Lexie I’ve spent my whole life playing it safe, making the smart choices, avoiding risks—because I’ve seen what happens when people chase dreams that crash and burn. But when my friends invited me on this mountain trip, something in me whispered say yes. Now, I’m lost in the woods, separated from the group, with no idea how to find my way back. Panic grips me—until Rod finds me. A man who looks like he belongs to the wilderness itself, rough and untamed. He should be terrifying, but instead, he makes me feel alive. With every passing moment, every lingering glance, I feel my carefully built walls start to crumble. I came here for adventure, but I never expected to find him—or to realize that maybe, just maybe, I’m ready to risk everything for something real. Rod I’ve spent years in these mountains, alone by choice. No one to answer to, no one to lose. It’s simple that way. Safe. Then I find her. Lexie. Lost, cold, and more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen. One look, and I know—I’m done. My solitary life? Over. Because she belongs with me. Her friends are searching for her, calling her back to the world she came from. But I don’t want to let her go. I see it in her eyes—she’s torn, unsure if she’s ready to take the leap. But I know what she dreams of, what she craves. And if it means she’ll stay, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen. Because now that I’ve found her, I’m never letting her go. Protective Mountain Man is an instalove alpha hero romance featuring a protective park ranger and a city girl looking for something new.