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standing over me snarling. I opened my eyes slowly and felt relieved I didn't feel anything heavy

or sticky hindering me. Immediately, I surveyed my surroundings. My body tensed because I

expected to see the wolf, but I found myself alone in the room. Sunlight beamed through two

windows in the small room and I realized I had slept through the night.

To my left was a wooden dresser a few feet away against the wall with a mirror above it.

There was another bed underneath the window, low to the floor like this one. I wondered if the

twins shared this room. On the adjacent wall, there was a desk and chair with an overhead lamp.

I saw photographs stuck to the wall above the desk. A thin bookcase was next to the desk with

books and papers crammed into every shelf. A large world map was on the wall next to it.

To my right was a nightstand with a lamp on top that was missing a shade. There was a

calendar on the wall, a few inches from the light switch, with black 'X's marked on it. I wondered

if I was inside one of the trailers or if Sheriff Gray owned a house.

I had to use the bathroom, but when I tried to move, my body protested with horrible

pain. I decided to call for help, but once again, my throat was dry and I could only whisper.

"Help. Somebody help me." It didn't take long for me to get frustrated, but I continued to

call out. Finally, the volume of my voice increased. "Help me! Please!" Every time I lifted my head, it would fall back onto the pillow. I struggled with the blankets and squirmed on the bed.

My body refused to cooperate and sit up. "Is anyone here? Please help me!"

Within seconds, the door burst open and Riley ran into the room. My eyes nearly bulged

as I gaped at him. His eyes were the same size as mine, looking at me with concern. My mouth

moved like a fish out of water while my gaze roamed up and down his body. Then he seemed to

become aware of his nudity because he looked down at himself and then back at me. Without a

word, he ran out of the room.

The look of shock remained frozen on my face. I couldn't believe I saw him naked. His

cock was a remarkable sight. It was uncut, long, thick, and hung straight. I wondered how many

women were lucky enough to experience it in action.

The door was still open and he walked swiftly back into the room...this time wearing the

black boxers he wore last night. With a sheepish grin, he ran a hand through his messy hair.

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"Sorry about that."

At that moment, I realized I needed to close my mouth. "It's okay," I croaked.

"What's wrong? I heard you call for help."

I squirmed again. "Um, yeah...I need to get up." I tried to sit up but pain shot through my

back and I groaned.

Riley reached out and put his warm hands on my shoulders. "Oi, don't move," he said

gently.

Our gazes locked, and for the first time I noticed his eyes were the same color as his

father's, but I found his more appealing. A girl could get lost in them. His eyes scanned my face,

but when he licked his lips, my breath caught. He had nice full lips and a sexy brown mole on the

left corner of his upper lip.

Suddenly I became uncomfortable with our close proximity. I knew my breath smelled

rank and my face probably looked terrible. Riley noticed my reaction and removed his hands.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I mumbled, not making eye contact.

"I'll help you."

I glanced at him and he reached toward me again. His hand stilled before it touched me,

his eyes asking for permission. I gave him a small nod, and he slowly removed the layers of

blankets until only one remained.

I attempted to swing my legs over the side of the bed because I thought he was going to

help me stand. Instead, he gently lifted me into his arms.

I yelped in surprise. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Don’t worry, I got you."

He walked toward the door and my arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Riley’s

physique resembled an Olympic swimmer, but he didn't look strong enough to carry me. I wasn't

overweight, but I wasn't a waif either.

"Riley, you're going to hurt yourself. You can't carry me."

His gaze met mine and he grinned. "But I
am
carrying you."

By the look on his face, he didn't seem to be struggling. He walked quickly, and I saw the

outside room was actually a living room. I saw a brown sofa, matching loveseat, and a small

television sitting on a wooden TV stand. I didn't get to inspect any further because now I was in

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their kitchen. It was small with pastel yellow walls and an eggshell tile floor, but able to

accommodate a table and four chairs.

Riley stopped next to an open door opposite the kitchen. He put me on my feet gently.

When I looked at him, he wasn't out of breath.
He must be really strong
.

"This is the loo...err...I mean, the bathroom." His gaze darted toward the room.

I held the blanket wrapped around me and peeked inside the bathroom. One sink, toilet,

and shower tub.

I looked at him over my shoulder. "Thanks."

He looked worried. "Are you going to be okay in there? Do you need any help?"

I actually felt more comfortable having another female help me. "Is your sister here?"

He scratched his head. "Uh no, she's at work. I'm the only one here. I told her I'd look

after you."

I cast my gaze down shyly, my voice low. "Okay, I think I can manage by myself."

I turned to go inside the bathroom, but felt his gentle touch on my bare skin. His hand

rested on my shoulder blade and I froze at the contact.

"Paige," he said softly. It was the first time I had heard him say my name. "Let me know if you need help. I don't want you to hurt yourself." I turned my head to look at him. "I promise I won't look."

I smiled again because he was such a gentleman. "Thanks, but I think I'll be all right."

I went into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. As I expected, I struggled to use

the toilet but refused to ask Riley for help. I was too embarrassed and hated feeling helpless.

When I finished my business, I gripped the sink in front of me to stand up. I happened to

glance in the mirror and the person I saw looking back at me was
not
Paige Donovan. The

woman in the mirror had two swollen eyes, red scratches on her face, and a white bandage with a

blood spot near her hairline. Her brown hair was matted and tangled. There was a scab in the

middle of her bottom lip, and she had purple bruises on her neck and collarbone. The woman

staring back at me looked hideous. Tears leaked from her puffy eyes, and she sobbed once and

covered her mouth. Her hand trembled and she cried harder until her shoulders shook.

All I could think about was Riley seeing me like this. I blamed my own vanity, but I

didn't want to face him now that I was aware of my appearance. I didn't want to look at my

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reflection either, so I slammed my palm against the mirror. I wanted to make the ugly woman

disappear.

Riley must've heard me. His muffled voice traveled through the door. "Is everything all

right?"

I took a deep breath to compose myself, but my voice shuddered. "Yes, I'm fine."

I ripped some toilet tissue off the roll to dry my eyes and face. Then I wrapped the

blanket around my body and opened the door. I couldn't look Riley in the eye, but felt him try to

lift me into his arms again. I shrugged away from him.

"No, I can walk."

He immediately moved away from me. I took slow steps while he followed behind

patiently.

Once I made it back to the bedroom, he stood by while I tried to lie in bed. My whole

body hurt and it didn't help that the bed was low to the floor. Riley noticed my difficulty, so I

swallowed my pride and allowed him to help me. Once I was lying down, I groaned again and

closed my eyes. This was the first time I'd been in a car accident and I prayed it would be my

last.

"I can get you some pain medicine."

I opened one eye to peek at him. "You mean the hot stinky kind that made me fall

asleep?"

He laughed. "Yeah, that's the one. You have to admit though...it really does the trick. You

can't feel any pain if you're out cold."

I chuckled. I didn't want to sleep, but didn't want to feel pain either. I also didn't want

Riley to leave. I was curious about him and if I fell asleep, then I couldn't talk to him. I opened

both eyes and took a brief moment to look him over. I couldn't help it. The man was stunning

even with his messy hair. Travis definitely had nothing on Riley. I had no idea towns this small

had men this gorgeous.

"So you're the guy in Bobby's store, huh? You were staring at me."

His charming grin returned. "You were staring at me too."

I laughed lightly.
Ouch, my head hurt. o more laughing
. "Yeah, but you started it…and

you watched me drive away."

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He grabbed the desk chair and slid it toward the bed. Once he sat next to me, the room

was silent as he looked at me. When he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, I happened

to look down and notice his dirty feet. A puzzled look crossed my face.

"What can I say?" His voice brought my gaze back to his. "You fascinate me."

I swallowed nervously and averted my eyes toward the ceiling. His flirtatiousness

reminded me of Travis. "You don't even know me," I said quietly, my voice clipped.

Suddenly, he moved the chair right against the bed. I wasn't sure if my words bothered

him because his expression was hard to read.

When he smirked, I knew I didn't upset him. "Maybe so...but I like what I see."

His words bothered
me
, and I turned my head away. "I don't want to think about how I

look right now."

"Paige," he said softly.

I liked the way my name sounded when he said it, and I think his English accent had

something to do with it. I still didn't look at him, but in my peripheral vision, I saw him move

from the chair to the floor. Then he scooted closer until he was sitting next to me. One of my

hands rested on my stomach. I didn't expect him to hold it but he did.

"You've been in an accident."

I turned my head slowly to look at him. Unshed tears blurred my vision. My body hurt

and I felt ugly. I tried to keep my tears at bay, but they were determined to fall.

Riley's other hand reached for me. I flinched when his fingers wiped my tears away.

"Besides, I already know how pretty you are."

My cheeks flushed, but I managed to smile. In the bright room, Riley’s blond hair shone

in the sunlight, thick and healthy. His ethereally handsome face reminded me of an angel’s. The

sexual tension between us was almost tangible, but I felt uncomfortable with it because of my

physical condition. I thought it would be wise to take the focus off me.

"I noticed you and your family have accents. You're from England, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"So, how'd you end up in Black River? This is such a small town. I wonder how anyone

finds it."

Riley smiled again, but it faded after a few seconds. "What I'm about to tell you...you

can't speak of it to anyone. Promise?"

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He already had me intrigued. I nodded quickly. "I promise."

Sadness crossed his features when he said, "My mother was murdered in England." He

paused and his face turned serious. "When my father found out, he killed the men responsible."

My eyes widened in shock. I had no idea Sheriff Gray was a murderer. Riley had my

undivided attention.

"A witness saw him, and soon the police were looking for him. We went on the run,

traveling to different parts of Great Britain. We tried to get into Ireland when my father ran into

an old friend. He told him about a remote mountain town in the States called Black River. He

said we'd be safe there so we traveled across the pond to Colorado." Riley looked down at the

floor and sighed softly. "That was fourteen years ago."

"I'm sorry about your mother." He looked at me and I saw the pain behind his eyes. "I

know how it feels to lose a parent. I lost my father a couple weeks ago. He died from a heart

attack." Although mentioning my father's death lowered my spirits, I found it comforting to

know Riley and I had something in common. "That's why I'm in Black River. He left me the

cabin in his will, so I came here to see if it needed any work. I want to keep it, but I'm having