Aching for the Mountain Man - Page 4

ASHTON

Air conditioning had never felt so good.

That was what I thought as I snatched up one of the boxed lunches on the table in the trailer. We were supposed to grab our food and head back out into the ninety-degree temperatures.

But I stepped off to the side and stood, hoping no one would notice. I’d just hide here in the corner, enjoying the moment, while everyone else rushed to try to get a box before they ran out.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket, reminding me Mac was waiting for me. He’d programmed my number into his phone and sent me to grab the food while he snatched some bottled waters. A line for those waters had formed near the house where we’d worked side by side to remove everything from the top floor. Some guys were bringing ladders and a big tarp later, and Mac wanted to finish removing all the items before they showed up.

I shifted the boxes to my left hand, propping them on my upturned palm and forearm as I jerked the phone from my back pocket to glance at the screen. Waiting for you in the parking lot was all it said. It was from an unfamiliar number, but it could only be one person.

Suddenly, getting out of the air conditioning didn’t sound so bad. Especially if it meant being trapped in an air-conditioned vehicle with the guy I’d been fantasizing about all morning.

“Excuse me, excuse me,” I said as I pushed my way through the crowd of mostly women.

If they were here for the hot mountain men, they were probably disappointed. I hadn’t seen any but Mac, although I’d admittedly spent most of my time inside and on the front lawn of the same house.

A woman with lips packed full of fillers opened the door for me. I tried not to stare at her overabundant cleavage as I breezed past her with a “thank you.”

Mac wouldn’t like that, I told myself as I headed down the steps and started toward the parking area. The thought slowed my footsteps a little, but I forced them forward. It was petty and immature to be picking other women apart like we were on some reality show where the guy could only choose one woman.

This wasn’t about being picked. It was about losing my virginity. And I’d hopefully already given myself an edge in that by working with him all day. I just had to find a way to let him know that I was ready to get naked and do some things once this work was finished.

What if he turned me down? What if working side by side with me made him think of me as a sister, not a woman he could have sex with? Maybe he wasn’t even attracted to me at all.

All of that ran through my mind as I told myself there were plenty of other men in this town…somewhere. I’d find one if this didn’t work out.

But I didn’t want another man. No, I wanted this man. I’d never wanted anything more.

I spotted him up ahead, leaning against his truck while looking down at his phone. One hand was planted on the hood, which had to be hot after sitting in the sun all day.

Was this guy so tough, he didn’t even feel that? Just the thought made me all warm and tingly inside. Yeah, I was getting a massive crush on this guy, and that wasn’t good.

You’re here for one reason, Ashton, and that’s to lose your innocence.

“Are we eating in your truck?” I asked as I got closer.

Mac’s head snapped up. The sunglasses were tucked into the neckline of his T-shirt, which meant he was squinting. But I could see those eyes—eyes that made my heart skip a beat every time he looked at me.

“I thought we’d go somewhere a little more scenic,” he said. “Hop in.”

He didn’t ask my opinion. He told me what we were going to do. I tended to steer clear of bossy guys. Especially ones who didn’t factor in my opinion when they were making decisions that affected me.

But I didn’t get that vibe with Mac. Instead, I got the feeling that if I said no, I wanted to stay right here, he’d be cool with that.

The reason I climbed into his passenger seat without a word was I wanted to see where he was taking me. I was up for the adventure of it all. Not just when it came to lunch, either. I wanted to hitch my wagon to him and see where he’d take me.

“It’s hot,” he said.

He was right about that. We’d been working without air conditioning all day. Not even a fan.

“You’re taking us somewhere with air conditioning.” That was my first guess. And my second was, “Or at least somewhere we can buy a fan.”

He chuckled, drawing my attention over to him. That was one thing I hadn’t seen this morning. No laughter, no smiles, nothing. We’d worked without speaking most of the time, although at one point he’d asked me some questions about where I lived and what I did for a living. Medical billing in Chattanooga was the answer to that.

He’d also asked if I was married, and I’d volunteered that I was one hundred percent single. That had gotten a strange look, but still no smile.

Now, though, he was smiling. And behind the stems of the sunglasses he’d slipped back on his face, I saw slight wrinkles at the corner of his right eye.