Chapter 2
STELLA TORRES
?Aye dios mio! Good lord! Camila told me all about how the mountain air and spring water seems to grow the men here huge and hot, but nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for what they look like.
From the moment I parked down the main strip of Moonlit Pies, guy after guy was hotter than the last.
And I’m terribly shy.
Especially around good-looking men.
So, I did what a scaredy cat like me would do—I headed to what I assumed would be the safest spot, away from hunky men who made me trip up on my words, to ask for directions.
I spotted a bakery down the road and figured that would be the best place.
Hunky, giant men were probably not possible around carbs.
I walked into the bakery and seriously liked the place immediately.
It was cozy and welcoming. I assumed a sweet old lady would be at the counter, and I could ask her for help.
Was I wrong!
Devastatingly and completely, utterly wrong.
When a deep voice rumbled from the back, I paused, about to scramble out, but something about his voice made me stop. I found myself wanting to hear more, and I hadn’t even seen him. I overthought it too long, and there he was.
The biggest, most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on. Even wearing a hair net, he was captivating. And for a moment, we stood there staring at one another before I found my voice. With every second that had ticked away, I relaxed more and more.
And all the shyness and stammering I usually did around a good-looking guy faded away.
Somehow, I wasn’t sure how, because those moments in the bakery were a blur, I was completely myself around him. Sure, I was slightly nervous, but in an excited way. Then it felt like I blinked and somehow, I found myself inside his truck.
Talk about small world; I’d walked into my best friend’s future brother-in-law’s bakery.
Her very sexy giant, ginger of a mountain man of a future brother-in-law.
Shame that alone makes him off limits. Not that I thought for a moment he might be interested.
He was polite. Sweet even. But that’s what small-town charm is about, right?
He’s probably that way with everyone. Because no matter what, life has taught me over and over that there’s absolutely nothing special about me.
“Thank you again for driving me,” I pipe up and say, trying not to let my nerves get the best of me as I try to avoid staring at him.
“You’re welcome.” His deep voice sounds velvety soft in the cab of his truck. I glance at him and find myself smiling, drawn to him like a magnet, or worse, like gravity. “Where are you staying?”
“Oh, umm, well…” I start to say slowly, because my stay, like the whole trip, I’m flying by the edge of my seat. Completely on a whim with no plans for the first time in my life. “Camila offered me her cabin,” I share, which is the truth.
But that’s my best friend for you. Completely generous. Camila would give you her last dollar; all you have to do is ask. We have been friends for a lifetime. She’s my family, and I’m hers. Though, her side is starting to grow now that she hooked up with her mountain man of a neighbor.
“The one across the street?” he asks as I look out the window, taking in the mountain views.
Moonlit Pines is beautiful. Huge trees,.
I never knew they grew that high into the sky, so high they hide the sunshine and clouds above.
But nowhere as breathtaking as the man next to me.
Too good looking for his own good. I squirm on the seat next to him before sitting still and resting my hands on my thighs.
“Yeah.” I smile tightly, wishing I were the type of woman who knows how to flirt and lead an engaging conversation.
“It’s a great place,” he notes, and I look at him. Our eyes meet for just a moment before he returns his focus to the road. Why do I feel so excited and nervous around him yet at ease?
Maybe the long drive has done me in? Maybe everything I left behind, the whole mess, toyed with my head. At the thought, I frown and get lost in thoughts I wish I could brush off.
I love the desert I had been born and raised there. But everyday felt harder than the last. Lonelier. It’s expensive.
Not to mention the fact I’m single and the dating scene sucks.
Plus, there’s also the whole fact I’m the only twenty-five-year-old virgin left in probably the world.
Guys there just want to hook up. Wham-bam-thank-you-ma’ams, shocked they have two to three baby mamas.
Most, when they learn that isn’t what I’m about, leave.
But others see it as a challenge. A quest.
Usually, I’m good at spotting those guys like a fake four-dollar bill.
But Jake slipped through. Jake the fake.
He was cute and charming. Kind. For the most part.
He would be sweet and then another side of him would peek through.
A side I didn’t like at all. He’d make comments about how pretty I was but how I’d be prettier if I lost weight and wore certain clothes.
But for whatever reason, I shrugged off his comments.
Maybe I did it because I was lonely and felt like I was getting to a point in my life where I didn’t want to be alone.
And he almost fooled me.
But then, three weeks ago, he tried to push for more.
We’d been kissing when he pushed me down on the couch, and he didn’t like it when I told him no.
He stood up, his face red with anger, and lost his shit.
He was really angry. Shouting I was nothing but a tease.
That I needed to grow up. To give it up to him, because we both knew he could do better than a chubby girl like me.
Thankfully, my friend who lived in the studio apartment across mine knocked on the door before things got too heated and shooed him away. I owed her.
Big time.
I wrap my arms around myself tighter and shiver.
I knew men could be scary, but I’d never been terrified like I was with Jake.
And I sure wasn’t going to wait around for him to stop by and try to play his head games again.
It might have been an overreaction, but when Camila again brought up me staying with her, I took a chance.
Tracie, my neighbor and friend, didn’t want me to leave. Like me, she works from home and doesn’t have a circle of friends other than Cam and I. But like a real friend, she understood the situation. She heard exactly how mean and nasty Jake was with me and witnessed the anger in his eyes.
I needed to get away, and Camila, though she had no idea what I was running away from, somehow sensed I needed a change of scenery, offered me her cabin for a steal!
I gave up my overpriced, rundown studio apartment and packed up me belongings, everything fitting into my compact SUV.
I don’t have much. But then again, I don’t need much.
I got into my car and didn’t look back. Until I somehow got lost in the small mountain town of Moonlit Pines and met Eli.
Eli Woodman.
Who apparently, for some reason, insisted on driving me to Camila and his brother’s place.
It’s right then that I realize what just happened.
Like a lightbulb turning on, I get it. He is driving me here instead of having me follow him.
Why would he do that? Now, we’re going to have to go back to town to get my car.
It’s so much extra work. I’m about to mention this when I feel him slow down and put his truck in park.
I glance at him, my mouth ready to say something, but when our eyes meet, I shut it. I’m not sure of what to say. I look at him, and my mouth is suddenly dry, yet my entire body feels really hot.
“That’s Reed’s place.” He points and turns his head across the street.
“That’s Cami’s. Or it used to be. He moved her in officially about two seconds after she told him she was pregnant.
” A giggle escapes from me, and when I glance in Eli’s direction, there is something about the way he’s looking at me that makes my heart race.
“You have a beautiful laugh, Stella,” he notes, and my eyes widen as my face heats up.
“Oh, umm… thank you… I, uh—" I stutter almost uncontrollably. My nerves always get the best of me when someone compliments me. Especially someone who looks like Eli. So, I do what I know how to do best, which is change the subject to one of my favorite subjects. My bestie.
“I still can’t believe they’re going to have a baby. Cam, she had an amazing mom. She’s going to be a great one,” I note, but he just keeps looking at me. Something about the way he’s staring has me thinking he’s deep in thought.
“We should go inside and—“ His hand takes mine, and I look back at him and down to his hand on mine. His touch makes me almost breathless, and I have to fight the urge to squirm or lean closer to him.
“Go out with me.” It’s not a request but an order. I blink, my mind not fully processing what he just said.
“Excuse me?”
“Dinner. With me. Tonight,” he quickly says, almost like he is afraid of missing an opportunity, which is insane since it’s just me
“Tonight?” I repeat. He nods easily. I’ve been in Moonlit Pines a total of maybe an hour, and this seriously sexy mountain man asked me on a date. Why didn’t I come here sooner?
“Tonight,” he repeats with an uncanny confidence. I can’t seem to get my brain to work.
“Umm…” I lick my lips, and his gaze drops to them. I swear they tingle under his scrutinizing stare. It’s a good feeling, but then again, just like Jake the fake taught me, I’m not the best judge of character.
It would be easy to turn him down. But I find as I sit there as we stare at one another, the silence between us easy, comfortable, I really don’t want to say no. “Please?” he asks sweetly, and something about that has me dropping my guard.
“Sure.” I smile and keep talking, “Dinner. My treat.” I smile brighter and don’t miss the way his manly face turns serious.
“Your treat?” he repeats in a deeper tone.
“Yeah, for helping me find my way here,” I explain. It’s only fair after the way he helped me find Camila’s place and leaving his work early.
Men, especially men who look like Eli Woodman, don’t just straight up ask women like me out. Short with a little too much junk in the trunk who are completely dressed down.
“Baby, I get you’re from the city but you’re in Moonlit Pines now,” he says. Something about his stern tone is seriously sexy. “Let’s get something straight right here, so there is no possible way you could twist up what this is going to be—”
“Eli—”
“This is a date, Stella. One I’m taking you on, a meal I’m gonna pay for.” Oh my.
“You don’t have to—"
“I want to,” he announces, and I breathe in through my mouth and exhale slowly. “Now, again, don’t know what the men you’re used to are like, but I’m gonna get out of the car, and you’re gonna keep that sweet little behind in your seat until I open your door. You understand?”
“Umm…”
“Stella, do you get me?”
“You’re going to open my door?” I ask.
“Yep. I’m gonna do that, hold your hand as we walk to the front door, too.” Oh boy. “You’ll catch up with your girl while Reed and I are going to drive to town, and I’ll drive your car back.” My eyes widen.
“Eli, you don’t have to do that. My car’s tiny and filled with—” Anything I was going to say dies on my tongue when he shoots me a look that screams I should quit trying to argue with him because he’s not going to change his mind.
“Okie dokie,” I whisper. His lips twitch in a way I really like. He leans his head in closer.
“You’re freaking adorable, you know that?” His hand comes up and touches my face. I lean in, I can’t help myself.
“I am?” My brows bunch together, and then I tilt my head, unknowingly moving slightly closer, close enough that I can feel his breath on my mouth. “Do you need glasses or something?” I ask honestly and watch in awe as his face transforms into a smile. Damn, he’s seriously gorgeous.
“Babe, I’m seeing shit clearer than I ever have. Now, did you get what we’re gonna do?”
“I…” I pause for a moment and let my heart speak for me, since for the first time when it comes to a man, my heart and gut agree, “I got you.”
“Good.” He moves in closer, and I freeze.
Still as a board as his face approaches slowly, closing the very little space between us.
My lungs seize. He’s going to kiss me! But before his lips touch mine, he moves and drops a sweet kiss on my cheek.
His mouth lingers for a long moment before he kisses it again then pulls himself away.
I force myself not to look away. His eyes are dark and full of fire and something that looks a lot like desire. Who is this man?
Without a word, like he didn’t just rock my world with a simple kiss on my cheek, he slides out of the truck.
I watch as he moves around the front of it and makes his way toward me.
Holy moly, the man is graceful with every step he takes.
His reddish brown hair gleams under the sun and my finger tips itch to touch it.
To scratch at his ruddy red beard. I want to know what that beard would feel like if he kissed my neck and maybe lower.
Thankfully, before my thoughts get too out of hand, he’s at the passenger side door of the truck and opens it, offering his hand like a complete and utter gentleman.
“Thank you,” I say softly, taking it and loving the feel of it around mine.
Strong.
Reliable.
Steady.
Protective.
I shake my head, and we walk to the door of my best friend’s home. Right before we get there, she pulls the door open. I lose hold of Eli’s hand because I’m in her arms, holding her close.
“Stella!” she squeals, and I laugh, hugging her back. God, I’ve missed her. We walk in, and despite not holding Eli’s hand, I still have his attention the entire time. From the moment we walk in and I officially meet Reed and everyone has a glass of lemonade until he leaves with Reed.
He doesn’t take his eyes off me, and I really like it.