Page 8 of When The Mountains Held Us

Basically, I have no plan.

“I feel partially responsible for that,” Levi murmurs, and I chance a glance in his direction. His posture is relaxed as he leans back in his seat, his right hand gripping the steering wheel while his left arm rests along the frame of the open window. The breeze blows his dark brown waves back from his face, giving him a tousled, carefree look. He is the epitome of masculine charm. And it terrifies me.

No, that’s not right.

It only terrifies me how utterly attractive I find him.

I avert my eyes when he catches me looking, but I can still feel his steady gaze on the side of my face. My face heats, and I’m thankful for the darkness that covers up the blush spreading across my cheeks and down my neck at having been caught.

“I suppose you are. It was your horrendous directions that got me lost in the first place.”

“If we really want to place blame here, I suppose we can blame your GPS for not alerting you of the road closure.” I can hear the hint of a smile in his words.

“I think we should probably blame whoever decided to close the road for repairs.”

“Ah,” I shoot him a questioning look, only to see him beaming as he stares straight ahead. “I was the one who put the proposal in for that particular project,” he clarifies, and I laugh.

“So it is your fault!”

“Guilty.”

A comfortable silence fills the truck around us once more, and I lean my head back, allowing the rocking of the truck to soothe my tired mind and body.

After everything I’ve been through, it doesn’t make sense to feel this safe in this truck with Levi, but I don’t question it and instead, take it one moment at a time.

Five

Levi

Ipull up outside of the apartment complex and throw the truck into park. The streets are mostly quiet, save for the steady thump of music coming from Joe’s Bar across the street and the occasional partier walking in or out of the double saloon-style doors.

North Creek is a small town, stuck in the monotony of everyday life between sunrise and sunset. By now, most have made it home from work and are enjoying their Thursday evening with some bad cable and a beer. There isn’t much to do around here at night if you’re not game for going to the one joint in town and getting wasted, but that’s okay with me.

The quiet of a small town is an acquired taste, one that took me years to fully embrace. It may not be for everyone, but I love that it takes the edge off the wilder side of me.

I get the sense that Oakley is looking for something. She seems to carry herself with a cautious curiosity, one that makes me think that there’s more to her than meets the eye. I can’t explain the magnetic draw I have to the woman sitting in my passenger seat.

Her hands press together tightly between her thick thighs in a way that has my mind wondering how smooth her skin would feel against my calloused hands. The thought alone nearly has me drooling into my lap.

I’m no better than Justin. I tear my gaze away and refocus on the road ahead of me.

She said that she was touring the apartments, which has to mean that she’s planning to stick around, at least for a little while. Once the gossip mill catches wind of a new girl in town—if it hasn’t already—she’ll be all anyone will be talking about. Right now, though, I have her all to myself.

My own pretty little secret.

The thought of keeping her for myself sends a shot of excitement coursing through my veins but the last thing I need is to end up losing my head all because of a pretty face.

And legs.

And don’t even get me started on that ass.

The one that was practically in my face as she climbed up into my truck, begging me to lean in for a taste.

My cock twitches in my pants, and I have to shut down that line of thinking before this innocent lift into town turns real awkward real fast. Justin’s right. It’s been too long. Then again, I’ve never been one for meaningless flings. Never worked out well for me in the past. Besides, I can’t be bothered to put effort into something that won’t go anywhere in the end. Especially not when my fist does the trick just fine.

I take a shallow breath, hoping she can’t hear the shake in it as I calm myself and divert my attention from her curves and back to the road where it belongs.

There’s something refreshing about her. Something that’s different in the way she guards herself, but then cracks a joke in the very next breath. Almost like she forgets for a moment to hold herself back from letting her real personality shine through.