She shoved through the front door, leaving her luggage behind. If he was the owner of this entire mountainside, would anybody help her get her luggage from him? What was she going to do now? Sleep in Bryan’s suite—no way was that happening—find a place to rent in town, sleep on the couch at Jace’s resort, go home? Tears pricked at her eyes at the disappointment of her vacation ruined but more importantly the perfect man in her eyes, ruined.
“Ayla I wasn’t trying to trick you,” Jace said as she reached the porch. “I was trying to rescue you from Bryan.”
“Why? So you could have me for yourself?” She dashed down the stairs, tripping on stair number two, sprawling forward, and landing face first in the snow. It was cold and wet, but surprisingly didn’t hurt. Besides her pride.
“Ayla!” Jace rushed after her.
He easily plucked her out of the snow and held her gently in his arms. Despite her coat on he made her tingle all over. Her coat was probably ruined from the lodge floor. It had been a magical find at the thrift store. At the moment she didn’t even care. Nothing was as magical as this man’s arms. Sadly she couldn’t let him trick her into trusting him.
She looked into Jace’s handsome face, those gorgeous brown eyes that had drawn her straight in, she’d like to see any woman resist eyes that compelling. She directed her gaze straight up to the heavens.
“Humiliation complete, Lord. Do you think just once I could catch a break?” Then she stupidly leaned into Jace’s strong shoulder and let the tears fall.
If he was the absolute opposite of the perfect man that she’d originally thought he was, if that wasn’t confusing enough for her overwrought brain, why did it feel like her version of heaven to have him hold her? She felt like she was finally supported, understood, cared for, and not alone. She also felt sparks and light and excitement that she’d never felt. Not even with the man she’d been married to for three years.
How did the saying go? The foolish man learns from his own mistakes, the wise man learns from the mistakes of others.
She didn’t even learn from her own mistakes.
Was there a term for worse than foolish? She was so dumb.
Chapter Three
Jace felt awful that Ayla had misconstrued his intentions. And even more awful when she laid her head on his shoulder and started crying. What had that jerk Bryan done to her? She’d said the first man who wouldn’t trick her. How many had? It hit him hard that she’d been hurt like he had, possibly even more than he had. What if some loser had physically hurt her? Jace had to protect her. Could they help each other heal as well? Was that even possible for his hardened to love heart?
He gently held her and felt the rightness of her being in his arms. How did he convince her he wasn’t like Bryan, or any of the other guys who had probably done nice things to try to take advantage of her? He knew there were men out there like that. Jason Spackman and Clark Finland for example. But most of the men he knew were honorable and good. Had Ayla not been around men who were trustworthy and loyal and respected women?
She clung to him for a long time. He felt so protective of her and wanted to nobly comfort and strengthen her, but he couldn’t ignore the warmth and desire that also sparked inside him from holding her close. She released him and stepped back. He wished she hadn’t. He let her go, no matter that he didn’t want to. He didn’t have a sister but his mom had taught him well and he thought right now it was most important to show her he wasn’t trying to take advantage of her and never would. He may have made the wrong move bringing her to his own cabin, but it had seemed like the only option at the time.
“Excuse me,” she said stiffly. “I’m obviously overwrought from Bryan being such an idiot and …” She gestured behind him as if his offer was tainted now as well. “Is there any place in town I can stay?”
“Ayla, please listen to me.” He held eye contact but resisted stepping in closer or touching her. “I overstepped here and I didn’t mean to offend or upset you. When you looked at me as Bryan was trying to force you to stay in his suite and Tanner said there were no rooms vacant, I didn’t think it through very well. This is my cabin but my parents live next door and have plenty of space and my brother lives in the cabin over and has a spare bedroom as well. I was planning to stay with one of them and let you have my cabin to yourself. I only wanted to help you get away from Bryan.”
She raised her eyebrows. “So you would do the same for any guest? If I had warts and a moustache and severe pit odor?”
He couldn’t help but smile but he wiped it away when he saw she was serious. “I don’t know the answer to that. I’ve never had my resort overbooked. I like to think I would, but the honest truth is my mom would probably be the one making the offer.” His mom was generous to a fault.
Would he have given up his home for another guest who had a rooming conflict? He’d never done it before. His ski resort had never been overbooked before either. He thought he’d probably try to find another place for a different person to stay. Was it crazy that Ayla already felt special to him, as if she could be the one to finally break through his barriers, and he was willing to do things he wouldn’t normally do to help her, protect her, and make her smile?
She looked out at the gorgeous valley, hugging herself. She looked vulnerable and innocent and he wondered again what she’d been subjected to. Had a man taken advantage of her? That thought made his gut clench and roll and made him wish he could find the guy. He closed his eyes and prayed,Please let Ayla not have been subjected to violence and help me know how to help her.
“I don’t think I should stay here.” She looked back at the cabin then turned back to him with a wistful expression. She wanted to stay here though. Her expressive blue eyes easily revealed that to him.
“Ayla …” He did step closer but he didn’t let himself touch her. “I promise you I would never take advantage of you. I feel awful that I misled you into thinking this was a rental cabin, but … wait …” Why hadn’t he thought of this earlier? “My friends Alivia and Klein have rental cabins in town. Would you like me to see if one is available?” He didn’t think her staying here was going to work after how strongly she’d reacted. He also didn’t think he had a chance with her now. Dang it. What a mess he’d made. His mom and Ammon were going to be almost as disappointed as he was.
“I would like that but …” She looked down. “I can’t afford to pay for a rental.”
“I’ll pay for it,” he said quickly. Then he realized if she thought men tried to buy her favors she wouldn’t like that. “Or we can bill it to Bryan.”
She finally smiled. “I like that idea.”
“Are you comfortable waiting inside while I make some calls?” he asked.
She didn’t look like she was certain but she finally nodded and turned to head back up the stairs, grasping the railing. Fighting the instinct to help her was hard, but despite how open, friendly, and perfect she’d seemed, Jace could tell he was treading on very thin ice. Like the time he, Ammon, Colt, Thor and Aiden Delta had tried to walk across the lake in the Delta’s valley after an early September freeze. They’d been scrawny twelve year olds and had broken through only twenty feet from shore. Luckily the ice had been thin enough they hadn’t gotten stuck underneath it and luckily their grandpa, Papa Delta had somehow seen their shenanigans and rescued them like some superhero. Jace would never forget that shocking, painful, and breath-stopping cold of going under the icy water. If Ayla pushed him away and wouldn’t let him near her he was afraid the sensation would be much worse.
They walked into the cabin and he gestured to the couch. “Please have a seat and I’ll see what I can figure out.”
She stared up at him and Jace held her gaze, hoping she could see he was sincere and not trying to trick or manipulate her into being with him. Though he wished he could have a chance with her. How had he let her into his heart so quickly? He knew eventually this would just be another lesson learned, but right now he wanted to push closer to her, hand over his vulnerable heart, and hurt even worse in the end. For some reason he thought being with Ayla would be worth future pain.