“Just go in,” he commands without looking at me.
A small part of me wants to agree and just do as he says, especially when the branches rustle again. But I also don’t scare easily. It could be a bear, but chances of it doing more than wandering around the yard is low. It might just get spooked by the Grinch beside me.
I go to take a step to see what he’s looking at when my foot catches on his boot. Sure as fuck—and much to my embarrassment—I trip into the hulking mountain man with a yelp, and in that moment, something flashes from below as his strong arms curl around me to stop my fall.
I’d recognise that flash of light anywhere. But it’s too late. The rustling becomes louder until all I hear is the crunch of feet on gravel as they run and Grinch curses under his breath.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he hisses, though he doesn’t let me go. I’m smothered against his chest as he breathes hard, his heart pounding beneath my ear.
When I try to pull away, his arms tighten around me, almost like he’s unaware he’s holding me.
I should be fighting him.
But instead, I’m trying not to melt into his hold.
“What is it?” I ask, though I’m not entirely sure the mountain man hears me. His arms just become tighter, holding me like I’m anything but his new assistant.
Mr Abernathy curses under his breath again, and it’s only then that I start to feel him tremble. As much as he’s pissed me off since arriving, I can tell there’s something else wrong, and it’s not just because of a camera.
This isn’t New York. One of the draws of Willow Ridge is the fact that you could be Angelina Jolie and most of the town would leave you alone. When the lodge was still operating, we had our fair share of Hollywood stars visit, from a Spider-Man to rising star, Harper Cabot.
But Mr Abernathy is just a billionaire hiding away. What makes him paparazzi material? Other than his ties to the lodge…but even that doesn’t sit right with me.
Somehow, the trembling becomes enough that I can pull myself out of his embrace and take one of his hands. He allows me to pull him into the cabin, saying nothing as I push the door shut behind us.
I get him to the leather sofa and push him down into it, saying nothing. Only when he’s sitting does he actually look at me, and the way he does has my heart clenching.
His eyes are so full of guilt and shame it takes my breath away. But not only that, there’s fear in his striking blue eyes.
I swallow hard, heart pounding, ready to pull my hand out of his.
“Wait,” he says, voice hoarse. “I—” He blinks hard, clearing his throat, but releases my hand. “Sorry.”
“What was that?” I ask quietly, hesitantly taking the seat beside him. “What happened?”
His jaw clenches as he shakes his head. “Nothing. But you’ll need to keep an eye on the tabloids. It won’t take long for that to hit the front page.”
My brows furrow, but he doesn’t look at me. “Why would a photo of us hit the front page?”
Grinch snorts and rubs a hand down his face, sitting back on the sofa. “You don’t want to know.”
“I need to,” I tell him, trying to keep my voice firm yet gentle. “I’m here for your image, and I can’t do my job properly if I don’t know all the facts. Especially if you’re worried a photo of us will become front page news.”
“Let’s just say I did something, and it’ll have repercussions,” he replies sharply. “That’s all.”
“Does this have something to do with the fire?” I ask, stumbling back a step.
But he rises from the sofa and without looking at me, he walks away.
I startle awakeat the sound of clanging in the kitchen.
For a moment, I’m disoriented, staring around a dark room I know isn’t mine. It isn’t my apartment, and it definitely isn’t my room back on the ranch.
Something crashes again, pulling me out of the darkness and right back to my reality.
I’m in Mr Abernathy’s cabin on Jade Mountain.
And I have a feeling he’s not the type of man to go around rifling through the kitchen at midnight.
