Table of Contents
Epilogue
Epilogue
Epilogue
Prologue
Lee
Brooke
Tyler
My Playboy Crush
Bruin
Jillian
Holding On
Crawford
Mia
Bucking Wild
Copyright
Untitled
Ben
Chelsea
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Double Mountain Trouble
Katerina Cole
Copyright © 2018 by Katerina Cole
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
1. Lee
2. Brooke
3. Tyler
4. Lee
5. Brooke
6. Tyler
7. Brooke
8. Brooke
9. Brooke
10. Lee
11. Brooke
12. Lee
13. Brooke
14. Tyler
15. Brooke
16. Lee
17. Brooke
18. Brooke
19. Brooke
20. Brooke
21. Brooke
22. Lee
23. Tyler
24. Brooke
25. Brooke
26. Brooke
27. Brooke
28. Brooke
29. Lee
30. Tyler
31. Lee
32. Brooke
33. Tyler
34. Brooke
35. Tyler
36. Lee
37. Brooke
38. Brooke
39. Brooke
40. Brooke
41. Lee
42. Brooke
43. Tyler
44. Brooke
Epilogue
My Playboy Crush
1. Bruin
2. Jillian
3. Bruin
4. Jillian
5. Bruin
6. Jillian
7. Bruin
8. Jillian
9. Bruin
10. Jillian
11. Bruin
12. Jillian
13. Bruin
14. Jillian
15. Bruin
16. Jillian
17. Bruin
18. Jillian
19. Bruin
20. Jillian
21. Bruin
22. Jillian
23. Bruin
24. Jillian
25. Bruin
26. Jillian
27. Bruin
28. Jillian
29. Bruin
Epilogue
Holding On
1. Crawford
2. Mia
3. Crawford
4. Mia
5. Crawford
6. Mia
7. Crawford
8. Mia
9. Crawford
10. Mia
11. Crawford
12. Mia
13. Crawford
14. Mia
15. Crawford
16. Mia
17. Crawford
18. Mia
19. Crawford
20. Mia
21. Crawford
22. Mia
23. Crawford
24. Mia
25. Crawford
26. Mia
27. Crawford
28. Mia
29. Crawford
30. Mia
31. Crawford
32. Mia
33. Mia
34. Crawford
35. Mia
36. Crawford
37. Mia
38. Crawford
39. Mia
Epilogue
Bucking Wild
Copyright
Untitled
Prologue
1. Ben
2. Chelsea
3. Ben
4. Chelsea
5. Ben
6. Chelsea
7. Ben
8. Chelsea
9. Ben
10. Chelsea
11. Ben
12. Chelsea
13. Ben
14. Chelsea
15. Ben
16. Chelsea
17. Ben
18. Chelsea
19. Ben
20. Chelsea
21. Ben
22. Chelsea
23. Ben
24. Chelsea
25. Ben
26. Chelsea
27. Ben
28. Chelsea
29. Ben
30. Chelsea
31. Ben
32. Chelsea
33. Ben
34. Chelsea
35. Ben
36. Chelsea
37. Ben
38. Chelsea
39. Ben
40. Chelsea
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One
Lee
The snow crunched under Lee’s heavy boots. He pulled the last bag from the back of his SUV. The cold air filled his lungs. It was going to be a long ninety days, but he needed it. He glanced up at the cabin in front of him.
Cabin wasn’t the right word. It was a fucking palace buried in Colorado’s mountainous wilderness. Made from local timber, it was a piece of architectural art. It was a shame no one would ever see its beauty hidden in the forest. There was nothing for miles. It was exactly what he needed. No stores. No offices. No restaurants or bars. And no one bothering him about meetings or professional shit.
It was a total unplug. A detox from the corporate world. A chance to recharge his batteries after the last battle with the StarCon Global Board. Lee shook his head, remembering how horribly the last meeting had gone. But he was here now.
Three full months to cut wood. Start fires. Hike up the mountain. Hell, he could hunt if he wanted. And the best part was going to be growing his beard. He was tired of being clean-shaven every day. He was over the suits and the polished shoes. Done with banquets and cocktail parties. No more formal balls or luncheons for the next ninety days.
He was going to wear flannel and jeans and burn things. Fuck decorum and rules. He could finally divulge his primal nature here. He laughed as he climbed the stairs to the cabin.
Tyler was standing in the hallway with a beer when Lee walked through the door. He’d beaten him to the cabin by several hours. The bastard always got a head start.
“What are you laughing about?” his best friend asked.
“How fucking insane this is.” He kicked the snow and ice from his boots as he walked inside.
“We’ve had crazier ideas.” Tyler handed him a beer as soon as his suitcases were on the hardwood floor.
Lee twisted the top off. “Nothing comes to mind,” he grumbled. “Nothing extreme like this, Ty. Nothing.”
Tyler slapped him on the back. “It will do you some good. We need the break.”
“And we let the company slide?”
Tyler shrugged. “We’ve made billions. We deserve a break. And this is the only place we can escape without the press or the board. Both are a pain in the ass. I’d rather be here than in the shit storm in the city.”
“No arguments there.” The beer tasted good. Better than Lee expected. “When this is all over maybe you’ll be headed back to Denver on your own. I could see myself staying in a place like this. I’ll just let you run the show, man.”
Tyler laughed. “You’re a moody son of a bitch. I can se
e that. You might want to stay up here and live like a mountain man after all.”
“Maybe I will.” It was amazing how quickly he adapted to his surroundings. He’d been called a chameleon so many times he’d lost track. But maybe there was a reason for it. Maybe there was something about this place that called to him.
After years of being a polished business shark it was time for a change. The kind of change that caused an avalanche. He wanted to get changed and explore outside. He wanted to get out of the confines of the house. He was going to immerse himself in this experience.
He reached for a bag and threw it over his shoulder, climbing the stairs.
“Which wing is mine?” he asked. “I’m sure you’ve already claimed the best view.”
“All the views are incredible. You get the east though. I know what an early riser you are. I’m not keeping the same schedule while we’re here. I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want to do. You can get up and work out.”
“Sounds like you have it all figured out. I’ll find my rooms. Thanks.”
It was another perk of the cabin. Each man had his own wing inside the compound. It was possible they could live here for the next several months and never see each other. Lee realized there were a lot of benefits to moving here. As he reached the top of the stairs he felt a chill. He turned to see one of the hall windows was open. He pressed his fingers into the sill to close it. The snow was starting to come down harder now. It didn’t deter him from wanting to hike.
He changed and jogged down the back staircase, pushing the door open and taking in a gulp of cold air. The snow coated his eyelashes and the end of his nose. But he didn’t care. He took off for a path behind the house.
This was what he needed. The quiet hush of the forest. Solitude. Peace.
Two
Brooke
Brooke pressed her ear to the door. It was crazy enough that she was eavesdropping in the hall, but she couldn’t back out now. They were talking about her. She was sure of it. The sounds were muffled, but she could hear enough of the conversation to know all hell was about to break loose. Her hell. The louder the voices were, the more she realized they didn’t care if she overheard them. They didn’t whisper. They didn’t use code words. They were clear and specific.
The fear shot down her spine with every syllable they spoke. They didn’t care about her at all. When had they?
She shook her head in disbelief when she finally realized what was happening on the other side of the door. The two men talking mentioned her as if she were some kind of bargaining tool. She pressed her ear closer to the door, straining to make out what her cousin Niall said.
He had never respected her. Never treated her as an equal in the family, even though they were the same age. Once he became the head of the McIntosh family he forgot all the years they had grown up together. He didn’t remember Christmases or birthdays. He forgot their mothers were sisters. None of it mattered to him.
“She needs to be delivered this morning,” he stated. “As soon as possible.”
No. No, he couldn’t do this. How was this happening? Who in the hell did he think he was? This wasn’t Ireland in the 1800s. She was a grown woman living in Denver. She had rights he couldn’t begin to understand.
“When will she be ready?” the other man asked her cousin. He had shown up this morning. She’d never seen him before, but knew she’d never forget him. He was enormous and unfriendly.
“You can take her now,” Niall responded. “The sooner I get this debt paid, the better.”
Brooke paused in shock. Did he just say that? Did he actually speak about her as a form of currency? She balled her fists at her side ready to pummel him. She wanted to give him a black eye and a bloody lip. He deserved both and a swift kick to the balls.
“I told her to wait for our meeting to be over. She should be in the hallway. Why don’t you pick her up on the way out?” he suggested to the brute.
Shit. Punching Niall was one thing. Taking on the freakishly strong stranger was something else. The panic almost paralyzed her. She looked for a place to hide. There wasn’t enough time to make it to her car. The hall closet was her only option.
She whipped open the door and pushed the winter coats aside. She huddled in the back of the closet, stilling her breath. She inhaled the scent of heavy cologne. It had seeped into her cousin’s wool coats. She turned her head toward the wall so she wouldn’t gag from the odor.
Maybe if she squeezed her eyes tighter the heavy footsteps she heard would keep walking. This was insane. She shouldn’t be hiding in a closet. But Niall had promised her to the thug in his office and she knew logic didn’t apply when it came to the family business. The footsteps grew increasingly louder.
Niall had turned a once reputable business into something she no longer recognized. Her parents, aunts, and uncles would be horrified if they knew what kind of man he had become. He was trashing their good name.
“Where is she?” the man barked.
Niall was only feet away from the closet. “I told her to wait here. She’s in the house. The alarm is on, so I know she didn’t leave. She’s here somewhere. I’ll check upstairs.”
“If you back out, Niall my clients are going to fuck you over. Big time.”
“Calm down. I’m not about to back out. I want my debt to be zero with Star. She’s here. I’ll find her. You can take her with you. Just calm the fuck down and look for her. Will you?”
Brooke’s chest hurt from keeping the air in her lungs. They were burning like they were on fire. God, this was a nightmare. She looked through the crack where the door met the floor. Her view was blocked by a shadow.
Oh shit. He was there. Right there.
The door flew open. The light hit her between the eyes as a pair of rough hands grabbed her shoulders and yanked her to her feet.
“Hey!” she screamed, trying to wiggle free. The heels on her boots gave her a disadvantage, not to mention this guy was a giant. She teetered on her feet, desperate to get some kind of leverage against him.
“Got her!” the man yelled up the stairs. “Looks like you’re off the hook, Mac.”
“Let me go.” Brooke pushed off his chest, but it was like a wall of granite. “Get your hands off me.”
“Not going to happen,” he seethed. “You’re coming with me. I have orders to deliver you.”
“Deliver me where?” She knew what kind of men Niall gambled with. The men who invested in his shady business ventures. Nothing good could come from this. If he had promised her to one of those men she may never be the same again.
Niall ran down the stairs. “Come on, Brooke. You were hiding? You were never good at the game when we were kids. Silly pretty good.”
She glared at him. “I heard what you were talking about. I’m not going with him.” She looked at her captor. “You have no right, Niall. You are way overstepping your authority.”
He looked past her at the man who held her. “She’s yours now. You’ll deliver her today?”
He nodded. “I’ll take her immediately. It’s going to be a few hours though. They’re out of town now.”
“A few hours? Where?” She tried to stomp her feet. “Where are you taking me. Niall!”
“Good.” Her cousin looked satisfied. “I want my debt paid. I don’t need him breathing down my neck. I want this over quickly.”
“I’m standing right here, Niall. Don’t talk like I’m not in the room. You can’t do this.” She continued to struggle, no matter how useless it was to fight the man responsible for finding her. “I’m not your property. Or his. I’m certainly not something you can barter.”
Niall walked to the door that led to the basement, continuing to ignore Brooke’s protests. “You can take her out back. Less eyes on you. Especially if she keeps that up,” he explained.
“Good,” he grunted. Brooke doubted he had much of a vocabulary. “I prefer quiet exits.”
“There is no way I’m going anywhere with this asshole.�
� Brooke dug her heels against the hardwoods, but it only made it easier for the man to slide her toward the door.