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“Yeah, I do. Torture and all.”
“Why?”
“Because…” She trailed off and gazed out over the clearing. She appeared to be looking at something, but when he followed her gaze all he saw was snow glittering under the moon and a blue velvet sky dancing with faint streaks of green.
“What?”
She pressed a finger to her lips. “Listen.”
He did. He heard the muffled creak of settling snow, the snap of the fire, his own rattling teeth, and an occasional sigh from the now sleeping dogs. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Exactly.” She waved an arm, indicating the trees, the mountain, the clearing, the sky. “Out here, it’s just you, your dogs, and your instincts. There are no other people to—” She broke off, but she didn’t need to finish. He knew what she’d been about to say.
Out here, there were no other people to make fun of her. That, he realized, was also why her kennel was so far away from the city and she didn’t open it to tourists. “Have you lived your whole life avoiding people?”
“It’s easier.”
He opened his mouth to say, “No, it’s lonely,”but a particularly violent shiver rattled through him and he dropped the empty mug. “Shit.”
She picked it up and set it next to hers, then stood and held out a hand. “Let’s get you inside and into a sleeping bag. We can’t let your body temperature drop anymore or you’ll be in trouble.”
He tried for a smile. It felt frozen on his lips like everything else. “Will you be joining me again?”
She stopped short and looked him over. No, more than that, shestudiedhim. Felt like she could see through him.
“Yes,” she said finally. “You need to warm up.”
That wasn’t a spark of desire lighting her eyes. That was concern.
“Lead the way.” He took hold of her outstretched hand and was surprised to discover he actually needed her help getting to his feet.
Damn. Maybe he was in more trouble than he thought.
12
Ellis was in trouble.
He either didn’t realize it or didn’t want to admit it for fear of losing his “man card,” but they had to get him out of the cold as soon as possible. Solitaire was still half a day’s ride away. If they were lucky and the weather continued to cooperate, they’d be there by sundown tomorrow, but she knew better than to count on luck out here.
Once again, when she climbed into the sleeping bag beside him, it was like pressing herself against a block of ice. It was awkward, too. He wasn’t unconscious this time and she wasn’t sure where to set her head— on his chest? That seemed too intimate. Or where to place her arm— around his waist? Again, too intimate. She didn’t want him getting the wrong idea. Didn’t want to give herself the wrong idea. Her cheeks still stung with embarrassment at the memory of trying to kiss him.
Despite that moment of weakness, she wasn’t interested in Ellis Hunter.
Couldn’t be interested.
Refused to be.
Period.
She should flat-out tell him that, so he didn’t have to waste his energy being Mr. Charming. She lifted her head and opened her mouth to lay it all out…
But he was already asleep.
She scoffed at her stupidity. Of course he wasn’t thinking about sex now. He was miserable and exhausted and more than slightly hypothermic. It was only her libido out of control here, and she couldn’t figure out why. Until recently, she’d been perfectly happy with her vibrator. What was it about Ellis that made her think the vibrator was no longer enough?
She propped herself up on her elbow to study him. His beard stubbled grew in thick and dark and, yes, she could see a bit of Dr. Will in him now. The resemblance was mostly around the eyes, but give him a few years, add some salt to that dark beard, and he’d pass for a less gnarled version of his father.
A strip of skin across his nose had not been covered by his goggles and face mask during their journey and was now pink with windburn. It made him look like he was blushing, which was downright funny. She doubted Ellis Hunter had ever blushed in his life. He was too sure of himself to ever feel embarrassed.
