Polar Opposites

Chapter Two

Logan

What the hell was her problem?

My eyes flicked to the ceiling as I whisked eggs in a bowl. And the glass cracked under my fingers. “Goddammit.” Tossing the now broken bowl into the sink, I stalked towards the refrigerator. What the hell was I meant to cook her now? It wasn’t like I kept this house stocked.

Stubborn, stupid woman.

Again my eyes rose to the ceiling again. She was right above my head somewhere. What was she doing right this second, cleaning her foot like I had tried to do or was she still where I left her? Unsure on how to hobble far enough to retrieve the supplies I had left her without hurting herself?

And what had she been doing on my mountain? It was blatantly obvious she didn’t belong there in her stupidly high heels. She was lucky she had just twisted her ankle when she fell, she could have broken her god damn neck.

Of course, I shouldn’t have chased after her in the dark, but momentarily my control had slipped as I came across her scent in the rain-drenched air.

She smelt …. Different.

And the closer I got, the better she had smelt.

I hadn’t meant to actually chase her. It had been her fault, she had started running, and my instincts had kicked in.

Just one reason why strangers should not be on this mountain.

There were much worse things than me roaming the dark hills, so she was lucky it had been me that had come across her and not…. Something else.

Not that she had thanked me, of course. Just the opposite, she seemed hell-bent on being as argumentative as possible.

Stubborn, headstrong woman.

She was trouble with a capital T. I could tell just by looking at her. Women like her were always trouble for men like me. It was like they were put into our paths just to test us. And the woman upstairs was testing me already, and she hadn’t even been here an hour.

Still, there was no chance of getting down to town tonight with the storm raging on, And she was no doubt scared and hungry. I couldn’t do much about her being scared. She would either realise I wasn’t a threat to her or she wouldn’t. As long as she didn’t run, she would be fine anyway.

The hungry part I could help with though. Of course, if I could find something for us to actually eat.

Finding a packet of steak at the back of the shelf, I grinned to myself. A good steak was just what I needed. A pat on the back for saving a damsel in distress. Knowing my luck, the crazy lady upstairs would be a vegetarian. I might be able to scrape a basic salad together, but it wouldn’t be enough to fill up a gnat, let alone a woman with the curves she had.

I let my mind wander for a second, remembering the feel of those curves as I carried her home. If anyone had seen me, naked as the day, I was born carrying an unconscious woman in my arms. I would have been in serious trouble.

Prison kind of trouble. Even I couldn’t have talked my way out of that one.

She had felt nice in my arms, though I had to admit that, just like she looked hot when her eyes flashed with temper. I liked a woman with fire in her belly. The thought made me pause. What the hell was wrong with me? I didn’t want a woman with a temper at all. The alpha in me liked women who were sweet and polite. The total opposite to the woman upstairs who seemed to be made more of vinegar than sugar.

She wasn’t my type at all.

Even if her curves were distracting as hell.

Tossing the steaks onto the grill, I contemplated going up to her. She was hopping around up there. I could hear it. But I didn’t move. If she needed help, she could call down and ask for it like a civilised human being. She wouldn’t ask for help. I already knew that, and I wasn’t about to go and offer it. So it looked like she would just have to struggle on, on her own.

It was only when I heard the bedroom door slam that I finally left the kitchen, heading towards the stairs before I could stop myself.

She was teetering on the top step, her hand wrapped around the railing as if it was a lifeline. And she was wearing a forest green T-shirt. My T-shirt.

My eyebrows shot up. “Nice T-shirt.”

Her eyes flashed. “I wasn’t about to walk around in my underwear was I…. hey.” She swatted at my chest as I suddenly appeared in front of her. Her eyes were wide as she tried to work out how I had gotten up the stairs so fast. “Stop trying to pick me up …I can walk.”

Ignoring her totally, I tossed her over my shoulder, receiving a sharp kick to the ribs for my trouble. But what else could I do? She couldn’t get down the stairs unaided, not without hurting herself even more, and I wasn’t a total monster.

“Jesus woman, will you keep still.” I deposited her on the small sofa, stepping back as she swatted at me again. “You really need to accept help when it’s offered, you know.” Standing over her, I speared her to the spot with my eyes.

Her mouth opened and closed for several seconds before she finally spoke. “You are infuriating. I don’t even have the words…”

I cut her short. “The words you are looking for are Thank You.”

******

I could feel her eyes on me from across the room. She was trying to be subtle about it as she chewed on her own steak. The plate balanced precariously on her lap. But she wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

Not that I minded her looking at me, of course. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her for long either.

She was…. Intriguing.

Every time my eyes rose, I found her staring at me intently, and she would look guiltily away. A slight blush colouring her cheeks.

Finally, she placed her knife and fork down, staring me straight in the face, unblinking. “Thank you.” She pronounced each word slowly as if she was talking to someone who didn’t speak English and I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “You’re welcome.” Smiling at her, I was rewarded with an answering smile, and she went from a pretty girl to a beautiful woman in a blink of an eye.

If I hadn’t of snapped my teeth together in time, a growl would have tumbled from my lips. Instead, I placed my own cutlery down. “Have you had enough?” I was already eyeing up the thick slab of meat still on her plate.

“Yes.” She paused, and a look I couldn’t discern passed across her face. Embarrassment maybe? It was impossible to tell. Why would she be embarrassed about finishing her meal?

“Thank you. It was lovely but ….”

The realisation hit me. “You are watching your weight?” I rolled my eyes at her. What was it with women and trying to be as slim as possible? Letting my eyes roam down her shapely legs, I grinned. “You don’t need to lose weight….”

The blush that had been only a tint of pink flamed to scarlet on her cheeks. “It’s more me trying to live a healthier lifestyle than losing weight …. Oh my god, I just realised I don’t even know your name. I’ve been calling you mountain man in my head since I woke up.”

“Mountain man?” I couldn’t help it. I laughed. A head thrown back chuckle that rumbled through my whole chest. “Like what you see in the movies? All long shaggy beard.” I scratched at the bristles on my jaw absently. “Why would you call me a mountain man? It’s not like we are in the middle of nowhere.”

“Well,” she looked hurt at my laughing, “we are in the middle of nowhere.”

“It’s less than ten miles to town, not exactly the middle of nowhere. It just seems like it is when the weather is like this.”

“And you do live on a mountain.”

I shot her a look. Did she think I was some kind of savage because I didn’t live in a city? “I don’t live on the mountain.”

She blinked up at me in surprise. “You don’t … whose house is this?”

“Mine, but I don’t live here. I rent it out to tourists. The only reason I’m even up here tonight is that I needed to clean it after the last guests left.” I chuckled. She really was adorable under all her bitchiness and sass. “I live in town.”

“Oh.” For a second, she looked disappointed. Had she wanted me to be some kind of rugged mountain man?

“And I’m Logan, by the way.” Placing my plate on the coffee table between us, I stretched out a hand. Her own wrapped around it automatically. Her grip was firm.

A woman who was used to shaking hands.

“Mia Caprice.”

Mia… the name had a nice ring to it.

And it suited her.

Pretty.

“Thank you for saving me from the bear Logan and thank you for the meal.” She smiled, and I smiled back. “It was lovely.”

“You’re more than welcome, Mia.” She really was lovely when she wasn’t throwing tantrums and acting like a spoilt brat. Hell, she was pretty then as well.

“I hate to impose anymore, but do you have a phone I could use? I need to check in with a ….” she paused, and the smile slipped. Was she about to say, boyfriend? I didn’t like that thought at all. “My boss and my roommate. They will be worried about me when I don’t check in or get home.”

“Sorry Mia, phones are down. I’ll take you down the mountain tomorrow though if the weather breaks." Part of me was hoping the storm raged on a little while longer. There was something about Mia Caprice. “And you can phone whoever you need to.”

Yeah, there was definitely something different about Mia Caprice.