Ruthless Mountain Man - Ava Grace Page 0,1
lowered the ax on a large exhale of air.
“Jesus, sorry, you scared the hell out of me.”
I took a few moments to calm down and get my breathing back under control. “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to jump out on you like that. I didn’t expect to run into anyone out here.”
He shrugged. “No harm, no foul.” He looked me over from head to toe then frowned. “Where’s your coat? You must be freezing.”
I shot him a look that was part wince and part apology then looked over my shoulder, half expecting Ghost and the woman who had rescued me to suddenly appear.
“No,” I said at last. “I, um, haven’t got a coat.”
His frown deepened.
“Did you leave it in your car? Are you lost?”
Oh boy.
I honestly had no idea how to answer him.
I didn’t know this man and certainly had no idea if I could trust him, but he had a kind face and wasn’t giving off any devious vibes. I was usually quite adept at judging the character of a man because Lord knows I’d known my fair share of the bad kind.
“Um…”
A gust of wind blew through the trees making me shiver. The cold hadn’t bothered me too much while I’d been running, but now that I’d stopped, there was no hiding from it.
“Were you out hiking, or—?”
I opened my mouth to reply then shook my head. The things that had happened to me weren’t the sorts of things you could just blurt out and tell someone you’d just met. What would he think of me? I probably already looked like an imbecile who couldn’t even answer a simple question, if I told him my father had sold me to sex traffickers and I’d just run away from the people who had rescued me, I would have sounded like a crazy person.
My story was just too unbelievable to be true.
“And, you’re bleeding.” He nodded to my face.
I touched my cheek where I’d felt the branch whip across my face. “Oh, it’s just a scratch.”
He was quiet for a moment and when I offered nothing further, he took a step in my direction.
“Why don’t we start with our names? Okay? I’m Logan. Logan Franks.”
He reached his hand towards me slowly as if scared he would spook me.
“I’m—” I started to say Erin, the name I’d given my rescuers then changed my mind before the word was out of my mouth. What would be the harm in this man knowing my real name? “Scarlett.”
I reached out and shook his hand and it felt so warm in mine I didn’t want to let it go.
“Jesus,” he said looking down at our clasped hands. “You are freezing. Look, I don’t want to sound forward, but my house is just beyond those trees. Why don’t you come back with me to get yourself warmed up?
“I’ve got hot coffee and I’m sure I can find a sweater or something that would fit you.
It was my turn to frown. “Are you always this trusting with people you’ve just met? I mean, enough to invite them into your home? How do you know I won’t steal something?”
He let out a hearty chuckle and the sound send shivers racing down my spine. It was a nice sound. Rich and warm. It did funny things to my stomach. The smile on his face did wonders for his appearance too. It made him look like he was lit up from the inside. I hadn’t realized until that very moment just how handsome he was.
His hazel eyes sparkled as answered. “I’d like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character. You don’t have any intention of proving me wrong, do you?”
I shook my head. “Of course not.”
“Well then.” He motioned to the path behind him. “Let’s go and get you warm.”
Chapter Two
Logan
I led the way along the path to my cabin and couldn’t resist a glance over my shoulder to check if Scarlett was still following me. She’d surprised the hell out of me when she’d stumbled into the clearing and practically crashed into my back. I’d lifted my ax, ready and willing to defend myself.
When I turned and got a look at her face, I very nearly swallowed my tongue. She was breathtaking. Long blonde hair and the biggest blue orbs I’d ever seen. They gave her a look of innocence that was at complete juxtaposition with her tough exterior. There was something sexy about the way she held her chin at an angle that said, ‘don’t