Page 10 of Jagger

She’d also suffered some abuse at the hands of an asshole. I’d caught sight of a couple of bruises on her arm. There was no way an accident could have caused them. Right now, it was not my damn place to ask who the jerk was. Nor should I care.

“You didn’t need to carry Cally. She’s still small enough I can do that,” Bella told me as I walked with her to her vehicle.

“It’s fine. You’re exhausted. I need to lead you to the cabin. The map is decent by daylight, but at night it’s shit.”

She chuckled. “I’m a big girl. I’m pretty good with directions.” The woman already had her car keys in her hand. What did she think I was going to do?

“Not if you didn’t know where you were going in coming here in the first place. It was a dangerous thing to do.”

“You’re not a very nice man. Are you?” She pressed a button on her key fob and headlights flashed from only a few car lengths away.

“What makes you think that?”

“I could tell by the way the employees were looking at you and by the actions of the two girls that came up to the table. It appeared they were terrified of how you’d react.”

The lights in the parking lot were damn good. It allowed me to see the make and model of the vehicle she was driving. A Mercedes Visionary SUV. I wasn’t a fan of the brand, but I knew it well enough to realize not only was it less than a year old, but it was also priced over one hundred and thirty k without being loaded.

Why had her credit cards been declined?

More than one mystery enshrouded the beautiful woman.

“I’m not here to make friends,” I told her as I eased Cally into the car seat in the back passenger seat.

A moment of silence fell between us.

“How about trying not to make enemies?” Bella adjusted the straps, finishing by stroking her daughter’s cheek.

“I don’t need anyone to like me.”

She folded her arms out of frustration and a chill from the wind. “Well, then you’re meeting your goals.” Without saying another word, she moved to the driver’s side, climbing in and shutting the door.

My mouth twitched in my own level of frustration. No one challenged me that way. Not a single soul.

Huffing, I headed to my Range Rover, jumping inside and starting the engine with enough ferocity I almost flooded it. Who the hell did she think she was, anyway?

I jerked out of the parking lot, waiting until she figured out where I was. Once she was behind me, I took off, twisting my hands around the steering wheel. Why did she get to me so much? Because she’d called out my bad behavior? Maybe.

I’d felt far too much chemistry between us, which was almost as irritating as her attitude.

Yeah, I’d done the right thing and she’d paid me back by offering her help. With the town’s damn doctor retiring and a snowstorm rolling in, I sure as hell hoped the next few days were quiet.

I forced myself to concentrate on the road instead of thinking about her long legs or the shimmer on her flushed cheeks. Damn, my cock was aching.

There were several cabins surrounding the property, some used for family members like my parents and others meant for larger families. Wyoming was a smaller cabin, but one with pristine views and a massive stone fireplace. They’d all been renovated thanks to my dad. My cabin was also far enough away I wouldn’t run into her without trying.

And I had no plans of doing so.

For however long she was here, it was best to keep my distance. Complications I didn’t need nor want.

The snow had started to fall in small flakes. That would establish the groundwork for the foot plus that I’d heard the lower lyingareas were getting, with eighteen inches to two feet in the mountains. It was crazy to think we’d get that much at the start of December in Virginia. I was reminded already why I preferred warmer climates.

The winding roads leading to the various cabins could be treacherous by the morning.

I pulled into the driveway leading to the Wyoming cabin, allowing her to take the better parking location right in front.

Bella seemed hesitant to turn off her engine or climb out. I didn’t know anything about her except that she didn’t like taking handouts and had suffered some kind of attack. Maybe now I knew why. She was on the run from something or someone. That much was clear.

She remained tentative with all her actions, finally cutting the engine and opening her door. I did the same, waiting to see what she’d do. She really didn’t need help from here, but at least my mama had taught me manners and those had stuck. Just about everything else regarding being a nice guy had been beaten, prodded, or tortured out of me.

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