The Mountain Man's Protective Embrace
(2026)(A book in the Woodbridge Falls series)
A novel by Tiffany Bloom
Arson destroys her barn. I arrive to investigate. Then I take over, worship every curve, and don't let go until she knows she's mine.
Hale
I left the fire department because I couldn't save everyone. Now I investigate fires instead of running into them.
The barn at The River House Inn is already gone when I arrive. Glori Hinton stands in the wreckage. Exhausted. Determined. Holding her dream together with sheer will.
One look tells me two things. The fire was deliberate. She's not handling this alone.
I secure the property. Track the patterns. Find out who's threatening her.
While I work the case, I rebuild what burned. Reinforce her security. Stay close when the pressure builds.
She thinks I'm here for the investigation. I'm here because the second I steadied her in the smoke, I knew she was mine.
She built this inn after corporate burnout broke her. I'm making sure no one takes it from her. And while my hands protect what she built and my body worships every curve, I make it clear.
She's not losing this dream. Or me.
Glori
I had a plan. Leave corporate. Build the inn. Host literary events. Prove I could create something worth keeping.
The barn fire almost took it all.
Then Hale arrived. Quiet. Competent. Watching the ruins like he's solving problems I haven't named yet.
He says the fire was arson. He's staying until he finds who's responsible.
He doesn't ask permission. He installs cameras. Patrols at night. Rebuilds the barn while I'm still processing the loss.
He sees the exhaustion I've been hiding. The fear I'll lose everything I fought to build.
When he says I'm not facing this alone, I start to believe him.
The town assumes I'm his during the lantern walk. He doesn't correct them. Neither do I.
He's protecting my inn. My dream. My life.
And when he pulls me close, possessive in all the right ways, I stop trying to carry everything myself.
Tropes You'll Love
Protective arson investigator hero
Equinox Protective Group (EPG) operative
Wildfire firefighter turned investigator
Quiet, take-charge mountain man
Cinnamon-roll alpha
Curvy innkeeper heroine
Corporate burnout escape / fresh start
Arson investigation suspense
Rebuilding theme (literal + emotional)
Forced proximity
Small-town mountain setting (Woodbridge Falls, Hudson Valley)
Acts of service devotion
Competence k*nk
Praise-heavy body worship
Possessive claiming
Public claiming / small-town assumptions
Grown-up 30s/40s heat
Found family / EPG brotherhood
Low-angst comfort read
Guaranteed HEA
This steamy escape delivers instalove, instant obsession, no cliffhangers, and no cheating. Safe, swoony, and just the right length for a satisfying binge.What to expect from Tiffany Bloom's stories
My stories bring the heat and the heart. The steam is open-door, full of feeling, a little sweet, and a little addictive. You'll always get a safe, satisfying love story with a guaranteed HEA every time.
Hale
I left the fire department because I couldn't save everyone. Now I investigate fires instead of running into them.
The barn at The River House Inn is already gone when I arrive. Glori Hinton stands in the wreckage. Exhausted. Determined. Holding her dream together with sheer will.
One look tells me two things. The fire was deliberate. She's not handling this alone.
I secure the property. Track the patterns. Find out who's threatening her.
While I work the case, I rebuild what burned. Reinforce her security. Stay close when the pressure builds.
She thinks I'm here for the investigation. I'm here because the second I steadied her in the smoke, I knew she was mine.
She built this inn after corporate burnout broke her. I'm making sure no one takes it from her. And while my hands protect what she built and my body worships every curve, I make it clear.
She's not losing this dream. Or me.
Glori
I had a plan. Leave corporate. Build the inn. Host literary events. Prove I could create something worth keeping.
The barn fire almost took it all.
Then Hale arrived. Quiet. Competent. Watching the ruins like he's solving problems I haven't named yet.
He says the fire was arson. He's staying until he finds who's responsible.
He doesn't ask permission. He installs cameras. Patrols at night. Rebuilds the barn while I'm still processing the loss.
He sees the exhaustion I've been hiding. The fear I'll lose everything I fought to build.
When he says I'm not facing this alone, I start to believe him.
The town assumes I'm his during the lantern walk. He doesn't correct them. Neither do I.
He's protecting my inn. My dream. My life.
And when he pulls me close, possessive in all the right ways, I stop trying to carry everything myself.
Tropes You'll Love
Protective arson investigator hero
Equinox Protective Group (EPG) operative
Wildfire firefighter turned investigator
Quiet, take-charge mountain man
Cinnamon-roll alpha
Curvy innkeeper heroine
Corporate burnout escape / fresh start
Arson investigation suspense
Rebuilding theme (literal + emotional)
Forced proximity
Small-town mountain setting (Woodbridge Falls, Hudson Valley)
Acts of service devotion
Competence k*nk
Praise-heavy body worship
Possessive claiming
Public claiming / small-town assumptions
Grown-up 30s/40s heat
Found family / EPG brotherhood
Low-angst comfort read
Guaranteed HEA
This steamy escape delivers instalove, instant obsession, no cliffhangers, and no cheating. Safe, swoony, and just the right length for a satisfying binge.What to expect from Tiffany Bloom's stories
My stories bring the heat and the heart. The steam is open-door, full of feeling, a little sweet, and a little addictive. You'll always get a safe, satisfying love story with a guaranteed HEA every time.