Unwrapping the Mountain Man (Spice & Seduction #12)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Skylar

I lived for Christmas shopping.

Especially on Black Friday.

I loved a good deal just as much as the next person. But the best part was the adrenaline rush as I made my way through the crowds.

But as the world grew more popular, the crowds grew thicker, and the excitement waned.

Online shopping was satisfying, but there was nothing like holding the item you wanted in your hand.

So today, I planned on battling them.

I worked hard for what I needed and wanted in life. I’ve needed a new laptop since college. Now that my Etsy business was taking off, I definitely needed a new one. Mine constantly froze, constantly needed to be rebooted, and I was ready to toss it at the wall most days.

This year’s Black Friday deal had the laptop I wanted priced at fifty percent off. I couldn’t resist.

So here I was, parking my car at the back of the parking lot only to wait in line out in the cold until the store opened.

An hour later, I finally made it into the store and sprinted to the electronics, dodging people left and right. My Granny was a shopper. She lived for this shit. I liked to think I learned a trick or two of hers from our time holiday shopping.

Making a beeline for the laptop section, while nudging and elbowing thru the crowd, I spotted the laptop I wanted.

There was only one left on the shelf.

Alarm bells went off in my head. I had to get it. I had to!

With one last burst of energy, I pushed my way through and grabbed the box, wrapping my hand around the side. But when I went to lift it off the shelf, someone pulled the box in the opposite direction.

My eyes jerked up. Someone else was trying to take the box.

“Hey! I had it first!” I yanked the box back towards me despite the handsome man’s efforts to hold on to it.

“No, I did! Back off!” He pulled the box back.

“You did not! There were no other hands on this box when I grabbed it.” I pulled it back again, thus starting a tug of water.

A crowd gathered around us as our voices grew louder and our tugs grew more forceful.

I couldn’t help myself. I came here with a purpose, and I wasn’t leaving without the laptop.

“What’s going on here?” A store employee came up beside us as we continued to tug and shout.

“I had my hand on this laptop first. Now he’s trying to steal it from me.” I explained, breathless and aggravated. Did I mention I hated shopping? Because I fucking do. With a passion.

“I am not trying to steal anything. This woman is trying to take the laptop from me. Clearly, I was the one who had my hands on it first.”

“No, I did.”

“No, it was me.”

Back and forth we went, our argument turning into full on shouting. I didn’t care that a million people were watching. I wanted the damn laptop, and I wasn’t leaving without it.

“Okay, let’s try to settle this peacefully. Will the two of you follow me to the back, please?” The employee looked between the two of us, holding his hand out for the box.

Neither one of us would hand it over. The employee tried taking it from us and neither of us would let go.

“Just let go of it. He asked for it.” I told the man, not caring he was handsome as fuck.

“You let go of it. Why do I have to?”

“C’mon, dude, grow up. Let go.”

“Grow up, really? You’re the one carrying on when I clearly had the laptop first.”

“You didn’t have it first! I did!” I shouted.

Next thing I knew, the guy yanked the box hard, knocking me sideways as he took off running. The employee yelled, “Stop that man!” and pointed. People chased after him, and within seconds, the store security guard had him down. I hurried over and grabbed the laptop from his hands.

“Ha! Serves you right!” I said.

But as I turned to go, the employee stopped in front of me. “Not so fast, miss. Hand it over.”

“No!” I blanched, anger coursing through my veins. “I had it first.” I ducked and made a run for it, but before I could get very far, a security guard grabbed me by the arm and the laptop went flying. It crashed onto the floor and people around dove for it like animals.

Was that what I looked like?

Pathetic.

I scoffed at myself as the security guard led me to a back room. Lucky for me, there were already three people there. The handsome stranger who started it all and two police officers.

“You’re both under arrest for public disturbance. My partner and I here will take you down to the station.” The older officer explained as he unhooked his handcuffs from his waist.

“Wait, officer, please. There’s no need for us to be arrested. I got a little carried away, I’ll admit it. But I promise to leave the store peacefully. I just want to go home.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to follow the store’s protocol. No violent behavior, including fighting, is allowed.” The officer said as he came to stand behind me. He wrapped the cuffs around both my wrists and a sharp pain shot up my arm when I heard them click.

Tears pricked my eyes.

I’d never been arrested before. What the fuck was happening?

Over a silly laptop?

I watched as the hot stranger got cuffed by the other officer, disbelief washing over me. As the office led me out first, I passed by him and whispered, “Nice going. Arrested on Black Friday. What a joke.”

“Jokes on you. If you just let me have what was mine, we wouldn’t be here.”

“If you weren’t such a jerk, we wouldn’t be here.”

“Enough you two,” one of the officers said.

With my head held in shame, I walked out of the store and hoped I never had to step inside it again.

The cop cruiser waited by the curb, the engine softly humming, the lights flashing. At least it’d be warm inside. The weather today was like being in the Arctic tundra.

Each officer helped us into the back seat, both of us still handcuffed and now sitting right next to the other.

I huddled towards the side as best I could, needing distance between us. He smelled amazing and if I didn’t keep reminding myself, I was pissed at him, then I wasn’t sure what I might do.

“We need to check on another call in the store. We’ll be back.” The older officer informed us before slamming the back door shut.

“Great.” The hot guy muttered. “Just where I wanted to spend my night.”

“You think I want to be here?”

“Seems like it, since you caused all of this.”

I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. “That’s real rich. I caused it, huh? More like you did. Besides, do you not know how to be a gentleman?”

He mock snorted. “I could ask you the same thing. You certainly didn’t act like a lady back there.”

“Whatever. Can’t believe you got us arrested.”

“No, it was you with all your shouting.”

“All you do is argue. I’m done talking to you.”

“Good. I was hoping you’d say that. Be done. At least it’ll be quiet.”

“Ugh!” I blew out my breath and stared out the window at the falling snow.

This was not how I wanted my night to go. At all.