Page 3 of Her Protective Lumberjack

“Coco!” he calls. “Don’t wait around out there. Come in.”

I hear the strain in his words and see the barely concealed panic in the lines of his face. I’ve never seen Roman look so fearful, not even out on the front lines. The threatening note has shaken him up badly, and I feel a twinge of guilt for being so apprehensive about Chloe staying with me. No matter how inconvenient it is, I need to step up and do the right thing.

There’s the sound of shuffling footsteps outside, slow and reluctant. A moment later, Chloe steps into the cabin. My heart instantly crashes against my ribcage, beating so hard I feel like it’s going to break me open. Adrenaline zips through me, blood pumping in my ears as I stare at her, my mouth falling open.

Holy shit.

She’s beautiful. More than beautiful—she’s fucking divine. Her white blouse does nothing to hide her thick waist and curvy hips, the swell of her cleavage just visible beneath her undone top button. Lusciously plump thighs fill out her pants, and a bolt of desire shoots down to my cock, making it harden against my boxers. But it’s not just Chloe’s curves that are driving me crazy. She has the face of an angel. Her hair is light brown, the color of caramel, and falls to her shoulders in pretty waves. I’m desperate to run my hands through it. My fingers are twitchingat my sides, and I stuff them into the pockets of my jeans, clenching my jaw tight.

Chloe blinks up at me with gorgeous blue-gray eyes, the same color as the mist that rolls over the mountains each morning. She looks nervous as hell and immediately drops her gaze to the floor. I should say something. Speak to her, so that Roman doesn’t wonder why I’m so damn tongue-tied. But he’s not paying any attention to the way I’m staring at his daughter. He’s too busy looking anxiously out of my windows, checking for intruders.

“Uh, Chloe, meet Trace,” he says, glancing back at us for a second before returning his gaze to the shadowy forest.

“Nice to meet you.” My voice comes out as a hoarse croak, like it hasn’t been used for a while. I tentatively remove one hand from my pocket and reach it out to Chloe.

“Nice to meet you too,” she says quietly, not meeting my gaze as she shakes my hand. The contact is like a jolt of electricity rocketing through me. Her hand is warm and soft, but all too soon, she pulls away, adding, “It’s really nice of you to let me stay. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” My throat is so dry that it’s hard to get the words out. I want to tell her that she doesn’t need to thank me—that I’ll do everything I can to make her safe and won’t let anybody hurt her. Now that I’ve met Chloe, protective urges are flooding through me, setting my whole body on edge.

Somebody sent this girl a death threat.

Somebody threatened to harm her.

The thought makes my fists clench, and red-hot rage pulses through me, so all-consuming that it takes me a moment to realize Roman is talking.

“I wish I could stay longer, but I need to get back to Phoenix as fast as possible.” He shoots an apologetic look at his daughter.“The sooner I’m back, the sooner I can put Will Mercer behind bars and let the bastard rot.”

I take a step toward him, trying to keep the rage out of my voice at the thought of Will Mercer, the man who dared to threaten Chloe. “You do what you need to do, Roman. I’ll take care of your daughter. I promise.”

He nods. “I know you will. You’re the only person I trust with Chloe’s life. You and Nolan, if he were still around.” My chest squeezes. Nolan. Haven’t heard that name in a long time, but I’m not surprised how much it still hurts. I swallow down the lump in my throat and shake Roman’s hand, turning away to give him some privacy as he hugs his daughter. He mutters something that sounds like “I love you”, and she says it back in a sweet little voice that turns my heart inside out. Then, with one last nod in my direction, Roman disappears into the night. The sound of his engine turning on breaks the silence of the forest before it fades into nothingness as he drives away.

With a deep breath, I turn to look at Chloe. She’s still staring at the door that her dad just disappeared through, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. A million different emotions hit me as I look at her—they pulse through my veins, making it almost impossible to stand still. I want to protect her, hold her, anything to take away the sadness in her eyes. I want to look after her and keep my promise to Roman—my promise to do whatever it takes to keep his daughter safe. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t ignore the other feeling blooming inside my gut.

Desire.

I want this curvy angel. I want her so fucking badly my body aches with it.

It’s wrong. So fucking wrong. Roman is trusting me to protect her, and I shouldn’t be having these thoughts about his daughter. She’s half my age, young and vulnerable, butgoddammit, the need racing through me is more than I can handle. It’s primal, animal, and it’s going to take all my self-control to keep my distance.

Shit.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Chloe’s arrival was meant to be a little inconvenient, sure. A little awkward. A minor disruption before life returned to normal and she went back to Phoenix with her dad. Instead, it feels like my whole world has been shaken up. I’ve never felt this way before—never reacted to a woman like this—and it’s making my head spin like a fucking tornado.

The silence is stretching between us, but I can’t think of a damn thing to say. Rocky comes to my rescue. He sniffs around Chloe, and she reaches for him, gently stroking his head.

“That’s Rocky,” I tell her. “Rub his belly and he’ll love you forever.”

Chloe’s pretty pink lips curve upward as she fusses over my dog. “What breed is he?”

“Bernese Mountain Dog. He’s a gentle giant.”

“He’s gorgeous.”

She pets Rocky for a little while longer, stifling a yawn with her other hand.

“You must be tired,” I say.

“Yeah.” Her eyes flicker up to mine. “It was a long drive from Phoenix.”

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