Romancing the Boat (Survive the Romance #3) - Cami Checketts Page 0,2

by Angel Falls Resort.”

“Austin Strong hired you?”

If he remembered right, in all the list of details he’d studied for this job, somebody named Strong was the owner of the ski resort and massive lodge, but was it Austin? His mind scrambled. It had definitely been a similar name. He took his chances. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Interesting.” She smiled but it was a little tight. “I’ll take my chances with the bears.” With that, she turned and walked up the path. Whatever he’d done, he’d taken the skip right out of her. That made him feel a little guilty, but he couldn’t let her walk into the arms of a criminal.

He started after her. She glanced over her shoulder. The look she gave him said she finally recognized she should feel some fear. How to explain he wasn’t the one she needed to fear? He had no clue where Chet was at this point, but he needed to take action to protect her from the man glimpsing her beautiful face and making her a target, and he needed to take it quick.

Bloom Jorgenson glanced over her shoulder at the muscular man. She’d been enjoying talking to him, until he’d lied to her. Gavin and Kari Strong were the owners of the resort. Austin was their twelve-year old son, a hilarious and flirtatious little boy.

The handsome man now trailing her was more appealing than any man she’d ever met. She was a free spirit and didn’t plan on settling down with any man, but she didn’t mind flirting with a perfect man like him. From his wavy dark hair to his piercing blue eyes, he was one of the earth’s most beautiful creations. And now he was making her question her draw to him. Was that a protective, military type vibe he was putting out? How had she overlooked that initially? Her blood chilled at the thought of a military man getting close to her. Him coming after her was ruining her chi. Though she sought to love all mankind, she hadn’t let anyone ruin her chi since she’d escaped northern Idaho and her abusive, ex-military, doomsday survivalist father who had controlled, belittled, and inflicted pain in the name of religious domination and “protection” of his family.

She upped her pace, her heartrate higher than when she skipped all the way to the falls. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw he was approaching fast. She tripped on a branch and cried out as her foot screamed in protest. She apologized to her foot but couldn’t get anything in balance as the man easily lifted her off the ground and held her against his broad, muscular chest. Her terror should’ve ratcheted up but instead she felt oddly settled and safe.

“What are you doing?” she cried out because she instinctively knew she should protest. “You are messing with me, big time!”

He gave her a tight smile, turned, and ran back down the trail with her in his arms, as if she weighed nothing and he carried women all the time.

“Put me down,” she demanded. For some insane reason, she didn’t struggle against him. She was shocked at his rashness but also dumbfounded by how comfortable and exhilarating it felt to be in his arms. Something deep inside whispered she had nothing to fear from him. How insane was that voice? He was holding her without permission. Also as she looked at the strong lines of his face and body, it was shouting military or bodyguard to her.

Bloom tried to experience levels of happiness and freedom like she proclaimed, but it was a mask. She’d focused the past seven years on balancing her chakras and staying calm. She’d grown up in a world that knew nothing of peace and calm, so she craved both. The light, airy manner that she portrayed to her yoga students and the world was all for show. She was searching diligently, and someday, somehow, she’d find true happiness. Excitement in a take-charge man’s arms was not part of any safe or smart path.

“I promise I would never hurt you. I am taking you down this trail and back to the resort to protect you.”

She stared into his blue eyes, amazed at how clear they were. He was telling the truth. He was running her toward the resort. In a matter of minutes, she wouldn’t be alone with him. She didn’t have anything to fear.

“Why?” she asked simply, bouncing slightly in his arms as he kept up a quick pace down the trail. He