Blackstone Ranger Chief

so I imagine it’s a killer.”
Her cheeks warmed at the reminder. Oh God, what else did she do last night? The humiliation nearly made her turn tail and run out the door. But the bacon smelled too good, so she sat herself on the stool and took a bite, the greasy, crispy strip breaking into pieces as it melted inside her mouth. “Hmm,” she moaned and closed her eyes. It was perfectly cooked. “Oohhh,” she said, licking her lips.
Gabriel let out a chuckle, which made her snap out of her near-orgasmic state. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she realized Damon was staring at her again, and those clear green eyes were fixed on her lips. A sizzle of heat went up her spine, but he turned his back to her before she could react any further.
“So, Anna Victoria,” Gabriel began. “Tell me more about yourself. How did you meet Damon?”
“I … uh, don’t remember,” she confessed. “I had too much tequila last night and then … I woke up in his bed.” Oh God, the way that sounded. “I didn’t … I mean we didn’t …” Did someone come in here and set her cheeks on fire? Because it sure felt like they did. She took a sip from the mug. “Maybe I should start again.”
Gabriel glanced down at the paper bag by her feet, then looked at her. “Oh. My. God. It was you.”
You? How did this man know who she was?
His jaw dropped, then he slowly turned to Damon. “You have some explaining to do.”
“It’s not what you think,” Damon said in a gruff tone as he began to clean up the stove. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”
His dismissive tone stung much harder than it should have. “I can explain.” At least she thought she could. The small burst of caffeine was working into her system, so she could piece together the events of last night. “I had too much tequila at the bar, and I walked outside to get some air. Then I passed out. Mr., er, Damon found me and brought me here because, as he said, he didn’t have a choice.” His back stiffened. “I’m sorry. For all the trouble.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’ll get out of your way now.” She slid off the stool and walked out of the kitchen, making her way to the door.
Why did he act so cold all of a sudden? When she woke up this morning, he’d been anything but. She even thought he was so sweet, getting those clothes for her and making her breakfast. Then there was the unmistakable heat in his eyes she couldn’t get out of her mind.
Now he acted like she was a complete inconvenience, which in retrospect, she was. Had she read him wrong? But still, he didn’t have to make her feel so … unwanted. The thought bristled at her, and for the umpteenth time that morning, she asked herself why the opinion of a stranger should matter to her.
Yanking the door open, she stepped outside onto the porch. “Holy—”
Everything outside was covered in snow. Though they got snow in Albuquerque, it was never like this. The scene was almost magical—if she wasn’t so cold. The thick socks weren’t enough to keep the chill out, and her body gave an involuntary shiver.
Now what am I going to do? She had no car, no money, and nowhere to go. Maybe running out at her wedding was a mistake.
No, marrying Edward Jameson would have been the biggest mistake of her life.
“Anna Victoria?”
She whirled around, and couldn’t help but feel disappointed when she realized it was Gabriel who had chased after her. “Hey,” she said. “Um, I’ll be out of your way, as soon as I figure out how to get to my car. How far is it to walk to that bar?”
“What? Are you crazy?” he said. “Way too far. You’ll never make it. The ground’s still frozen, thanks to this crazy blizzard we had over the weekend.”
“Oh.” Her lip trembled and her throat tightened. “I guess I could call a cab.” There was still money in the purse. And then there was the duffel bag stashed in the trunk. “Hold onto this, for me, okay, darling?” her ‘fiancé’ had asked. “I’ll take it back after the honeymoon. It’s just some old junk I need moved out of the penthouse.”
Old junk, my behind. But thinking about where the money came from made her shiver again—and it wasn’t because of the cold.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Gabriel said, knocking her out of her thoughts.
His words made her double-blink. “I-I’m not?”
“I mean, not without me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll take you into town,” he said. “To your car.”
“Oh. Wow. Thank you so much, Gabriel.” Normally, she would have protested, but what choice did she have? It was better than being stuck here with that man scowling at her and making her feel so unwelcome.
“Don’t thank me. Damon pretty much ordered me to do it,” he said with a chuckle. “He’s my boss and all, but also my best friend, so we’re good.”
Boss? She wanted to ask what they did, but bit her lip. It wasn’t like she was going to be around long enough for it to matter.
“Are you ready?” he asked. “I got this for you too.” A paper bag dangled from his fingers.
She grimaced at the sight of the tulle peeking from the top and grabbed the bag. “I wouldn’t want to leave it behind for him to clean up.”
“I also have a pair of boots for you, but I left them in my truck.” he cocked his head at the shiny red Jeep in the driveway, “if you don’t mind being barefoot for a couple more feet, we can get out of here.”
Pausing, she glanced back at the front door, as if she was waiting for something … for him to come after her? She snorted. Highly unlikely. Damon looked like he couldn’t wait to get her