Page 7 of Mountain Man's Angel
AUDRA
Ican't stop glancing over at the gorgeous man driving me into town for lunch. My family would flip if they knew I was spending so much time with a man they hadn't approved. Not to mention… He lives in a small town. He knows nothing about their business, or how to impress people.
Maybe that's why I find Thane so sexy. He's outside of my usual world, and going on a date with him makes me feel like a rebel.
Up till now I've only been to Fran's to grab coffee to go, but it's a lovely diner. We choose a corner booth at the back, and I love that Thane sits right beside me with our backs to the window. I look around at the checked floor and the waitresses in crisp uniforms. My art teachers would call this place a slice of mid-century Americana. I call it adorable.
When I take another peek around the room, I notice almost every single person is sneaking looks at us. "What's going on?" I ask Thane, as he flips through the menu.
"What do you mean?" He jerks his chin up and everyone immediately stares at their plates. "Oh." He sighs, then mutters,"I've never been seen in public with a woman before. Meanwhile, practically everyone here knows me. It’s a family thing."
I can't help but grin. "Am I going to be the subject of small-town gossip?”
His hand drops heavily on my knee, squeezing it in a way that triggers a tingle in my lower belly. I notice that Thane has been touching me more often. It almost feels like his hands gravitate toward my body, and he's trying to hold it back. Whatever this thing is between us, the physical connection is taking hold before I can get a grip on the mental one. Why is that so sexy?
"Yes, you are," he rumbles. "Is that okay?"
"It’s a little weird. But it’s fine."
Over the course of our lunch, I'm struck by three things. One, when people approach to ask Thane how his family is doing, he brushes them off as quickly as possible so he can focus on our conversation. Two, people seem to be studying me as if I were a science project. As if they've never even considered seeing him with a woman. And three, holy smokes, the shredded chicken three-cheese grilled sandwich is fantastic!
Once again our conversation is easy, looping and spinning through every topic under the sun. There's something fundamentally quiet about Thane, but if he gets on a roll talking about a topic he loves, whether it’s great books or car maintenance or woodworking, his eyes light up and he becomes super passionate about it. I also love that he truly listens to me. Even though he clearly had never heard of soundscapes until we met, he's interested in what I create.
This is tough. He likes me. I like him. But I don't live here. And when he finds out about my family, his image of the artsy girl he met in the meadow is going to be shattered.
When Thane pays the bill, I see he leaves a very hefty tip. It doesn't feel like he's trying to impress me, since he was tryingto hide the total. Maybe he doesn't come to town for lunch very often.
His truck is parked between the diner and the inn, and we stop so I can grab my equipment bag. "What else are you doing today?" he asks as we carry on walking.
"I want to get these clips sorted and labelled while the information is still fresh in my mind. I like listing the names of the birds and other wildlife on the tracks, plus the time, date, location, and as many other details as I can remember."
"Not the location, please." Thane’s fingers tighten gently around mine. "Up here on the mountain… We want tourists, but the right kind of tourists. Does that make sense?"
I laugh. “You mean you don't want a bunch of people out here with recording devices, sucking up the soul of your mountain?"
"Something like that." He grins as we approach the inn. "We want visitors who have a connection to the mountain. Maybe they have family or friends here. Some people think we should advertise to birdwatchers, since they’re quiet and respect the forest."
"Actually, that's a great idea." I smile at him. "I'll just mention a secret location with a pristine mountain forest. It'll get people guessing."
"Perfect." Thane glances around, looking relieved that we're alone. "Funny. I've driven by this place a million times but never been inside.”
"Did you want to see my room?" As soon as the question flies out of my mouth, I realize what it sounds like and cringe. "I didn't mean…just…you said you’d never seen it, so…"
He dips his head to brush his lips across my forehead. "I’ll walk you to your room. Give you a proper goodbye kiss. But I really can't stay." His gaze locks with mine. "No matter what, you're kicking me out in three minutes."
His huge, hard body follows mine down the hallway. As soon as we’re inside my small room, the quiet feeling I've felt in it disappears. Now there’s only heat. Thane sets my bag on the floor, takes my hand, then closes the door behind him with his foot and pulls me close.
"Audra." His rough voice is as soft as he can make it. "Please tell me you feel this…connection…bond…whatever it is…too."
"Yeah, I do."
"Good. I don’t want to mess it up by moving too fast. So I'm very serious about leaving this room within three minutes."
"Are you actually going to set a timer?"
He squeezes my hip gently, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. "Great idea." He sets the alarm, but before he hits the start button, his gaze rakes over my breasts and hips, then returns to my eyes. "What do you want me to do for those three minutes, beautiful?"
A shiver goes through me from the intensity in his gaze. Best to be honest. "Anything you like."
