Grim Mountain Man And the Curvy Runaway
(2026)(Book 21 in the Sexy Mountain Man Flame series)
A novel by Emily Crescent
He shut the door on the blizzard—and didn't let me go.
He's Elias Thornton: mountain-rough, flannel that smells of cedar and coal, hands like anchors, voice that orders warmth and keeps promises. He moves like he owns the ridge. He also wears a haunted look that says he lost someone to the snow and swore he'd never fail again.
I stumbled to his porch with wet boots and a bruised rib. He fed me stew. He wrapped me in a wool blanket. He bandaged the crescent bruise with fingers that stayed longer than necessary. He watched me sleep like he was guarding a live thing. We argued. We kissed. We promised rules—ask, check in, stop when it hurts—and then we made love slow and fierce and honest.
Then town notices. Jonah asks questions. A stranger's truck idles on the road. My past shows up on a cold night and I think I can run away and be safe. Or I can stay and let him fight for me.
He says he'll stay. He says he'll tell me when he's drowning. He says he won't make me small. Can I trust him with my freedom—and with my heart—when the man waiting at the road wants to take both?
Genre: Romance
He's Elias Thornton: mountain-rough, flannel that smells of cedar and coal, hands like anchors, voice that orders warmth and keeps promises. He moves like he owns the ridge. He also wears a haunted look that says he lost someone to the snow and swore he'd never fail again.
I stumbled to his porch with wet boots and a bruised rib. He fed me stew. He wrapped me in a wool blanket. He bandaged the crescent bruise with fingers that stayed longer than necessary. He watched me sleep like he was guarding a live thing. We argued. We kissed. We promised rules—ask, check in, stop when it hurts—and then we made love slow and fierce and honest.
Then town notices. Jonah asks questions. A stranger's truck idles on the road. My past shows up on a cold night and I think I can run away and be safe. Or I can stay and let him fight for me.
He says he'll stay. He says he'll tell me when he's drowning. He says he won't make me small. Can I trust him with my freedom—and with my heart—when the man waiting at the road wants to take both?
Genre: Romance