Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

LUKE

“Mac, you there? Luke, you better pick up, man. It's about Grace—over.” I snatch my handheld radio off the kitchen counter as Jason's voice crackles through the speaker.

At the mention of his sister's name, my jaw clinches. “What about her—over?”

“Goddammit. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days. She's on her way to you, right now—over.” My brows pulled together. Now? What the fuck is going on?

My grip tightens around the handset. “I was out tearing down deer feeders. But what the hell, Jace? I thought she was staying with your aunt in Charleston—over.”

I pull out my satellite phone and punch in Jason’s number. “Change of plans. That psycho Derek found her there. You’re the only one I know who’s crazy enough to live off the grid where he can’t find her. I didn’t have any other choice. I need you to keep her safe, Mac.”

A growl builds in my chest. “For how long?”

“Until the police can catch this guy. Look, she should be there within the hour, but I need you to promise me something.”

I know what's coming. I can hear the edge in Jason's voice, the one that says he's about to lay down the law. Before he can continue and say something to piss me off, I beat him to the chase.

“I'll protect her with my life. You know that.”

“That's not what I'm worried about,” he sighs. “Look, I know how you get. Just... remember that Gracie is my little sister, alright? She's been through hell the last few months. Try not to make it worse, yeah?”

The implication stings, but I can't deny the truth in his words. I've never been good with the fairer sex—with anyone from the civilian world if I was being honest. I've never met Gracie, but I saw a photo of her once about ten years ago when Jason and I were deployed overseas. She’s a cute kid, and thinking of her being in danger makes my blood boil.

“I hear you,” I grunt. “She'll be safe here. I promise.”

When Jason ends the call, I'm left standing in my cabin, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do with a fifteen-year-old girl while the cops track down the creep who’s after her. I scan the room, trying to imagine it through a girl’s eyes. It's sparse and functional but not exactly suitable for a female.

“Shit,” I curse, glancing at my watch when I hear the crunch of tires on snow. What the fuck was Jason thinking sending his baby sister here.

I move to the window and peer out at the beat-up Honda that’s just pulled up. I watch, waiting for her to hop out after she cuts the engine. I can see a silhouette behind the wheel with their head bowed, but the snow is coming down too hard to make out much else. My hand instinctively goes to my sidearm.

Calm the fuck down, Mackenzie. She’s just a little girl.

I force myself to relax when, finally, the driver's door opens, and Gracie’s slim figure steps out, immediately hunching against the biting cold air. Her long blonde hair whips in the wind as she reaches back inside her little sedan and comes back out holding her purse.

Before I even realize what I’m doing, I’m moving towards the door and yanking it open. “Gracie?”

I hear a faint gasp a second before her head snaps up and her wild green eyes meet mine.

My hands shoot out to grab hold of the doorframe as my world shifts on its axis.

“What. The. Fuck?”

Gracie isn't the gangly teenager I remembered. The woman standing in front of me is a fucking goddess. Her body is a work of art with sexy curves in all the right places, and her face is the definition of delicate. The combination makes my mouth go dry. In an instant, I know I'm fucked.

“Luke?” Her voice is soft and hesitant as she takes a careful step forward on my icy porch.

“Careful,” I snap, rushing forward. Instinctively, I wrap my hand around her upper arm. She flinches, and I quickly loosen my grip. “Sorry,” I grunt, unable to take my hands off of her.

“It’s okay,” she whispers, her eyes softening.

“Let's get you inside,” I growl, guiding up the porch steps and through the door.

Kicking the door closed behind us, I release her arm and instantly miss the feeling of her silky skin in my roughened hands. My dick kicks in my jeans, reminding me it’s been way too long since I’d had a woman under me.

“So…” Gracie stutters, her arms wrapping around herself.

“I’m really fucking this up,” I grunt, moving to the hearth to add wood to the fire. “No,” she rushes out. “You’re not. I’m sorry. I know this is a huge imposition. Jason said…”

I glance over my shoulder at her shivering as the snowflakes melt in her hair. She looks lost and so goddamn beautiful it makes my chest ache.

“You're not an imposition,” I say, harsher than I intended. I take a breath, trying to soften my voice. “I’m glad you’re here.”

She nods, another shiver running through her slender frame. Before I can stop myself, I'm reaching for her again and settling my hands on her shoulders. Her body stiffens for a moment, then seems to melt into my touch.

Did she feel the connection too?

“You're freezing,” I murmur, rubbing my thumbs in small circles. “We should get you warmed up.” I had a few ideas of how I’d like to warm her up, but she wasn’t ready for that.

Soon , I told myself as I guided her to the bathroom, flicking on the light. Like the rest of my cabin, the room was clean and efficient. “There are fresh towels on the rack. The hot water takes a minute to come through the pipe, but once it does, there's plenty of it.”

Gracie gifts me with a small smile that does funny things to my insides. “This is perfect. Really.”

I nod as I turn to leave, not trusting myself to speak, when suddenly her hand darts out and grabs hold of my forearm. It’s a simple touch that sends electricity surging through my veins.

I look down to find her watching me through her lashes. The look is soft and submissive, going straight to my dick. “Thank you,” she finally says softly.

Something primal and possessive roars to life inside me. I want to pull her against me, to wrap her in my arms and promise her that I'd burn the world to ashes if it meant keeping her safe. Instead, I clench my fists at my sides and gruffly force out, “There’s no thanks necessary, honey. Jason’s my friend, and I owed him one.”

She tries to hide the flinch from my words, but I catch it before she can. Goddammit. I’m fucking this all up.

“Get cleaned up. I'll find you something dry to wear.” Before I can stick my boot in my mouth again, I flee the bathroom like a fucking pussy.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” I growl under my breath. I've known this woman for all of five minutes, and I'm ready to lay siege at the gates of hell for her. This is exactly the kind of shit Jason didn’t want to happen.

“Clothes. She needs clothes.” Shaking my head at talking to myself, I rifle through my dresser, looking for something that won't swallow her whole, finally deciding on one of my old T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring waist. They'll be too big on her, but it's the best I can do for now. I stomp back down the hall to the bathroom and raise my hand to knock on the door just as she pulls it open.

My eyes roamed over her body, wrapped up in a towel like a Christmas present. Her hair is damp and tousled as drops of water cling to her bare shoulders. A growl rumbled from deep in my chest, and I have to physically restrain myself from reaching out to brush them away.

“Oh!” she gasps, clutching the towel tighter around her perfect breasts. I watch as a blush spreads across her cheeks, and I'm transfixed by the way it travels down her neck to disappear beneath the terrycloth.

“Clothes,” I manage to choke out, thrusting the small stack at her. “They'll be big, but they're dry.”

“Thank you,” she says again, and Christ, I could listen to her sweet voice all day.

With more control than even I knew I possessed, I take a step back. “Get dressed, honey. I'll heat up some food.”

As I head toward the kitchen, I hear the soft click of the bathroom door closing and let out the breath I knew I was holding. My mind races as I pull out leftovers from the fridge and shove them in the microwave. I need a new plan. I had all of ten minutes to prepare for what I thought was going to be some pimple-faced kid. I was not expecting my walking fucking fantasy to show up on my doorstep in the falling snow. The sound of her bare feet padding softly in my direction brings me out of my thoughts.

“Can I help?”