Page 3 of Mountain Men Heroes
With a tilt to his head, he performed one of those one-sided elbow leans on the gas pump probably thinking it made all the chicks dig him.
She huffed her surprise as she flipped the lever to the gas pump. “You have to be kidding.” As misinformed as he may be, it might have worked if he didn’t ooze massive amounts of creepy dude vibes and rock a half-torn wife beater like they weren’t standing in on the fringes of the Arctic Circle.
With him propped up on her gas pump, she had no choice but to reach around him to return the nozzle.
She needed to get going if she had any hopes of making it off the mountain before nightfall. Who knew, if lucky, maybe she’d be out of here before then. Keeping her promise to her aunt might score her a twofer—apple pie AND her award-winning chicken soup.
A girl needed her comforts.
Esmeralda flipped the lid to her rental car’s gas tank closed and stepped around the wall of a man who couldn’t find a clue if it were taped to his forehead apparently.
In her line of work, getting bullied by entitled pricks and hit on all in the same hour happened to be another day at the office. “After the week I’ve had, buster, don’t. Just don’t.” She sliced a hand through the air and put several feet of cracked cement between them.
“Come on, let me make it better.” He reached out and caught a strand of her air between his fingers.
Ugh. Esmeralda stepped back with her hands up. “Look, I’ll go my way, you go yours, Gigantor.” Don’t antagonize the man, smart-ass. The lopsided smile that pulled at the corner of his lips made her stomach do a chug and heave.
“You haven’t seen big yet, baby.” In a sleazy glide, he wrapped his hand around his crotch and cupped his bulge.
“Sorry, little dicks don’t impress me.”
Seriously? The man had the looks to land any girl, but his method needed an overhaul. Her heartbeat rattled around in her chest and almost made her lose her step as she rounded the trunk of her four-wheel-drive.
Steel fingers wrapped around her upper arm and dragged her close with a yank.
“Look, whoever you are,” she threw a hand up between them. “Go find a back alley girl to play hanky-panky with—I’m definitely not your type.”
Beady blue eyes peered down at her as if calculating how far he could push her before the claws came out. His stare bored into her and caused her to slink back.
“How would you know? I happen to be everybody’s type, sweetheart. Wait till you get a good long taste.”
“Keep dreaming, pal!”. God, the man needed a Tic-Tac and a shower. All in that order. She dug her heel into the cement. Raised her opposite arm and shoved her palm into the bridge of his nose before he could make good on his promise with his puckered lips inching closer.
“Surprise! Next time, take a hint.”
His grip loosened and she pulled free. “You stupid little bitch.” She backtracked, her target the double glass doors of the convenience store and as much space between her and the angered man as possible.
He raised his hand and she flinched as her boot caught on the raised platform for the gas tanks. But the fated backhand across the cheek never came.
“Unless you want to find yourself answering to the sheriff I suggest you get your sorry ass out of my face, Brax. I don’t think I need to remind you what happens when you get another strike on your record.” Her eyebrows shot up so far they had to be touching her hairline. Her gaze danced between both men and the arrogant smile her new admirer wore swiftly faded to a deep scowl.
Whatever it was had to be bad.
Fear filled the creases outlining his lips and eyes. It was plain to see as was the fake bravado he wore like a shield. Cold-hearted hatred chilled the air between the men beyond anything Mother Nature could do to an Alaskan winter.
Brax growled but didn’t make a move other than to toss a nasty look filled with cold fury over his shoulder at her. Like she’d planned this all to get him in trouble.
“Keep your woman outta my way.” The way he slung out the warning made her spine go rigid. Several seconds slipped by as they watched the hulking man slink back around the corner.
“Are you okay?” Slightly dazed, she momentarily missed the outstretched hand her mirage offered. He couldn’t be real. Could he? Oh, get a grip. You knew running into your past lover would happen. But nothing actually prepared her for the chance encounter.
“I, uh, yeah, I think.” Drake fuuurrreeaaking Savage loomed over her, his thick thighs covered in some sort of bright orange snow gear and the upper half unzipped to hang freely around the waist to reveal his chest wrapped in what had to the tightest shirt ever made in the history of mankind. God, what a chest! Even in the form-fitting, long-sleeved pullover he sported not a detail slipped past her raking gaze. She made sure of it!
Until her gaze landed on his. In that instant, the sunshine, the snow-capped mountains and all the heartbreak weighing on her melted away.
Heat rushed into her cheeks and she took his outstretched hand. “What was that guy’s problem?”
Drake shook his head and a soft scent of pine lingered between them. As if he spent the dawn hours in the woods and nature clung to him. “That man is a puzzle even to me.”