Page 5 of The Hero She Loves

There were some pitfalls when you fell for an A-list Hollywood actress. Still, Sawyer was smitten, and Park was happy for them.

He rubbed his scar again. He had no interest in a woman. Since his torture, he couldn’t stand being touched. He tolerated handshakes and hugs with his friends, but that was about it.

The thought of anyone touching him made his muscles tense up.

Yeah, he’d recovered from his injuries, but his torture had left him fucked up in other ways. He’d spent twenty-two days in hell. Locked in a cage with the lights on, multiple men beating the shit out of him.

Now, he just wanted to be alone.

Lucky for him, there wasn’t anyone around here, and definitely no women.

He sipped his beer and focused on watching the humans trying to fight off killer aliens.

Nope, there was just him, his solitude, and an annoying squirrel to keep him company. Just what he wanted.

CHAPTER TWO

Park rhythmically hissed out breaths, doing another set of pull-ups. He’d installed the bar on the wall in the living room. He might have left the military, but he still worked out every day and kept in shape.

Sweat slid down his neck. He’d already ditched his shirt.

He planned to work on some fencing that needed replacing today. He was still doing pull-ups, pushing through the burn, when he heard the crunch of tires on the gravel out front.

He lowered his feet to the floor and frowned. He definitely wasn’t expecting anyone. He barely knew anyone around here, and he was close to an hour out of Fairbanks.

Grabbing his towel, he wiped the sweat off his face and chest, then headed for the front door.

He opened it to see a silver Tahoe in front of his place. The driver’s door opened, and he watched a long, denim-clad leg appear.

The woman closed the door and glanced around, watchful and alert. He didn’t need to see the badge clipped to her belt to know that she was law-enforcement. A crisp, white shirt was tucked into the trim waistband of her dark jeans. She was tall, with honey-blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail.

Park felt a shot of…Nothing. He had no interest in a woman, no matter how attractive.

She headed toward the cabin and her gaze locked on him.

Her face was too angular to be called beautiful. Her features were too strong and bold, but she was eye-catching. He guessed she was around thirty. She walked with purpose, and kept her gaze on him, assessing. She wasn’t shy.

He should have pulled on his T-shirt, but he hadn’t been expecting guests. He knew his scars were hard to miss.

But as she approached, she eyed his chest and abs and he didn’t see any curiosity or disgust on her face.

“You lost?” he asked.

“No. I’m Senior Deputy Marshal Jenna Sheridan.”

“Well, Marshal, I’ve got no business with you, so get back in your SUV and go.”

She stopped at the bottom step to the front deck. “You always this friendly?”

“Yes.”

“I’m here to talk with you, Mr. Conroy.”

Damn, she knew who he was. That didn’t bode well. “I moved to Alaska so I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone.”

She took another step, and the breeze brought him her scent. Like her, it was bold, and made him think of heady, lush flowers.

Flowers? Jeez. What do you care how she smells, Conroy?

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