"After yesterday's delightful lunch, Dad, do you blame me?"
"I thought you handled yourself rather well yesterday, for a change. Is Seth with you? Darlene says his cabin hasn't been used."
"That's none of your business, Dad," she said evenly.
"He must be, or you would have said no."
She winced. Damn.
"Well, that makes things easier," her father continued, sounding inordinately pleased. "We're all going skiing at Marmot today. I was looking for both of you to ask you if you wanted to come along."
"You know very well I hate skiing," she said evenly. "Why bother to ask me?"
"Because you'd tear strips off me if I didn't," he said.
True.
"And Seth may want to come along, which may change your mind about going," her father added deftly.
"I hate you," Gabrielle muttered. She lowered the phone, covered the pickup with her hand and looked at Seth. "My father wants to know if you'd like to go skiing with the family at Marmot Basin today."
He shook his head. "It's a security nightmare. All that open country and public spaces? No, I don't think so. And besides, you hate skiing." He shook his head with a smile. "I'll pass."
She flashed him a smile of pure gratitude and put the phone back to her ear. "He says no thanks, Dad."
"In that case," her father responded, not sounded at all put out, "You two might like to use the Jacuzzi in the main cabin here. I'll let the staff know you're expected. Have fun."
He disconnected before she could respond. She folded the phone closed with a snap and threw it back in her bag.
"His last comment annoyed you," Seth observed.
"He suggested we use the Jacuzzi in the main cabin today, while they're all out skiing. If his manipulations to get us married were any more obvious, he'd have to carry a harp and wear vine leaves in his hair like Cupid."
Seth picked up her hand and rubbed his thumb over her palm. "Have you asked yourself why he's doing it, Ellie? You know him better than I do."
His thumb was creating little circles in her palm that were sending sizzling signals back along her nerves. Gabrielle had a hard time concentrating on anything else. "Because he wants me off his hands," she murmured. "I'm Gabi-hell, remember?"
"Not to me, you're not," Seth said, his voice rumbling. His finger slid between her first and second finger, lightly tracing the flesh on the inside of her fingers. She shuddered at the delicious sensations he created.
Ellie. He'd called her Ellie through the night, his voice thick with longing.
Gabrielle hooked her fingers over the unfastened opening of his trousers and lifted the zipper tab with her other hand. The heat of his flesh against the back of her knuckles sizzled along her nerves and made her heart flutter. This close, she could smell Seth. He was clean, fresh, male and spicy.
She gave into impulse and leaned forward to lick his stomach and felt it quiver under her lips.
He hissed and his hand thrust into her hair. "What about breakfast?" he asked. His voice was thick with arousal.
Gabrielle let the sheet drop from around her and drew down the zipper on his trousers. "It can wait," she told him. "I can't."
* * * * *
"Your suit at least looks like day wear," Gabrielle complained. "While I look like I'm still wearing last night's clothes. I'm going to have to go back to my cabin for fresh clothes."
Seth considered for a moment before nodding. "We're relatively safe inside the lodge grounds. I'll let Tyler know." He pulled his phone out of his jacket and turned away.
Gabrielle stared at Seth's broad back, as a dozen different little facts joined together: Seth's reluctance to talk about himself, to reveal anything about his career and his risky business. The conversation last night at the dinner table, and his comment, 'he's wearing an awful dark brown jacket I keep telling him to get rid of', Seth's rescue of her camera and laptop from the icy bottom of the river, and the need for technical help to save the data on both, the way she had forced an introduction with Sam in the washroom last night, and the flicker of admiration in the woman's eyes when they had parted...it all merged into a cohesive whole, startling idea that took her breath away. She considered it from every angle, her heart skittering. Did she dare?
Then she remembered who she was. Her father's daughter.
And she thought of the prize. It was worth it.
When Seth turned back around, she had control of her face once more.
Seth put the phone away. "Ready to go?"
She picked up her coat and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Seth picked up his and they slipped out of the room and headed for the foyer.
"Where did Tyler and Sam spend the night?" Gabrielle asked.
"They got rooms here, too."
"They're not...together, then?"
"No. They didn't even know each other until last night."
"Your group is that big?" Gabrielle asked.
"Sam is that new."
"I see." A horrible thought occurred to her. "She isn't replacing someone who is..."
"Someone transferred out," Seth said, with a smile.
"Oh, good," Gabrielle said, with a sigh. "How long have you known Tyler then?"
"About eight years."
"That's a pretty long time, in your world, isn't it?"
"A very long time," Seth agreed.
"Is he a very good friend?"
"He wouldn't be best man at my wedding," Seth said easily, "That spot is reserved for my friend Jack. You'll get to meet him, one day, I hope. But I would trust Tyler with my life. I would trust anyone in the group with my life."
"Is Jack in the group, too?"
Seth's smile grew warmer. "Yes, which drives my CO mad."
"Jack lives here in Alberta, too?"
"When he can. He's on duty elsewhere right now."
The natural evasion seemed to come so easily to him. Elsewhere. No country was mentioned. Even American soldiers were permitted to say "Afghanistan" or "Somalia". No wonder Seth's ex-girlfriends had given up on him. She could see how such a vacuum of information could quickly grow to be a problem.
They stepped out of the elevator and turned to the lobby. There were more people milling about the lobby today, now the snowfall had ended and the sun was out again. Gabrielle could feel herself going into defensive mode and even Seth shortened his step and came alongside her. "Change sides," he murmured, putting her on his left.
Tyler and Sam were picking out postcards from the rotating racks and didn't even turn their heads, but Gabrielle saw Sam's eyes in the cheap mirror over the top of the sunglass rack next to her. She'd picked her position well.
They moved through the lobby without problem and used their keycards to open the door that let them out into the private cabin area beyond. Gabrielle could feel Seth relax.
"You relax, yet you said that even out here, there's bug and sightlines. So someone with a good rifle could still pick me off, even here."
"But out here, I've got you covered," Seth said.
"I don't—" she began, then stopped as she realized what he meant. He could use his body as a shield out here.
Suddenly, she wanted to sprint for her cabin, at mach 10.
Seth chuckled. "Tyler walked the boundary this morning with dogs. No one's been near the place on foot. If I thought for a moment that a sniper was in the area, I'd have both of us in Kevlar so fast your head would spin. There's no need to look so stricken." He stopped and kissed her forehead.
She forced her shaking legs into walking again, and slapped his shoulder. "Don't do that, Seth! Not even as a joke! It's not funny."
"Yeah, it is," he said over his shoulder. "Just a bit. Mostly watching the steam coming out your ears. And in about five seconds, the way you stomp your foot on the path."
She curled her hands into fists and gritted her jaw, because he was right. She wanted to stomp her foot. She walked stiffly after him, aware that she was stamping her feet with extra heaviness
and hating that he was probably laughing silently as he heard each heavy step.
Gabrielle remembered her plan and fell into step next to him. "When you're on duty, is there anything that says that you and your back-up can't talk to each other?"
Seth glanced at her. "Why?"
"You carefully didn't speak to Tyler last night at the restaurant. Didn't even acknowledge him."
"General principle says it's better not to tip your hand early and let the bad guy know who your back-up is."
"So there's nothing says you can't talk face to face with Tyler in private."
"No." A shallow furrow appeared between his brows. "What are you digging for here?"
"It was your idea, actually," she said, trying to sound disarming. "I can't really go into town. You'd freak, I think. Right?"
"I'd be pretty unhappy about it," Seth admitted, sounding cautious.
She dug in her bag for her cabin key and stepped up onto the porch and unlocked her door. "Is your group like the American special ops groups? Each operative has a specialty or two, so when you're out in the field you have, say, a communications expert and an explosives expert, something like that?"
"That's not just American," Seth said, pushing the door open for her. "That's common sense. Task forces have been doing it that way time out of mind. Even the three Musketeers had a medical expert amongst them."
She put her bag on the chair next to the door, as he closed the door behind her. "What are your specialties, then?"
Seth looked awkward. "Strategy stuff..." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the cabin. "Are you the only one who uses this cabin?"
She knew he was trying to change the subject. "Computers isn't one of your specialties, then?" she asked.
"I can run a basic home network," he said. "But nothing fancy."
"What about Tyler and Sam, then?" she asked. She picked up the shopping bag holding her rescued camera and laptop and put them on the big oak table next to the borrowed laptop she was using. "I was wondering if either of them might be able to retrieve my photos." She smiled helplessly. "I'd really like to get them back."
Seth actually looked relieved. He grinned. "I don't think Tyler could manage it, but let me find out what Sam can do." He pulled out his cell phone.
Gabrielle hid her smile and went to change out of her lace dress. There wasn't much in her luggage that matched her mood, now. The sloppy yoga pants and sweaters, ski pants and parkers were nothing she wanted Seth to see her in. She settled for a pair of jeans, faded and snug, and her favorite kelly green sweater, which didn't meet the band of her jeans. If she went outside, she'd put on her boots, but for now, she stayed barefoot.
She reapplied her makeup and went back out to the sitting room. Seth was reading the titles of the books in the bookcases.
"There's editions of every Sherlock Holmes story ever printed, I think," Gabrielle told him.
"That's because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to stay here a lot," Seth told her. His gaze swept over her. "You'd break hearts in my home town," he said.
"Where is that?"
"Hinton." He grinned. "The apple didn't roll far from the tree." Hinton was barely an hour outside the borders of Jasper's national park boundaries, to the east.
"You have family there still?"
He shook his head. "My dad died about four years ago, so my mom moved into a house next to my sister and her husband. They're on a farm up near Kinuso, which is on the edge of Lesser Slave Lake, further north." Something touched his face—a shadow—then was gone.
"You were going to go there for Christmas, weren't you?" Gabrielle said softly. "And now you're wondering if you're going to get there or not."
He smiled. "Wouldn't be the first Christmas I've missed. They know not to lay the table for me unless I'm there when they're carving the turkey."
Gabrielle drew in a breath. "Lord, how do you stand it, Seth? How do they?"
"They're proud of what I do," he said quietly. "Besides, I've eaten turkey before and personally, I could pass on the stuff. It's always too dry, it makes you sleepy afterwards, and I really don't like cranberry sauce."
She laughed.
Seth wasn't laughing, though. "If it comes to a choice between saving your life and eating turkey, Ellie, it's a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned."
She bit her lip, her heart thudding.
Seth straightened and looked away, as if he'd said too much. "Sam thinks she can help pull the files off your camera and laptop drives. She has some equipment she says she'll bring over."
"Is Tyler coming, too?" Gabrielle asked.
"Just Sam."
"Well, that's silly," Gabrielle returned. "They were seen dining together last night. If they met us as a couple, she'd hardly turn up alone, would she? They'd naturally visit as a couple. Shouldn't Tyler come with her? And they should bring beer or wine. And we should order in a meal, Seth."
He considered for a moment. "I suppose we can do it that way," he said at last, as if he could find no holes in her argument even though he dearly wanted to.
Gabrielle put her hand on the water-damaged laptop. "I can't wait to show you some of the photos I took of the Sierra Madres last February. They actually had snowcaps on them," she said, injecting happiness into her voice.
Seth smiled. "More mountains? I can't wait."
"Awww...come on. I thought Canadians liked snow." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'll make it up to you," she promised. Her body began to tingle with heat and languid need, making her want to press against him even harder. Seth grew still as she slipped her hands under his jacket.
"Why do you do that?" she asked. "Stiffen up like that?"
"I'm not used to letting someone inside my guard, Ellie," he said. "Not where they can get a hand on my weapons." He dropped a kiss on her head. "It's not a trust thing. Don't read it that way."
"I don't," she told him. "But that explains something." She stepped back to look him in the eye. "You've never had a woman in your life who knew who you really were and stuck around after that, have you?"
He took a breath. "Nope," he said, letting it out. "Guess that blows my cover as man of the year, huh?" He shoved his hands in his pockets.
Gabrielle pretended to consider for a moment or two. "I don't know," she said. "I'll have to check." She slid the buttons of his shirt undone and spread the shirt open. With fingers that trembled, she laid her hands upon his chest, delighting in the sight and feel of his softly tanned flesh and the swell of the muscles beneath the flesh.
Her breath grew uneven and her heart hurried along. She dropped her hands to his belt. "I have to make sure," she said, her voice thick with wanting.
Seth caught her face in his hands, lifting it so he could look at her. He didn't say anything, but his blue eyes were wandering all over her face, as if he were seeing it for the first time. Gabrielle wondered if he was upset.
"Seth?" she whispered.
"You're inside my guard," he said. "Somehow you got in there."
"I don't understand," she said.
"I know." He kissed her and it was a relentless kiss, his hands holding her against him, his mouth hard against her lips. It was almost like he was trying to stamp himself upon her. Gabrielle needed little encouragement to respond in the first place and this was overwhelming. She clung to him, almost giddy with the sensations he was provoking in her. His hands were roaming over her body and between his hands and a shortage of oxygen, reality was dimming.
"Seth..." It was all she could manage.
He picked her up and relief flooded her. He had sensed her need. He would make it right. Gabrielle let herself fall completely into the carnal spell.
Seth's mouth returned to hers, his tongue thrust inside, provoking more silvery waves of pleasure that stole her thoughts and rippled through her body in building swells.
Gabrielle felt a wall against her back, solid and hard and opened her eyes to find Seth leaning over her, his blue eyes inches from hers. His hands were
fumbling at her jeans.
"Take them off," he demanded, his voice low, hard, thick with arousal and power.
Heated arousal slammed through her. He did understand. She slid her jeans and panties from her hips as he ordered. He yanked her sweater up and unclipped her bra and pushed that roughly up, too, exposing her breasts.
Gabrielle moaned as Seth's mouth captured her breast and his teeth and lips and tongue played with it. Her eyes drifted shut. She clung to him, wanting more. Trusting Seth to give her want she wanted.
His hands gripped her thighs and lifted her, pushing her back against the wall again. He slid into her in one hard thrust, stealing her breath and her voice. Pleasure exploded inside her, making her clutch at him desperately.
Seth watched her, his eyes drilling into her mind. "I've wanted to do this, to take you like this, since I saw you in that little skirt outside your father's study. I wanted to tear that camisole from your body and do..." He thrust again. "This."
Gabrielle gave a shuddering moan. "Seth..." He was reading her mind. She had wanted him to tear her clothes off and do just exactly this, too. The overwhelming lust was rising in her.
"Harder," she begged. "Faster."
"Oh god, Ellie," he breathed and complied. His hand slapped the wall by her head. It turned into a fist as his excitement spiraled.
As her excitement peaked and her orgasm shattered through her, Seth pressed up hard against her, his own climax tearing through him. The fulfillment of her wish deepened her pleasure and Gabrielle found herself crying out his name.
Chapter Ten
Tyler and Sam arrived just after noon, both carrying two handfuls of parcels and cases. Gabrielle opened the door and greeted Sam first. "You came. I'm so glad you did."
Sam smiled stiffly at first. "Well, the ski lifts were all booked, so..."
"Really? You should have said something. I'll get you on the private lift." Gabrielle looked expectedly at Tyler, who stood waiting on the porch next to the blonde woman.
Sam cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. Er... Gabrielle, um, this is my, um, boyfriend Tyler. Tyler, this is Gabrielle." Sam blushed deeply.
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