Mountain Boss: Mountain Men Series Book One
Mountain Boss: Chapter 72

I slow.

Did I hear something?

I stop.

The darkness is quiet around me.

I’m losing it.

I take a step.

“You need to pay better attention.” Sterling’s voice sounds from behind me.

I spin around on instinct, flashlight outstretched.

Sterling catches my wrist before my swing can connect with his body.

The contact makes my hand open, and I drop the flashlight.

He lets go of my wrist and catches the light. Then he closes his fingers over the end, muting the glow.

“Jesus, Sterling,” I gasp.

“Just Sterling will do.”

I huff, “Oh, now you tell me what I can call you?”

He steps toward me, and I take a matching step back.

“I like everything you call me. Sterling.” Step. “Mr. Black.” Step. “Sir.” Step.

I keep backing up.

I don’t want to move away from him. I just have to.

The monster from the dark has found me. And even though I want him to catch me, my body won’t surrender.

Not yet.

He lifts his fingers from the light, aiming it at our feet. “And what do you like to be called?”

I swallow. “Courtney.”

“That’s all?”

“What else is there?”

“Cookie.” He drops his eyes to my chest, then lower, taking me in.

“I don’t like that one,” I whisper.

He lifts his gaze. “No?”

I shake my head.

“Why?”

I cross my arms over my body. “Because… because of why you call me that.”

He raises the flashlight, shining the light on where my arms are crossed over my chest, the edges of the beam lighting my features. “And why do I call you that?”

My stomach twists.

His tone is heated.

The looks he gave me across the fire were loaded.

And the memory of his hand on my thigh is still freshly burned into my mind.

But so is the hurt from the first time he called me that.

“Because of how much I ate. Or what I ate that day at Costco,” I admit.

He tilts his head as he drops his hand to his side, the light swinging down. “What?”

“You saw my receipt, and you called me Cookie,” I remind him. Reminding myself as well. “I know I’m… bigger. But I don’t like the name.”

I take another step back.

Sterling stays where he is.

It’s too dark to see exactly where his eyes are looking, but I know he’s staring at me.

I take another step.

“Courtney.” His seriousness stops me. “I need you to listen to me real fucking carefully.”

I press my lips together.

“I called you Cookie for two reasons. And neither of them had anything to do with the shape of your perfect fucking body.” He takes a step closer, finally following me. “Reason one.” He steps forward again, raising his hand and holding up one finger. “You literally threw a cookie at me. And two.” He holds up a second finger. “I call you Cookie because you’re sweet and delicate and”—he reaches out and grips one of my braids—“I want to eat you.”

The air gets tangled in my lungs.

He… what?

“I know I shouldn’t.” He drags his hand down my plaited hair. “But I can’t resist anymore.”

“Resist?”

“Yeah, Cookie, I can’t, won’t, resist the urge to touch you any longer.” He lets my braid fall from his fingers. “And you have until the count of three to get out of reach if you don’t want this.”

Awareness scratches over my skin.

Sterling wants me.

My boss.

And he’s going to act on it.

Now.

I pull in a deep breath.

I should run.

“One.”

I don’t move.

Sterling’s fingers cover the light again, leaving the smallest glow visible.

“Two.”

This is really happening.

Excitement pounds through my veins.

So does flight.

I spin.

He doesn’t say three.

And I don’t have time to shout my surprise before his big palm is over my mouth and his hard body is pressed against mine.