Prologue

Ash

A girl’s scream pierces through my sleep. Heart racing, I jump from my bed, tearing down the stairs from my apartment above the five-car garage. Cold air bites at my chest when I step outside, snow and wind whipping harshly around me.

Another cry. Followed by the distinct sound of growls and barking.

She’s close.

Ignoring the sharp pain that slices through my bare feet as they scrape against ice and snow, I grab the first weapon I see, an axe, and move quickly towards whatever crisis lies ahead.

A flash of red through the white blizzard is my focal point. The girl’s pale face and large brown eyes meet mine when I barrel through the trees towards the edge of the Redmond’s large property.

Ella.

The hood of her red jacket is caught on the steel fence. A silver wolf surrounds her, lips curled back over large fangs that drip with saliva. It crouches low, moving forward, and lets out a threatening growl.

Terror strikes through me as I watch the animal position itself to pounce, eyes flashing gold when they catch the light of the moon.

Adrenaline pounding through my veins, I bound over the fence, dropping in front of her and swinging the axe towards the snarling beasts.

“Watch out,” she screams, when the animal lunges at me.

The blunt end of the axe hits the animal with a sickening crunch.

A snap.

A snarl.

One wrong move and the beast sinks its fangs into my calf.

I grit my teeth, and strike out with the axe, sending it whimpering backwards. I swing again, hollering madly and driving the wolves back into the shadowed forest.

When I turn back to Ella, her eyes are wild, her breathing rough and uneven.

“You… you were amazing.” Her gaze trails down my bare chest, then back up to my face, and her tongue darts out across her bottom lip.

Fuck.

“Are you hurt?” I demand, moving towards her, reaching out to unsnag her hood from the fence.

“I-I don’t think so.” Her lips tremble, dark auburn hair whipping around her heart-shaped face.

I give a harsh nod. “Can you climb?”

She glances at the fence. “I think so.”

Hands on her hips, I help her over. Then, with less agility than I had before, I climb over myself, grunting when I hit the ground as pain shoots up my leg.

“Was that… was that a wolf?” She asks, voice wobbly.

My nostrils flare at the innocence behind her dark eyes. How many years has the girl been coming here to visit her grandmother, and she still thinks this place is as safe as the boarding school she attends ten months of the year.

“Yeah, that was a fucking wolf, and it would have devoured you if I hadn’t heard your screams.”

She flinches.

“What the hell are you doing out here?”

The quick glance away, and the red that creeps into her cheeks tells me everything I need to know. There’s a boy involved.

Every protective bone in my body goes on high alert. Not that I have any right to feel that way. She’s nobody to me. Just the stubborn, over-pampered granddaughter of the woman I work for.

The girl is beautiful, yes. But she’s young. And way out of my league. Not to mention that she seems terrified every time she comes into my presence. Even now, her eyes dart apprehensively over the ink that marks my bare chest.

But right now, it isn’t fear I see in her eyes, instead I see something that shouldn’t be there—lust. The pure, innocent hunger that could have even a grown man on his knees begging for one taste.

Shit.

My cock twitches, but my brain screams danger.

“Let’s go.” I grip her arm, and start to pull her towards the house.

I’m pretty sure I’ve lost all feeling in my feet. My leg is pulsing, blood caked into my ripped jeans and freezing against my skin.

“You’re bleeding,” she says, concern in her voice.

“I’ll be fine.” After a few stitches, and half a bottle of bourbon.

At the garage, I release her and toss the axe up against the side of the building.

She glances up the hill toward the main house, then back to me, fingers twisting together. The wind still whips around us, cold and daunting, but the way she’s looking at me sends fire blazing through my veins.

“What?” I growl out.

Another small flinch, then she straightens her shoulders and meets my gaze with more confidence than a girl her age should have. “Thank you.”

I grunt. “Get inside before you freeze to death.”

Turning towards the door that leads up to my apartment, I don’t wait to see if she obeys. I’m fucking freezing, and the only thing that’s going to warm me up tonight is the bottle of Jameson waiting for me upstairs.

The crunch of snow behind me warns me she’s following me.

Shit.

“You’re…” She breathes out a shaky breath and follows me up the stairs. “You’re not going to tell on me, are you?”

Flinging open my apartment door, I make a beeline for the kitchen cupboards, pull out a bottle of whisky, and take a deep swig, before slowly turning and leaning against the counter.

Ella stands in the doorway, eyes roaming around the large room. She’s never been up here before, at least not since I’ve lived here. And she shouldn’t be here now.

“No, kid. I’m not going to tell your grandma that you snuck out in the middle of the night and almost got yourself killed by a pack of ravenous wolves.”

She pulls her hood back, exposing her flawless features, the thick mane of dark auburn hair falling over her shoulders, and juts her chin out. “I’m seventeen. I’m not a kid.”

“You’re acting like one if you have to sneak out.” I rake my fingers through my hair and take another swig straight from the bottle, the liquid finally starting to warm the cold from my bones. My lips pull up over my teeth, and I snarl, “When you don’t have the common sense to protect yourself from danger.”

Usually my prickliness sets her running in the opposite direction, but not tonight. Tonight, she seems dead set on driving me insane.

She moves into the room, hand reaching out to trace the edge of the wooden footboard of my bed. It’s the only piece of furniture I brought with me when I moved here. An antique piece that used to be my parents when they owned the ranch on the northeast side of the property.

Back when my family actually had something more than a black cloud of debt hanging over their head.

It’s why I’m here now, working like a dog for minimum pay. But it’s a job. And I need the money. Rancher turned groundskeeper. It’s not ideal, but at least I have a roof over my head, and enough money to send to my sister each month.

The work is easy. At least it is when Ella isn’t here distracting me and making me question every reason why I hate the Redmond family.

The girl is standing at the foot of my bed, big, looking around with those innocent eyes like she has no fucking idea what I want to do to her. And if I wasn’t a better man, I might give into those dark, wicked cravings.

I take another long swallow, not taking my eyes off her.

“Ca-can I have some?” Her gaze is on the bottle, and she takes a few steps towards me.

Yeah, the girl didn’t know danger when she was standing right in front of it.

I hand her the whisky and she takes a deep swallow, her eyes water as the burn hits her throat and she hisses, “God, that’s awful.”

Grunting, I take the bottle from her hands, ignoring the warmth that spreads up my arms when my fingers brush against hers.

“The wolf… it bit you.” She’s close now, her gaze darting across the ink on my chest and arms, and I can see her fingers itching to touch me, to trace the patterns.

I swallow the groan that vibrates in my throat.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” I lie, knowing I’m probably going to need a couple of stitches, which I’ll do myself once she finally leaves me in peace. “I’ve had worse.”

Her brows draw up. “You’ve been bitten before?”

“My family owned a cattle ranch. It was part of my job to hunt down the predators that threatened our herd. I had a few run-ins with wolves, coyotes, even a few mountain lions, and the odd bear.”

“Wow.” She’s looking at me like I’m a fucking superhero, and not the predator that wants to devour her whole.

The pull between us is almost tangible.

Fuck. I need to get her out of here before I do something stupid.

“You should go,” I growl out, glaring at her.

“Do you want me to look at it?” She bites her bottom lip and glances down at my leg. “If you take your pants off—”

I groan, and her eyes widen. She licks her lips, and leans in. Like a moth to the flame, she has no idea how close she is to getting burned.

Yeah, too fucking innocent.

The girl is a goddamn siren sent to tease me.

I wrap a tendril of her hair around my fingers and give a small tug. “You want to tell me why you were out there all alone?”

She glances down, pink infusing her cheeks. “I was supposed to meet someone.”

“Supposed to?”

“He didn’t show.”

“A boyfriend?” Every muscle in my body tenses at the thought.

“No.” She shakes her head. “I mean. Well, I thought… maybe. I met him a couple nights ago at a soiree my grandmother was hosting.”

I have no clue what a goddamn soiree is, and I’m pretty sure I have no desire to. Most likely it was just another name for one of those god-awful parties the rich throw for any excuse to dress up and flaunt their wealth.

She’s fidgeting now, dark eyes downcast. “He…”

The small shaky breath she exhales tugs at something in my chest.

“What?” I demand, making her flinch, and her gaze pulls back to mine.

She gives a small shrug and more pink floods her cheeks. “You wouldn’t understand.”

I grunt, “Try me.”

Her shoulders straighten, and her face goes serious. “I thought he might be the one.”

“The one?” Possessiveness flares.

She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, a flash of uncertainty crossing her expression, before saying, “My first.”

“First?” I fucking hope to hell she isn’t saying what I think she is. “First what?”

“First everything.” She lets out a frustrated breath. “I’ve been stuck in that horrible prison my grandmother calls a boarding school for so long that I never get to do anything. Do you know there’s no guys there… at all? Except for the principal and a few teachers. But they’re old, and…” She lets out a deep sigh. “I’m the only one of my friends that’s never been kissed. That’s never been…”

“I get it.” Leaning back against the counter I drag a rough hand through my hair.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

I don’t know why either, but every word that tumbles from those lush lips only intensifies the ache in my cock.

A low, muted growl rumbles up in my throat. “That’s not something you give away to just anyone, Red.”

Raw energy pulses between us. Because the primal part of me wants to claim her innocence. To devour her and make her mine.

“Why not?” Her hand reaches out to touch the ink on my chest, and I catch her wrist.

“Because you deserve better.”

“Everyone’s always telling me what I need. What I should want. Maybe I just want to choose for myself.” Her other hand snakes up, palm flattening on my abs, then she leans closer, her body pressing against mine. “What if I want danger… excitement?”

My cock is rock hard, pressing painfully against the denim that restrains it.

Only a fucking saint could resist an offer like that. And it’s been a long time since I’ve had my halo.

I skate my hand around the back of her neck, my fingers tangling in the hair at her nape and I tug, just hard enough to make her chin tilt up, her gaze meet mine.

“Is this what you want, Red?” I say roughly against the shell of her ear, sending a tremble through her body. “You want me to bury my cock inside of you? To lick that sweet pussy until you’re screaming my name?”

A small whimper is her only reply. And I can feel the fear that mixes with innocent yearnings.

“Run away. little girl, before I decide to take you up on your offer.” I inhale her scent, closing my eyes and struggling for some control. “But trust me, sweetheart. I don’t play childish games.”

Her breath hitches, and I feel her body tense, like she finally has a clue about how much danger she’s actually in.

Good.

I release her, dropping my hand, and watch as she takes a few quick steps backwards.

“I-I should go.”

“You should,” I agree, keeping my expression hard. No way I’m going to let this girl know just how much she’s gotten under my skin.

“Tha-thank you for saving me.” She stumbles towards the door, pulling her hood over her head.

“Red.” The command in my voice is clear, and she stops, glancing nervously over her shoulder, brown eyes wide when they look at me. “Be safe. There are more than just wolves out there ready to devour you.”

Confusion washes over her expression. So young. So naïve.

Again, something primal inside of me growls, wanting to protect her. To keep her. To make her mine.

Foolishness. She belongs to a different world. One that I’ll never be a part of.

She shoves her hands in her coat pockets and nods, then disappears down the stairs.

I grab the bottle of whisky and down half the bottle because it isn’t just my leg that’s throbbing now. The ache in my cock is going to be a hell of a lot harder to get rid of.

Chapter 1

Ella

Six Years Later…

My heart aches when I walk through the large wooden doors that lead to the foyer of my grandmother’s estate.

I was in France when I got the call that she passed.

Since then, the house has been left empty, except for the staff.

The staff. A small shiver races down my back when I think of Ash Hunter.

The man has done an exceptional job avoiding me over the years, but the news I just received from my grandmother’s attorney, placing me as the sole beneficiary of the estate, means that I’m currently his employer.

A position I doubt either one of us is happy about.

“Would you like me to take your bags to your room?” The butler who’s decked out in the whole penguin suit as to my grandmother’s preference, stares down his nose at me, thin lips pressed together severely.

“Thank you, George,” I say, trying to be as amiable as possible. Already the staff are eyeing me warily, and I know what they’re thinking. They’re wondering how a twenty-three-year-old woman, who is supposed to be finishing up her last year of under grad in art history, is going to manage an estate this size.

I’m trying to figure that out myself.

Because right now, I don’t have even the first clue as to where to start.

I’m supposed to be meeting with another of my grandmother’s lawyers later today to go over the finances, and my stomach is twisting at the thought.

Walking through the foyer, I exit through the back doors, taking in the huge estate.

Winterberry trees line one side of the house, the red berries striking against the fresh white powder that has recently fallen.

A loud crack makes my heart nearly jump out of my chest.

Another whack.

The sound echoes around me.

“What in God’s name?” My feet crunch through the snow, then stop cold when I see him.

Ash.

Axe flung over his shoulder, he picks up a log with his free hand and places it vertically on a tree stump, then steps back, and with perfect precision brings the axe down hard, splintering the log in two equal halves.

Through the red flannel shirt, I can see his heavy corded muscles bunch and tense. His large thighs strain at the denim, and his ass… my god, but the man has the most perfect backside.

His hair is longer than the last time I was here. Shaved on the sides and hanging thickly over one half of his ruggedly handsome face.

As if sensing my presence, he turns; blue eyes, dark and intense as they land on me.

Flames lick at my flesh, burning through me, setting my entire body on fire.

I feel the heat warm my cheeks, and when I start to take a step backwards I lose my footing on a patch of ice and go sprawling, landing hard with a sickening crunch.

Pain—sharp and hot—slices through my head as it bounces off what I assume is an icy patch of concrete.

My vision darkens instantly even though I can hear and sense the world moving around me.

A few deep, growl-like curses, are muttered above me. Hands, big and strong, are touching me. Calloused fingers stroke my face, and for a moment I don’t want my vision to return, prepared to spend a few more moments of bliss in the man’s embrace.

“Damn it, Red, open your eyes,” he demands roughly.

I blink several times, until the pinprick of light expands, revealing the smoldering blue eyes that have haunted my dreams for the last six years.

“What the hell were you thinking, wearing heels out here?” His tone is harsh, his expression brooding, but there’s a tenderness to his touch as he studies me, that makes the pain seem to dissipate, replaced by an aching hunger that clenches my core.

“Always my savior,” I try to joke, grinning up at him.

He grunts. “Because you’re always getting in trouble.”

I try to sit up and groan when the world spins.

“Here.” One arm snakes under my knees, the other behind my back, and he hoists me up against his god-like body.

As much as I hate being the damsel in distress, I’m not about to complain when he’s touching me.

As I inhale his scent—all male and woody—the butterflies in my stomach start to do a little dance of joy.

He’s intoxicating. Reeking of pure primal masculinity.

Compared to the guys on campus—even the football jocks who are gym buff—Ash is one hundred and ten percent sinew and muscle.

I rest my cheek and palm on his chest as he carries me back up to the house, squirming to get closer to him.

He lets out a harsh breath. “Stop that.”

“What?”

“You know what.” His tone is laced with frustration.

“I’m not seventeen anymore.” I blink up at him and reach out to run my fingers across the ink along his neck that peeks out from his shirt. “You don’t have to be such a… gentleman all the time.”

“You think that’s what I am, Red?”

“That…” I know I’m pressing too hard when I say, “Or a coward.”

A feral noise rushes from his lips, and my feet hit the floor with a hard thud when he releases me. The only thing stopping me from falling, one large arm wrapped tightly around my waist.

He doesn’t say anything, no brooding remark like I usually get, just a concentrated look that makes me wonder if I went too far.

Hunger.

Lust.

Stubborn determination to stay the hell away from me. That’s what I see when I look in his eyes.

A man’s cough makes both of us tense. Ash drops his hold and takes a step back.

“Miss Redmond?” A deep, velvety voice says almost lyrically behind me.

Frustrated by the stranger’s rotten timing, I turn to face the intruder, only to be met by a pair of striking light brown eyes. Eyes the color of honey, framed by thick black lashes.

The man is devastatingly handsome, in the typical blueblood way. Chiseled features, strong jaw, straight nose, dark hair just long enough to give him a sexy mussed look that would make a woman beg to run her fingers through it.

One side of his grin tilts up higher than the other in a smirk that tells me he knows exactly what kind of effect he has on people.

“I’m Jared Wolfe.” He takes a step towards me, hand outstretched. “I’m the lawyer from Wolfe, Perrault, and Associates, who’s handling your grandmother’s estate.”

I take his hand, and stammer, when I feel the slice of energy that sizzles between us, “Ri-right. Sorry, I didn’t think you were coming until later.”

He doesn’t let go of his grip, just keeps those hypnotizing eyes focused on me. “If it’s a bad time—”

“No. It’s fine.” I shake my head, glancing at Ash from the corner of my eye, who’s standing all dark and brooding, glaring between us. Ignoring him, I turn back to Jared and grin up at him. “Why don’t we go into the study?”

The man’s smile broadens, and he gives a small nod.

I swear I hear a low growl come from Ash’s direction when I turn and start to walk away.

The man is so hard to read. I swear, one minute he’s looking at me like he wants to tear my clothes off, and the next he’s treating me like I’m a child that needs protecting, or worse—a spoiled rich girl he can’t stand being in the same room with.

In the study, I glance around the giant room with its unread books, and antique furniture, and suddenly feel extremely self-conscious.

The large mahogany desk where my grandfather used to sit and drink bourbon and smoke cigars, while I colored on the floor beside him, is another reminder I’m just playing grownups; that I really have no idea what I’m doing.

As if sensing my unease, Jared motions to one of the leather chairs. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

“Okay.” I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants and sit down.

He follows suit, sitting in the adjacent chair and placing his leather case on the desk. Leaning back, he steeples his fingers in front of his mouth and studies me.

I shift uncomfortably under his intimate gaze. “What exactly did you want to talk about?”

He gives me a sympathetic look, one that makes my stomach flip flop, because I know what it means—trouble.

“You’re aware that the estate has been left solely in your name?”

I nod, sitting straighter and bracing myself for the but that I know is coming.

“As trustee of the estate, my law firm is legally—”

“What do you mean, trustee?”

“Your grandmother entrusted my firm to oversee the estates’ finances while she was ill or incapacitated. Now that it’s in your name, my company holds the right to oversee the estate until you turn thirty.”

“Thirty? But that’s years away.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand. Why would she give you that much power?” I don’t even know the man. And I’m pretty sure my grandmother never mentioned him.

“She trusted me.” His grin is dark and full of hidden meaning. “And I hope you will too.”

An unsettled feeling stirs in my stomach. But my grandmother was a smart woman, she wouldn’t have given just anyone that much power without fully trusting them.

“Okay,” I say, uncertainty making my voice catch. “So, what happens? What do I do?”

“You don’t have to do anything. I’ll take care of paying the staff, and any bills that ensue, and you’ll be given an allowance.”

“An allowance?” Each word he utters makes me feel more and more like an incompetent child.

“It’ll be enough to let you live the lifestyle you were already living. You can go back to school and finish—”

“And if I want to stay here?”

He frowns. “It’s your house, legally. If that’s what you want, you can stay.”

Then why do I feel like I suddenly need permission from him?

“And you?”

He cocks an eyebrow. “And me, what?”

“Where do you stay?”

A deep chuckle rumbles in his chest. “Not here, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

“Right.” Heat warms my cheeks, once again I'm feeling foolish.

He tilts his head that same seductive grin playing on his lips. “Can I make a suggestion, Miss Redmond?”

“Of course.”

“You’re a very beautiful, young woman, who has recently come into a great amount of wealth. You need to be aware that there will be many men who will take an interest in you.” He nods towards the door, and I know where his mind wanders.

Ash.

Defensiveness steels my spine. “I’m perfectly capable of handling my own love life.”

Again, that grin. “I’m sure you are. I just want you to be careful.”

Careful. I hate that word. What I want is to be wild, to ride the wave of danger. To live and love and not worry about the damn consequences.

What I want is Ash.

“Thank you for your advice, Mr. Wolfe.” I start to stand and he takes my hand.

“Jared,” He says, thumb stroking across the back of my hand, sending small bolts of electricity sparking through me.

“Jared,” I repeat, unable to break from his mesmerizing gaze.

He leans closer, his expression full of intent, and his gaze drops to my mouth.

Hot.

Intense.

The man is all charm and raw sexuality, and it’s nearly impossible not to respond to his touch.

It’s not the same all-consuming, carnal desire that I get with Ash, but it’s something. I just can’t think straight enough to figure out what.

“Would you like to have dinner with me?” he asks, not loosening his grip.

“Dinner?” I repeat. My voice is weak, shaky, and annoyingly childish, even to me.

He keeps watching me, lips quirked up in a sexy grin. “Tomorrow night?”

“Oh… all right.” I give a small nod. “Tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you then, Ella.” His voice drips with promise.

I watch his back as he exits the study, seeing Ash still standing in the foyer, all fire and broodiness, with his dark scruff, and plaid shirt rolled up, exposing his inked forearms. A striking comparison to the cool and collected man who just asked me out on a date.

It was a date, right?

I haven’t been on one in months. Too busy with school. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. It has nothing to do with the fact I’m obsessing over a man that doesn’t want me.

Maybe Jared Wolfe is exactly what I need to get my mind off Ash Hunter.

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