It wouldn’t be much longer now, Blayze told himself as he looked out the window of the Land Rover. The night was black at either side of the car. Streetlights in this neck of the woods were scarce. The view out the front was different. In the headlights glow, a combination of massive trunks, gnarled branches, and colorful leaves said they were very close. Miles back, they passed Los Padres National Forest. A few miles more and he’d have Roman turn off a barely detectable break in the trees. From there, they’d wind through a sequence of even less visible turnoffs, each nearly lost in the thick of the overgrown, untamed redwoods.

Along the way, Sophia had scooted over to the middle seat, buckled up there, and nuzzled into him. Moments later she’d linked her fingers through his, pulled his arm around her, and drifted off to sleep. Breaths slow and steady, she’d melted deeper and deeper with each passing mile.

He knew enough about relationships to call this what it was—sudden, rushed, and close to rootless. After all, it took time for the surrounding redwoods to establish the deep, reaching support system that would keep them erect in a windstorm. The truth was, it was foolish for him to get romantically involved; he was hired to protect her, not court her. Which meant he needed to slam on the brakes and quick.

Though Sophia was already snug against his chest, Blayze wanted to pull her in closer as a sharp pain tore into him. He clenched his eyes shut and gulped. Time to stop what he’d started. Who cared if their romantic connection felt natural and right on the surface? That didn’t mean it was. It would mess with his judgment, all those emotions clouding up his brain when it was time to think and act fast.

The pain went deeper, and this time he did pull her in closer, just a bit, breathing in her alluring scent as he thought of yet another reason they should keep things business-like between them: The vulnerability factor—he’d be taking advantage of Sophia if he pursued her now.

As much as it hurt, Blayze couldn’t give Sophia any encouragement. If they made it past this… no, not if. When they made it through this, if Sophia was interested in giving him the time of day, he’d be there. Yet, as she sighed, her warm breath coating his wrist, Blayze feared she wouldn’t be interested anymore.

He glanced up to see a familiar bend in the road. Thank heavens he’d snapped out of his stupor before they’d passed it. “You’ll want to slow down up here,” he said. “See that break in the trees to your right?”

Roman shook his head. “Nope.”

Blayze chuckled. “I know. But we’re almost there, so you better get ready.”

Roman pressed heavy on the breaks, slowing the car just in time.

“Here,” Blayze instructed. “Start turning and the headlights should hit it.”

He obeyed, but didn’t get too far. Branches stretched across the opening, further hiding the road. Roman pulled the SUV out of gear and put on the break. “Don’t want your paintjob getting ruined,” he mumbled while pushing open the door.

“Here, I’ll help,” he offered, but Roman shook his head.

“No. You’ve got your arms full.”

An embarrassed dose of heat flared up in his cheeks. Blayze wanted to take Roman aside, explain how he’d let things get out of hand. Instead, Blayze inwardly vowed to put things right. The sooner the better.

He shook his head, checking the road behind them while Roman hoisted a fallen branch up and out of the way. It’d been close to an hour since they’d seen another set of headlights—an oncoming minivan. The interior lights were on, illuminating a young mother trying to appease what he could only assume was a fussy baby.

They definitely hadn’t been followed—a thought that lent Blayze a sigh of relief.

Roman climbed back in and steered them through the narrow opening. Sophia stirred upon hearing the door close. Blayze froze, heart hammering as she tipped her head to peer through the front window.

“Where are we, in a forest?”

Breathe, Blayze. Breathe. She might not end up hating you. Heck, she may not want to take things anywhere either.

“We’re in the Redwoods,” Roman answered for him.

“Yeah,” Blayze added. “But don’t worry, this place has plumbing.”

“Oh, really?” Roman blurted. “I didn’t know outhouses count as plumbing.”

Sophia turned wide, questioning eyes on Blayze. “An outhouse?”

Blayze did the subtle shake of his head. Perhaps he’d win points with Sophia for not making her sweat it a moment longer.

“There’s a fork in the road up here,” Roman said. “Left, or right?”

“Ah,” Blayze said. “Right, but we’ll need a passcode to get through.” He unbuckled his belt and climbed out of the car, grateful to have a bit of fresh air. No soft touches and tempting scents. Sutton had done a whole lot of upgrades to the place back in March. Upgrades Blayze would have never dreamed of installing in a vacation home. The fall of fortune had come after a misfortune for Sutton; the guy’s mansion had burned to the ground. ‘Course, he’d had a new one built in a matter of months. But when a need arose before the new place was set, Blayze had offered his family cabin. The security upgrades came with the position.

A swinging, iron gate blocked both roadways, though the other led to an abandoned campground. A place that hadn’t been up and running since Blayze was a kid.

The digital padlock accepted no less than eight digits. Blayze tapped them in, one after the next, listening for the anticipated clank. It came right on cue, and Blayze pushed the heavy gate out of the way. The words, now what? ran through his mind. He’d gotten Sophia to agree to cancel tomorrow’s appearances and, thank heavens, she’d left the weekend clear. But he was very aware of the upcoming appearance she would not want to miss. Looming at the tail end of the following week. But he was getting ahead of himself. He needed to take things one day at a time.

At the cabin, Roman pulled into the double garage, guarded by key code as well, and closed the thing before anyone got out.

“Sheesh,” Sophia said. “I thought we were going to end up in some tent or something. This place is gorgeous. I mean,” she amended, “on the outside anyway.”

Blayze grinned. “Yeah, it’s not bad.” He slapped Roman on the shoulder. “Mind if I check the place out real quick? I had the cameras turned on remotely on our way over, but I’d like to make sure it’s all clear.”

The action of holding his gun, keeping his back to the walls, and being prepared to shoot put him right back on duty.

Solid wood logs made up the walls of the massive structure, accented by rustic tiled floors, copper accents, and several textured rugs throughout the cabin. Jazmin’s touch, said to—in her words—warm the place up.

This is what Mom decided to do with her alimony. A gift for the kids and the grandkids too. If only she’d have lived longer to enjoy it with them.

He forced his mind back to the task. He’d been ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure the cabin was clear before going through. Now it was at an even one-hundred percent. He knew each nook and cranny of the place after all. From the fruit cellar under the large, wraparound porch, to the cute little window seat Jazmin’s kids liked curling up in.

By the time Blayze made it back to the garage, Roman stood at the entry, arms filled with bags. “How many cameras do you have set up at this place?” he asked, eyeing a glowing dot in the corner of the garage.

Blayze turned sideways as he shuffled through the hallway, bags in each arm. “I lost track after a dozen,” he joked. “About half are in plain sight. The rest are hidden throughout the property.”

“Where does the surveillance go?” Sophia eyed the massive beams overhead, her eyes darting between the vaulted ceiling and the stairs leading to the loft.

“Surveillance is streamed onto a cloud, meaning I can have one of my guys keep an eye on it for us from a remote location. But I’ll be monitoring it as well from an iPad.

Roman blew out a whistle. “Nice, man, nice. Tiff and I should get a place like this one day. I always wanted a log cabin. Got a lake nearby?”

Blayze grinned. “A pond. But it has some decent fish. All contained on this property, so I’d say it’s safe to go out there if you’d like.”

“Well, tell me where I should park my bags for the night,” Roman said. “It’s past this old man’s bedtime.”

“I figure you could stay downstairs if you like it cooler. Or up in the loft if you chill easily.”

“Ooh,” Sophia blurted. “I chill easily. Maybe I should take the loft. If it’s okay with you, Roman.”

Roman and Blayze looked at one another before Blayze glanced over at Sophia. “I was thinking you and I should stay on the same floor. For safety reasons,” he added.

“Well, I like sleeping where it’s cool,” Roman said, “so if you don’t mind I think I’ll take my leave in the basement. Night, kids.”

“Night,” Blayze and Sophia said in unison. Her eyes looked tired, but that didn’t take from the beauty of her face. Such a strong woman, even in a situation like this. Stop it, Blayze. For crying out loud…

“How many beds are in the loft?” Sophia asked, pressing up on her toes as she scrutinized the log railing.

“Three,” he said. “Jazmin and her husband like to stay up there with the kids. There are two other rooms down here. A master with its own bath. And a spare bedroom across the hall.”

She nodded. “I like the idea of a master bath, but if you don’t mind, I’d feel more comfortable being in the same … space as you.”

Blayze tried to hide the surprise that threatened to show on his face. He forced his eyes to narrow, managing a nod in the process. “I’m going to be in trouble with your dad, you know?” he said under his breath.

Sophia laughed. “Not if you keep me safe, you won’t…” And with that, she strolled toward the winding stairwell, her rolling suitcase at her heels.