The moment Cassie’s brother left her alone—and safe—in the cozy cabin to unpack and get settled in, a great burden rose from her shoulders. In the end, she had to admit that getting away from Aspen Valley for a little while had been in her best interests. In the days following the threat, admitting to Neil that she was concerned for her safety had been out of the question. After all, she didn't want him worrying more than he had to…and he had been a complete wreck once he realized just what kind of trouble she had gotten herself into.

But now that she was here, she realized that she needed something constructive to do other than worry about the what-ifs. But the never-ending urge to finish the article that got her into this mess in the first place remained with her. What would happen if she secretly continued to review and analyze the case facts? She just couldn't bear to let all of her months of researching and interviewing go to waste. And she wouldn't. Her business and personal writing journals were already unpacked and stacked high on the coffee table out in the main area. She couldn't wait to take them outside to sit and write for hours on end. But of course, she had to earn her stay here. She couldn't just lounge around like this was a vacation.

Cassie entered the smallest bedroom which had been used by Luke's niece as an office and filing room. She wondered just how much work was involved in being the Office Manager of a lodging business. Depending on the time commitment, she could easily split half of her day doing projects for Luke and the other half working on several half-finished articles. Even if she were only here for a week or two, that was enough time to complete a couple of her projects.

Just from the looks of things in the makeshift office space, Cassie could tell that Luke's niece was a very organized person. The exact opposite of herself. She wasn't exactly the messiest person in the world, but she'd never given a second thought to numbering and color-coding everything like Luke's niece had. An instruction booklet was conveniently laid out on the desk explaining where every record and every single supply was kept. Cassie could definitely jump right in where the daily responsibilities were concerned, but would she really be able to fill his niece's shoes? For the short amount of time she was here, she'd certainly do her best.

The next thing she found interesting about the office, as well as the interior of the cabin itself was all the photographs on the wall. They weren't the kind of photos one would find sitting on a shelf at the nearest retail chain store. Someone had taken these unique images and framed them. If the portraits of the mountains, woods, and the scenic lake were any indication of what she would see when she ventured out in her free time, she would probably never want to leave. The images were fuel to Cassie's writer's soul. There was a book of still photos lying out on a side table in the main area, and Cassie flipped through them. Some of the pictures were signed with the name "Nessa". She immediately recalled Neil and Luke referring to the niece as Nessa, so the pictures must have been taken by her.

Cassie found another photo book on a bookcase. Instead of photos of nature, this one had photos and illustrations of wolves resting, at play, running, and howling. They were beautiful wolves with furs in all shades of red, brown, and black. She silently wondered if Nessa's photographs were of natural wolves or of the shifters who were fabled to have roamed the valleys since before Cassie was born. If the latter were true, Nessa had captured each moment beautifully. Every photograph told a story. Every image delivered a message. Cassie got lost in trying to decode what each wolf's story was in every picture until she heard a motorcycle engine being revved up outside.

She dropped the photo book and ran over to stare out through the kitchen window in the direction of the noise. The smaller cabin that she was staying in was next to Luke's log cabin. Only a few trees and shrubs separated the two lots. From the kitchen window, she could see right in Luke's front yard. For a moment, she thought he'd revved up his own motorcycle and was heading out, but she was relieved to find Luke standing out in the front yard as his guest rode the motorcycle off the property. The man's helmet was already on, so Cassie didn't get to see his face.

Both Neil and Luke had said that there were permanent residents living out here, not just tourists. It was nice to know that she wouldn't be totally alone in the wilderness. She loved her alone time just as much as the next person, but she wasn't used to the complete silence she'd been faced with since they'd left her to unpack.

She lived on the first level of her apartment building, so she had gotten used to the sounds of people walking and stomping on the level above her, cars pulling in and out of the parking lot right in front of her unit, and the hum of the lawn mowers and leaf blowers whenever the landscapers came out. She had learned how to completely ignore all those nuisances. It was different out here. As evening approached, all she could hear was the sound of nature and the nightlife.

Luke hadn't gone back inside the house after the guy on the motorcycle left. He seemed to be fumbling around with something on his porch. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans that fit him perfectly. She didn't know what had come over her, but her body temperature rose despite the great distance between them. Something about him sparked her curiosity. But of course, everything sparked her curiosity these days. She was observant because she had to be. Her job depended on it…and she loved her job. But this urge to close the distance between herself and Luke went beyond that.

Before she could change her mind, she pulled a light hoody over her tank top and pushed herself out into the calm evening breeze. A light chill folded across her bare legs reminding her that the temperatures out here weren't as mild as Aspen Valley. She probably should've packed more pants and dresses than shorts knowing how volatile the weather could be in the mountains.

Cassie hadn't even made it halfway across the backside of the yard yet when Luke stopped what he was doing to stare in her direction as if he'd sensed her coming before even seeing her. Knowing that his full, undivided attention was now on her as she approached his cabin, her legs felt like they were turning into putty.

Luke picked up a towel that was hanging on a banister and mopped it across his face. From where Cassie was, she couldn't make out the sweat on his skin. Only the perfection. And he seemed perfect in every way. She'd never told anyone this before, but after the very first time she'd seen Luke, she began imagining that her future husband would be just like him.

As Luke waited on the steps for her, he picked up a bottle of beer and lifted the bottle to his mouth. Although her heart was beating like hell, she couldn't drag her eyes off the rugged sight of him. The waistband of his pants fit loosely at his hips, where his hardened lower abs were accentuated well. A tattoo or some kind of distinct birthmark was partially hidden by his belt. Her nipples pebbled against the fabric of her blouse at the thought of what lie beneath his fly. If the noticeable bulge was any indication of his real size, then Mr. Luke Lombardi was surely packin'. Dear God, she couldn't remember the last time she had this type of reaction to a man.

When he licked his lips after taking a long swig and then fixed his amber colored gaze on her, she knew she was done for.