Page 2 of Burly and Possessive

“My name is Ethan Jackson. People call me Jax.” Jax steps forward, extending his hand to me.

I hesitate a moment, then slip my hand into his. A zing of heat lights up my body as his strong hand wraps around mine, and he shakes it.What the hell was that?How can my body respond to this man, when I was set to marry another man earlier today?

“Leesa Doherty,” I say, my knees suddenly a little wobbly as I stand closer to this man and look into his eyes. His gaze contains a fire in them that takes my breath away. Up close, I can see lines on his face that indicate he’s a little older than I am, but he’s easily the sexiest man I’ve ever met. If anything, it makes him even sexier.

“It’s not going anywhere tonight.” He releases my hand and gestures toward my car. “I live a few miles up the road. I can give you a ride to wherever you’re going.”

I hesitate, glancing between my useless car and the stranger in front of me. My gut tells me I should be more careful, more skeptical. I don’t know this man—he could be anyone. But thetruth is, I’m tired. So tired of everything. I don’t have anywhere to go or any way to pay for a hotel, and the thought of standing out here alone in the dark is terrifying.

I don’t have much choice.

“I…don’t know where I’m going,” I admit, wrapping my arms around me and shivering. I explain about my lack of purse and wallet.

I hear the echoes of every warning I’ve ever had about talking to strange men or getting in their car, but right now, I don’t care. Another voice in my head is saying I can trust Jax. Nothing in his eyes or demeanor makes me think he’s a psycho, but I’m clearly not the best judge of men. Look at who I thought I was going to marry.

Jax looks at me for a long moment, as if hesitating. “Come with me,” he eventually says, turning and walking back to his truck.

With a deep breath, I grab my phone and follow him.

He opens the passenger door and holds it for me. “Careful getting in,” he mutters. “You don’t want to damage your dress.”

You have no idea how much I want to burn this damn thing, I think. Instead, I awkwardly lift the layers of fabric and climb into the seat. The truck smells of pine and something smoky, and it’s unexpectedly comforting.

“So,” he says after a few minutes, his voice cutting through the low hum of the engine. “You wanna tell me what happened?”

Heat rises in my cheeks, my heart thudding painfully against my chest. Of course, he’d ask. Who wouldn’t? I mean, it’s painfully obvious what happened because what woman stands on theside of a remote road wearing a wedding dress and with tears running down her face?

“I…walked out of my wedding,” I admit, my voice small as shame fills me. But why should I be ashamed? I didn’t do anything wrong.He did.Still, I can’t help but feel like I did something wrong. Why would he have cheated unless I wasn’t good enough?

He glances at me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. “Care to elaborate?”

I don’t want to, but I force myself to answer. “Not really.” My throat tightens as I speak, the memory of it all filling me with emotions I don’t know how to deal with.

I glance at Jax. He’s handsome in a rugged way—strong jaw, blond hair and beard, broad shoulders. But there’s something else about him, too. Something deeper. He exudes a quiet power that unexpectedly makes me relax a little.

Yet…my body responds to him in ways it shouldn’t. Every time he looks at me, my skin sizzles under his gaze. It’s not like he’s leering at me, but there is definitely something intense going on behind his eyes when he looks at me, but he keeps a distance like a gentleman. Still, my mind races, wondering how he would touch me and how he likes to be touched.

“So, do you have anyone to call?” he asks after a while.

“No,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “Not really. I have people, but I need some space, if that makes sense.” After I’ve said the words, I wonder if I made a mistake.Bride goes missing. Found dead in the wilderness.

Sure, I could call Clara back, or my mom, but what would be the point? My mom will tell me I’m overreacting and should’ve married Derek anyway. My best friend Clara will switch between anger and sympathy, but that’s the last thing I want right now. And as for my ex? I don’t even want to think about what he’ll say if I call him. No, I’m done with all of that. I need space—even from my best friend.

Jax doesn’t push. He nods, his gaze focused on the road ahead.

After a while, we turn down a narrow dirt road, the headlights bouncing over the uneven ground. My nerves twinge as the truck jolts over a bump, but I watch as the trees thin out and an enormous cabin comes into view.

“This is me,” Jax says, pulling up and killing the engine. “Welcome to The Lodge.”

The building is larger than I expected and it looks like a miniature ski lodged, nestled against the mountainside. There’s a porch that wraps around the front and large windows. It’s not what I expected at all.

I blink, staring at the place in front of me. I’ve been so caught up in the whirlwind of today that I didn’t even think about where we were going. Now we’re here, reality hits me all at once. I’m about to stay in some stranger’s home in the literal middle of nowhere.

But when I look at him, I realize I’m not scared. Maybe I should be, but I’m not. I just feel exhausted, and something tells me that I can trust Jax to look out for me, not try to hurt or take advantage of me.

He opens the door and climbs out of the truck, grabbing something from the back before gesturing for me to follow. I stepdown carefully, still struggling with the ridiculous dress, and he leads the way up the porch steps.

“You can stay here tonight,” he says, unlocking the door and pushing it open. “We’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.”

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