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mutter, but he didn’t bother turning around. He had bigger problems: if Kade laid one hand on his female, he’d kill him. Brother or not.

Chapter Four
    H arper watched as Kade poured her another glass of wine. She shouldn’t be drinking so much, so fast, but she couldn’t help it. The wine tasted fabulous. Besides, she was on vacation. And Nina was right: she deserved to have a little fun. Maybe even a lot of fun.
    Too bad she hadn’t seen Axel all day. Not since that first meeting. Kade said something about how his oldest brother was in charge of running things at Grizzly Ridge, which made it seem even stranger that he’d totally vanished, but she wasn’t going to dwell on it. She’d had a good time on the hike Luke led them on. The mountains really were beautiful and so peaceful. She’d been completely energized by the time outdoors and when Nina excused herself to rest and write, Harper had been too keyed up to do the same.
    Thankfully, Kade had been good company. She was perched on a stool at the counter of the gourmet kitchen, watching him prepare what started to smell as if it would be a mouthwatering dinner.
    She lifted the glass to her lips and took another deep sip. “I probably shouldn’t be drinking so much before I’ve had something to eat.” She giggled. “How many glasses is that, now?”
    “Nobody’s counting.” Kade winked at her and flashed a toothy grin. “You’re on holidays.” He was handsome. Very handsome. He had the same rugged good looks as his brothers. They all looked so similar, yet so incredibly different at the same time. Luke was fair, almost like a California surfer, while Kade’s hair was darker, more of a chestnut with gold flecks. He was a bit shorter than the others, although all three of them loomed over Harper’s five seven. She’d never considered herself to be short, but compared to the Jackson brothers, she felt positively petite. And then there was Axel. Dark and dangerous. At least that had been her immediate impression when he’d touched her. His eyes were such a deep brown they almost looked black when they’d bored into her, locking her gaze. A chill went through her just thinking of Axel and the sizzle she’d felt from him.
    “Are you cold? I can light a fire in the main room.” Kade grabbed a towel and wiped his hands. “Let me just—”
    “No,” she interrupted him. She didn’t want to sit in the living room by herself. Not when she was enjoying the company so much. She certainly didn’t have the same attraction to Kade as she did his older brother, but the more time that went by without seeing Axel, the more she couldn’t help but think she’d imagined their connection. Besides, it’s not as though she had a lifetime to spend at Grizzly Ridge. She was only going to be there for a few days and dammit if she didn’t have an itch to scratch. Axel definitely would be her first choice, but she was tired of men who didn’t want her.
    Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe she was just sick and tired of not going after what she wanted. Or thought she wanted. Whatever it was, before she could overthink it, Harper reached out and grabbed Kade’s arm. “I’m fine,” she said. “I’d rather stay right here.”
    Kade’s eyes sparked. He was a smart man and clearly caught on quickly. His lip quirked up in a grin. “Sounds good to me,” he said. “Sounds very—”
    “Kade!”
    The swinging door to the kitchen crashed open. Harper jumped off her stool and spilled her wine on the floor. Axel’s bulk filled the doorway and even from across the room, Harper could see his eyes darken. Fear flashed through her and instinctively she took a step back just as Kade stood tall and crossed his arms across his chest. “Axel,” he said calmly.
    With two long strides, Axel crossed the room and stood toe-to-toe with his brother. From up close, the size difference between the two was obvious. Axel loomed over him, and his obvious anger made him seem even