Trouble for the Mountain Man (Mountain Man Mail Order Bride)

Chapter 4

Aidan

Hazel’s idea of quiet includes softly humming or mumbling to herself when she is unsure of something.

There is a good reason I choose to live up here on the mountain. It’s closer to my research and I like to be left alone. People are just a distraction from my work.

I look up from my desk to watch Hazel sorting papers at the table. A slight frown showing her concentration. And she looks to be humming quietly to herself as she works.

Hazel is most definitely a distraction.

I would much rather look at her than my stats and figures. I want to know all about her. What motivated her to come all the way out here. For me. It’s hard to ignore the fact that she came here to meet me. To date me. To belong to me.

I glance her way again. Her little pink lips bounce off each other as she mutters to herself.

I give myself a mental shake. She may be a distraction but I find if I really concentrate, I can get through the work quicker with the promise to myself I will stop for lunch and that will give me a chance to talk with Hazel again.

I find myself looking forward to the break. Looking forward to just talking with the girl. I shake my head as I put my focus back onto my papers.

We are both in the kitchen preparing lunch. Normally I have a sandwich over the sink but it is nice to prepare something more filling.

“How is it that you work in a museum instead of being an archaeologist if that is what you wanted to be?”

She gives a little shrug. I’ve noticed she seems to make herself small when she doesn’t want to talk. Like a wilting plant shrinking back into itself.

“I did a history degree. And I started working at the museum in college. I guess I just never took it any further. I had a job I liked so that was it, I just stayed there.”

I have a feeling there is more to the story that she isn’t telling me.

“Maybe you are like a Hazel tree. They don’t bloom until late in the winter and the environment has to be just right. Maybe you are just a late bloomer.” I say it with a smile and she appears to think on that, biting her lower lip in the most adorable way.

“And what led you to an online dating site?”

She shakes her head and gives me a stubborn look.

“Okay, what led you to my profile?”

“The site matched us. And then when we got talking, well, to your sister I guess, it turns out we read the same books.”

I know exactly what sort of books my sister reads.

“You thought I read Vampire Romances?” I let out a laugh as I add more vegetables to the pot for our lunch. I’ve seen those books in my sister’s house. She has often teased me that I could be a cover model for them. Apparently they are pretty sexy. I eye Hazel as she butters some bread rolls. She is damn fine looking. I find it exciting that she reads books about sex with Vampires. Just thinking about Hazel and sex in the same thought is giving me ideas. Ideas that would be just fine if this was a normal situation where we had met online.

“What else did you talk about?” I ask and turn to see a pretty blush spread over her soft cheeks.

“It’s private.”

“You thought you were talking to me! I should get to know what was said.”

She shakes her head no.

“What if I was a sexy Vampire?” I pull my arm over half half my face like I’m wearing a cape. “Would you tell me all your fantasies?” I do my best transylvanian accent and she bursts out laughing.

With a smile, Hazel sits back in her chair to look at me. “It wasn’t like that. We didn’t talk about sex. I talked about my work and family.”

There is a slight look of pain in her face and I have a feeling she opened up about her insecurities to fake me. I feel it like a sharp twist in my guts. I want to know her sexual fantasies. But that’s not all. I want to know absolutely everything about this sweet, beautiful woman.

I turn back to stir the stew I’m making. I’ll get it out of her over lunch I decide. But I have a feeling it will take more than just one meal to get Hazel to open up to me.