Page 4 of Burly and Possessive

“You look good.” The words come out before I can stop them, and they’re not enough to describe what I truly think. She’s so beautiful, even now—her face scrubbed clean, her eyes red from crying, and her hair wet. This woman is perfect.

She sits at the table and wraps the flannel tighter around herself. “You didn’t have to do all this.”

“Yeah, I did.” I grab the glasses and hand one to her before sitting across from her. “Here you go.” I place the lasagna infront of her and give her the glass of whiskey. “Eat. Drink. It’ll help.”

She eyes the glass warily but eventually takes a small sip, her fingers trembling around the tumbler.

I lean back, nursing my drink as I watch her. She’s trying to hold it together, but the cracks are showing.

“You’re not going to ask?” she finally questions, her voice quiet.

She takes a bite of the lasagna, and her eyes flutter with happiness. I make a mental note to thank my sister Olivia for bringing the lasagna over. I know my way around a kitchen, but I don’t tend to cook things like lasagna. Olivia knows this and she often preps another pan of food when she cooks for her family.

“Ask what? From how I found you, I’m guessing you ran out of your wedding.”

She closes her eyes for several seconds. “Why I left. And yes, I did.”

I recognize the signs of her fighting her emotions in the same way I’ve seen my sisters do.

I shake my head. “That’s your business. You don’t owe me an explanation.”

She gives a short laugh and stares at me. “That’s a first.”

I let the comment slide, keeping my eyes on her. If she wants to talk, she will. I’m not going to push her.

We eat our food and head back to the living room. Leesa sits at the end of the couch, clutching a pillow to her and squeezing tightly. How I wish I could lift the pain that she’s so clearlyexperiencing. I want to do unspeakable violence to the man who made her feel this way.

“I—” She hesitates, her voice small. “I caught him with the wedding planner. I went to look for her and found them together, right before the ceremony.”

My grip tightens on my glass, the whiskey sloshing against the sides. “The bastard,” I swear.

She blinks at me and nods. “Yeah. I should’ve seen it coming. Things weren’t bad, but our relationship didn’t seem as…deep as it is for other friends of mine.”

I force myself to keep my voice even. If this goddess thinks a man cheating on her isherfault, she has no idea how beautiful and strong she is. “That’s not on you.”

She shrugs stiffly. I’m absolutely certain she doesn’t believe me.

“I walked out, got in my car, and drove. I didn’t know where I was going. I just needed to get away.”

“You did the right thing.”

She nods, tucking her legs underneath her and clutching a pillow to her stomach. “I suppose. I didn’t mean to end up on this mountain. I started driving and just followed the road. This is where it led me.”

“Well, you’re here now,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “And I don’t let people suffer on the side of the road. It’s not how we do things around here. You can stay as long as you need. I’ll take care of you.”

The tension in her shoulders eases slightly, and she leans her head back against the couch. The lamplight casts a soft glow overher face, and I can’t look away. Seeing Leesa on the side of the road was like finding a goddess.

She’s not mine. She walked out of her wedding hours ago, for God’s sake. But the thought of her being hurt—or worse, alone out there—stirs something unfamiliar and so powerful that it feels like my entire soul is on fire.

“I’ll call my sister in the morning,” I say, breaking the moment before it gets too heavy. “She’ll know what to bring. And I’ll get your car taken care of. While you were getting changed, I called my buddy Mack at Rebel Autos. He’s already sent someone to tow your car, and they’ll look at it tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to do all that.”

“Yeah, I do. You don’t have to worry about a thing tonight, okay? You’re safe.”

She nods, but I can see the doubt lingering in her eyes. Trust doesn’t come easy after something like this.

“Do you live up here alone?” she asks suddenly, her voice breaking the quiet.

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