk up at the news. "Oh, thank God."
"It's dial-up."
"It's what?"
"Are you ready to head up?"
"Yes." My lips pull down into a frown. "Um, up where?"
"The mountain, Cordelia." He nods at a snow-capped peak in the distance.
"We're going up there?" I squeak, my stomach sinking faster than a stone. "I thought you lived in town. You know, near other people and houses and buildings and roads and things."
Breathe, Cordy. Breathe.
"Nope," he says. "We're going up the mountain and we won't be back down until next week. So if you need something, you better say something now, Sunshine. Once we get up there, you're stuck."
Oh, this is bad. No, this is worse than bad.
This is my worst nightmare brought to life.
"You good?" he asks, his steely gray eyes lingering on my face. "You look like you're going to puke. If you want to quit now…"
Oh, I see how it is. Deacon Cromwell can't wait to be rid of me. Well, too bad for him because I'm no quitter. I'm going up that stupid mountain with him, even if it kills me.
Chapter Four
DEACON
Cordelia Shanks is even more beautiful in person than she was on her website. That shock of pink hair and her pretty little dress give her a pin-up vibe that makes me want to pull over and see what's under that dress up close and in person again. Her stunning green eyes shine as bright as the sun, especially when she's smiling. But she doesn't smile the whole way up the mountain. She doesn't say much either.