Chapter 2 Lucian
LUCIAN
I score a line in the tree trunk with the blade of my axe, so I know where to aim.
The old pine is too diseased to save, but it will provide plenty of firewood once it’s been felled and cut.
I swing my axe back over my shoulder, slamming it against the gnarled bark until the withered tree topples to the ground with a half-hearted creak.
Once it’s down, I strip it bare and start to chop.
A cool breeze whistles through the trees as I work, but I barely feel the cold.
That’s what growing up in Alaska will do to you.
Fall on Cherry Mountain seems tame by comparison—but it’s not an easy time of year for me.
Nothing to do with the weather. Fall always reminds me of my brother.
Dominic. He’s on my mind as soon as the leaves begin to turn, the memories weighing heavier than ever.
I push away the thought, concentrating on dragging the wood back to my cabin.
Midnight is waiting by the door, purring when I step inside, and I bend down to run a hand over her sleek black fur.
My cat is the only company I have out here, and that’s just how I like it.
Dominic was always the social one. He’d drag me out to parties when we were younger, trying to bring me out of my shell.
But he’s gone now, and I’ve been a recluse ever since, retreating to the quiet of the forest.
After refilling Midnight’s bowl with kibble, I walk outside to the woodshed, storing the chopped-up pine tree inside.
Then I head for the river. There’s been a lot of heavy rain lately, and Sugar Creek is in full flow, crashing through the woods like a storm.
The roar of water fills my ears, stirring up memories I have to force back as I search along the bank for another tree to fell, finally setting my sights on a thick fir.
I angle my axe toward the trunk and score a line, but as I swing my arm back, something catches my eye.
Movement in the trees nearby. A figure drifting toward me.
Dammit.
I feel a flicker of annoyance. I never see people up here—it’s too remote.
Hikers usually stick to other parts of the mountain, following the well-maintained trails and signposts.
But up here, there’s nothing but wilderness.
I set my axe down. It’s too dangerous to chop trees when there are people around, especially dumb tourists who have managed to wander this far from the hiking trails.
I watch the figure impatiently, catching brief glimpses of them between the tree trunks. Finally, a young woman emerges into the clearing. She doesn’t see me. Her eyes are fixed on the river…and my eyes are fixed on her.
Holy shit.
The forest melts away as I take her in. Light filters through the canopy overhead, catching her pastel purple hair, making it shimmer.
Her face is impossibly pretty—soft and rounded—her plump lips parting as she catches her breath.
A cream sweater hugs her full figure, clinging to her in places that make my brain short-circuit, and I can’t stop my gaze drifting down her body.
I stare at her gorgeously thick thighs, wrapped up in blue jeans that show off every curve, and something stirs inside my gut, sending all my blood rushing downward with as much force as the river beside me.
Who the hell is this girl?
She’s not carrying any hiking gear. No backpack. I stare as she reaches the riverbank, biting her lip as she inspects the churning water. She walks along the edge until she reaches the narrowest point of the river.
Shit.
I realize what she’s about to do a second too late.
“Hey! Stop!”
The sound of the river drowns out my warning as the girl loses her footing. My chest tightens with panic as I watch her arms flail, her back slapping down against the muddy bank. I’m already sprinting toward her. She’s sliding feet-first down the bank, scrabbling helplessly at the brown sludge.
“Help!” she cries.
Adrenaline floods through me as I dive to the ground, my chest flat against the mud as I reach down the steep bank.
My arms circle the girl’s trembling body, and I wrench her back from the river, pulling her to safety.
Heart thudding, I help the girl to her feet.
She stumbles a little, but I hold her steady.
Fuck.
A million emotions swirl through me as I take my hands off her shoulders. Being this close to her is enough to make my breath catch, my skin still tingling where I touched her. But as I step back, one feeling bubbles quickly to the surface.
Anger.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I snap.
The words come out rougher than I intend, and as the girl turns to face me, I feel a flicker of guilt.
She’s so damn young—early twenties at most—her olive green eyes blinking up at me anxiously.
A deer caught in headlights. Part of me wants to hold her, comfort her, tell her it’s okay. But another part of me is pissed off.
Why the hell did she jump?
“I…” the girl stutters, tapering off.
“You could have died. You know that? If you fell in, you’d be swept away in a heartbeat.
That water is cold as hell; you’d go into shock…
hypothermia…hell, you could have banged your head on the rocks and been knocked out.
Drowned then and there.” I can’t stop myself from rattling off every grisly scenario, my gut tightening with anxiety as each one paints a vivid picture in my mind. “Anything could have happened.”
The girl presses her lips together, her eyes moist. “I’m sorry…I’m really sorry…”
I soften a little when I hear that sweet voice. She looks so innocent, so ashamed of herself.
“Why did you jump?” I ask, trying to keep my voice gentle.
“I thought I could make it—I’ve made it before. But I didn’t realize it would be so slippery today.” She looks anxiously down at my clothes. They’re sodden with mud and sludge, almost as filthy as hers. We both look like we just took a mud bath. “Oh God, I’m sorry, your clothes are all ruined.”
I shrug. “Doesn’t matter. Main thing is you’re alive.”
Her eyes meet mine, shining with sincerity as she says, “Thank you for saving me. I’m sorry…it was a dumb thing to do. I guess I don’t know these woods as well as I thought.”
It feels mean to keep lecturing her when she’s so apologetic, but I can’t help asking, “Where’s your backpack? Your hiking stuff?”
“Oh, I’m not really a hiker. I’m just taking a quick walk.” She gestures behind her. “I’m staying in a cabin over there.”
I frown. “Holden Mitchell’s place?”
“Yeah. He’s dating my sister. I just moved in with them last month.”
My pulse jumps at this piece of information. Holden Mitchell’s cabin is barely five minutes away from mine.
“Do you live out here too?” she asks.
“Yeah. Holden’s my neighbor.”
“Oh.” The girl smiles, her face lighting up, and for a second I feel like I’m being bathed in sunshine. “Well, that means I’m your neighbor too. I’m Grace.”
“Lucian.”
Grace reaches out a hand like she wants to shake mine, before retracting it when she realizes it’s still caked in mud.
“It’s really nice to meet you,” she says. “And I’m really, really grateful to you for saving me. I promise I’m not usually this dumb…or this muddy.”
I grunt, not sure what to say. Now that Grace is safe, it seems like her fear has washed away, replaced by a bright smile and sparkling eyes.
I’m tongue-tied. Hell, I’ve never been good at talking to people, but it’s impossible to find the words when this beautiful woman is looking up at me so sweetly.
“You’re shivering,” I say eventually, noticing the way her body seems to vibrate against her sweater.
“Only a little.”
She’s covered in cold, wet mud. I need to get her back to Holden’s so she can warm up, but when I tell her this, she looks reluctant.
“I told them I’d be back in an hour,” she says, her teeth starting to chatter. “But, i-it’s only been thirty minutes. They’re not expecting me back yet.”
“So what?” I ask.
“Well, I l-left the house on purpose so that they could…”
“So that they could what?”
Grace’s cheeks pinken. “You know…do the deed.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I’m sure they’d rather stop having sex than let you freeze.”
She smiles at me jokingly. “I w-wouldn’t be so sure. You h-haven’t seen them together. They’re pretty l-loved up.”
I shake my head, beckoning her to follow me. “We’re not gonna sit and wait for you to get hypothermia. You need to get warm.”
She doesn’t argue. Instead, she nods and follows me into the trees, hugging herself for warmth.
I move slowly, shortening my strides so she can keep up, making sure she stays close as we wind through the golden forest. I keep my face impassive as we walk, but inside, my head is spinning with thoughts.
Fuck.
Grace is so damn beautiful—there’s no escaping it.
Every time I look at her, something sparks inside me, an electric current buzzing through my veins.
I’ve never felt this way before—never reacted like this to a woman—and it’s making me fucking crazy.
I can’t stop staring at her, snatching glances out of the corner of my eye.
She’s a stranger, but I already feel drawn to her, a moth to a damn flame.
But it’s not right.
Not at all.
Grace is half my age, barely into her twenties, while I’m a middle-aged grump who just turned forty.
Which means my new neighbor is strictly off-limits.
I need to take her back to Holden’s cabin and forget about her.
Forget about the way she’s stirring me up inside, making my heart squeeze tight every time our eyes meet.
I need to bury these feelings fast.
Before they consume me completely.