Chapter 5
Gwen
“You sure you don’t mind?” he asked as he gave me a shadowed look.
His voice had an unusual quality to it. A deep rasp that wrapped its way around me, enveloping me in the essence of MAN.
Flushing pink, I managed to say, “No problem. You ready?”
He nodded and followed me out to my car.
Red Oak Mountain was a tiny town. But there were a lot of winding roads that led to small homesteads dotted across the mountain. If you weren’t in the middle of town, it was hard to get around. And Eric’s place was out a long dirt road.
We bumped down that road for a few miles, silence enveloping us.
But it felt like we were having a full conversation without words.
It was composed of small shifts in posture, the quiet sound of our breathing, and the sidelong glance he gave me when he thought I didn’t notice.
Once we were on the main road, it only took a few minutes to make it to the center of town. I pulled up in front of Mick’s office.
Shyly I said, “If you need a ride back, I get off at eight. You want my number so you can text me?”
He gave an affirmative grunt and handed me his phone.
After entering my number, I handed it back, our fingers brushing as he took it from me.
It felt like a shockwave rolled through me at his touch, just like the night before when I’d handed him my bear spray.
He opened the door to get out, then hesitated before growling, “Thanks for being so chill.”
I gave him a tiny smile. “I’m not much of a talker either.”
“Yeah. I’d gathered that.”
We were the observers of the world.
We watched.
We listened.
That meant we knew things.
It was easy to pick up on the silent details went you weren’t busy running your mouth.
Our eyes collided again, a spark of recognition shooting between us.
We were kindred spirits.
“Good luck. I hear Jane’s a real sweetheart and a bit of a gossip. If you drop something juicy in her lap, it will help you get the job.”
He nodded, then furrowed his brow. “Any suggestions?”
“Yeah. You could let it drop that Beckham Jones saved Eliza Wilkins in a snowstorm the other night. And that now they’re dating. That will get Jane all worked up into a tizzy.”
“Who are they?”
“They were the couple who swung by at the beginning of the party last night. They only stayed a few minutes before going home.”
Actually, Emerald had caught them making out like schoolkids out on the back deck and told them to get a room. They decided to take her joke seriously and left. I could only dream of being in love with someone so much that they couldn’t keep their hands off me.
“Oh, yeah. I remember them.” Knox’s lips curved upwards for a moment, amusement flashing in his eyes. Then with a grunt of goodbye, he got out and walked towards the building.
Now that there were no sneaking eyes on me, I watched his fine ass all the way to the door. Damn, he had one of those juicy butts.
Some men were flat as a pancake. But Knox practically had a bubble butt.
I wonder what it looks like naked?
I tittered to myself imagining a buck-naked Knox.
But I was completely unprepared when he threw a backward glance my way.
Shit. Had he just caught me checking him out for the second time?
The man was going to think I was flirting with him!
My face turned beet red as I pulled my car out and headed to Bookish.
A romance author had flown in to give a talk there later on tonight for the Mountain Man Romance Book Club. I knew the bookstore would be jam-packed all night long.
Half of the women on the mountain would be there.