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He’s not my boyfriend and doesn’t owe me comfort of any kind, let alone physical touch. He also doesn’t need to protect me or keep saving me.

But he does anyway.

He walks over and picks me up, carrying me onto the loveseat with him. I sit on his lap and rest my head against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. When his strong arms wrap around me, I melt. Even if it’s not safe here, I’m safe at this moment.

“Don’t worry,” he says, kissing the top of my head. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“You won’t be here with me forever. You’ll be back at the ranch soon.”

If the questionable dude drove up the mountain, then the plows must have come and Gavin will theoretically be able to drive home in the morning.

He’ll leave, but I’m stuck here.

“You’re not going to stay here alone are you?” he asks. “The Sheriff is my buddy and I’ll give him a call today, but no laws were actually broken. We both know that whoever showed up didn’t have the best intentions, but we can’t prove it and we don’t know who it was.”

“I don’t have much of a choice about staying here,” I reply. “Just leave me with a gun.”

He nuzzles into my neck. “Come back to town with me.”

“My ex drainedallour money, Gavin,” I reply. “I didn’t come to stay at this five-star resort because it was my first choice. I need time to earn some money back so I can pay the first and last month’s rent somewhere. There’s no way I can afford a hotel right now.”

“You can stay at the ranch until you’re back on your feet,” Gavin says. “We have lots of outbuildings, so you’ll have your pick. And if you need to earn some money in between graphic design jobs, you can always help my mom out with food prep. We have so many guys on staff now that I’m sure she’d appreciate a helping hand.”

It’s a sweet offer and maybe she would if the hand belonged to anyone other than me.

“I really don’t want to put your family out,” I protest. “You’ve already done way more than enough for me, and there’s no way anyone on the ranch would want me there.”

“Ashley,” Gavin says.

He tries to tilt my head so I’ll look at him, but tears blur my vision and I don’t want him to see. But he turns me around so I’m facing him and leans his forehead against mine.

“I want you there,” he says.

“I thought you hated me.”

“I do,” he says, with a smirk. “I just want more epic blowjobs.”

I giggle and kiss him softly. “Would I stay with you?”

He hesitates long enough that I know he wasn’t planning on having a roommate. If he wanted to bring a date home, it would be awfully hard to explain my presence.

It would be hard enough even without me in his personal space, but he’s still offering because that’s just who he is. When the world is against me, he still wants to be the shield.

“Probably not a great idea,” he says, “But you can have one of the cottages. I’d be close enough that I could help you if anything came up.”

So while he isn’t treating me like I’m disposable – far from it – he doesn’t necessarily want to repeat what happened between us tonight.

Even if we aren’t going to have sex again, maybe we can at least be friends while I’m in town. It’s a lot better than the animosity and hurt that moved like a current between us before we broke the barrier in a big way.

“If you’re sure,” I say, still hesitant.

I’ll eventually have to face the music with everyone in town, and Gavin is one of the most popular guys around.

If he’s warmed up to me, then maybe it will catch on with others. The ranch is probably the place where I’ll get the least frosty reception since I’ll be there as his guest.

It isn’t safe to stay in the cabin alone, and my ego isn’t going to get in the way of my safety. If Gavin is willing to help me when I’m at rock bottom, then I’ll just be grateful.

“I’m sure,” he replies. “I’ll make some calls to let everyone know you’re coming back with me and give Henry a shout as well.”