Devon hadn’t been kidding when she’d said she’d shoot. Dazzling good looks aside, she didn’t know anything about this guy. She’d found him naked and bloody in the middle of a blizzard for Christ’s sake. Not exactly something that would bolster her confidence in thinking he was a good guy. She looked him over from head to toe, amazed he didn’t have a single visible injury. The guy had been bloodied like someone had given him a severe ass kicking. It made absolutely no sense.
“I can stay right here. No problem.”
The timbre of his voice was warm and decadent with the slightest rasp. It reminded her of a burning fire on a chilly night and it heated her blood. Stop it, Devon. So what if he was good-looking? So what if his voice made her want to moan and the sight of him made her breath catch? She’d known plenty of guys who had charm and good looks in excess. It didn’t mean anything. It didn’t mean he’d earned her compassion.
“Okay, I gave you my name, now how about yours.”
A wry grin spread across his sensual lips. Devon cleared her throat and pulled her focus from the intensity of his dark brown eyes. His stare swallowed her whole. Made her feel as though she were about to be devoured. That intensity didn’t frighten her, though. Instead, it made her blood quicken and her heart race.
“I’m Liam Murphy,” he said.
“You’re not local.”
His brow furrowed as he studied her. “Not really. I moved into Stanley a few months ago.”
Stanley was at least fifty miles away. Devon hadn’t seen any sign of a car, snowmobile, or any other means of transportation for that matter when she’d found him on the side of the road. She dropped her arm and let the gun hang at her side. “Is that where you were headed when you crashed?”
Liam studied her for quiet moment. He took a deep breath that expanded his wide chest and Devon stared, rapt, at the play of muscles from the simple act. “I wasn’t in a wreck. I know that much.”
His expression was guileless. “Then how did you get here?”
A corner of Liam’s mouth quirked in a half smile. “I don’t suppose you could tell me where ‘here’ is?”
Maybe he’d suffered a concussion. It would definitely account for his confusion. “Lowman,” Devon said. “I found you last night in a field off Highway 21 bleeding and naked in the middle of a blizzard.”
His expression turned contemplative. His fist tightened around the length of sheet wrapped around his waist showcasing the tendons in his arm. “Was I alone?” His brows came down sharply over his dark eyes and his jaw squared. “Did you see anyone else?”
Fear trickled into Devon’s bloodstream. She’d never forgive herself if she’d inadvertently left someone out in that blizzard to die. “I-I didn’t,” she stammered. “It was dark and snowing really hard. I had a flashlight and I looked around as best I could. As far as I could tell you were alone.”
Liam let out an audible sigh. The tension in his shoulders relaxed a small degree and he cupped the back of his neck as though to massage a knot away. “Lowman,” he repeated. “How many miles from Stanley are we?”
He wasn’t kidding when he said he was a recent transplant. “A good hour away,” Devon replied. “And that’s when the roads are bare. Honestly, with the storm as bad as it is I’m surprised they haven’t shut the highway down.” It wasn’t uncommon for the stretch of Highway 21 between Lowman and Stanley to be closed in the winter. Avalanches were common and with a warm front moving in, it could get bad really fast. Hell, the road department might’ve already shut the highway down which meant she was stuck with Liam, at least for the time being.
“I need a phone,” Liam said.
“Don’t have one.”
He cocked a brow. “You don’t have a phone? How is that even possible?”
An indignant fire kindled in Devon’s gut. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He must’ve been a transplant from L.A. or some shit. Only a guy from the city would feel entitled to technology. “Lots of people don’t have phones.”
“You don’t own a cell?”
“I do, but there’s no service here. We’re sort of in a black hole.”
Liam let out a frustrated breath. “No landline?”
“There was no phone when I moved in.” Good Lord, why did she even feel the need to justify herself to him? “And I don’t really have much need for one.” Liam muttered something under his breath that Devon was pretty sure she didn’t want him to repeat. At least, not if she wanted to keep her temper in check. “There’s a phone at the bar. As soon as the road’s plowed we can drive up there and you can use it.” The sooner the better. Though she had no idea how she was going to explain Mr. Toga Party to some of her regulars.
“Thanks.” Liam’s gaze softened, and Devon swore for the barest moment the color of his eyes lightened from a deep chocolate brown to gold. “And thanks for not pointing the gun at me anymore.”
Devon looked down at the Beretta still clutched in her fist. She let out a measured breath that did a little to release the tension still pulling her own muscles taut. She might not have been afraid of Liam, but there was something about him that unsettled her. Not in a bad way, just … different. She set the gun back in the drawer and pushed it closed. It took actual effort to turn her back to him but she forced herself to do it anyway. “You want some coffee?”
“Hell yes,” Liam said.
A smile curved Devon’s lips but she quickly tucked her amusement away. “Well I’m not delivering it to you up there, so you’d better come down and get it yourself.”
Liam chuckled and the sound vibrated over her skin. “Yes ma’am.”
“And tighten that sheet.” She forced her own tone to remain stern. “I’ve got nosy neighbors.”
“Oh yeah? Are you sure you don’t want to give them something to talk about?”
“God, no!” Heat rose to Devon’s cheeks at his flirtatious tone. It was bad enough she was about to take a half-naked man up to the bar. “Just sit down and try to be inconspicuous.”
“I can do that. But I’ve gotta say, this place looks pretty nosy-neighbor-proof.”
The stairs creaked under Liam’s footsteps. Devon’s heart inched its way up into her throat and she fought to remain calm despite the fact she felt like prey. This had to be up in the top ten of the worst decisions she’d ever made. She just hoped that being a Good Samaritan wouldn’t end up biting her in the ass.
* * *
It was pretty tough to look like a badass while trying not to trip over a sheet, but Liam gave it his best shot. He hit the bottom stair and strode past the tiny potbelly stove into the kitchen and dining area. Devon’s posture stiffened as though she sensed him behind her. The tang of her fear soured the air, and Liam cleared a breath through his nostrils in order to banish the offending scent. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him, but he’d be damned if he knew what he did want. His wolf seemed more than ready to answer that question for him, but Liam wasn’t ready to listen. Not when there were still so many unanswered questions.
“Until you mentioned neighbors, I was working under the assumption that we were living in a cave,” Liam said with a chuckle. “You have something against sunlight? Are you some sort of vampire?” Had Devon actually been a vampire, she would’ve identified Liam by his scent and she more than likely would’ve left him to die out in the storm. Lucky for him she was merely human. Or maybe not so lucky, since his wolf was drawn to her like he was starving and she was a big juicy steak.
Devon gave a nervous laugh as she reached for the coffee-pot. She poured two cups and turned toward the two-seater dining table. “I don’t have anything against sunlight.” Her lips drew into a petulant pucker that damn near made Liam’s mouth water. “Keeping the curtains closed retains heat.”
Liam considered Stanley a rustic community. Apparently, it had nothing on Lowman. He took a quick look around. No vents meant no forced-air heating. The little stove in the center of the cabin was her only means of heat. Devon set the two cups of coffee down on the table and went to the fridge. She grabbed a tiny container of cream and reached for the sugar on the counter beside her before setting them both down on the table.
“Gotcha. Heat retention—good.” Devon handed him a spoon and he added some sugar to his cup and a splash of cream before mixing it all together. She added a little sugar and cream to her own cup before cradling it in her hands and taking several steps back. Rather than sit down at the table with him, she leaned against the counter near the kitchen sink, her gaze trained warily on him.
“You still didn’t tell me how you wound up in that field.”
“Believe me, if I knew I’d tell you.”
“Where’s your car?”
Her scent soured once again, but Liam didn’t need his keen senses to know she was suspicious of him. He didn’t blame her. His circumstances were sketchy as fuck. Really, what in the gods’ names had possessed her to save him in the first place? His wolf gave an agitated growl in the recess of his psyche, obviously displeased that she hadn’t been more cautious. He could’ve been anyone, and Liam knew from experience that there were things in the world more dangerous than a werewolf.
“Would you hold it against me if I told you I’m not sure?” It wasn’t a lie. Any member of the pack could have his pickup right now, out looking for him.
Devon’s eyes narrowed. “Would you hold it against me if I call bullshit on that?”
Liam chuckled. He liked her sass. “Not at all. In fact, I’d be worried if you were so eager to trust a perfect stranger.”
“Trusting, I’m not. But you were in trouble, and I was raised not to turn my back on someone who needs help.”
Liam gave her a gentle smile before he sipped from the lip of his mug. The smooth taste of coffee rolled over his tongue, just sweet enough with the right hint of cream and not even a little bitter. Delicious. He was certainly thankful Devon had pulled him out of that storm, but not for the reason she thought. The blizzard wouldn’t have killed him. Exposure wouldn’t have killed him. But something had laid the smack down on him and whatever it was, it had packed a punch. “For what it’s worth, I appreciate it.”
“I just did what was right,” Devon replied before sipping from her own mug.
Liam needed answers, the memories his wolf kept from him, to help shed some light on his current situation. But he needed to be careful of what he asked and how he asked it. The supernatural world kept their secrets well and he wasn’t about to be the one to spill the beans. At least, not until he knew he could trust her as well. “You didn’t see any animal tracks where you found me?”
“Nothing.” Devon’s gaze met his. The color of her eyes fascinated him. A mosaic of green, brown, and blue. Turbulent like the sea. “Then again, it was snowing so hard any tracks in the area would’ve been covered up within minutes.”
True. Liam cradled the warm mug in his palms and stared into the creamy coffee as though he’d find last night’s memories in its depths. “How long till the roads are plowed?”
“It’s hard to say.” Devon traced the lip of her mug with her forefinger. Liam found himself drawn to that simple act and he shivered thinking about what it would be like to have her touch him in the same way. “The road department is pretty good about getting the snow cleared. I’ll run up to the highway and check in a few minutes.”
“Couldn’t I use one of your neighbors’ phones?” Liam didn’t want to wait on a snowplow. He needed answers now.
Devon gave him an incredulous look. “Trying to keep a low profile here, remember?”
Liam grinned. “It’s the sheet, isn’t it?”
Devon let out a snort. “Buddy, the sheet’s only half of it.”
Being patient wasn’t one of Liam’s strong suits. He wasn’t interested in fueling the fire of Devon’s suspicions, however. He had no choice but to play it cool. That didn’t mean he had to like it.
“So, Lowman. Must be pretty small if you can identify a local on sight.”
Devon flashed a wide smile. It was the first truly genuine expression he’d seen from her and it was blinding in its brilliance. “I’m being generous in saying that there might be seventy-five full-time residents. Maybe another fifty or so that are part-timers and seasonal.”
“What do people do for work?” Liam knew he had it easy. One of the benefits of being long-lived was the ability to amass a fortune over centuries. He could live practically anywhere without having to worry about how he was going to pay for his next meal.
“A lot of the locals are retired,” Devon said. “One of my neighbors is a long-haul trucker, and another is a teacher in Garden Valley which is only about twenty minutes away. I know a guy who’s a hunting guide and there’s a couple that owns a rafting company.”
“And you?” Liam asked.
Devon’s eyes sparked with mischief. “I own the only bar in town.”
Liam couldn’t think of much else to do in the winter but drink in a town the size of Lowman. “Sounds like a sweet gig.”
Devon gave him a sad smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Finish your coffee,” she said. She went to the door and grabbed her coat from the hook before sliding it on. “I’m going to run up to the highway and see if the road’s been plowed.”
Looked like Liam wasn’t the only one with secrets. And he was determined to learn Devon’s.