by Lila Kane
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Other Books by Lila Kane
Author’s Note and Mailing List
Summary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Sneak Peek: FIANCÉE FOR SALE
Bonus Story: INSIDE OUT
About the Author
Stranded
Broken Man Book 1
___________________
LILA KANE
Stranded
By Lila Kane
Copyright © 2017 by Lila Kane
First E-book publication 2017
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Please respect the author and do participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.
Table of Contents
_________________________
Title Page
Copyright
Other Books by Lila Kane
Author’s Note and Mailing List
Summary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Sneak Peek: FIANCÉE FOR SALE
Bonus Story: INSIDE OUT
About the Author
BOOKS BY LILA KANE
Enemies to Lovers
The Neighbor
The Ex
The Professor
The Player
The Intern
The Cowboy
Companion Novellas
Freed
Trapped
Broken Man
Hidden
Stranded
Inside Out
Struck
Driven
Fiancée for Sale
Dear Reader,
Thank you for continuing to read the Broken Man series. I hope you’re enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. As a special thank you for reading, I’m offering a free bonus story with the sign-up of my mailing list. Click HERE to get your copy, and thanks again for reading. I hope you enjoy the story!
<3
Lila Kane
Summary
He’s a criminal. He told me so himself.
But when my car breaks down on the side of the road, I have nowhere else to go but the one lonely house I can find out in the middle of nowhere.
Jace is hardened, unforgiving, and short with me. And I’d expect nothing less from a felon. But when hours turn into days and we’re stuck with each other throughout a snowstorm, I start to learn more about him.
I start to feel something for him.
I can’t help myself. Jace doesn’t seem like a bad guy, and he’s hot. The more I find out about him, the more I doubt he committed a crime. And the more I can’t keep my hands to myself…
The Broken Man series is made up of standalone short stories that can be enjoyed without reading the rest of the series. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and as always, you get a Happily Ever After
CHAPTER 1
___________________
ERIN
My car sputters to a stop on the side of the road, chugging out its last breath in the darkness of a snowstorm.
“Shit. No, no, no…” I mumble, turning the key over and over again. The car makes a whining noise but won’t start. “Please, don’t do this.”
I knew the car wasn’t going to make it far, but I thought I’d at least get to the next big city.
I rest my head against the steering wheel, fighting back tears. It’s been one of those weeks. No, one of those years. Where everything seems to go wrong. Relationally, professionally, emotionally.
All I wanted was one week away. A chance to clear my mind and reboot.
And now I’m stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a broken car.
I grab my cell phone from the console and check the charge. Less than 10%. But worse than that, no one but my roommate knows I’m out here. And she’s on vacation with her family in California. Way too many miles away for her to come and get me.
Trying not to panic, I pull on my coat and gloves and get out of the car. There’s nothing out here. Nothing but swirling white snow and a road I can barely see anymore.
I wonder if can request a car from Uber.
Probably not. I’m in the middle of nowhere.
The cold nips at my cheeks and nose. I can barely see ten feet in front of me. Even if I had someone to call, I couldn’t tell them where I am. And who would want to get out in this kind of weather anyway?
The first real stab of fear hits me. What am I going to do?
I have to walk. I can’t stay here in my car. It’ll get too cold.
There has to be a home nearby. Or someone will be along on the road soon. I’d seen dozens of cars pass me on the way here. Sure, the traffic had petered out once the snow started, but someone would still come along.
I reach into my back seat and pull out my backpack. I’ve got an sweatshirt in there and my phone charger. It holds my wallet as well, and a few extra items that won’t help me now, but I take them anyway.
Stuffing my hair into my cap, I turn to the road again. North. I’ll head north, because…I came from the south and I know there’s nothing back the other way. At least not for a few miles.
The wind slaps me in my face as I head up the road. At least I think this is north. I trip and my backpack falls off when I faceplant into a pile of snow.
“Shit.” I sit up and my whole body shakes.
I can’t stop. I have to keep moving. So I make myself stand and start walking again.
After what feels like hours and miles, I see a light by the side of the road. The closer I get, the clearer it gets. It’s not just a light, it’s a house. A home!
My fingers are numb through my gloves and I can’t feel my cheeks anymore. I don’t care who lives there, I just need help.
I need to be warm and I need to know if there’s a hotel close by. Checking my phone would have worked, but there was still no way to get there. Not in the middle of the snowstorm.
The lights get brighter as I near them, and I see a cozy looking house. I bet when there’s visibility, it has a great view of the mountains. Right now, though, all I can think of is being inside. Being warm.
Maybe there’s even a fire.
I reach the front door and ring the bell. The sun has already vanished, but it’s not too late—and clearly with the lights on, someone must be awake.
When I don’t hear anything, I ring the bell again, then tug one of my gloves off to knock. It hurts when I do—a sure sign I really need to be out of the cold.
Finally, I hear footsteps. My shoulders sag with relief.
I expect a nice old couple who will welcome me in for hot cocoa by their fireplace, and then offer to drive me to the nearest hotel. Maybe even offer to let me stay the night until I warm up and then help me with my car tomorrow.
But when the door swings open, my jaw drops.
It’s not a nice old couple, it’s a hot young guy. Probably only a few years older than me.
And instead of
welcoming me, he gives a hard scowl. “What are you doing?”
“Me? Doing? I—uh—my car broke down and I—I—”
He looks so angry I showed up on his doorstep, I don’t know how to explain what happened.
He peers out into the darkness, as if searching for my car. Calling my bluff.
“It’s just down the road.” I point, even though there’s no way he can see. “But my car won’t work and I’ve been walking for a while and I’m freezing.”
His eyes narrow on me. He scratches his chin, the short burst of stubble that lines his strong jaw. “Don’t you have a cell phone?”
“Yes,” I answer feeling around in my pocket. “But I’m out in the middle of nowhere and—”
I break off when I can’t find my phone. I search the other pocket, and then the ones in my jeans. Nothing. Maybe I put it in my backpack?
And then it hits me. I tripped. I fell in the snow and my phone must have fallen, too.
“It’s…” I swallow, and I’m suddenly uncomfortable. I don’t know this man. He could be dangerous, and I’m out here all alone. “The battery died.”
It’s a small lie. But I don’t want him knowing I don’t have any way of communicating with the outside world.
He folds his arms, and then finally says, “You can come in to use the phone.”
My stomach clenches. Do I go inside? I don’t have much of a choice.
Giving him a grateful smile, I nod and step inside. At least it’s warm in here. Now I just have to find someone to come get me. Quick.
CHAPTER 2
___________________
JACE
She lets in a swirl of cold air with her, and I realize how much the temperature has dropped in the last few hours. I was out chopping wood for the storm earlier today, and suddenly the storm descended.
Part of me feels bad for her, lost out in the snow, but the other part is irritated. The last thing I want tonight is company. I was planning on settling down with a drink and a book by the fireplace.
No problem, I tell myself. She’ll call someone to come get her and then I’ll get to my evening.
Chili simmers in a crock pot, and I can tell she smells it. She swallows and turns to me.
“The phone is over here.” I lead her to the kitchen, keeping my distance.
“Thanks,” she says quietly.
She’s a tiny thing, but I can’t see much else because she’s bundled up so much. She pulls off her hat and a mane of shiny black hair tumbles out. Shit. That’s hot.
I give her space to use the phone and go stir my chili. From the corner of my eye, I see her lift the phone and then freeze.
“What is it?” I ask.
“The phone’s dead.”
I stride over and take it from her, accidently brushing her hand when I do. She’s freezing. I don’t know how she’s even still standing.
She’s right. The phone is dead. “The storm’s worse than I thought. Maybe you should go sit by the fire.”
She blinks up at me. “The fire?”
“To warm up.” Damn it, I hadn’t planned on letting her stay even longer, but I don’t want her getting hypothermia. “Your lips are blue.”
“Oh.” She touches her lips with dainty fingers, and then nods. “You’re right.”
While she walks to the fire, I check my cell phone. There’s an alert about the road. They’re shutting it down. Hell, there’s no way she’s getting out of here tonight.
Maybe I can walk down and check on her car, get it running for her. Then I glance out the window and see how hard the snow is falling. No way. Then we’ll both get hypothermia. Not a great way to start the weekend.
She kneels by the fire, sitting on her knees and holding her hands out. Her hair falls over her shoulder like a curtain of silk. My dick twitches.
Fuck. This is the last thing I expected tonight. But part of me appreciates the company. I’m sick of keeping to myself because of the way the people in town judge me. This woman has no idea who I am. Unless she watches or reads the news a lot. Then there’s no way she hasn’t at least seen my picture.
I pour her a shot of whiskey and walk it over. I reach down to hand it to her, noting she’s still shivering. “Try this.”
She blinks at it, then gives a small smile. “Thanks.” She downs it in one gulp, impressing me, and then passes the glass back. “That helps.”
“You should take off your jacket,” I say, crouching next to her. I grimace at the face she makes. “Because it’s wet. It’s just making you colder.”
“Oh.” She shakes her head and immediately shrugs out of her jacket. “That makes sense. Sorry, I—”
“You’re cold, and tired. No problem.” I take her jacket and stand.
Then I curse myself. What am I doing? Trying to take care of her? Maybe it’s just because she’s treating me like a normal person. Not judging me.
And because she looks so small and vulnerable by the fire right now. At some point I’m going to have to break it to her that the road’s closed.
I hang her jacket on the back of a chair and check my phone again, as if the ten minutes that’s passed has changed the weather so she can leave. But no such luck.
When I glance over again, she’s walking in my direction. “Oh, good, you have a cell phone.” She bites her lip. “I think I lost mine.”
“You’re welcome to use mine, but I don’t think it’s going to matter.”
Her lips part. “Why not?”
“The roads are closed because of the weather. There’s no way in or out.”
She swallows, and it’s not hard to see the worry on her face. My gut clenches. Great, she’s just like everyone else. She thinks I’m going to do something. She’s judging me already.
“I’m sorry, I’m just—I feel bad,” she says. She points to the crock pot where the chili is cooking. “I think I ruined your night. I’ll just…if I could warm up a little more, I’ll head back out.”
Shock hits me right in the chest. “Head out?”
“Yes. If no one can get in or out, I’m stuck.”
I make a snap decision. There’s no way I’m sending her back out in the cold. I might be a convicted felon, but it’s not who I really am. And I’m certainly not a monster.
“You can stay here.”
She balks, and it flicks a switch in me. Maybe it’s all the people who have judged me in the past. Maybe I just want someone to finally, finally, believe in me. Whatever it is, it makes me snap at her.
“You’ll die if you go out there again. You’re staying here, and that’s final. There’s a room at the end of the hall and you can lock the door if you think I’m going to attack you in the middle of the night.” I jerk the lid off the crock pot. “Now, I’m going to have my dinner.”
CHAPTER 3
___________________
ERIN
I carry my backpack into the guest room, looking around. It’s mostly bare, with just the bed and a dresser. He probably doesn’t get much company out here.
And with that attitude…
I sigh. No. It’s my fault. I acted suspicious of him when really I should have been thanking him. I’m more than grateful he decided to let me in. And he didn’t stop there. He’s letting me stay.
I could be stuck outside in the freezing cold, but instead I get to be in a nice house, with a man who seems decent, and a healthy shot of whiskey in my stomach that’s already warming me up.
Not much to complain about.
I need to apologize. Pulling my sweatshirt sleeves over my hands to keep warm, I wander back to the kitchen. Jace pulls himself a beer from the fridge. When he sees me, he nods.
“Want one?”
“You wouldn’t happen to have another shot of that whiskey?”
I swear I see his lips twitch. “Feeling better, then.”
“I am. I was cold and tired and…” I shake my head when he turns back with the bottle. “No, that’s no excuse. I was rude and it wasn’t nice. I’m sorry. And
what you’re doing for me is more than most people would, so…”
My throat dries as he continues to watch me. No, it’s not just watching—more like devouring me with his eyes. I’ve never had anyone stare at me like that before, like they’re prepared to eat me whole. Maybe he doesn’t get a lot of female company way out here.
Either way, it makes heat race through my body. A pang of need hits me right between the legs. I down the shot in one gulp and then say, “Sure, I’ll take a beer. I’ll pay you back for all this—I promise.”
He chuckles and brushes it off. “Not necessary. I wasn’t planning on company, but now that you’re here we might as well make the most of it.”
Make the most of it. Oh, God, I can think of all sorts of ways to make the most of it. Most of them involve being naked. His mouth on me. Or mine on his.
Shit. This is not healthy. Just because it’s been a while since I’ve been with someone doesn’t mean I need to fuck a random stranger. Even if he’s treating me better than most guys I’ve ever dated.
“I’m Erin, by the way,” I say.
“I’m Jace. You’re welcome to some chili.”
I scoop up a healthy bowl full because I’m starving, and join him at the table just as the lights flicker. The wind howls outside and I shiver.
“I thought this might happen,” he said.
Before I can ask what might happen, the lights go off and we’re pitched into blackness.
I’m standing right by the table, frozen with worry. “I can’t see.”
I hear the sound of chair legs scraping, and then movement. His voice sounds right next to mine. “It’s fine. I have a generator if we need it. Don’t worry. I’m going to grab a flashlight and a lantern.”
Don’t leave me. I almost say it, but I don’t want to be even more of a burden, so I nod to myself. I wait as he walks off, listen to his footsteps further away in the house, and then breathe a sigh of relief when I spot the beam of a flashlight.
When he returns, he sets the lantern on the table. When he gets a look at my face, he steps closer. I jump when there’s a loud sound outside.
