Mister Protector Read online

  Mister Protector Book #2

  Mister Mountain Men

  Lark Avery

  Copyright © 2019 by Lark Avery

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Foreword

  1. Dane

  2. Trudy

  3. Dane

  4. Trudy

  5. Trudy

  6. Dane

  7. Dane

  8. Dane

  Epilogue #1: Three Months Later

  Epilogue #2:

  About the Author

  Also by Lark Avery

  Foreword

  Being a billionaire and CEO of my own company, I do what I want when I want. But when family calls, I’m still a Mountain Man.

  I said nothing would make me return to Snow Ridge, Montana. Sure, I’d be a silent partner to my twin’s building project but I had no intention of actually returning to that frozen mountain hick town.

  I was wrong.

  Trudy, my flame haired computer programmer high school girlfriend was injured. And it was all because of me.

  Now, the Trapper is back and my deep dark secret is harming those I cherish. I made this mess and I’ll fix it. Even it kills me.

  All I have to do is swoop back into Snow Ridge, catch the Trapper and leave before I get entangled in life there.

  When Trudy sweetens my stay by offering a friends with excellent benefits proposal, I’m suddenly not in such a hurry to leave.

  But the Trapper isn’t just out to harm random Snow Residents. This is personal. And the hunter is about to become the hunted.

  Author’s note: Another Barlow brother! Surprise--- he’s bossy too. But he’s met his match in an unlikely love. I had a blast writing about Dane and Trudy’s happy ever after love. Is it smutty? Yes! Is it safe? Yes! Does it have a secret baby? You betcha.

  1

  Dane

  My workday began when I discovered my two employees ogling my ex-girlfriend’s ass. To be sure, Trudy had a sweet curvy ass in her faded denim that fit her like a second skin. She was wearing a thong not to have any panty lines, I guessed. I had a million things to do today, but exploring this theory suddenly moved to the top of the list.

  I didn’t blame the guys for looking, but then again, I sure didn’t like it. It was a classic example of how things were going for me this past month back in Snow Ridge. There wasn’t much I could do about anything here. My mood matched the miserable cold and dark February in the Montana mountains.

  I hadn’t planned on my twin brother, Ash rushing his girlfriend down to emergency medical treatment in Missoula. On my brother’s way out of town, he appointed me acting sheriff. I had no idea when my brother would be back. I’d planned on being in Snow Ridge for twelve hours—maybe twenty-four tops. My objective coming here had been to end the silent partnership I had formed with my brother to finance the inn we were rebuilding. That plan was shot to hell.

  I was CEO of a successful computer company back in California. I had no interest in actually doing this job. Unlike my brother and Trudy, I had an MBA from Stanford. I wouldn’t allow myself to be chained to Snow Ridge. This place was at the end of the world. Was she better than Snow Ridge? Absolutely. But she was happy here. Happier than I’d ever been, certainly. When I left for college in California, Trudy stayed in Snow Ridge to study online.

  The sheriff gig turned out to be in more than name only when I learned my ex-girlfriend had been one of the latest victims of bear traps set by an unidentified assailant. At least no more victims had been caught in them. I was hoping whoever was doing it had died caught in their trap. It would be convenient and fitting justice. In my heart, though, I knew it wasn’t really over. It scared the hell out of me that Trudy was at risk.

  Before I even got to the worksite, I’d been counting the hours until I had my “ex with benefits” back in my bed. We’d explored every flat surface at Ash’s cabin over the last month. This morning we fucked in the shower, nearly making us late, and that was after a night of enthusiastic sex.

  I cleared my throat. “Morning.”

  They glanced my way briefly before turning back to where Trudy was perched on a ladder, busy with computer wiring. The entire inn would have Wi-Fi, thanks to her expertise. She was intent on her work in the control box. Everything above her waist was in the ceiling crawlspace.

  One cheek of her ass sat on the ladder’s top step. One held the ladder while the other handed her tools. She repositioned herself.

  Now they were staring at her tight denim-clad pussy.

  “Hi, Dane.” Trudy leaned down to glance at me. Her purple sweatshirt with some superhero I never heard of made her look like a teenager. A lock of curly hair fell over one eye. She pushed it away, but it returned to its place. From here, I could see her dimples. “Sleep well?” she asked.

  Without waiting for an answer, she climbed up to her work. She hated being interrupted when she was on a project, but I could hear the smile in her voice. The sight on her on the ladder made me realize that we had some after-hours exploration ahead of us. I might need to borrow this ladder tonight.

  “Not particularly.”

  “That’s too bad.” She called down cheerfully.

  Trudy would be a terrible spy.

  “Good to see you, Gary,” I said, extending my hand. We’d known each other back in high school. Gary had been the puny guy with bad skin. His lot in life hadn’t improved much from the looks of him. He was still lean though his skin had cleared up. He’d had a crush on Trudy ever since I’d known him.

  Trudy collected strays like Gary. They’d been friends ever since elementary school. She was as loyal as the day was long. After the fire that destroyed the town years earlier, most of Snow Ridge had left, but Gary remained. His taxidermy shop was the Snow Ridge’s biggest claim to fame.

  Gary shifted his weight, he looked unhappy at my arrival. It wasn’t hard to guess he didn’t think I was good enough for Trudy.

  He was right.

  “Do you need anything else from your toolbox, Trudy?” Gary asked.

  “The needle-nose pliers, please,” she said.

  The man next to Gary left his post, leaving holding the ladder to Gary and approached me, “Maxim Gorsky. Call me, Max.” He had a thick eastern European accent, not surprisingly with his last name. He was slender, but his handshake was firm. I eyed his name brand clothing, it was a far cry from what Ash and Gary wore. He was new in town for sure.

  “My brother hired Fly By Night Contracting Services based on your excellent record,” I said. I didn’t like how Max looked at Trudy.

  “He was right.”

  “I’m not my brother.” I lowered my voice, although I didn’t care if Trudy heard me. “Keep your eyes on the job, not her ass.”

  Little crinkles at the corners of Max’s eyes appeared. I expected shock or fear, not the faint signs of amusement. I was aware of how to use my imposing frame to my advantage. This wasn’t the reaction I expected. Max either had balls of steel, or he was stupid.

  “I don’t care what you and Gary do in your free time, but stay away from Trudy.” I continued. Perhaps he was one of those guys you needed to spell everything out for. I expected more from an electrician, but he was Ash’s hire.

  “Or what?” Max handed me his clipboard and pen. It was a requisition for more wiring. I had to admire this guy; I had threatened him, and he didn’t even blink.

  I wanted to separate his head from his body. Instead, I leaned close to him. “Stick to the job
you were hired to do.”

  He tilted his head slightly to the side as if considering my request, then he nodded slightly.

  With one more look at Trudy’s shapely backside, I headed to my office. Aggravation rolled through me. Just what I needed, a fucking subcontractor with attitude issues.

  This was hardly surprising, Snow Ridge didn’t exactly appeal to ordinary people.

  “We were doing just fine before you Barlows showed up.” Gary hurried to catch up with me. His fingers tugged at his thick beard.

  “What’s the matter with you?” I flicked the light on in the office without asking him in. He followed me anyway.

  “Do you know how long Trudy pined for you after you left the last time? She built a life here. Now you show back up and expect everything to be like before. What’s going to happen when you leave again? How can you just keep hurting her?”

  I didn’t think Gary had it in him to speak up about her. I was impressed he did, though, on a good day, I didn’t like my faults pointed out.

  Today was not a good day.

  “Make sure Max stays away from her. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

  Gary opened his mouth, seemed to think the better about saying more and shuffled out.

  I was sure that in his mind, his hanging around Snow Ridge meant Trudy would eventually fall in love with him. If that were the case, it would have happened by now. I was selfishly glad for me that she hadn’t turned to him. She was a hard habit to break.

  With Gary gone, I paced the floor before dropping into my office chair. This project was a mess financially. Ash was skilled in carpentry, not the handling of the project as a whole. And now Max, the leering electrician, was making me edgy. I hated his predatory stares at Trudy. It could be him setting these bear traps for all we knew.

  I tugged on my hair in frustration. How to keep Trudy safe?

  In California, I’d blocked her out with a steady diet of work and buxom models. Even then, her sweet face had haunted my dreams more than I wanted to admit. Now that I was back here, she was like a fever that infected my soul. Every time she winced from standing up too quickly, I wanted to kill the source of her pain.

  I’d take care of this my own way. Luckily, she’d welcomed me back to Snow Ridge—and her bed. Keeping an eye on her that way was much easier than having to pretend I just happened to hang around her, not to mention a hell of a lot more pleasurable for us both.

  Now I just had to keep it that way.

  2

  Trudy

  It took all of my willpower not to launch myself at Dane when he walked in the door. Just the sight of him in his Ash’s worn work clothes made my heart hum with delight. He was not thrilled to be wearing patched jeans and a parka from the last decade. He’d stopped shaving, which meant I got to run my fingers through his sexy beard when we were alone. Too bad we weren’t alone when he stopped by. Even though he acted like a badass; he was really a sweetheart. I didn’t like to discourage him, as his scowl is super sexy.

  With my back turned, I could feel his eyes on me. He clearly was jealous by Gary and Max hanging around. He had nothing to worry about, but a girl still liked to feel desired. And Dane had that covered.

  He had promised to interview the other bear-trap victims this morning though he wasn’t eager to continue that investigation without Ash. Snow Ridge couldn’t spare another minute, we had to find this psycho before our plans for a spring opening became delayed.

  Never one to sit around waiting to be rescued, I started my own investigation. Step one was to interview Max and Gary. I’d known Gary my whole life, but Max’s arrival made me wonder what he knew. To be honest, they were the only other people in Snow Ridge these days. Everyone else was scattered deep in the mountains.

  I still walked with a slight limp from the trap. I hoped my foot would continue to improve, but in the meantime, I was determined to find out who laid that trap for me and why—and deliver some justice.

  “Need anything else?” Gary asked.

  I startled. He was so quiet, I wished he wore a bell.

  “Hey, thanks for your help. It looks like this part is all done.” I smiled at him.

  He reminded me of a rodent, probably because his eyes were unfortunately close together.

  I climbed down from the ladder and turned right into Max’s wall of a chest. What the fuck had he been doing standing so close to me?

  “Oww!” I rubbed my sore nose. “What’re you doing?”

  Max’s eyes narrowed. “Something is different about you.”

  “I don’t usually wear my hair down.” I tucked my curls back behind my ears. If only he didn’t have to stare all the time, it was so unnerving. Still, I had wanted to talk to him. Visiting Dane in his office would have to wait. I should get a tattoo: Sleuthing first, sex second.

  “The place is hardly recognizable from last time you saw it, right?” My observation was accurate: the inn renovations were progressing. All the detectives in my mystery novels started with small talk when interviewing suspects. Since this was my first interview, I had a modest plan.

  The Barlow brothers were transforming a hundred-year-old falling-down shell into a hewn-timber inn. Much of the exterior lumber had been reclaimed old barns in other parts of Montana. It gave the place a nice lived-in feel. Hopefully, all the Instagram posting tourists would love it too. Snow Ridge needed all the help it could get to be a success.

  “What do you think?” Max asked, pointing to an electrical-outlet box on the wall.

  Max gave off a stalker vibe, maybe it was his slicked-back hair and his expensive casual dress. It was like he was playing mountaineer. He also reminded of a villain in a James Bond movie, but this was silly because he was an electrician in Snow Ridge.

  I wished Dane had stuck around.

  I peered into space, shining my flashlight into the box. “Looks like there’ll be enough room here for four outlets. We can run the cable through here. Then we can have a grounded one over there.”

  As I swung back around, Max pulled back from sniffing my hair.

  My stomach clenched. He really creeped me out.

  “Hey, Max, remember I’m not on your menu.” I stepped aside, trying to get some more space between us. I hoped he didn’t get All Silence of the Lambs on me.

  He angled his blond head down at me. “Something about you has changed.”

  Geesh. Weird.

  “I did get some new boots,” I said, trying to act like he didn’t freak me out.

  “It has nothing to do with your feet.”

  “Great boots,” Gary chimed in. “Where’d you get those? I need some new ones.”

  “Gary, have you seen anything weird about Snow Ridge lately?” I asked. I really wanted to get my investigation back on track.

  Gary cocked his head to one side. “In Snow Ridge, you have to define ‘weird.’”

  Good point.

  “Like the kind that sets a bear trap on private property. ”

  He stiffened. “Of course not. If I did, I’d let the sheriff know.”

  That was what I’d thought. Gary lived here. It didn’t make sense that he’d be involved in trouble. Someone from outside Snow Ridge was trying to harm us. But why?

  “How about you, Max?”

  “I’m hired to wire this place, nothing more.”

  Oh, the Russian mentality. Keep your head down and step over the bodies.

  “Your company has contractors all over Montana. Have you heard of anything else like this?” I pressed him.

  “The only thing I’m interested in is the updated codes for the wiring.”

  Right. And sniffing my hair.

  “Didn’t I already give you those?” I asked.

  “I didn’t get them. And if I have to hunt up code and wire, it’ll cost more.”

  Costing more is never popular. Ash was not going to be happy with more expenses.

  “I’ll have them by tomorrow,” I promised, feeling more than a little defeated. In
my novels, the detective always learned something from every interview. Somehow all I’d accomplished was inheriting more work. Still, I couldn’t give up right away.

  “I’ll be waiting.” Max smiled, revealing his rotten teeth.

  A wave of nausea rolled over me. Its unexpected force made me wince. Why did I feel like he wasn’t talking about wiring codes anymore?

  3

  Dane

  I was still sitting at my desk when Trudy knocked. She let herself in without waiting for me to tell her it was open. She leaned back against the closed door, and her eyes met mine.

  It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I took in auburn curls, fair skin, and red lips. Then I let my gaze drift lower over her baggy sweatshirt and down over her skin tight jeans.

  My cock stirred at the sight of her. It was something about her mix of the girl next door and sex princess. We had yet to try out the handcuffs that went with my sheriff’s badge.

  Had it only been a mere handful of hours since I’d been with her? It felt much longer. “What do you need?” I kept my voice tight. I was struggling to retain control. Knowing she was spending time hanging out with the work crew made me crazy. She was doing her job, but I wanted the other guys to go away while she did it; Mars would be good.

  “You look, cranky sheriff.” She leaned against the door with her hands behind her back.

  An image flashed through my mind. I had her pinned against the door, arms overhead, and I was fucking her so hard the door rattled on its hinges. The only other sounds were our mutual moans of pleasure.