Chapter One

Dot

I swing open the front door and try not to drool. This isn't a normal, everyday occurrence. I don't commonly drool when I open the door, but today is different. Today, there's a giant in my doorway. A thick, inked up, bearded giant. The kind of giant I've only read about in romance novels.

"Ma'am?"

Ma'am? I'm younger than him. Far younger. I'd guess nearly twenty years younger. He should be calling me miss or hot young thing.

I laugh at myself and clear my throat, wrapping my robe tighter around my frame. I didn't know there was company coming, so I'm still bumming around in my nightgown. "Yes. How can I help you?"

He scans his eyes from left to right, as though I should know why he's here. "I'm Hank. Hank from Rugged Mountain Security. We have an appointment today at noon to install cameras on your property."

I glance toward the man with narrowed brows. "No, we don't." There was probably a nicer way to say it, but my body is confusing me now. I want him to stay, but not because I want cameras installed all over the property.

He glances down at his phone, then turns the screen toward me. "Is the owner of the house Mr. Benjamin Gray?"

My heart fills like a heavy, lead brick that sinks into my stomach.

My father.

I edge the door closed. Clearly, this isn't going to turn into the sexual escapades of a romance novel. "Yeah, no. You cannot come in and I'll be contacting the property owner. Thank you."

The man steps forward, sliding his hand between the door and the frame. I could keep shutting the door, but I'm not trying to hurt anyone… yet.

"So, you're not the owner of the home, then? Is the owner here, by any chance?"

I huff out a sigh and shake my head. I hope I look as annoyed as I'm trying to look. "No, he's not, but I live here. So—"

"So, you're the renter?"

I roll my eyes. Again, I hope he notices. "No."

"Look… we got a call from Mr. Gray to come out and install security cameras on the property, so do you know when he'll be back?"

In a romance novel, this man would take my word for the camera thing, pack up his tools, tell me I'm beautiful, and fuck me like a wild man in the back of his truck. Here in real life, he's still asking about my father.

Real life is boring.

The sound of rocks popping beneath tires fills the air and I close my eyes, dragging in a deep breath.

Speak of the devil.

I love my father. I know he means well, but this is insanity.

Hank turns around to acknowledge the Chevy truck that's pushing up the driveway. Of course, Dad's here, and of course he didn't call me first. Why would he do that?

Suddenly, I no longer matter. The second Dad climbs down out of the truck, the giant has diverted his attention toward my father.

"Sir," he reaches out his hand, "I'm Hank from Rugged Mountain Security. I'm here to install your cameras."

Dad nods and tells the man to get to work.

Awesome.

"No." I wrap my robe tighter and storm toward my father. Rocks poke at my bare feet, but I ignore them, favoring the rampage I'm on. I can't look weak. "What are you doing? You can't install cameras here. I deserve my privacy!"

He rolls his eyes and nods toward the man who's stopped in his tracks. I'm sure it must be awkward for him to be set in the middle of a family feud, but I'm not going to roll over and let my dad take over my life just because of one weird encounter with one weird guy.

"You have your privacy, Dot. Now, you'll also have security. You're the only one who has access to the cameras. They're for you."

"Dad," I sigh and tilt my head to the side, "seriously?"

"This'll keep you from getting into a situation like the one you had in Seattle."

Seattle was a different world. People were raised differently up there. Folks had different values and men didn't have the same western attitude toward women that they have on this mountain. I'm all for equal rights, but I also like that old-fashioned kind of love. The one where a man courts you and protects you. The men out here are raised like that. The men in Seattle think protecting a woman is taking away her rights and claiming they're not.

"I came back because I was keeping myself safe, Dad. I don't need cameras too. Besides, we both know you're going to be watching these things like a hawk. It's in your blood. I don't want my father spying on me constantly."

He rolls his eyes and leans against the front gate of his truck. "Dot, you're a grown woman and I'm a busy man. I just need to know that my daughter is safe. That's all." I know he's biting back the part about this being his property, which I appreciate considering I'm not actually paying rent or utilities. "I'll make sure you have all the passcodes. This isn't for me. It's for you."

I roll my eyes and huff out another heavy sigh as I watch the security man walk into the house with a few cameras in his hand. "In the house, too? You know outsiders can hack these things and use them against you, right? People are hacking baby monitors all the time. They convince people to do weird shit, or they threaten to show video of them naked all over the internet."

Dad nods. "I thought of that, and I did my research on the type of cameras to use and which security company to use them from."

"Dad, there's one security company in town. You had no choices."

"I called out to someone in the Springs, but these guys have military experience, and they are using the best technology." He reaches out and brushes my arm in what's supposed to be comfort. "I love you. You scared the hell out of me in Seattle. Can we just agree that during this transition, the cameras are necessary? When you move out, you can make all the decisions you want." He glances down at his phone. "I have to pick up some cattle this morning. I just wanted to stop by and make sure you let this man in." He kisses my forehead. "You'll forget they're there in a week."

I bite the inside of my cheek and push down the heartburn that's rising in my esophagus. My father climbs up in his truck and leaves as the sound of a drill whirrs behind me.

Worrying about me is one thing. I get that part. I'm his only daughter. Going insane and invading my privacy is something completely separate, but I don't have any ground to stand on. I left Seattle in a rush, and I still haven't found a job out here, which means I'm living off savings. I use the term ‘savings ' lightly. I have about eight hundred dollars to get through until I find a job. I've applied everywhere in town, but going into the fall, there isn't much available work to be had. The town doesn't shut down over the darker months, but we see far less traffic, which means much less need for help.

The drilling stops and the man reappears outdoors. "All set. I'll give you the tour and show you how to work everything."

I roll my eyes and bite my bottom lip. I'm not sure why I want him to know I'm so annoyed. Maybe it's because he's the only one here to take it. Or maybe it's because being annoyed with him is far easier than asking him to bend me over right here and now.

"Yeah, I guess I want a tour." I follow the man around the side of the house, watching as his giant biceps flex and move. He's pointing to cameras and talking about some buttons I can push. I should pay attention, but now I'm captivated with his tattoos like he's a snake charmer.

I'm a simpleton, but maybe he's what I need for security. I need him outside, pacing the cabin twenty-four hours a day. A tattoo on his left shoulder shows a symbol for one of the branches of the military but I can't make out which one. I wonder what he did. Whatever it was, I'm sure he could stand guard in between the times he's indoors ravishing my body.

My clit throbs.

When did I become such a fucking horn dog?

"This one right here can be moved with the app. You just need to download it on your phone and use the directional arrows." He shows me how it works on his security pad, then leads the way into the house.

Inside the cabin, Hank dwarfs everything. He's so big that suddenly my chairs look too small, the counter looks too short, and the ceiling could use a raise. He doesn't bother to kick off his boots, though, which annoys me. Instead, he carries dirt through the house as he points left and right to cameras in nearly every room.

His biceps have me losing notice of the dirt, though.

I need help.

That, or I need to have sex. It's been years. At this point, I'm surprised all my decision making isn't based on the direction my clit points me in.

He stares down at the control pad. "All the cameras can be turned off using this tablet or the app. It's the same thing to turn them on. You can also send an alert to our office by pressing this red emergency button."

"And what if there's an intruder?" There won't be an intruder, but I figure I should show some interest.

"If an internal alarm is activated, the police are called, and we're notified as well. We always send someone out to check tripped alarms so you can expect us to come with the police." We wander through the back room, and I notice cameras everywhere.

"Was the bedroom and the bathroom necessary?"

"Your father said every room." The man is stoic, and his shoulders are back. His tone is deep and raspy as he says, "You can shut every room off individually if you wish. Again, you just press these buttons." He points toward the pad.

I nod and drag in a deep breath. Is there no part of this where I get a complimentary orgasm, because I could really use the relaxation at this point. I nearly laugh as the thought crosses my mind.

The giant man stares down. His eyes are really blue in this light. He passes his card toward me, and our fingers brush together. A spark rattles through me, but I'm not sure it's mutual. "Call me if you need anything. I'm just a few miles up the road."

I nod and linger on his gaze.

How do you tell if attraction is mutual? I've never really understood that part. It's probably because I overthink everything. I mean, he's looking at me, his mouth has dropped open, he's swallowed hard twice, and then he looked away quickly.

Is that interest or is that desperation to get away? The line between the two seems thin. Either way, my clit throbs and as he walks out the door, I wonder if I'll ever see him again.