Page 32 of Mountain Grump Protector

I find myself opening my mouth instead, those very questions on the tip of my tongue, when the sharp ring of a cell phone breaks the silence.

Chapter Eleven

Willow

Cal groans and drops his head for a moment before looking up at me into my eyes once more. “I have to get it,” he says, regret laces through his voice. “The phone only rings around here when there's a reason, and I'm pretty sure I know what that reason is today.”

I resist the urge to pull him back to me when he steps out of my arms, leaving me naked, still sitting on the kitchen table as he, equally naked, crosses the room to pick up his phone.

I lean back and take the opportunity to watch him and the easy way he moves through the house, completely unconcerned about his nakedness.

And why should he be? The man is absolutely gorgeous.

He’s got to be at least twenty years older than me. Not that that matters.

In fact, he's a whole lot more man than any man my age that I've been with. Not that that bar is very high, but even if it was, Cal would blow it out of the water.

Every single part of him is solid muscle, not the kind that comes from long days in the gym. Cal's muscles are real, formed from hard work and real life.

“Luke.” His back is still turned to me when he answers the call. “Everything ready?”

He turns then as he listens to whatever the man on the other end tells him. His gaze lands on me, lounging on the kitchen table, and his eyes go wide, his brow lifting as his lips twitch into a grin. I lift my legs, so my heels are resting on the edge of the table now, and run one hand slowly down my thigh, at the same time, thrusting my tits out, and tossing my hair back.

I can hear his growl from across the room.

“Yeah,” he says roughly into the phone. “I’m listening.” His eyes never leave me. “Got it,” he says. “Thanks for doing that. I’ll see you then.”

Finally, he ends the call and tosses the phone down on the counter behind him.

“What was that about?”

“Luke picked up the money while he was in the city. He’ll drop it off in the morning.”

“And then it’ll be over.”

Cal nods and runs a hand roughly over his beard, tugging on it like he’s trying to make a decision. “Have you heard from your brother?”

I snort in response.

“Your father?”

“I texted him a few times in case he noticed I wasn’t home.” I shrug because there’s a good chance he hasn’t. “I tried calling, too,” I say. “But he never picked up.” The look on Cal’s face stops me. “Why?”

He sighs and drops his hands. “Luke mentioned something about a disturbance in town. Might be Hatch. It wasn’t clear.”

“A disturbance?” I sit up, suddenly on alert. “My dad?”

“Don’t know.” Cal’s moving through the room, scooping up our clothes. “Might be,” he says, gently, as he hands me my shirt and shorts.

“We need to go.” I tug my shirt on and jump off the table to pull my shorts up, all thoughts of seducing my mountain man one more time before breakfast gone. “I need to make sure he’s okay.”

For a moment, I’m sure he’s going to object, but Cal tugs on his jeans and simply nods.

“Really?”

“I told you,” he says. “You’re not a prisoner here. Besides,” he shakes his head with a grin. “I figure there’s no point telling you no when it comes to something you have your mind set on.”

Cal