His to Protect (3 page)

T
he main lodge
, or Den as it was called, was both cozy and luxurious in a rustic, mountain kind of way. The main living area had vaulted timber beam ceilings and a huge rock fireplace at one end. In the back of the building was a well-stocked gourmet kitchen, where the ladies were told to help themselves to anything at any time, and off to the side was a dining room where everyone would eat, family-style. “Your rooms are just up the stairs here.” Kade led them back through the main room to a spiral staircase that was constructed from the same wood beams as the rest of the Den. At the top of the stairs were six doors, presumably all leading to bedrooms.

“Do you all stay up here, too?” Harper hoped the question sounded a lot more casual than it did in her head but she was curious. Mostly about the dark-haired, ridiculously handsome brother who’d held her hand in hers before he’d disappeared. He’d sparked an electricity in her like she hadn’t felt in years. No, scratch that. She hadn’t felt that type of connection from a man
ever
. It couldn’t possibly hurt to get a few details about him.

“No.” Kade shook his head. “We all have our own cabins out back. It’s better to have a little bit of privacy sometimes.”

Harper shook her head at the obvious way the man was eyeing up Nina. Not that her friend noticed anything. Nina certainly liked to have fun, but when she was on assignment, nothing would distract her. Especially if she thought it might cloud her opinion of what she was working on.

“I like it.” Nina scratched something down in her notebook. “Which one is my room?”

All business.
Harper dutifully followed them up the stairs, only half listening while Nina rattled off a series of questions. Before going into the room Kade pointed out as hers, she paused and took another look around, hoping Axel had appeared. Still nothing. Not that it mattered, she told herself. It didn’t.

A spark was just that. A spark. It wasn’t anything more than that. If it was even that. It was entirely likely it had just been so long since she’d been touched by a man that her body didn’t know how to react.

Yes. That was probably it.

With a sigh, she left Nina, who was still peppering Kade with questions about the amenities in her room, and retreated to her own space. She was pleasantly surprised with the room. It wasn’t overly large, but it had the same rustic charm the rest of the Den had. She sat and bounced on the bed.
Not bad. Comfy and it would be just the right size for two...
She let the thought drift away.

How did she manage to go from a handshake to a romp in the bed? Harper flopped back on the bed and groaned just as the door opened.

“What’s wrong?”

She didn’t bother to sit up and look at Nina, not that it mattered because a moment later, her best friend laid down next to her. Harper turned and propped her head up on her elbow. “Nothing.” She sighed. “Okay, everything.”

Nina laughed. “No kidding. But this trip will help. I promise. What do you think so far?”

“Gorgeous.” Harper didn’t clarify about who or what exactly she thought was gorgeous, but judging by the way Nina wiggled her eyebrows, she’d figured it out.

“Right? Maybe that’s just the brand of gorgeous you need to distract yourself right now?”

Harper sat up and stared at her friend. “I can’t do that!”

“Why not? It’s not like you’re working. Cut loose and have some fun.”

“I’ve never done anything like that,” Harper protested. She wasn’t the type to have a random fling with someone. At least she never had been the type. Of course, she’d been married to a gay man for the last ten years.

“Harper. Seriously.” Nina sat up and stared at her. “The only reason you haven’t done anything like that before is because you have some warped sense of commitment. If you ask me, you should have let loose years ago. You are way overdue for some fun. And an orgasm.”

Harper groaned. Nina was right. She was way overdue for an orgasm, that was for sure. “Okay,” she said before she realized the word had come out of her mouth. “Why not? And you’re right. I need to have a little fun.”

Nina clapped her hands and bounced on the bed. “Perfect, because tonight, after the scheduled activities, apparently there’s a group dinner and drinks downstairs. Everyone should be there.” She wiggled her eyebrows again.

“Everyone? As in...”

“All the brothers. I saw the way you looked at Axel and I don’t think anyone missed the way he was looking at you. I swear I almost heard him growl.”

Harper laughed and went to look at herself in the mirror. In her skinny jeans and cotton t-shirt that hugged all her curves in just the right places, she did look good. She flipped her hair back over her shoulder, turned and offered a hand to Nina. “Well, let’s get on with it then. The sooner this day is over, the sooner it will be dinner time.”

F
or the majority
of the day, Axel had managed to avoid Harper. Not that he wanted to. Hell, what he wanted was exactly the opposite. His animal wanted to hunt her down and claim her. Hard and fast. Which was exactly why he needed to keep his distance. He couldn’t risk the future of Grizzly Ridge just because he had some sort of urge.

Some sort of urge.
He snorted as he stepped into the hot shower. That was an understatement.

It was more than an urge. A lot more. From the moment he laid eyes on Harper and scented her on the air, his bear had been wide awake and ready to roar. It wasn’t an urge. It was a primal need to have the woman.

“Dammit.” Axel turned and cranked the tap to the right. A hot shower wasn’t going to help a dammed thing. The icy water hit him with a sting, but it had little effect on calming his desire.

After rushing through his shower, Axel tried to figure out how to get out of joining the group for dinner. It would be pure torture to sit across from Harper, with those round, full breasts straining against her t-shirt, just waiting for him to reach over and tear the thin cotton from her—
no
. He had to stop letting those thoughts in. They’d been driving him crazy all day and it was beyond ridiculous considering he didn’t know a single thing about her. Except her name.

And her scent.

That was enough.

A knock on his cabin door distracted him from his thoughts, which was a damn good thing considering they were only taking a turn for the dirtier.

“Who’s there?”

The door opened and Luke walked in. “I see you’re still in a mood.”

Axel glared at him but didn’t deny it as he grabbed a shirt from his drawer and pulled it over his head. “What do you want?”

“Time for dinner. You need to be there.”

“Not going.”

“To hell you’re not.” Luke leaned his bulk against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “You’re supposed to be the face of Grizzly Ridge and so far you’ve spent the entire day hiding in the woods like a little—” He broke off when Axel growled at him. “Whatever,” Luke said. “Get your ass in gear. You’re coming.”

“Try not to forget who’s in charge here.” Axel rarely pulled rank. It wasn’t usually an issue. Of course, he’d never had the scent of his potential mate driving him crazy before. “I make the decisions around here.”

“Right.” Luke clenched his jaw and pushed up from the doorjamb. “Well,
boss.
I’m sure you’ll feel good about your decision to skip dinner knowing that for the last hour, since their hike, our guests have been in the Den. The reporter started working on her piece, but her friend, Harper”—Luke paused and made eye contact with his brother—“she’s been in the kitchen, drinking wine and helping Kade cook.”

At the mention of Harper spending time with Kade, especially if alcohol was involved, Axel’s bear reared up. Jealousy and protectiveness overwhelmed him. He shoved his feet into his boots and without another word, pushed past Luke on the way out of the cabin.

“That’s what I thought,” he heard Luke mutter, but he didn’t bother turning around. He had bigger problems: if Kade laid one hand on his female, he’d kill him. Brother or not.

H
arper watched
as Kade poured her another glass of wine. She shouldn’t be drinking so much, so fast, but she couldn’t help it. The wine tasted fabulous. Besides, she was on vacation. And Nina was right: she deserved to have a little fun. Maybe even a lot of fun.

Too bad she hadn’t seen Axel all day. Not since that first meeting. Kade said something about how his oldest brother was in charge of running things at Grizzly Ridge, which made it seem even stranger that he’d totally vanished, but she wasn’t going to dwell on it. She’d had a good time on the hike Luke led them on. The mountains really were beautiful and so peaceful. She’d been completely energized by the time outdoors and when Nina excused herself to rest and write, Harper had been too keyed up to do the same.

Thankfully, Kade had been good company. She was perched on a stool at the counter of the gourmet kitchen, watching him prepare what started to smell as if it would be a mouthwatering dinner.

She lifted the glass to her lips and took another deep sip. “I probably shouldn’t be drinking so much before I’ve had something to eat.” She giggled. “How many glasses is that, now?”

“Nobody’s counting.” Kade winked at her and flashed a toothy grin. “You’re on holidays.” He was handsome. Very handsome. He had the same rugged good looks as his brothers. They all looked so similar, yet so incredibly different at the same time. Luke was fair, almost like a California surfer, while Kade’s hair was darker, more of a chestnut with gold flecks. He was a bit shorter than the others, although all three of them loomed over Harper’s five seven. She’d never considered herself to be short, but compared to the Jackson brothers, she felt positively petite. And then there was Axel. Dark and dangerous. At least that had been her immediate impression when he’d touched her. His eyes were such a deep brown they almost looked black when they’d bored into her, locking her gaze. A chill went through her just thinking of Axel and the sizzle she’d felt from him.

“Are you cold? I can light a fire in the main room.” Kade grabbed a towel and wiped his hands. “Let me just—”

“No,” she interrupted him. She didn’t want to sit in the living room by herself. Not when she was enjoying the company so much. She certainly didn’t have the same attraction to Kade as she did his older brother, but the more time that went by without seeing Axel, the more she couldn’t help but think she’d imagined their connection. Besides, it’s not as though she had a lifetime to spend at Grizzly Ridge. She was only going to be there for a few days and dammit if she didn’t have an itch to scratch. Axel definitely would be her first choice, but she was tired of men who didn’t want her.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe she was just sick and tired of not going after what she wanted. Or thought she wanted. Whatever it was, before she could overthink it, Harper reached out and grabbed Kade’s arm. “I’m fine,” she said. “I’d rather stay right here.”

Kade’s eyes sparked. He was a smart man and clearly caught on quickly. His lip quirked up in a grin. “Sounds good to me,” he said. “Sounds very—”

“Kade!”

The swinging door to the kitchen crashed open. Harper jumped off her stool and spilled her wine on the floor. Axel’s bulk filled the doorway and even from across the room, Harper could see his eyes darken. Fear flashed through her and instinctively she took a step back just as Kade stood tall and crossed his arms across his chest. “Axel,” he said calmly.

With two long strides, Axel crossed the room and stood toe-to-toe with his brother. From up close, the size difference between the two was obvious. Axel loomed over him, and his obvious anger made him seem even larger. Or more ferocious. Either way, Harper took another step back. “Keep your paws off my”—he glanced quickly in her direction—“
our
guest,” he spoke through clenched teeth.

“Settle down, big guy.” Kade held his hands up in front of him. It was obvious he was trying, but failing, in an effort not to smile. “I was just keeping Harper company and sharing some wine. Don’t get all—”

“It looked like a lot more than that.”

Was that jealousy in his voice?
A thrill went through her. She’d never had anyone be jealous over her before. Even if it was unwarranted. Or was it? Hadn’t she just been considering Kade as an alternative to his brother for a fling? Although now that she saw Axel again, she couldn’t imagine what she’d been thinking. Her whole body reacted to his presence, from the tips of her fingers that itched to reach out and touch him, all the way to the damp spot between her legs. Oh yes, there was no doubt her body had a reaction to this man. A strong one.

“It was nothing.” Harper stepped forward. Axel turned to her and their eyes locked. Her stomach flipped and she had to swallow hard. “I was just telling Kade I was a bit chilly and he suggested a fire in the great room. Maybe you’d like to light it for me?” She took another step until she stood right in front of him, so close they almost touched, and she could feel the heat radiate off him.
Forget the fire. All she needed was Axel.
Preferably naked and in her bed.

One thing at a time.

Harper forced what she hoped was an innocent smile. “If you wouldn’t mind?” She reached out and let her fingers trail lightly across his bare forearm.

I
f I wouldn’t mind
?
Axel’s brain raced; his heart beat even harder.
If I wouldn’t mind indeed,
he thought.
I wouldn’t mind throwing you over my shoulder and marching your sweet ass right out of here is what I wouldn’t mind.

He swallowed and caught her hand in his. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

And just like that, the jealous rage he’d felt when he’d burst into the kitchen and seen Kade touching his female was gone. Her touch had calmed him while at the same time energizing him. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He didn’t move right away, and it wasn’t until Kade cleared his throat loudly and shoved a bottle of wine and two glasses at them that Axel released Harper’s hand and stepped back.

“Enjoy,” his brother said with an obvious laugh in his voice. “Dinner will be ready soon.”

He led the way out into the great room and poured them each a glass before he turned his attention to the fireplace. He spent a little longer than absolutely necessary building the fire up but he needed the time to gather his thoughts together. Never before had he felt such a pull toward a female. And he knew she felt something too. He could smell her arousal on the air. It was a heady, sweet scent that filled his senses and made it even harder to focus on the task at hand.

He was an expert fire starter, but he fumbled through the process. Finally, when the fire was roaring, he backed away and turned to see her lounging with her legs curled up underneath her on the large leather sofa. She wore an oversized sweater that hid too much of her beautiful body from his eyes, but he let his eyes linger on the swell of her ass and the length of her legs that were covered in form-fitting denim. He swallowed a growl at the idea of running his hands along those curves and tearing the clothing from her body until he could see every inch of her.

“That’s hot.”

Axel started.
Had she read his thoughts?

“The fire,” she clarified with a laugh. “It’s hot. Thank you. I’m not chilly anymore.” She sat up and pulled her sweater over her head to reveal the very same skintight t-shirt that had formed an integral part of his daydream. His bear roared within him. He wanted—no, he needed—to claim this woman.

Judging from the way she looked at him, and the seductive way she ran her tongue along her lower lip, she knew exactly what effect she had on him.
Well, maybe not exactly the effect
, he thought as he forced his bear to stay calm,
but if she wasn’t careful, she was going to find out.

“I’m glad I could help.” He crossed the room, and despite the fact that he knew exactly how dangerous it was to be in close proximity, he took his glass of wine and sat next to her on the couch. “Are you enjoying your time at the Ridge so far?”

She nodded but then shook her head.

“You’re not?”

“No,” she said quickly. “I am. But I couldn’t help but wonder where you were today?” She bit her lip and Axel had to look away to keep himself from biting it, too.

“I was working.” He took a healthy swallow of wine. “But I’m here now.” And he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. He’d been a fool to stay away from her all day. Yes, keeping his hands off her was going to prove to be challenging, but just being in her presence tamed his bear in a way that it’d never been before. It would be worth the effort of behaving. “Is there anything I can do for you to make your stay even more enjoyable?”

Y
ou could throw
me down on this couch, slide those big hands up my body and kiss me like I was the last woman on earth.
That might make my stay a little more enjoyable.

Harper swallowed hard and forced herself not to look away. She was playing way outside her comfort zone. Maybe it was the wine giving her just enough courage, or the wildness of the mountains, or the fact that she really had nothing to lose, but she’d never been very good at flirting with men—or doing anything with men, really. Staying married to Trent had done a number on her self-esteem and in the not so distant past, she would never have considered such open flirting with a man. But she’d never had a man like Axel in front of her before. He brought out something totally different in her. Something she wanted to explore further.

“You look like you want to say something,” he said after a moment. His dark eyes sparkled with humor. He knew damn well what she wanted to say.

She took another gulp of wine, set the glass down and turned to face him.
Here goes nothing.
“I think it would make my stay a lot more comfortable if you kissed me.”

The second the words were out of her mouth, Harper could hardly believe she’d said them. But it was almost as if speaking her desire gave her more power because, to her surprise, she wasn’t even remotely worried about his response. Especially because the moment she spoke, his eyes darkened with desire. Before she could spare another thought for how he might react, he reached out, wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her toward him until their faces were only inches apart. “I think I might be able to help you out with that.” His voice was low and deep and caused a rush of heat through her body. And then his lips were on hers, hungry and hot. A sound, something between a sigh and a moan, escaped her lips. It only seemed to encourage him, and the kiss deepened.

This could get out of hand very quickly.

Perfect.

She reached up with the desperate need to run her hands through his hair and tug him closer, but before she could, he jerked away. Seconds later, Nina’s voice rang out in the hallway above them.

“Harper! Where are you? You’ve got to see this.”

She stared at Axel.
Had he heard Nina coming? How was it even possible?
She wanted to ask him, but before she could get the words out, he hopped up off the couch.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Sorry?”

He bent down, so only she could hear him. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Shouldn’t have—”

“There you are.”

Harper turned away from Axel to see Nina running down the stairs. She turned back, but Axel was at the fire, his strong, broad back to her as he fed more logs in.
Shouldn’t have done what?
She wanted to scream. He should have done exactly that. And more. Her body burned with the heat he’d ignited in her. She wanted more. Needed more.

“Harper?”

Right. Nina.
She turned back to her friend, who looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What?”

“You have to see this.” Nina thrust an iPad into her hands.

She scanned the website in front of her. “What am I looking at?”

“This.” Nina jabbed a finger at the screen. “Bentley Images and Public Relations is under investigation for fraud and embezzlement. Look.”

The hair on the back of her neck pricked up and the room suddenly got very cold.

“What?” She scanned the article. And then again. With every word she read, it got harder to breathe. “I don’t…what…where is this from?”

“It’s the
Times
.”

“This is true?” Harper looked up to her best friend. She knew Nina would have already done her due diligence and checked the sources before she’d bring anything like this to her.

Nina nodded, confirming it. “And you’ve been named in the suit. In fact…” Harper knew she wasn’t going to like what her friend was about to say. She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, giving her permission to continue. “Trent has already issued a release saying it was all you and he didn’t know anything about it.”

Her eyes snapped open and she jumped to her feet. “He what?”

“I’m sorry, Harper. But the best defense is a strong offense. You need to call your lawyer right away and get on top of this.”

“He planned it.” She shook her head and wandered to the window, where she gazed out at the darkening sky.
The sun set earlier in the mountains.
It was a random thought, especially given everything else she had to worry about, but it was the one that stuck with her. “How could he do this…after everything…”

“Harper.” Nina grabbed her arm and spun her around. “You need to focus.”

Harper stared at her friend before she let her gaze drift over to Axel, who watch silently. “I can’t call my lawyer,” she said slowly. “He’s Trent’s lover.”

As she spoke the words, the reality of her situation sunk in. Her gay husband, whom she’d shared a decade with as friends and business partners, had plotted and planned not only to leave her in a spectacular media frenzy, but also, and more painfully, was going to completely ruin her.

She wanted to crumple into a ball and cry. But more than that, she wanted to get back in that helicopter, fly down the mountain and hunt him and his weaselly boyfriend down until they both screamed for mercy.

“You can use mine.”

Harper’s head snapped up. “What did you say?”