Rape? My blood turned to ice, and I struggled to escape Garrett’s harsh grip. He was bigger, stronger, and I was still weak from the boar attack.

“Let me go.” I dug my nails into his wrists.

He kept his grip on my neck, but pulled his fingers from between my legs. Licking them clean, he kept his eyes locked on mine as my heart banged against my ribs. He groaned as his tongue snaked along his fingers, and I fought down the heat his erotic show created inside me. He’d said rape. I couldn’t trust him. Had to get away.

“You’re a rapist.” I wrapped both my hands around his forearm, but he still kept a solid grip on my throat.

“No. I’ve never taken a woman against her will.”

My mind spun. “But you just said—”

“I know what I said.” He finally released me, but didn’t rise, just sat and held my gaze.

I swallowed, my skin missing the heat from his palm.

“This.” He glanced to my throat. “Is just a sample, Red. My appetites would disgust you. Fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Sometimes they disgust me, but I can’t escape them.”

I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. “Like what?”

“Haven’t you seen enough to know you should leave me alone?” He clasped his hands in his lap. “And get out of here as soon as you can?”

“I need an explanation.” I’d never been able to let anything go. My career and the burning need to know what happened to my father weren’t choices. They were part of my makeup. Mysteries were meant to be solved, truths brought to light. “Did you rape the dean’s wife?”

He shook his head. “No, but it certainly looked that way.” His expression soured. “And she preferred me leaving under a cloud of suspicion to giving up her position as the dean’s wife.”

“What happened?”

He stared at me, worry wrinkling the skin around his eyes, then rose and walked to the door. “I’ve fucked up enough people. You don’t deserve it.”

For reasons I didn’t understand, I ached for him. He seemed so lonely, lost. Maybe even lonelier than I was. “You can talk to me.”

“It would ruin you, and I don’t want that.”

“I’m not some virgin in an antebellum flick.” I cocked my head at him. “You can’t ruin me, Garrett.”

He growled with frustration and slammed his palm against the doorframe. “Don’t you get it? I’m the wolf. That day you showed up on my front porch in your red coat, if you’d known the thoughts I’d had, the things I’d wanted to do to you—you would never have come back here.” His muscles were drawn taut, as if he were straining to remain still.

I swallowed hard. “I’m a grown woman, not a child in a red cloak. You’re a grown man, not a wolf. I’m not afraid of you.” Was that true? “Why can’t you just talk to me?”

“Because if I did, then you would be afraid of me. And for once, I don’t want that. You being here is the first time in a long time that I’ve felt…” He sighed, as if the word he was searching for was floating just out of his reach. “Not so alone. I know you can’t stay. I won’t let you for a million different reasons. But what we have right now is the most I’ve had since—” He stopped himself and turned to face me again, his eyes sad. “Look, I just don’t want to ruin it.”

“How is you telling me about your past ruining it?” I absentmindedly ran my fingertips along my ear where his lips had been, the sparks gone but the memory still singeing my skin.

His tone was almost pleading. “Don’t push me, because if you do”—His expressive eyes pinned me with a look so hot I tensed—“I’ll take you somewhere you’ve never been, and I doubt you’ll enjoy it. Not a girl like you.”

“Garrett, please…”

He closed his eyes at my words, as if my begging was a delicious treat. “I said no. Don’t bring this up again.”

Before I could resume my entreaty, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. His steps retreated down the hall, and I heard another door slam.

I sat in shell-shocked silence and tried to digest everything he’d said, every emotion that had flitted across my mind. Something twisted lurked beneath his dark exterior. I should have been scared. Instead, I found myself more worried over the fact that every harsh word he uttered seemed to speak to a secret part of myself. One that wanted to revel in his darkness and sample every bitter promise in his words.

Over the next few days, Garrett only visited to drop off my meals. No small talk or flirtation, just a quick hello and a heavenly meal from Bonnie or a hellish one he’d made. Two weeks after the boar attack, he sat at the end of my bed and removed my stitches with painstaking precision. My left leg sat in his lap, my right behind his back. I tried to ignore the buzz his hands on my legs created.

Instead of imagining his hands roving higher, I focused on my new plan to survey his property. If he still wouldn’t give me permission, I’d decided I was going to do it anyway. He could call the sheriff on me all he wanted. I had a feeling, based on Sheriff Crow’s dislike of bad publicity, that all I’d get was a slap on the wrist for my trespassing ways.

“Ow!” I tried to keep still.

“Sorry. That one was probably the worst.” He pulled the thin wire from my skin and discarded it in a shallow dish on the bed. “I only have a few more to go.”

I fisted the blanket as he snipped another one and then another. By the time he was done, I’d left ugly wrinkles in the flowery quilt.

“All done.” He smoothed his hand over my calf. “Almost as good as new.”

I stretched my leg slowly and smiled when I realized the tight pulling sensation was gone. “Feels so much better.”

“I guess you’ll be taking off soon, then.” He rested his hand on my knee.

“Yes. Lots of surveying to do.” And finding my father.

He arched a brow at me. “On Blackwood property?”

“Well, I do have a signed permission form and all.” I smiled.

“I thought you might say that.” He sighed. “What happens when you run into another wild boar?”

“I’ll shoot it.”

“With what gun? I’ve been through your pack.”

“Shit.” Sheriff Crow hadn’t gotten back to me about my car, which happened to have a gun in the glove box, and Garrett had a point. I frowned. “Don’t go through my stuff.”

“I figured it was only fair since you did that walkabout downstairs.” He gripped my knee tighter and pegged me with a knowing look. “And I know you’ve been trying to get into my room while I’m working in the library.”

How did he know? “I was just, um…”

“Right.” He placed my foot flat on the bed and stood. “So I think I’m entitled to check your pack. You need more water, obviously, and a weapon.” The top few buttons of his shirt were open, the dark hair showing through.

“I had a knife.”

“Yeah, a lot of good that did you.”

“I’ll pick up something else in town.” I shrugged and inspected his worn jeans, appreciating the way they sat on his lean hips. Even the way he stood seemed masculine somehow.

“You don’t have to. I have a .45 you can borrow.”

“Really?” That would speed along my surveying. One less thing to worry about.

“Yeah, just don’t lose it. I’ll get it out of the safe once you’re ready to go back out there.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” He shifted from one foot to another, clearly uncomfortable with my gratitude.

“I think tomorrow I can do a little walking.”

“Not yet.” He furrowed his brow. “You aren’t recovered enough.”

“I won’t go far.” I grinned. “And what’s this newfound love of my company?”

He scowled. “Get over yourself. I just don’t want you getting hurt worse and then spending yet another two weeks here.”

“Neither do I.” I wrinkled my nose. “I’d probably die of starvation from your cooking.”

His smirk appeared, and my heart warmed at our not-so-friendly banter.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.” He turned to leave, then paused, as if unsure. “Red?”

“Yeah?” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and tested my calf.

“I just…”

I stared at his back. “Yeah?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I’ll see you at dinner.” He strode away, his steps thundering down the stairs.

I spent the rest of the day walking around the house and feeling pleased with my leg’s recovery. It was weaker, but having the stitches removed made every movement easier. Pausing in front of Garrett’s door, I stared at it, wondering what he kept inside. I wasn’t much of a lock pick, especially given that the door had an antique handle that took an actual key.

Jiggling the handle, I found it locked yet again and sighed. This time, though, I noticed light through the keyhole. His room faced west, the afternoon sun pouring through. If the light could get out, maybe I could see in.

I stopped and held my breath, listening for Garrett. Nothing moved in the house. I imagined him locked in his library, bent over a book, his dark locks tucked behind his ears as he concentrated on each precise stroke of ink. Kneeling, I hunched forward and looked through the keyhole. The light blinded me, so I had to sit back.

“Shit,” I whispered to myself and decided to sit and wait until the sun’s angle was bearable. Every moment risked me being discovered, but I would hear Garrett coming. I listened intently and waited for the light to fade. After what felt like an eternity, the glare died enough for me to peek through. My eye adjusted after a short moment, and I got a glimpse of a large bed, the wide window, and something hanging on the wall. I squinted and leaned forward, my forehead pressing into the door handle. What was that?

Angling to the side, I got a better view of the wall. Rope. He had various coils of rope hanging on some sort of rack. I couldn’t see the rest of it, just the edge. I sat back on my haunches. What the fuck?

A knocking sound had me on my feet and trudging back to my room at a fast clip. If he caught me, I wasn’t sure what he’d do, but I had an idea based on what he kept handy in his bedroom. The thought of being tied to his bed sent a thrill through me when I should be disgusted or scared. What is wrong with you?

The fleshy knock grew louder as I passed the stairs. I paused. The sound was familiar—someone was knocking at the front door. I hurried down the stairs, my left leg aching in protest. With no Garrett in sight, I got on my tiptoes and peered out of the peephole.

“Fuck.” I plopped back down on my heels.

“I know she’s in there. Open up!” Dr. Stallings pounded on the heavy door, but it only rattled a little.

The library door stood open, and I didn’t see any hint of Garrett. After a calming breath, I turned the bolt on the door and pulled it open.

Dr. Stallings rushed in and took me in his arms, picking me up in a dramatic fashion.

“What happened? Are you okay? The sheriff wasn’t giving me any information. I was worried sick. Did they hurt you?” He rattled off the questions, then pressed hot kisses to my neck.

I cringed and pushed him back. “I’m fine. Promise. They’ve been taking good care of me.”

He lowered me to my feet and looked around the foyer. “They kept you locked up in this ghastly house?”

I frowned. The house had grown on me over the past couple of weeks. But, I followed his gaze to the tatty rug and dusty chandelier, I could see his point. “I’ve been recovering here. It made sense. The boar attack happened nearby.”

“Who’s here with you?”

“The property owner. He’s around somewhere.”

“Has he touched you?” He ran a possessive hand through my hair.

“What? No. He’s the one who saved me in the woods and stitched me up.” I pointed to my leg.

He knelt and ran his hands over the healing wounds. “You poor thing.” When his lips met my skin, I had to fight the impulse to knee him in the face.

His clean-shaven jaw brushed against my skin as he dropped kisses up to my knee and then higher. I took a step back. “I’m okay. I promise.”

He rose to his feet. “I think you should come back with me.”

“No.” I responded more vehemently than I intended.

His look of concern turned to a glower, and he took a step toward me. “I think this has been too much for you. You can always get back to the survey during summer term.”

“But I’m so close.” I forced myself to move closer to him. “My leg is nearly healed, and I’ve already found a promising dig site.” Running my hands down the front of his wool coat, I stared up into his eyes and tried to look beguiling.

He grabbed my waist and pressed me to him, his cock hardening against my stomach. “Maybe come back for just a week, so the two of us can get caught up.”

I let him kiss me, his mouth clumsy and demanding. Closing my eyes, I imagined it was Garrett’s skillful tongue pressing inside me, his hands roving my ass. Instead of Dr. Stallings’ smooth skin, it was Garrett’s rough beard against me.

Someone cleared their throat. Dr. Stallings released me and backed away. I wiped his saliva off my lips with the back of my hand.

“Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house?” Garrett’s glacial tone sent prickles along my skin.

“I’m Elise’s professor.” He puffed out his chest. “I’ve come to check up on her.”

“I saw how you were checking up.” Garrett walked up beside me, his jaw set in a furious line. “Teaching methods have certainly changed since I was a student.”

“I, ah, that’s none of your business.” He tried to stare down his nose at Garrett, but Dr. Stallings was a good three inches shorter, so it didn’t quite work.

“In my house, everything’s my business.” Garrett put his hand at the small of my back, his touch sending warmth licking along my skin.

Professor Stallings eyed Garrett’s arm as it snaked behind me. “Elise, you’re coming back with me.”

“I’m not finished. I only got one site scouted before the accident. I need more time.”

He shook his head, mock sadness drawing his mouth down in a frown. “I’m afraid it’s just too dangerous for you to be out here alone. I can’t promise funding for such a perilous expedition.”

My heart sank.

“You threaten her funding to keep her in line?” Garrett laughed. “That’s your power play?”

“I’ve done no such thing.” Dr. Stallings narrowed his eyes. “She was almost killed trying to survey this area. I think it only makes sense for her to wait until the summer when she can survey in safety.”

“And, let me guess, you intend to accompany her in the summer?”

“I’ll be free to help then, yes.”

“Help, huh?” Garrett tsked. “I hope you don’t intend to kiss her the same as you did a minute ago. Watching that shit was painful. So I can’t even imagine what a bumbling fool you’d be when trying to find her clit.”

Dr. Stallings’ face turned an angry shade of red as I wished for the floorboards to open up and swallow me.

I needed to defuse the situation. “Everyone just calm down, okay? We’re all adults here. No need for ugliness.”

Garrett scowled at Professor Stallings, and I could almost feel the vicious take down building in his lungs.

I edged closer to him. “Garrett, please.”

His fingers dug into my waist as he pulled me into his side. “Don’t say that.” His voice hissed through his teeth.

“Elise, come with me.” Dr. Stallings held his hand out toward me. “We can have that dinner and discuss your future like we should have done before you left. The land will still be here in the summer. I’ll come with you and help you get it all done. As your faculty advisor, I need you to trust me.”

“Fuck off with that shit.” Garrett scoffed. “This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave this house. Elise is going to stay here. I’ve given her, and only her, permission to survey my lands. If you try to cut her funding, I’ll write a lengthy letter to my old friend Dean Bascomb about you and the way you treat your female students.”

The color drained from Dr. Stallings’ face, and he dropped his proffered hand. “You know Dean Bascomb?”

“I studied under him for six years. He directed my master’s thesis. I attended his youngest daughter’s wedding a few years ago. Trust me when I say that he’ll take my word very seriously.”

Dr. Stallings cut his gaze to me. “Come with me. It’s not safe here.”

Garrett made an irritated “pfft” noise. “It’s plenty safe. I’ve already offered her full use of my house and lands for her survey. And I’ll be accompanying her on her travels. So there is no need whatsoever for any of your teaching methods.” The acid in his tone could have melted lead.

I gaped at Garrett as he pulled lies out of the air faster than I could take a breath.

“Elise?” Dr. Stallings, beaten but still clinging to me like a sad puppy, gave me a pitiful stare.

“I’ll be back in a few months.” I wanted to feel bad about the verbal stomping he’d just taken, but I didn’t. Instead, I had to fight my smile.

“If her funding goes away, I’ll pay Dr. Bascomb a visit. Don’t test me, asshole.” Garrett motioned toward the front door. “You know the way out.”

“Elise—”

“Did I fucking stutter?” Garrett’s harsh bark made me jump. Dr. Stallings too. He moved to the door and swung it wide before stepping out into the cold.

He turned and caught my eye. “You have my number if you need m—”

Garrett slammed the door in his face. “What a twat.”

I turned to him. “I could have handled him.”

“Yeah?” He gripped my shoulders and pushed me back against the door. “I saw your way of handling him.”

I glared up into his fierce eyes. “Don’t you dare judge me.” I shrugged, but he pushed harder, keeping me in place. “Get off.”

“You should thank me for tossing his worthless ass.” His gaze flicked to my lips, and my breath caught in my throat.

I laced my words with venom. “I’m not going to thank you for meddling in my life. I need the funding to get this done. I would have had Dr. Stallings out of here in no time. Everything was under control.”

“Under control?” He slid his palms down my arms, a sinister glint in his eye. “You let him touch you. Kiss you?” His voice vibrated with rage.

I wasn’t afraid. “Fuck off. You don’t have any say in how I live my life! You want me out of here, remember? You better back off before you ruin me, remember?” I tried to shove him away.

He didn’t move, every muscle in his body tensed into a wall of anger. “Stop.”

“Or what? Are you going to give me another sullen stare?” I wasn’t sure why I wanted to unleash the beast I suspected lived inside him, but there was no stopping me. “Maybe ignore me some more? Maybe—”

He gripped my hair and yanked my head back. Garrett’s kiss blasted away every moment of Dr. Stallings’ unwanted touches. His kiss was rough, possessive. Everything in me delighted in his dominance. But fighting back was in my nature. I captured his bottom lip and bit down until warm blood trickled from the wound. Instead of backing away, he growled and pressed his mouth tight to mine. His tongue brought the taste of copper, and he turned my head to the side, giving him all the access he wanted. My breath was gone, and the anger leached away, leaving white hot desire in its place.

He grabbed my ass and squeezed until I whimpered. The sound seemed to feed him. He gripped me harder, his tongue warring with mine as he pressed me into the unforgiving door. When I felt his thick cock against my stomach, my knees threatened to buckle. I dug my nails into his sides as he took everything he wanted, his body owning mine as he kissed me with more passion than I’d ever experienced.

Not content with feeling my ass through my shorts, he ran his hand under the fabric, beneath my panties, and kneaded me. His palm covered one cheek, and he squeezed hard enough to leave bruises. He finally came up for air, my lips throbbing from his rough treatment. When he fastened his teeth to my neck, I bucked. He pressed his fingers down the slope of my ass and rubbed my entrance from the back. I tried to curl away from his touch, but I was trapped.

“Wet. Fuck.” He pressed his finger inside me, and I gasped as he bit down on my throat almost hard enough to break the skin.

“Garrett.” My voice was a breathy squeal as he pulsed his finger in and out of me. His beard tickled my skin as his teeth sent a ring of fire spiraling down to my pussy where it tightened like a lasso.

He ground his erection against me, and I could barely believe this was really happening. Releasing my hair, he yanked my top up and fastened his lips around one of my hard nipples through the fabric of my bra.

“Oh my God.” I ran my hands through his hair and arched my back as he sucked and continued to plunge his finger inside me.

“I need to taste you.”

My mind screamed in agreement. “Garret, please.”

He groaned and dropped to his knees, then ripped my shorts and panties down to my calves. He stared at my pussy and licked his lips. “Beg me.”

“Please.”

He leaned closer and inhaled. “Fuck. Beg more. Tell me what you want.”

I was losing my mind, every logic center shutting down and every pleasure center lighting up like a Christmas tree. I didn’t know him, not really; he didn’t know me. None of that mattered. This was lust, pure and undiluted.

His breath ghosted across my hot skin. “Beg me.” His raspy voice set off a tidal wave of need inside me.

“Lick me. Make me come. Please.” My breathy plea sent him over the edge, because he pressed his mouth to my clit and moaned as his tongue sank between my folds.

I jerked as he dug his thumbs into my thighs and spread them just enough so he could wrap his mouth around my pussy.

My head bumped against the door as I jolted. The sting was quickly smothered by the pleasure Garrett’s tongue pulled from my sensitive clit. Relentless. Any finesses he may have had was gone, and in its place was a ravenous man. He kept my thighs pinned against the door as his mouth ravaged my pussy.

The wet noises should have embarrassed me. Instead, I gasped at the ferocity of his tongue and whimpered when he sucked my tight nub. I tried to grind against his mouth, but he growled and pressed his thumbs into me even harder. He took every ounce of control, working me with his tongue as I moaned and shook.

Spreading one palm against my thigh, he slid his other hand up my leg. He sank two fingers inside me, the intrusion so sudden I cried out. Instead of pulling out and easing in, he twisted his fingers around and pushed deeper.

My hips tensed as he began working his fingers against the one spot that promised an unforgettable orgasm.

I gripped his hair, the strands sifting between my fingers as I held on. When he bit down on my clit, I exploded. My breath rushed out of me on a moan as my pussy tightened and waves of delicious release broke against me. I shook as the euphoria dragged me down like a fierce undertow. I rode the release, and he licked more and more pleasure from me as I remained pinned against the door. He kept kissing and sucking as the waves began to quiet, my body finally giving up its hold on his fingers.

He nipped at my clit, and I clutched his hair.

Soft laughter rolled from him as he stood. “You like that, Red?” He met my eyes and licked his wet lips.

My knees wobbled, and I wasn’t sure if I would have been standing if it weren’t for the door at my back. “I, uh…” I was incapable of molding any thoughts into words. Nothing coherent, anyway.

His satisfaction slowly drained away as he glanced at my neck, at the marks that surely reddened my skin. “Shit.” He bent over and yanked my shorts and panties back into place. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m okay.” I squeaked as he scooped me into his arms and headed for the stairs. “I can walk.”

“I know.” He didn’t look at me. His heat was gone, a stony façade blocking every flicker of embers.

“What is it?” I clung to him as he hurried up the stairs.

“Nothing.” He pushed through the door to my room and sat me on the bed.

“Garrett, you didn’t hurt me.” I ran my fingers along the bite mark on my neck. “It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t.” He shook his head. “I’m supposed to keep you safe. That”—He glanced to the mark— “isn’t keeping you safe.”

“I’m safe.” I canted my head, trying to figure out what was going on inside him. “Better than safe. That was … intense.”

“That was nothing.” A flame leapt in him as he bent down and put his fists on the mattress on either side of me. “The things I want to do to you… You don’t deserve them. I’ve already gone too far.”

I reached up and ran my hand down his cheek and across his beard. “I’m not afraid.”

“That’s because you don’t know what I want.” He closed his eyes at my touch.

“Tell me.”

“No.” He pinned me with his steely gaze and stood. “Never going to happen.”

Irritation roiled inside me. “I’m not some China doll you can break.” I rose and stepped toward him until we were almost touching. “You don’t have to protect me from anything.”

“I do. I have to protect you from me.”

“I’m not afraid of you.” I tried to touch his face, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Not yet. I want to keep it that way.”

“I saw the rope.” I locked eyes with him. “I know.”

He smirked. “Rope? You think you know because you saw some rope. What? Did you peek through my keyhole?”

Color fanned out across my neck and face. “Maybe.”

His grip on my wrist tightened painfully, and he forced me back until I hit the bed and sat. He loomed over me, anger marring his features. “I told you to stay away from me, but you just keep pushing.” He wrapped his other hand around my throat and shoved me onto my back. The dark glint in his eyes should have frightened me. Instead, I felt every nerve ending in my body come alive.

His hand at my neck was more aphrodisiac than threat. I knew it was fucked up, but I was helpless to stop how I felt. He pinned my wrist above my head and shoved a knee between my thighs.

I gasped as he rubbed against my hot core.

He bent down and pressed his lips close to my ear. “You think this is some fantasy where I tie you up and spank you a little?”

A moan lofted from my lungs.

“You think I’ll fuck you a little harder than your last vanilla boyfriend and call it a day?” He massaged my pussy, rubbing back and forth with his leg. “Here’s a crash course, Red. Here’s why I warned you to stay away.”

My panties were already soaked, and I thought I might come again just from his words and his light touch.

He squeezed my neck and spoke through gritted teeth. “I will hurt you, Red. Worse than you’ve ever been hurt in your life. I will fuck you like an animal.”

Hurt me. I couldn’t stop the inferno of need that consumed me. I wanted him to do those things to me. Sparks burst in my vision, and I tried to catch my breath. But his palm blocked any air from reaching my lungs. Panic began to set in when I realized he wasn’t letting up. I scratched at his wrist with my free hand, but he didn’t release me, not even when I drew blood.

“I’ll enjoy your pain. I’ll use you, beat you, and love every tear you shed. I’ll get off on your fear. When you scream in terror, I’ll get harder.”

The edges of my vision turned black. My mouth moved, but no sound came out. I was silently begging him to release me, but his grip was absolute.

He stared down into my eyes. “I’m the fucking wolf, and I’ll eat you alive.”

My eyelids began to flutter as my vision failed. With a vicious growl he released me and stalked from my room, the door slamming in a rattling boom. I gasped in huge breaths and rolled onto my side. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I replayed his words in my mind. Fear coated me like a thick layer of grime, and I staggered to my door and clicked the lock into place.

Crawling into bed, I lay on my side facing the door and pulled my knees up in the fetal position. I ran my fingers along my throat, the skin hot and achy from his rough touch. I’d wanted it, but then something inside him had changed. He scared me. Wiping my tears away, I kept my eyes on the door. The lock didn’t matter. If Garrett wanted in, he was strong enough to break it down with ease. Strong enough to do whatever he wanted to me. A shiver raced along my spine.

The man who restored antique books and took care of my injured leg wasn’t a killer. But the man who’d just choked me until I almost passed out—I wasn’t so sure.

The scream woke me from a fractured sleep. I blinked awake and stared at the window. Did I hear it? The house remained silent, and a light wind rustled the tree limbs closest to the house. A clear cold night awaited beyond the glass. I peered at the yellow shards of moon falling across the woods. Maybe I’d dreamed it, remnants from my night in Blackwood. I glanced at the door. There was no way to know if it was still locked, but the fact that Garrett wasn’t looming in the open doorway was at least a little reassuring.

I eased back down into my bed and parsed through what had occurred between us just hours before. He’d tried to warn me, to tell me who he really was. I didn’t listen. I should have focused on finding my father, looking for more clues in the house, or asking the right questions for more information. Instead, I’d acted like a fool in heat.

Even as I berated myself, I pictured him, the way he’d dropped to his knees and given me an orgasm that seared straight through to my deepest places. But then he’d been cruel. I turned to my side and stared out at the night. Garrett Blackwood was an enigma. One I needed to solve if it would help me find out what happened to my father.

For once in my life, I wished my need to discover wasn’t quite so hard-wired in my DNA. Then again, I couldn’t fight nature. My father had been a private investigator, and my mom worked as a low-level crime scene tech in Tupelo. They’d met on the job. It was in my blood. I couldn’t give up, no matter how threatening my surroundings became. I owed it to Dad to find out the truth.

With new found resolve, I settled into my bed and closed my eyes.

My blood chilled when the scream came again, desperate and full of terror. Not a dream. I threw the blanket off and scurried to the dresser. With shaking hands, I yanked out a pair of jeans, a sweater, and some socks. Dressing quickly, I snagged my red coat and flew down the stairs as quickly as my leg allowed.

My pack sat in the foyer. I unzipped it as another shriek cut through the air, setting my teeth on edge. I ripped my flashlight from the front of the bag, yanked on my boots, then dashed to the kitchen for a knife. The biggest one in the butcher block called to me. I grabbed it and hustled out the back door into the cold dark.

One more scream. I tracked the sound through the trees to my left. My breath puffed out in a white plume as I jogged into the tree line, my leg already aching. It didn’t matter. I wouldn’t stop until I found the woman whose screams haunted my nightmares.

Feathery clouds drifted past the moon, but the orb was bright enough to guide my steps over fallen logs and around bramble thickets. The woman couldn’t be far. Her cries had been earth-shatteringly loud, and I felt like I’d see her any minute as I trudged into the dark wood. The cool air bit into my exposed skin, but I hurried forward, the large knife a comfort at my side.

Something white flitted through the trees, and I stilled, trying to make it out. I could only see bits and pieces, but I knew it was the woman running for her life. What was chasing her? A chill rushed through me as I wondered for a moment if she was the ghost of Lillian. I shook the thought away. This woman was real, the crunching sound of her feet on the leaves and branches just as certain as my own steps.

I started forward again, running across the uneven terrain and ignoring the constant pain that raced up my leg. Getting to her, saving her, was all I could think about. She tracked to my right, and I changed my direction so I could intercept her.

I picked up my pace as her ghostly form grew closer. What was she doing out here in the cold?

Movement to my left caught me off guard. A dark shape barreled through the trees at a hellish pace.

I gasped as the dark shape collided with her. Her shriek was like a blade to my gut, and I ran as hard as I could.

Keeping the knife out to my side, I finally grew close enough to see the white dress again. I blinked hard as I approached and slowed my steps. A man sat on top of her and pinned her wrists to the rotting leaves. I couldn’t mistake the long hair, the strong build.

Garrett Blackwood.