I knew that Harding hadn’t abandoned me but I couldn’t help but feel that way as I pattered around the cabin, looking for some clue as to where he had gone.

The dogs stayed close to my heels and I found myself relaxing around them even though the memory of how they had hunted me in the dark was not far from my mind.

I decided to busy myself in the kitchen, making coffee and breakfast, hoping he would come home soon.

But as the morning sun melted into the noon light, it became obvious I was on my own and I ate the cold eggs and grits I had made with so much care alone.

I didn’t taste anything except disappointment as I sat staring blankly out the window, wondering where he could have gone.

Why didn’t he wake me or at least leave me a note? I asked myself forlornly. Did his disappearing have anything to do with helping me escape? Or maybe he had just had enough of me being in his space and he needed to be away from me for a while.

The latter seemed to make the most sense even though it made my heart hurt to think about it.

I couldn’t deny that the attraction I had for Harding was growing, the feelings overwhelming me as I tried to understand them.

Harding could not want someone like me, a babe lost in the woods without any experience outside the camp.

How old had Jillian and I been when she brought us there? Seven? Eight?

I could barely remember life before Sir and the Community but I knew we hadn’t been born in Utah.

I remembered another place, somewhere it was warm all year round and lots of sand.

Mother had always told us our father had abandoned us but the older I got, the more I realized that it was much more likely that she had kidnapped us and stolen us away from him to live with Sir and the Community.

In my mind’s eye, I recalled a bear of a man with a booming laugh and strong arms but those memories were fleeting.

Sighing, I turned away from the window, flopping onto the sofa where Harding had spent the night.

Instinctively, I pressed my face to the pillow on the armrest, inhaling the scent of his pheromones.

A tingle slithered through my body and I wrapped my arms around the cushion, pulling it toward me as if it was his huge frame.

I closed my eyes, the look in his stunning green eyes flooding my mind and wet rushed my thighs instantly.

Did I want him so desperately because he had saved me or because there was a true connection between us?

Did it matter?

The sound of a car on the dirt road made me jerk up and I guiltily cast the pillow aside, watching as a dark red sedan stopped outside the cabin.

Clayton and Rufus started their chorus of protective howls, tightening my already taut nerves.

I tried to shush them unsuccessfully but they were already at the door, growling and jumping.

I paled, realizing that it wasn’t Harding and my breath grew short as I jumped from the sofa, looking for a place to hide.

I didn’t recognize the vehicle but that didn’t mean it didn’t belong to Sir. Maybe it was someone from town? One of his friends?

A dozen horrific thoughts crossed my mind.

Had Harding told them where to find me? Is that why he had abruptly disappeared? Had something happened to Harding? Had –

My eyes narrowed as an attractive man stepped from the driver’s seat, his eyes scanning the exterior of the property, a slightly perplexed look on his face.

He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a thin cotton shirt and I didn’t know his face.

Nothing about him indicated he was a friend of the community but my mind was still not settled as he casually bounded up the porch and knocked on the door.

“Harding? You in there?”

I exhaled in a whoosh of hot air, my knees growing weak as I fell against the wall in the entranceway.

He was a friend of Harding’s. Of course.

I didn’t move, not wanting to explain who I was but the man was unrelenting.

“I can see you moving around in there!” he called. “I’m here to help! Just let me in. I’m already here.”

I bit my lower lip and reluctantly moved toward the door.

If Harding had been expecting his friend and I ignored him, he might be upset. I needed to at least tell the blonde man that Harding wasn’t there.

I opened the door as he raised his fist to knock again and he gaped at me in shock.

“You’re not Harding,” he choked.

I shook my head.

“I guess he’s out in his truck then,” the man continued and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

He smiled suddenly.

“I’m Aaron,” he offered. “I work with Harding.”

“Eloise,” I whispered. “I…”

I trailed off, not sure how to introduce myself so I just left the sentence unfinished.

“Well,” Aaron said, his blue eyes glittering mischievously. “Since he’s not here to say no, why don’t I just get working on that extension he’s been agonizing over for months. We can surprise him by getting a head start.”

I stared at him uncertainly.

It sounded like a nice thing to do for Harding but would he be angry I had let this stranger into the house?

I studied Aaron’s impish face and saw nothing threatening in his expression.

He only wants to help, I reasoned and I nodded before I could change my mind, stepping aside to let him inside.

“Oh, I like you!” he declared. “You might be just what he needs to loosen up finally.”

Aaron chuckled and made his way toward the half-built second floor as I watched him go.

“Do you want a coffee?” I called after him and he bobbed his head over his shoulder.

“Oh, that would be perfect. I worked the day shift today,” he explained. “I came right after work though so we wouldn’t waste any daylight.”

Aaron disappeared and I turned toward the kitchen, reaching for the coffee pot.

That was kind of him, I thought. Why would Harding refuse such a generous offer?

I poured a cup of coffee and climbed the stairs toward him.

Aaron had already picked up a hammer and begun putting planks up to support the beams.

“So how long have you been seeing Harding?” he asked conversationally as I set the cup down on the plywood floor.

The question caused me to blush furiously.

I didn’t know how to answer the question and I stared at the ground as if I might find the answer there.

I was saved from having to answer as another noise outside caught my attention and the dogs barked.

But I could hear the difference in their pitch and I knew even before I reached the main floor that Harding was finally home.

“Eloise!” he called, the stress in his voice reaching my ears as he burst through the front door. “Eloise, are you – ”

He paused, his face relaxing as I met him in the entranceway.

“Where were you?” I demanded before I could stop myself and I suddenly realized that I was deeply upset that he had been gone for so long.

Instead of answering, he swept me up into his arms and embraced me tightly, stunning me with the gesture.

“Who is here?” he growled, setting me back but not before I could feel the erratic beat of his heart.

“Aaron?” I replied.

“Hey, Harding!”

He popped his head down the landing and I felt his grip tighten on me, instantly making me worry that I had done something wrong.

“What are you doing here?”

There was a genuine confusion in his voice but Aaron only shrugged.

“I knew if I told you I was coming you’d have found an excuse to keep me away.”

Harding blinked and then looked at me, his expression indecipherable.

“How the fuck do you even know where I live?” Harding demanded, his face confused and Aaron chuckled.

“You may not know this, but people actually know you really well around here, Harding. I just had to ask the guy at the general store in Cedar City and he gave me a vague idea.”

Harding’s face remained completely stoic.

“We’ll be right back,” he said to Aaron, grabbing me by the hand and leading me toward the back hallway on the main floor.

My pulse was racing as I allowed myself to be guided into the bedroom.

Harding closed the door and stared down at me, worry clouding his beautiful eyes.

“I need to know where you came from,” he told me and I grew dizzy by the intensity of his statement.

“I…”

What could I tell him that he would understand? What could I say which would keep him looking at me the same way he was in that moment?

“Eloise, I went to the compound you escaped from today. I spoke to Randolph.”

My mouth fell open, my eyes widening with fear.

I backed away from him, shaking my head.

“What did you tell him?” I gasped. “Is he coming for me?”

Harding’s brow knit and he stepped toward me, pulling me into his arms.

“Of course not!” he replied hotly. “How could you even ask that?”

I dropped my head, unsure of what to believe anymore.

Anyone I had ever trusted in my life had betrayed me. What made Harding any different? He had no reason to protect me and Sir could be very influential. Maybe he promised him something to –

Harding grasped my chin between his thumb and forefinger, raising my face to his.

“Eloise, I promised to help you but I need to know what we’re up against.”

The word “we” sent a thrill of pleasure through my body and I nodded, my eyes locking on his.

I didn’t want to speak anymore.

I wanted to kiss him, the way I had imagined from almost the moment I had woken up in this secure, warm cabin, safe from Sir and the community.

His face softened as he sensed what was coming and I brought myself up onto my tiptoes, gently brushing my lips against his, shivers caressing me as his whiskers tickled my top lip.

It was exactly as I had imagined it, his hard body pressing against mine, his mouth mashing to me as our tongues reached out to play.

I moaned softly, goosebumps exploding on my bare arms as Harding’s muscled forearm embraced my waist, moving me back toward the bed which I had made upon waking.

My calves met the low headboard and suddenly, I was swept into his clutches for him to lay me against the mattress.

On my back, I watched him straighten to his full height, his gaze filled with the desire I had wanted him to show me but I was abruptly filled with nervousness.

He was drinking me in with his eyes and the mere look was causing my body to twitch with anticipation.

I reached for him, urging him toward me, my mouth parted for another kiss.

He did not hesitate, falling onto me gracefully, half his body pinning me to the bed as his mouth crushed into mine.

My sweating palms snaked around his neck, drawing him closer and I sighed as our mouths explored one another.

Harding’s hands slipped beneath his flimsy t-shirt which I was still wearing, his fingers closing in around my rigid nipple and I jumped at the sensation shooting through my body.

The dampness between my thighs increased and my hips arched up to feel him against me but his leg kept me in place, wriggling uncomfortably against him as his lips found the swollen skin of my breasts.

The hairs tickled my skin, a friction jolting across me and I realized my fantasy was about to become my reality as his head dropped lower across my stomach, his lips discovering every crevice in sight.

My fingers entwined in his thick head of hair, holding tightly while my bottoms were stripped away from my legs.

Never had I felt so vulnerable and I loved every second of it.

I was forced to release his head, my shoulders crashing back against the bed and Harding released a moan as he took in the sopping wetness of my core.

His huge hands gently placed my legs over his rippled shoulders, the strain against my thighs only adding to my mounting desire.

“You are so sweet,” he murmured, his nose nuzzling the skin around my cleft and again I bucked upward, wanting him to finish what he had started, what I had wanted from no other man.

He did not leave me waiting long, his tongue delving hot and deep into my center and I cried out at the feeling.

No dream could prepare me for the bolt of electricity which his barbate skin created throughout my entire body.

Twisting, I tried to get away and push him deeper simultaneously, the pleasure almost too much to handle as he latched onto my pulsating nub, sucking at me almost violently.

Something was happening inside me as I writhed beneath him, my fingers clawing at the sheets beneath me, my cries becoming moans of passion.

Suddenly, my body tensed, and an explosion of juice erupted from me, spilling in a gush over his lapping tongue.

My eyes went out of focus as waves of heat coursed through my body, one after the other and Harding was there to lick up every drop emanating from my body.

Again, he stroked my center with his tongue, causing me to jump with sensitivity and slowly he raised his head, staring at me in a way which told me that he had only just begun.

His face gleaming with my juices, he rose toward me like a panther on the prowl but I was no longer nervous.

Excitement for what came next had replaced my every emotion as his headlined with mine.

I couldn’t see him do it but I felt his hands fumbling for his belt, the bulge in his crotch pressing against my heated thigh.

I grabbed his face in my palms, my eyes wide.

“I’ve never done this before,” I whispered and he smiled, warmth in his silver-green eyes.

“I know,” he replied, spreading my legs apart.

I mewled as the tip of his hot shaft touched the soaked slide of my middle.

Instinctively I tensed until he lowered his mouth to mine, kissing me softly. I bit down on his lower lip when his engorged unit prodded into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.

I wanted to cry out but his lips stopped me as his massive member began to fill with slow, deliberate circles.

I could taste myself on his soft lips.

My eyes popped open, legs locking against his hips as my fingers closed around his toned scapula, my nails digging deep.

He paused to look at me, concern lighting his gaze.

“Are you okay?” he murmured.

I didn’t answer and instead bucked upward, a jolt of pleasure-filled pain searing through me but I didn’t want him to stop.

He took the hint, his thrusts growing more urgent, his hand cupping my face as he prodded into me, filling me in a way I had never known existed until that moment.

I could not keep quiet anymore, my screams overriding his kisses and he drove into me, his sack slapping against my terse buttocks.

If possible, his pole seemed to grow larger inside me and I was once more consumed with the sweeping tingle of a climax building.

Together we grunted, Harding, releasing a stream of profanities which only added to my orgasm and with a final jerk a stream of hotness flowed into me as I exploded outward against him.

I was shaking uncontrollably, trying to catch my breath as he held fast to me, the streaks of fluid lessening until there was nothing left and we were only a pile of sweating arms and legs.

It took me several minutes to realize that there was still hammering happening in the room and I raised my head to look around in confusion.

Harding chuckled at my expression as he slipped out of me, propping himself up on an arm to look at me.

“I guess Aaron was trying to drown us out,” he offered lightly and embarrassment colored my cheeks.

I had forgotten he was there.

Harding reached up to touch my face with his fingertips, tracing the lines of my jaw tenderly.

“Are you okay?” he asked again and I nodded, my body still quivering with adrenaline.

“Yes,” I replied truthfully. “Thank you for being my first.”

He chuckled and leaned forward to kiss my lips but when he drew back, I saw there was little amusement in his eyes.

“Eloise, we need to talk about Denton Crowe and where you came from.”

I tensed at the sound of Sir’s real name.

We never called him that.

“Why?” I protested. “Why do we need to talk about that now?”

Harding lowered his head and I immediately sensed something was terribly wrong.

“I think they may learn where you’re hiding. I need to know everything so we know how to handle them if they should show themselves here.”

I bit my lower lip and turned my head away.

“What did they say to you?” I asked dejectedly. I should have known that eventually, he would ask the questions and demand answers. I was just hoping for more time.

“Randolph said you were getting married,” he said gruffly and I could hear the pain in his voice.

My head jerked up.

“No!” I cried indignantly. “I am not getting married! That’s why I ran away! Sir…”

I inhaled, trying to collect myself and speak properly.

“He is married to my mother,” I said glumly, humiliation staining my face. “He has twelve other wives. I didn’t realize that he expected us to marry him too.”

Anger flashed through Harding’s eyes.

“He can’t force you to marry him! What kind of sick bastard wants to marry his step-daughter?”

I shook my head, swallowing my nervousness.

“I don’t have a choice. They will come looking for me, Harding and I have no idea what they will do with Jillian now that I’m gone. I have to find a way back for her.”

I could see his jaw lock.

“No one is taking you,” he growled and I believed him. “We will find a way to get your sister out of there also.”

I wished I had as much faith in his words as he seemed to have.

“How did you get out? I saw that compound. There’s barbed wire all along the fence.”

I nodded and grimaced.

“There’s a tree which overhangs the main house where the women stay. I waited until everyone was asleep and climbed it in the middle of the night.”

I noticed the glint of appreciation in his eyes.

“That’s very smart,” he commented. “What made you think to do that?”

I shrugged.

How could I explain that I had always known that there was something wrong with the place our mother had brought us all those years ago?

Maybe I was still old enough to remember a normal life where I wore jeans and went to a public school. Maybe that big, burly man in my memory was really my father and he was what kept me hanging on.

“I suppose I could try to break back into the compound the same way,” he said but I could tell he was thinking aloud.

I shook my head.

“Sir has more than likely cut it. There aren’t many ways to escape that place.”

“Who in their right mind goes to live in a place like that? If you’re so anxious for captivity, rob a bank or something. Who are these people?” he grumbled.

I had no answer for him but I did remember something once more as I stared at him.

“Harding, I have to tell you something.”

He stared at me expectantly and I pursed my lips together, wondering if he needed to know the truth.

“What is it?” he demanded. “Do you know another way in?”

I cleared my throat.

“There is a family of Jacksons on the compound,” I explained quietly. “They’ve been there two generations.”

He stared at me blankly.

“So what?” he asked. “Jackson is a common name.”

I swallowed and shook my head.

“No, Harding, I think they are related to you.”

He eyed me in disbelief.

“I have no family here,” he assured me. “How do you know?”

I smiled weakly.

“Because they all have your eyes. What color were your father’s eyes?”

A shadow of doubt crossed over his face but he didn’t answer me.

“Harding?”

“We need to get into that camp and dismantle it,” he snapped, jumping from the bed suddenly. “I want to know what the hell is going on in there.”

I exhaled slowly, a feeling of hope seizing my heart.

Two days ago I had been near death, fleeing dangers from every angle.

Now I had a fearless protector, a man who was willing to risk his own security to make sure mine was ensured.

I watched him throwing on his pants and the rush of emotion I had toward him was unlike anything I had ever felt for another person.

Was I falling in love with Harding Jackson?