Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
I take it, eyeing her. She holds my gaze, not backing down. The air crackles. I know what she’s doing. Testing me. Seeing how far she can push before I push back. I take a slow sip, never breaking eye contact. Then I lower the mug and mutter, “Hope you didn’t poison it.”
Her lips curve. “Not yet.”
Grady lets out a low whistle. “Yeah. He’s done for.”
Fox nods. “Over before it even started.”
Liam smirks. “Bet he’s in love before winter.”
Palmer freezes.
So do I.
The room goes dead silent.
Then, like she’s shaking something off, she lets out a fake laugh. “Not a chance.”
I smirk, slow and sure. “That a challenge?”
Her eyes narrow. “You wish.”
I take another sip of coffee, fighting the grin tugging at my lips. This woman. She’s trouble. And I think I like it. But still, I just can’t shake the sense that whatever is haunting her past isn’t over. What kind of fool would ever let her go? If this woman was mine I’d never let her out of my sight–much less head across the country to shack up with a stranger in the mountains. Whatever life this woman left behind is still dogging her, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.
Chapter Four
Palmer
The wind shifts, carrying the scent of pine, damp earth, and something unmistakably him.
Hudson Kane walks beside me, his long strides effortlessly eating up the rough terrain my first morning in Devil’s Peak. I struggle to keep up, my legs burning with each step up the incline. I hardly slept last night, even though Hudson was a perfect gentleman and slept on the couch. Just being so near a strong, masculine man has me on edge in the very best ways.
"You sure this isn't just a ploy to get me lost in the woods so you can reclaim your bachelor lifestyle?" I tease, wiping sweat from my brow.
He grunts, barely sparing me a glance. "If I wanted you gone, you'd already be on a bus back to the city, darlin’."
I snort. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."
He stops abruptly, turning to face me. The sun filters through the trees, catching in his dark hair, making the sharp angles of his face even more intimidating. His eyes lock onto mine, that deep, stormy gray gaze stripping me bare.
"You think I'm trying to be sweet?" His voice is rough, edged with something dangerous.
I swallow hard. "No."
He steps closer. "Good. 'Cause I don’t do sweet."
I don’t move back. I should. My brain screams at me to create distance, to remind myself that this man is temporary, that this entire setup is nothing but a convenient lie. I just need to lay low for a while, figure out my next move, and give Malcolm enough time to forget me.
But my body?
It leans in, heat pooling low in my belly at the way he looks at me, like he’s seconds from pinning me to the nearest tree and devouring me whole.
He inhales slowly, as if he can smell my reaction. Then, just as quickly, he turns and keeps walking.
"Keep up, city girl," he calls over his shoulder. "Not gonna slow down just 'cause you packed heels instead of hiking boots."
I roll my eyes and pick up the pace, determined to keep up with this broody, oversized man who makes my pulse trip over itself with a single look.
Hudson stops at the edge of a rocky clearing, motioning toward the vast expanse of forest below. "This is the south boundary. My land runs all the way to the river bend."
I glance around, taking in the sheer isolation. No traffic. No city lights. No noise except the wind rustling through the pines and the occasional distant call of a bird.
"You own all of this?" I murmur, more to myself than to him.
He nods, eyes scanning the tree line. "My family’s been here for generations. Kane men don’t belong anywhere else."
I wrap my arms around myself. "Must be nice. Knowing exactly where you belong."
Something flickers across his face. It’s gone before I can name it.
Then he shrugs. "You belong somewhere too."
I swallow hard, dropping my gaze. If only it were that simple. I don't get the chance to respond, though—because suddenly, Hudson tenses. I feel it before I see it. A shift in the air. A prickle down my spine. Then—movement.
A man steps through the trees, rifle slung over his shoulder, a lazy smirk on his face. His eyes skim over me first—assessing, interested—before flicking to Hudson.
"You ain’t usually out here this time of day, Kane." The man’s voice is easy, but there’s something in his gaze I don’t like.
Hudson shifts subtly, placing himself in front of me. "Didn’t realize I needed to check in with you."
The guy chuckles, unfazed. "Just surprised to see you with company." His eyes drift to me again, lingering this time. "Don’t think we’ve met."