I glance at the clock on the dashboard and sigh before leaning back in my seat. The driver doesn’t seem to notice how late it is, easily past midnight, and I feel a little guilty. He’s been waiting for me since four, eight hours spent in this town car while the snow piles up all around him. He has a family, two little girls, and a pretty young wife. I met them at the company party two years ago.

Doesn’t matter, though. He’ll sacrifice anything for the Price family, just like I will. If I asked him to pull over and buy me crack cocaine, he probably would and wouldn’t ask questions.

That’s the power of the Price family. Being the richest family in Alaska has its perks, but it’s all smoke and mirrors.

Underneath it all, we’re as fucked up as any other family. We just happen to own the most profitable oil wells in the state and have thousands of people reliant on us for their livelihoods.

I glance out the window as we pull slowly through downtown. We’re heading out to my house, which is normally a half-hour drive, but will probably take an hour tonight in the snow. I was stuck all night in a meeting with my father, Jason Price, and my younger brother, Elliot Price.

My father is not a well man. He’s in his mid-eighties and was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, probably from his years of smoking. The doctors aren’t optimistic, and Jason Price is nothing if not practical, and so we’re beginning the process of transferring the family’s power away from my father and into my hands.

I knew this day would come sooner or later. I’ve been groomed for it my entire life, told that one day I’d take over, and I played my part. I took leadership roles in our company, Price Oil, and thrived under the pressure. I’m thirty-eight years old now, and am beginning to realize that I’ve already spent the bulk of my life doing nothing but sacrificing for my family.

That’s what’s expected of a Price man. I live and breathe oil and Alaska, and I don’t know anything else. I don’t have time to form relationships, and the women I’ve had all lasted one single night. I’ve been pressured to marry for the last fifteen years, but I have no interest in it.

Why bother? I don’t need that stress in my life. I’ve never met a woman that I believe could keep up with me, let alone keep my attention. Maybe I have a bad reputation because of it, but that doesn’t matter.

All that matters is the company, and if I keep performing as I’ve always performed, then the CEO position will be mine.

I glance out the window, trying to get my mind off work, at least for a little while. We pull through a cross street and up ahead I spot the old train station.

Something catches my eye. Huddled in the doorway of a closed hunting store is a girl, young as far as I can tell. Juneau has its share of homeless people, though not all that many, but what catches my attention is the fact that she’s not wearing a jacket.

I frown as we pull level with her and suddenly she looks up. Deep green eyes and beautiful full lips make my breath catch in my chest. Her lips are slightly blue and she’s clearly shivering. It’s maybe twenty-five degrees out, and there’s no way she’ll get through the night with just a backpack, a sweatshirt, and a pair of dark jeans.

“Albert,” I say, “pull over.”

He looks in the rearview mirror. “What’s that, sir?”

“Pull over,” I say again.

“Yes, sir.” He pulls the car over to the side of the road. “Sir, we might get stuck here.”

“I’ll be back in a second.” I open the door.

“Sir?” he calls after me, but I just ignore him.

The girl watches me as I approach her. I pull my jacket off and carry it over, holding it out.

“Here,” I say. “Take this.”

She looks suspicious and eyes me strangely. “Why?” she asks.

“Because you’re going to die tonight if you don’t get warm.”

She frowns, but there’s no surprise in her expression. She knows it as well as I do.

“That jacket won’t help,” she says, looking away.

I sigh. “Put the jacket on and come with me.”

“I don’t need your help.”

I crouch down in front of her. “Listen, I don’t know you, but you’ll die out here in the cold if you don’t come with me. Understand? Nobody else is going to help you.”

She looks at me again and her expression softens. I can see the scared girl behind her eyes, despite her desire to seem tough. I stand up, still holding out the jacket. Slowly, she unfurls herself and stands up too, taking the jacket.

Before she wraps herself up, I catch a glimpse of her beautiful body. She’s absolutely stunning, with long dark hair, bright green eyes, and hips that make my fucking cock hard. I don’t know what the fuck a girl like her is doing outside on a cold night like this without a jacket.

“Come on,” I say.

She follows me wordlessly. I’m starting to get fucking cold in just a suit, and so we hurry into the back of the waiting car. Albert already has the heat blasting and he looks back at me, his face carefully composed.

“Where to, sir?” he asks.

The girl glances at me.

“My place,” I say.

“Right away.” He puts up the divider and starts driving again. I can’t help but smile slightly before I glance back at the girl.

She’s staring at me wordlessly, a slightly angry expression on her face. I sigh and hold out my hand.

“Carson,” I say.

She pauses before taking it. Her skin is smooth but freezing. “Kylie,” she says.

“You’re welcome.” I grin at her.

She pauses then sighs. “Thanks.”

I release her hand and lean back to get a better look at her. She’s still shivering slightly, but the color is coming back into her cheeks and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have frostbite or anything, but we’ll have to make sure when we get back to my cabin.

I want to ask her what the hell she was doing out in the snow without a heavy coat on a night like this, but I decide not to press. Not now at least. She’s looking out the window, trying to ignore me, which is fine for now. I don’t mind riding in silence with her. For some reason, I feel very protective of her, but also very comfortable. Normally I’d be annoyed that she’s not talking to me, but right now I don’t mind. I’m just glad she’s out of the cold.

I’ll get her to open up back home, when she’s warmed up. Maybe I’ll let her stay at my place for a day or two before she figures out what she needs to do. I don’t know her story, but she’s clearly down on her luck and needs a hand.

I’ll be that helping hand. It doesn’t hurt that she’s absolutely beautiful.

I’ll get to the bottom of her sooner than she thinks.