Rebuilding with the Mountain Man

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Amara

I navigated my car onto the street of my new florist shop. It hasn’t even been built yet, but that’s beside the point. I knew it was going to be built here, on the newly cleared land in Appleridge, only a mile from town, picturesque mountains in the background.

I slowly drove past the open land, taking it all in, and wondering what shops or houses might pop up.

But according to the website I found online of Stanton Construction, there were areas zoned for both residential and business.

The company website instructed interested parties should contact the foreman, Thane Stanton.

His company had purchased this stretch of land, and his team would be doing all the building.

Before calling him, I wanted to scope the area out, get a feel for it, maybe have an idea of where I’d like my shop to be ideally.

My eyes scanned the open land greedily, no longer on the road in front of me, my car barely going five miles per hour. When I looked back towards the road, a man stood mere feet from my car, watching as I drove directly at him. I screamed and slammed on my brakes.

Thank God I looked when I did! I could’ve just seriously hurt this guy.

Throwing my car into park, I hoped out, nervous energy radiating off me. “Oh my God, are you okay? I’m so sorry.”

The tall, sexy beast of a man took a step towards me and chuckled under his breath. “I’m fine. No harm done. I saw you coming.”

My mouth fell open. “If you saw me coming, why didn’t you move?” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared into his handsome face. For some reason he looked familiar, but I couldn’t place my finger on it.

He moved closer and my heart picked up in speed. “I wasn’t the one not watching the road.”

“And I wasn’t the one standing in the road like an idiot!” I sassed back and his sexy brown eyes darkened into deep pools of desire.

“A man can’t admire his land?”

“Sure, but not by standing in the middle…wait!” I snapped my fingers as it dawned on me who he was. “ Your land? Don’t tell me you’re Thane Stanton.”

He grinned. “The one and only.”

“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing we ran into each other. Literally . You’re the guy I was looking for.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“I want to buy a piece of your land and have you design and build a flower shop for me.”

Twinkles danced in his eyes, and he chewed on one side of his mouth. Even that was sexy.

Damn it girl, simmer down.

Who knew he’d be ten times hotter in person?

“Sounds like you know what you want.”

I placed my hands on my hips. “Yep. I always get it, too.”

“Oh, do you? Well not this time, pretty lady. All the land you see here is pending under a contract. We’re set to build homes here and it’s all been zoned for residential.”

“Your website said you had commercial property available, too.”

He chuckled and rubbed at his beard. “Did your research, hmm?”

“You bet I did. Where’s the commercial land, then?”

“It’s down the street some ways. Already have a few projects under contract. A few of my guys are down there right now. We could take a look if you’d like. Maybe ask one of them a few questions about what you’re looking for?”

“That all sounds great, but you’re not understanding what I’m saying. I don’t want someone else from your company to build my shop. I want you.”

“Me? Why?”

“I’ve seen what you can do and it’s what I want. When my mind’s made up, that’s it. No other way but forward.”

“Sorry to break it to you, darling, but my schedule is jam packed for the next several months. My guys work for me. Their work is just as good as my own because I have standards, I make sure they follow. So, if you’d like to see the land and get the process started, I can take you down there.”

I let out a big breath. I wanted him, not his guys. But I’d play along for now. Sometimes you gotta play the game a bit dirty to win. “Okay. Lead the way.”

“Do you mind if I hop in your car? My truck’s down that way already. You caught me on my daily walk through.”

I wasn’t about to say no to the hot as sin guy asking for a ride. “Alright, let’s go.” I climbed back into my car and watched him walk around to the passenger side.

Fuck he’s so hot.

I squeezed my legs together, my panties already damp. When he got into the car, the inside filled with manly scent, a mix of spicy cologne and minty breath, with a bit of wood grain thrown in there.

Reel it in there, oh horny one. Has it been that long since I got laid?

Maybe a year or so but gawd damn, they just don’t make them like this back in my hometown. Either that, or they’re hiding somewhere.

If I didn’t stop, I was going to want him to not only build my shop, but stop in and stay awhile, too. I wasn’t about to let this man ruin all the hard work I’ve invested, because that’s what happened when you mixed business and pleasure- disaster.

“Just follow the road about a half a mile. I’ll direct you in.”

I nodded, afraid of what might come out of my mouth if I do open it. Like stick your head between my thighs right fucking now.

“It seems like you know a lot about me, but I don’t even know your name.”

“Amara. Amara Peters. Live a few towns over, started my own business doing fresh bouquets and other various florist things out of my apartment, but things have grown. A lot. I read about the land opening up around here and you starting your construction business.”

“Ah, the dreaded news article. They didn’t make me sound like a complete jackass, right?”

I laughed. “No, not at all. In fact, it made me more curious. So, I looked you up, found your website, and today I was just scoping out the place until I almost ran you over.”

Now Thane laughed. “Guess it turned out to be a good thing.”

“I guess so.” I glanced at him and saw he was looking at me, no more like admiring me. Or maybe eye fucking me. Either way, the sexual tension rolled off him like a tsunami, threatening to take me under and drown me.

“Here we are.” Thane pointed to the clearing up ahead as he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He was dying inside as much as I was. I wanted to rip his clothes off and have wild animal sex with him right there in the backseat of my car.

He turned towards me and smiled. “Ready?”

I plastered on a smile and breathed in deep, forcing the distracting thoughts of sex with Thane out of my head. This was my dream, my very own flower shop, and it was time to go get it. “As I’ll ever be.”