"I haven't yet," Lex admitted, embarrassed. It had been on his to-do list, but for various reasons, that particular item kept getting shuffled to the bottom of the page. There was always something that needed to be done—some task left unfinished—and reading was simply a luxury he hadn't had time for of late.
"Oh, you should," she admonished, clearly scandalized. "Faith is phenomenally talented. Her characters—Zoe Wilder and Nash Austin—are larger than life, very vivid." She heaved a small sigh. "No one writes action adventure quite like her. She's the best. And this newest book … it's the best one yet."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, really?"
"Yes." She shifted a bit closer, as though sharing an important secret. "The cliff-hanger at the end of book three—Death By Design—is revealed on the very first page of the prologue and it just gets better and better from there. It's my new favorite." She chuckled, rocked back on her heels. "Actually, every new book is my new favorite," she confided.
Lex laughed as well. She was clearly very passionate about her boss's work. "I'll be sure and check them out. I just haven't had the time."
"Oh, make the time," Trudy insisted. "You won't regret it."
Lex scratched his temple. "So are you playing a part this weekend, or are you just supervising behind the scenes?" Though it didn't sound like anything he would particularly enjoy, Lex couldn't help but be a little curious about the idea.
She sighed wistfully. "I'm supervising behind the scenes. Faith wanted to me to play the part of Zoe." She lowered her voice. "She's very anxious about it, but the fans expect her to do it, and she mustn't let them down. After all, that's the whole purpose of this weekend. She wrote it, the mystery, that is, so she should be all right."
Now that was interesting, Lex thought, intrigued. He arched a brow. "Why doesn't she want to do it?"
Trudy winced regretfully. "She doesn't feel comfortable. You'd have to read the books to fully understand. Faith is worried that she won't be able to pull off playing Zoe. Zoe is one tough cookie," she conceded with a thoughtful nod. "She's a kick-butt heroine. Brash, brave and sexy, wears slinky clothes and red lipstick. Nothing like Faith. Faith's on the shy side, likes things calm and orderly. Sedate." Trudy chuckled. "Zoe is far from sedate. Still," she sighed, "I think that Faith is a whole lot more like Zoe than she realizes, and playing the part this weekend, I hope, will go a long way toward showing her that."
Another intriguing item, Lex thought, as though he needed to know another. Hell, he'd been instantly enchanted with her. Probably the less he knew about her, the better, but to his immense consternation and stupidity, that didn't keep him from fishing for more. "And this Nash Austin character," Lex said. "He's her hero?"
Trudy bobbed her head in assent. "Right. Her editor, John Wallace, is going to play his part. Faith said she couldn't do it with a stranger, that it would simply be too difficult, too embarrassing." Trudy's eyes twinkled again and she regarded him closely. "The characters have a very steamy relationship." She bounced on the balls of her feet. "They positively burn up the pages."
A sickening sensation swelled in his stomach, preventing him from making a comment. He grunted noncommittally and forced his lips into what he hoped resembled a smile. Time to cut bait, Lex decided abruptly. "Well, if everything is settled," he told her, "I have a few things I need to attend to."
Like splitting wood for tonight's fire. Regrettably, there was no wood fairy who would take care of the job for him, and he couldn't afford to buy it by the cord, a luxury his competitors enjoyed. Like most everything else around here, he had to take care of it himself. He kept a minimal, yet well-trained staff, and had promised Christmas bonuses to them for taking on additional duties not found in their typical job descriptions. Thanks to Faith Bonner and her group, Lex would have enough money to make good on that promise as well as take care of a few pressing renovations—ones that were shuffled to the end of the list while he'd been fixing everything else that had gone kaput this season.
"Oh, certainly," she told him. "I think we've covered everything."
"Good. I'll see you in the dining room this evening, then?"
"We'll be there." With that, Trudy took her leave.
Lex waited until she was out of earshot before he expelled a relieved breath. He didn't have a problem discussing menu changes, or various decorations, or helping add little clues for the upcoming event.
He did, however, have a problem thinking about Faith Bonner and her editor recreating scenes from her books in which they "burned up the pages." For reasons he didn't care to explore, the idea made him feel as if he'd eaten bad shrimp. Made him want to put his fist through a wall. Made him want to haul her to his bedroom and burn up the sheets, an act he'd make certain she'd find more agreeable than any flesh session she might dream up for her books.
Which was completely out of the question.
Time to eliminate thought with action, Lex decided abruptly. He stopped by the front desk and told George where to find him if something came up, then headed toward the back.
The moment he stepped out into the porch, Beano lumbered to his feet and issued a short impatient howl, which meant one thing—please let me out of here. He'd gotten too big for that pen, Lex thought absently, regretting again having to put him up. He winced. "Sorry, buddy. Maybe later."
His skin suddenly prickled and he knew before he heard the creak of the rocker she was there. His step momentarily faltered. "Hi," he managed to murmur. "Enjoying the view?"
She toed the rocker to a stop. "Yes, I am. It's gorgeous. So much color," she said with a sigh. "It's truly beautiful."
That weird connection he'd noted before made his scalp tingle, and simply looking at her caused a curious knot of anticipation to form in his belly. Lex told his feet to keep moving, to descend the steps and move toward the woodpile, so it was quite disconcerting when they led him across the porch, where he leaned against the railing right in front of her.
"Every year I think that we'll never have a prettier fall, and then the leaves start to change and inevitably prove me wrong." He sighed as his gaze drifted proudly over the rugged terrain of his mountain. "I think it's the landscape on this side of the mountain that makes the difference. All those valleys and ravines."
She nodded thoughtfully, gestured toward the black Lab and winced. Tension vibrated off her slim frame and it occurred to him that she probably wouldn't have ventured outside to enjoy the view if Beano hadn't been penned. "I'm really sorry about your dog," she said. "He's miserable, isn't he?"
"Ah, he'll be all right," Lex told her, watching the breeze flirt with her long curls. His gaze drifted to her lips and unwanted awareness sizzled along his nerve endings. "I'll let him come in with me tonight and all will be forgiven." He'd have to, otherwise other animals might mistake his dog for bait. He was a sitting duck in that pen. "I'm just sorry that he frightened you. Trudy mentioned you'd been attacked by a dog before."
"When I was little," she confirmed with a nod. "Still, it was no reason to faint." She shot him an embarrassed look. "Thanks for, uh, taking care of me, bringing me in and all that."
"No thanks necessary. I just wish he hadn't frightened you." Lex blew out a breath. "He's big, but he's harmless. He doesn't realize his own strength."
She gazed dubiously at Beano down in the pen and looked as though she'd like nothing better than to believe him. Still, he could read the fear in every line of her body, from the faintly worried line between her brows to the rigid way she sat in the chair.
Lex grimaced. "What kind of dog attacked you?" Probably a chow. Those animals had a reputation for attacking, particularly children. They were intimidated by humans who were larger than them, which put smaller adults and children at risk.
She rolled her eyes and a smile teased her lips. "I'm too embarrassed to say."
Hmm. Not a chow then, or any of the larger breeds, obviously, or she wouldn't be embarrassed. His lips twisted into a grin. "Was it a poodle?"
&
nbsp; That melted-caramel gaze cut in his direction. "Worse."
Worse? What could be worse than a poodle? What could be more ignoble than being attacked by a poodle? "Oh?"
She heaved a resigned sigh. "It was a Chihuahua."
A shocked chuckle burst from his lips before he managed to swallow the rest of it. It took a tremendous amount of effort to flatten his lips. "A Chihuahua?"
She cast him a droll look. "Yes, a mentally unstable Chihuahua. He was in the throes of an identity crisis at the time."
Lex crossed his arms over his chest, the woodpile and all the other pressing things on his to-do list forgotten. "An identity crisis, eh? How so?"
"He thought he was a rottweiler."
She delivered the line deadpan and this time he didn't even attempt not to laugh, but let the sound rumble up from deep in his chest.
"Go ahead and laugh," she teased indignantly, chuckling herself now. She pushed her sweater sleeves up and showed him her forearms. Tiny bite scars slashed over her skin. "It was very traumatic to a little kid. He wasn't all that small to a six-year-old, and teeth are teeth. That damn dog scared the hell out of me."
Lex's laughter tittered to a halt. She was right, of course. It would have been very frightening to a child. Still, when one thought about being attacked by a vicious dog, a Chihuahua was hardly the first breed that leaped to mind.
"I'm sorry," he told her, making a concerted effort to wipe the lingering smile from his lips. "I shouldn't have laughed."
"Oh, hell," she sighed. She pulled her sleeves back down. "It's all right. It is funny. I know it is. I just wish that I could get past this fear of dogs. No matter how I try to reason it away, laugh it away, the fear is still there. It's more annoying than anything else and I hate the weakness."
Lex inclined his head. "You have every reason to be afraid. Regardless of how big or little the dog might have been, it still attacked you. There is nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm more embarrassed than ashamed." She gestured toward the dog. A note of irritation entered her voice. "And now your poor dog, poor—" She scowled adorably. "What's your dog's name?"
"Beano."
"Poor Be—" She paused at the beginning of what sounded like a grand soliloquy of self-disgust and comically quirked a brow. "Beano?"
He flattened his lips. "Yes, Beano."
"Er … why did you name your dog after an anti-gas product?"
Lex smiled. "Spend a little time around him, and believe me, you'll understand the significance."
A slow grin worked its way across those unbelievably sexy lips, and her light brown eyes sparkled with humor. "Do I really want to?"
Lex gave his head a small shake, rubbed the back of his neck. "Probably not."
Her gaze drifted anxiously to the dog again and Lex followed her line of sight. Beano had lain down once more and pressed his nose against the chain link fence in a display of abject doggy misery. His brows alternately lifted and settled as he looked back and forth at them.
"You're absolutely certain he won't bite?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip.
"I'm certain," Lex said confidently. "He's never bitten anyone. Oh, he might jump up on you, give you a muddy, slobbery hug, but he won't bite."
She nodded once. "Then don't leave him penned up. It's not fair."
Lex quirked a brow. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
"And you won't faint again?"
"Let's hope not," she said grimly. "If you don't mind, though, wait until I go in. I've got a couple of things I need to get out of the car."
"Sure. Would you like me to get them for you?" Lex offered. The last thing he needed to do was look for a reason to spend any more time with her, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He wanted to be with her, felt compelled to be with her.
She shook her head. "Nah, it's just a couple of little things. My laptop and the book I was reading, but thanks for asking."
"No problem."
To Lex's unreasonable disappointment, she stood. "Well, I'm going to head around that way." She glanced at the dog again, chewed the side of her bottom lip. "Why don't you give me five minutes before you let him out?"
Lex chuckled softly. "Sure." A thought struck him and before he could issue the order to his brain not to speak, his mouth formed the words. "Listen, would you like me to help you get over your fear of dogs? Beano would be the perfect animal for the job."
She paused and an equally hopeful yet dubious expression claimed her features. "You could do that?"
Lex gave a hesitant nod. "I think so."
She seemed to mull it over. "It would definitely help me out, particularly for this weekend. Zoe isn't going to look like the badass she's supposed to be if she's afraid of a friendly dog." She arched a brow. "I'm assuming Trudy covered all the particulars about the To Catch a Thief event?"
"She did. Sounds like a lot of fun," he lied. Sounded like a lot of trouble, nothing he'd ever enjoy doing, at any rate. On the rare occasions Lex had any free time, he preferred to spend it rafting on the creek, or fishing. Not playing pretend with a bunch of amateur sleuths. Still, to each his own, he supposed.
"I'm playing Zoe—who is completely fearless—and I'm going to look like an idiot if I faint because of the dog." She paused consideringly. "If you could help me out with him, I would really appreciate it."
"I would be happy to," Lex told her, ridiculously pleased. "Why don't we start after dinner?" That would give him time to take care of everything around here, shower and shave.
She nodded. "Sure."
"Great. I'll see you then." Lex followed Faith as she descended the steps. An awkward pause ensued when they reached the bottom. He could feel a goofy grin on his lips and couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from hers. She was studying him intently again, making him feel as if she'd put his face under a microscope. Pride demanded that he be flattered, but he couldn't help feeling a little bewildered as well, a sensation he'd been experiencing quite a bit since she got here.
"Er … is something wrong?" Lex finally asked.
She started, inhaling sharply, and her cheeks turned rosy with embarrassment. "No, nothing is wrong. Forgive me for staring. It's just you, uh, bear a remarkable resemblance to someone I know." She laughed self-consciously, crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry."
Probably someone she knew intimately, Lex thought, given the way her creamy cheeks had bloomed with color. He pulled in a tight breath through his nostrils and fought an irrational wave of jealously.
Her brow furrowed with perplexity. "Would you mind if I asked you a personal question, Mr. Ellenburg?"
"Not at all, and call me Lex."
"Okay … Lex. How did you get that scar on your temple?"
Was that what she'd been staring at? Honestly, it was a small scar, hardly disfiguring. He'd even been told that it added character to his face. He shifted, suddenly ill at ease. "Well, I wish I could say that I got it during the Gulf War, or something equally heroic."
"But you didn't?"
He grinned, passed a hand over his face. "No … it was a bike accident. The chain broke at an inopportune moment. I landed in a blackberry bush and came out a little worse for the wear."
Eyes glittering with undisguised laughter, she inclined her head. "Oh, I see."
"The mission was heroic, though. At the time I was pretending to be a superhero." He rocked back on his heels. "I flew, too. Right over the handle bars."
She chuckled. "Ouch."
"Ouch was right." Lex shook his head, lost in the memory. "My mother picked briars out of my hide for days."
"I'll bet." Faith glanced at the dog again, who'd begun to pace his cage. "Don't forget to give me five minutes," she reminded Lex, taking a couple of steps backward.
"I won't." Still laughing softly under his breath, he watched Faith walk away. She moved gracefully and the swing of her hips was positively mesmerizing. In addition to being one of the sexiest women he'd ever seen, she had an ass that simply would not qui
t. Full and heart-shaped, set off by a small, barely there waist. Perfect. Need pumped through his veins, making his blood and reflexes sluggish, which would explain why he hadn't moved an inch, hadn't continued to the woodpile that awaited his attention.
He admonished the dog to be patient—Beano had reared up on his hind legs and pawed agitatedly at the cage—then, cursing himself, Lex bustled into action. He had absolutely no business looking at her like that, much less thinking about how damn sexy she was. He didn't have time for romance, dammit. He had to keep the lodge afloat. End of story.
Was he intrigued by her? Yes.
Was she hot? Most definitely.
But she was off-limits.
Lex set a piece of wood up on the chopping block and swung the ax with a little more force than was necessary to cleave the piece. Beano whimpered in his cage.
The realization was more depressing than it should have been under the circumstances. Hell, they'd just met.
Still, there was something about Faith Bonner that made him want to watch her, made him want to listen to the sound of her voice, made him want to kiss those carnal lips and see if they were as soft and talented as they looked. If he'd ever been this instantly intrigued and attracted to a woman, it had been so long ago he couldn't recall it.
Lex exhaled mightily. But in the end, it simply didn't matter. She was a guest—the guest that ultimately assured his season—and he simply couldn't afford to let his baser needs get the better of him. The head with the brain had to maintain control. Too much rode on the outcome.
A low growl suddenly issued from Beano's throat, then for the second time in one day he heard a woman's earsplitting scream.
Faith.
Beano barked madly in his cage, sending Lex's heart rate into overdrive. If Beano was in his cage, then something else had frightened her. Something—
Oh, hell.
Ax in hand, Lex raced around to the front of the lodge again. He looked first to Faith—who appeared to have fainted again—then to the hindquarters of a lumbering bear cutting a path away from the lodge.
Lex swore hotly, dropped the ax and hurried to her side, his intestines turning to lead. Fear made his heart threaten to explode from his chest, made his knees weak. Blood oozed from her temple and she was as pale as a piece of parchment.
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