6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas

The garage door opened so hard it slammed against the house’s exterior. The sound of it made me jump, leaving me to feel a little foolish. I was just glad no one else had seen my reaction.

An incredibly handsome guy with thick shoulders and a well-trimmed beard emerged from the doorway with trash bags gripped in both fists. The garbage must have been heavy because I could see his muscles flexing beneath his thin white T-shirt. He threw the bags easily into the garbage bins.

He must have been finishing up some last-minute tidying up around the house before my arrival. He pulled his arms behind him like he was stretching his back, and it had the pleasant effect of making his shirt cling to him like a second skin. His broad, masculine chest lit a warmth inside me.

Fuck. How long had it been since I’d been close to a hot guy? Shit, any guy for that matter? I sure as hell hadn’t ever been with a guy that hot, or ripped. Only in my dreams.

My eyes followed the hard lines of his torso down to where the hem of his shirt had risen above his stomach. His jeans hung low on his hips, exposing the V-shaped muscles of his abdomen.

My mouth watered at the sight of him and I couldn’t help but wonder how he looked with the jeans thrown in the corner and his undies pooled on the floor beneath him.

Get ahold of yourself, Emily.

I giggled to myself at my train of thought. Clearly, I needed a boyfriend if the mere sight of a good-looking guy got me all hot and bothered.

The man turned his face in my direction. “Hello?” he called out.

Oh God.

I hoped he hadn’t noticed me eye-banging him from my car like some pervert.

He walked toward me.

“You must be Sean,” I said when he arrived to my car door.

“Right,” he said gruffly. “Emily?”

“Yes.” I nodded but my voice faltered slightly. Janie’s description of him didn’t do him justice. Sean was incredibly handsome. His dark hair was cut casually, and his eyes were a deep, probing blue. He had an air of confidence about him that I found both incredibly sexy and also a little intimidating. I didn’t quite know how to behave around someone who came from a big city, they always seemed more worldly than anyone from this tiny town.

“You brought your resume I assume?”

“Yes, I have it right here.” I took the sheet of paper out of the folder in my purse and handed it to him. “I typically find that the best way for you see if I’d be a good fit for your family, is just to jump in and show you what my routine with the kids would be,” I said.

He flicked his eyes briefly to my face before returning them to my resume. Jesus, this guy was a tough sell.

As he read of the paper, I sat in my car awkwardly and I couldn’t help but feel like he regarded me with some suspicion, or was I imagining it? His voice had been near desperate on the phone yesterday, but now that I stood in front of him, his tone and demeanor suggested arrogance and borderline annoyance even.

“Come in,” Sean said shortly.

I smiled and exited my car, then followed him inside, my eyes roaming over his body. He was tall, much taller than me. It was obvious he took care of himself. As I looked at him, my cheeks flushed. I shook my head and tried to pull myself together. Marveling at the sexiness of my potential boss was not the best way to start my new job. His attitude was probably for the best. It would keep me focused on what I was there for, which was the kids.

“How’s your morning going so far?” I asked, keeping my voice light and casual.

Sean shrugged. “Fine. The kids only just woke up.”

Sure enough, when we walked into the living room, I saw the kids sitting at the kitchen table. They were both still in pajamas. When they turned to look at me, there was trepidation in their eyes that I wasn’t used to. Most kids either looked overjoyed to meet the new caretaker, or they had a troublemaking glint in their eyes. These kids possessed neither. Instead, they simply eyed me closely, waiting for me to speak.

“Tommy,” Sean said. “Sarah. This is Emily.”

I smiled and walked over to sit down with them at the table. I’d found that it was easiest to just make myself comfortable. If I dawdled around awkwardly, the kids became more nervous.

“It’s so nice to meet you guys,” I said brightly.

“You too,” Tommy said politely. His cheeks were red, and his eyes darted between the table and my face.

“So,” I said. “Anyone hungry? How about some breakfast?”

“You can cook?” Tommy asked, surprised.