Free Rescued by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan 1) by Harmony Raines Page A

me that found you.”
    She sat up, and found he had draped a thick jacket over her shoulders. “What do you want?”
    He looked at her closely while they sat waiting for the lights to change. “Do I have to want anything other than to see that you’re OK?”
    She couldn’t answer. Was he trying to trick her, to make her feel at ease so she wouldn’t try and run? Instead, she asked him, “Where are you taking me?”
    “Home. At least to my home. I could have taken you straight to my office, but you look like you need a bath and a good hot meal before I fill out my report.”
    “Report?”
    He half turned, pulling his thick jacket open for her to see the star gleaming there. “I’m the local law enforcement. I could caution you, but I think it would be better if we got to know each other first before we start the formalities.”
    “To know each other.” She wasn’t sure if she liked the sound of that.
    “Not in that kind of way. If I wanted a woman for companionship, I know plenty who would be more than willing.”
    Companionship. That was a new one on her. He meant sex of course, but he was too much of a gentleman to say it. Abbi relaxed a little. She had met men like this before. Old fashioned values, protect first, ask questions later. Sweet, but no match for what hunted her. She needed to get away now more than ever. She would never be able to live with her conscience if the man who tried to help her wound up dead instead.
    “Why don’t you let me out? As far as I’m aware I haven’t done anything.” She sat up straight in the seat, and tried to sound normal.
    “Well, we agree on that, as far as I’m aware you haven’t done anything wrong. That doesn’t explain why you were hiding out though does it. A person with nothing to hide generally doesn’t choose to freeze themselves half to death for the fun of it.”
    He was right; her behaviour did look odd. She would just have to try to convince him of her motives. What would a red blooded man like this think a woman would be doing hiding out in the back of beyond?
    Remembering his comment about being able to get a woman so easily, she went with that. No doubt, a man like this would think a woman needed a man. He would never imagine a woman could be put off men for life. All because she had kept herself pure. Wanting to wait for the right man to come along so that she could give this precious gift to him. Instead a man, no a beast, had decided it was his by right. To take. To steal from her.
    “I had an argument with my boyfriend,” she finally said.
    He raised an eyebrow at her, and she knew he wasn’t convinced. “Does this boyfriend beat you?”
    “No.”
    “Treat you cruel in anyway?”
    “No. Of course not.”
    “So carry on with your story.” He emphasised the word story, much to her annoyance.
    “We were driving through Bear Creek, and we had this stupid argument. I got out of the car and ran off. I got lost and ended up in that old house.” Even to her ears, it sounded like a stupid story. She could only imagine what it sounded like to a man of the law. Who had no doubt heard every excuse under the sun.
    “And you decided the house was so nice you’d stay there.”
    “I wanted some time alone.”
    He fumbled in his pocket, and dug out his phone. “Here, you should call him and tell him you’re OK?”
    “No. I don't want to. Not yet.”
    “Your parents then?” He offered her the phone again. “They must be worried about you.”
    “No. No parents.” She turned and looked miserably out of the window. How could she voice the words? How could she tell him that the only people looking for her wanted to hurt her, or worse?
    He turned off the road, the truck bumping up a dirt track. Watching the dark close in around them, she huddled deeper into his jacket, inhaling the scent of him. Wood smoke and pine needles. It soothed her; the old weariness covered her, draining her of any energy she had left. All she wanted to do was sleep, and