It’s early in the morning and I’m already throwing beer cans into a trash bag. I’m sweating a little bit and I curse, annoyed that some teens decided to have a party on the preserve in the middle of the night again.

The least they can do is clean up after themselves. I toss more cans into the bag, plus some empty chip bags and other garbage. There’s a pile of vomit next to the dead and blackened campfire, which I am not freaking dealing with. Let some animal eat it up or whatever.

I can’t stop thinking about my date last night. It was going so well, I felt incredibly comfortable and excited, and I couldn’t wait to keep talking to Lucas. I was surprised that he has a kid, but that doesn’t really bother me at all. In fact, that he gave up his life in the military and came home to take care of his son says so much about his character. I can hardly believe someone would give up their child like that and run off, but apparently his ex did, and he’s taking responsibility for it all.

It can’t be easy coming back to civilian life, let alone with a little baby to raise. He lives at home with his stepmom, which would normally be a red flag, but I can totally understand it in this situation. He needs her help to raise the child while he figures out how he’s going to support himself and this baby.

On top of all that, I’m insanely attracted to him. He’s so handsome it’s almost unreal. I don’t know how he’s single, but I guess he spent so long overseas that he just doesn’t really know anybody anymore. I can relate to that on some level. He’s ten years older than me, but that doesn’t matter at all.

Things were going to well, up until Dylan Carter showed up. I don’t know what Dylan wanted, but he really creeped me out. He was being such an asshole to Lucas for absolutely no reason. I wanted to scream at Dylan, tell him to fuck off, tell him to back off my nature preserve, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. He’s still a Carter, and everyone in this town knows not to mess with the Carters or else bad things will happen.

Everyone except for Lucas apparently. He stood up to Dylan and even scared him off, which absolutely shocked me. But it freaked me out a little bit. It felt reckless, dangerous, in a way that maybe I shouldn’t be around right now. Especially not when the Carters are trying to buy the nature preserve. I don’t want to mess with them and potentially make things harder for Laura.

But I can’t pretend like it wasn’t a little satisfying to see that smug Carter asshole go running off with his tail between his legs. He knows that Lucas could beat the crap out of him if it came to that, though of course I don’t want it to happen.

There was that moment outside when I knew he was about to kiss me. I wanted it, I felt excited and aroused, I was beyond ready, but something stopped me. When that bus came, it pulled me out of my dream-like state, and I just had to back away. I ran off and got on that bus without really thinking about it. I feel bad that I left him alone there, but I knew that if I stayed, I’d kiss him, and I need to think about things first.

I don’t know how this all happens at once. A week ago, I’m minding my own business, getting through my days with some measure of happiness. Now though, suddenly Lucas appears out of nowhere, and the Carter brothers are interested in me, and the nature preserve might get sold. I don’t even know what to think anymore.

I bend over and grab a can, tossing into my bag. I find a pair of glasses half hidden under a log and look at them for a second, smiling to myself. It must have been some party for a kid to actually lose his glasses. Come to think of it, there’s enough trash around here for like fifteen people. It was probably pretty great.

I hear a snapped twig and look up suddenly with a start, pulled from my daydreaming. I expect to see Lucas, and then I think it might be Laura, but the person that comes out from between some bushes is neither of those people.

It’s Caleb Carter. I nearly stumble backwards over a log when I see him. He’s wearing a polo shirt and a pair of khaki pants with boat shoes and a cocky smile. He’s okay looking, nothing special. He’s built like a lacrosse player, probably since that was his sport in high school. He has thinning dirty blond hair and brown eyes and his perpetual cocky smile that’s not endearing at all. He looks like he thinks he owns everything around him simply because he thinks he deserves it.

“Hey, Mia,” he says, stepping toward me.

“Caleb. You scared me.”

“Didn’t mean to.” He cocks his head at me. “What are you doing?”

“Cleaning up after a party,” I say. “You know, my job. What are you doing out here?”

“Came to find you.” He crosses his arms and leans up against a tree.

I suddenly feel something like dread in my stomach. It’s nothing like the feeling I get when I see Lucas, it’s almost the exact opposite. Caleb doesn’t look at me like he wants to ravish me and is adoring me, but rather like he thinks he owns me, and that’s terrifying.

“Uhm, okay, sure. What can I help you with, Caleb?”

He cocks his head. “Help me with?”

“Yeah. I mean, you came to find me at work, so I don’t know.”

“No, nothing like that. I just wanted to see you, talk to you.”

“Okay. Yeah. I mean, I’m a little busy.” I gesture at the rest of the campsite. It’s still a little messy.

“That’s okay. You can take a break.”

“I shouldn’t.”

He walks over to a group of cans and kicks them softly. I wince, wanting to tell him to stop since he’s making more work for me, but I keep silent. I realize that I’m afraid and very, very alone with this guy. The party site was right in the middle of the preserve, far away from everything, or as far as possible.

“So I heard you were on a date last night,” he says.

I want to groan but I keep myself under control. “I saw your brother.”

“He saw you, too.” Caleb bends over and picks up a stick. “Who was the guy, Mia?”

“Doesn’t matter.” I regret saying that immediately.

He points the stick at me. “Come on, Mia, don’t be that way. I’m just making conversation.”

“I’m busy, Caleb, really. Can we talk later?”

“I just want to know who the guy is. I can find out other ways, but help me out.”

“His name is Lucas, okay?” I say. I know Caleb can easily figure it out and I want this conversation to be over as fast as possible.

He grins big at me. “I know that already,” he says. “Just wanted you to confirm it.”

I sigh, exasperated. “So you came out here just to mess with me?”

“Not at all,” he says, laughing. “Come on, Mia. I’m just teasing you.” He steps toward me, stick back down at the ground. “How was the date, anyway? Isn’t he like thirty?”

“Maybe,” I say. “It’s none of your business, though.” I step away from him, pretending to work. I bend over and grab some trash but I keep him in sight.

He comes closer to me. “That guy is a real dick, Mia. You shouldn’t be around guys like him.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I stand up and stare at him.

He points his stick at me again. “Seriously. I don’t like that guy, but I like you. I want to get to know you better. Ditch that loser and hang out with me.”

“He’s just a friend,” I say, trying to avoid answering him.

“Sure he is.” Caleb takes the stick and snaps it over his knee. It makes me jump and I’m terrified he’s about to come at me. “I just don’t like him.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I answer him, backing away some more. My eyes are wide and I can feel myself starting to shake a little bit. “Maybe we can talk later, when I’m not working?”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you want. Just stay away from that fucking loser, Mia.” He grins at me. “You’re cool. We like you.”

“Thanks.” I’m scared shitless and don’t know what to say.

He tosses the broken stick onto the ground and walks away. I nearly fall down onto the ground, my heart hammering in my chest. I wait a second for him to get far enough away before I spring out of the campsite and across the preserve. I take the long way around, skirting the outside, putting as much distance between me and where I think Caleb probably is as I possible can.

That was the scariest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. He didn’t outright threaten me or anything like that, but the fact that he found me out there in the wilderness and talked like that freaked me out. Plus, Caleb has a bad reputation with women. I’ve heard whispers of him assaulting some freshmen girls when he was a senior, and one girl even said she got raped by him, at least for a little while. I don’t know what happened with that, but she had a really nice new car the next year, and the rumors were pretty obvious from there.

I’m practically shaking when I get back to the office. I don’t know why it freaked me out so much, but when Caleb broke that stick, I saw something in his expression that put serious terror in my heart. It was a darkness I’ve never seen in someone before, like a total lack of emotion, or maybe such a deep hate that it overwhelms everything else. I can’t really explain it very well, not even to myself, and it completely unnerved me. I head into the office, hoping to find Laura, but she’s not around.

The place is totally empty. That’s pretty normal for this time of day, but I don’t want to be alone. I keep thinking about Caleb and that look, and wondering what he’d do to me if I let him.

Without thinking, I take out my phone. I dial the first person I think of, and he answers on the second ring.

“Looking for a second date so soon?” Lucas says.

I smile a little. “Hey. Sorry to bug you at work.”

“No big deal. What’s up?”

“Caleb Carter came by here. He was pretty weird, and now I’m alone, I don’t know where Laura is—“

“Where are you?”

“The office.”

“Stay there. I’m coming.” He hangs up the phone.

I blink, a little surprised. I expected to talk to him for a few minutes until I calmed down, but I never thought he’d drop whatever he’s doing and come here. I shouldn’t be that surprised, though. That’s the kind of guy Lucas obviously is.

I head back into the employee breakroom and get a water. I sip on it and stare at the TV blankly until I hear a vehicle pull up out front maybe fifteen minutes later. I head out front just as Lucas steps down from his truck and walks toward me.

“He still here?” Lucas asks, his face serious. He looks all business, and I feel a thrill run through me. It’s the total opposite feeling of what I had when Caleb looked at me.

“He’s gone,” I say. “At least, I think so.”

“Come on. Let’s go inside.”

We head in and he sits me down on a chair. He looks around the building real fast and comes back, shaking his head.

“What did he say to you?” he asks.

“Warned me to stay away from you. Said he thinks I’m cool and wants to know me.” I groan, staring up at him. “I’m so sorry, Lucas.”

“Don’t be. That fucking creep.” He sits down next to me. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head quickly. “Not at all.” I’m afraid of what Lucas would do if I told him about the stick thing, so I keep that to myself. I don’t want him to go off on Caleb and get himself deeper into this than he already is.

“Those fucking pricks,” he says. “Caleb has a bad reputation, you know that?”

“I know,” I say softly. “I don’t want anything to do with him, but what can I do now?”

“I don’t know,” Lucas says softly, sighing. “Just be careful.”

“I will be.”

He takes my hand and squeezes it, smiling softly. “Weird second date,” he says.

I grin a little bit and laugh despite myself. “I guess it is.”

“The damsel in distress thing is pretty hot though, I’ll admit it.”

“That wasn’t my plan.”

“Wasn’t it?” He smirks at me. “I think you just wanted to see me in battle mode. You like the protective man thing?”

“Cut it out,” I say, laughing a little bit. I can already feel the fear and anxiety Caleb made me feel start to melt away.

“I get it now. That’s why you’re so into me. It’s the military thing. You want a big strong man to take care of you.”

“Hardly. I can take care of myself.”

He pulls me toward him a little bit. “Maybe it’s the older guy thing,” he whispers softly. I feel a thrill run down my spine.

“Older?” I say, a smile on my face. “You’re ancient. You have a kid.”

“That’s right.” His lips come near mine, practically brushing my cheek. His other hand is in my hair, holding it tight, and I gasp softly, that thrill running down my spine down between my legs. I can feel my excitement pooling there, my pussy dripping wet.

“You want me to be your Daddy, don’t you?” he whispers in my ear. “You want me to come protect you. Beat the shit out of some spoiled assholes for you. That it?”

“No,” I say, practically squirming.

“I think that’s it. You like it. Gets you off to see me hard and ready to fight.”

He pulls back and looks me in the eyes and in that moment, I know I’ll throw myself at him. He’s wrong, I don’t like the caveman aggressive thing, but I do love that he’s so protective of me. I love that he’s loyal and dropped everything to come see me when I needed him. Not many guys would do something like that, and Lucas is clearly not many guys.

The front door opens and someone steps inside. I feel my heart sink and a tinge of fear comes back as Lucas’s hand drops from my hair. He stands, clearly tense and ready to spring, just as Laura comes around the corner.

She stops short, a confused smile on her face. “Hey, there,” she says. “Lucas, Alice’s kid?”

Lucas relaxes instantly. “That’s right. Good to see you again.”

“Here about the flowers?” she asks.

“Uh—“

I interrupt him. “We were just talking about which ones they’re interested in.” I stand up and Laura’s attention shifts to me.

“Good,” she says. “You’re in good hands with Mia here.” Laura smiles and breezes past us, disappearing back into her office.

Lucas grins at me. “Good save.”

“Think a little faster next time, army boy.”

He looks offended. “Army?”

“Navy, whatever.”

“Oh no, not ‘whatever.’ I’m a goddamn SEAL.”

I roll my eyes. “You military boys all care so much about your fake little made-up stuff.”

“It’s not fake,” he bristles and I laugh at him. I like that I can rile him up.

“Thanks for coming here,” I say softly.

He nods, his face relaxing. “Of course. Any time. Seriously, if Caleb bothers you again, call me right away.”

“I’m not sure he’s going to.” I step toward him, biting my lip.

“Doesn’t matter. Just know that I’m a call away.”

“Thanks. That means a lot.”

“Now.” He steps toward me again, his confident smile back. “How about that second date?”

“You just be patient,” I say, smiling, playing coy. I dance away from him and head back toward Laura’s office. “Thanks again for coming. I’ll call you.”

“I know you will.” He grins and nods at me before turning and heading out the front door.

I watch him go, biting my bottom lip, before letting out a breath. He drives me crazy, absolutely wild, and I can’t believe he’s so into me. I’ve never had a guy talk to me like that before, so intense and attentive. He was ready to come over here and save me, and that’s just so incredibly sexy I can hardly explain it.

“He’s a good guy, you know.”

I turn around and Laura is leaning against her office door. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know you’re absolutely bonkers for him.”

“I am not.” I turn to walk away.

“I’m close with his stepmom, you know. And believe me, Lucas is a good guy. One of the best.”

I give her a little smile. “I know.”

“Good. You could do a lot worse.”

I pause for a second and then change the subject. “How’s the defense coming along?”

“It’s coming,” she says, nodding. “We’ll survive this, don’t you worry.” She gives me a little smile. “I’d rather you expended your energy in other directions.”

I groan and roll my eyes. “You’re awful.”

“Go be young! See that handsome army boy.”

“Navy,” I say, correcting her with a little smile.

She shrugs, not really getting it and not really caring. “Whatever. Go have some fun.”

“I have to finish cleaning up that campsite first. And then another million chores.”

“Whatever you say.” She waves me off and heads back into her office.

I walk back toward the front of the building and pause for a second near the door.

Laura is right, I should be trying to spend more time being young. And I clearly like this guy, although he’s still a little bit of a mystery to me. He’s a lot older, not to mention he has a little kid, but still. I’m insanely attracted to him.

And that line about being my Daddy? Normally something like that wouldn’t work at all, but coming from him it just drove me absolutely insane. I want to call him Daddy, moan it in his ear as he fucks me rough and deep. I can only imagine what he could make me feel.

I shake my head and go back outside. I can’t let myself get so distracted. I have my father to worry about, and the nature preserve, and now Caleb Carter is breathing down my neck. I can’t get Lucas any more involved in this crap than he already is. So what if I want him? That can wait, maybe for when all this blows over.

I tell myself I won’t think about him anymore as I head back toward the site with a fresh trash bag, but in truth I spend the rest of the afternoon daydreaming about Lucas and what exactly it would mean to let him be my Daddy.