by Dawn Ryder
The helicopter was a new model, its paint fresh and bright, with the logo of the lodge on it. The pilot came out to shake her hand.
“Any trouble with heights, Ms. Connor?”
“None.”
A tiny ripple of relief crossed his face. He opened the passenger-side door and offered her a hand in.
She laughed when they lifted off, the ground disappearing below them. The pilot sent her a few looks until he was sure she wasn’t going to have a panic attack or throw up. Once they cleared the landing area, his voice crackled to life through the headphones she wore.
“First time in Alaska?”
“Yes.”
He kept his attention on the air in front of them. The helicopter felt like a giant bubble moving through the air. They crossed over forest and granite outcroppings. Water was cutting its way down the mountainsides in white, frothy streams that came from the ice field.
“We’re going into a fog bank,” the pilot warned just before the pristine view was cut off by clouds. He maneuvered his way through, checking the console as he controlled the aircraft.
“Setting her down.”
The surface of the glacier appeared right below them. Her belly gave a little twist as the pilot landed the helicopter. Two men were waiting out of range of the helicopter’s blades.
When she opened the door, she was glad for the snow pants. The air was crisp and the clouds hung low over them. She could feel the water in the air.
“You’ll want that jacket now.”
A ripple of awareness went through her. She turned and stared straight into the cobalt eyes she’s spent a lot of time trying to banish from her dreams. Nartan stood there, but what claimed her attention was the way the pilot nodded to him.
“You own the lodge.” It was a flat statement.
“Tarak would never book you a room in a questionable resort. Trust me, there are plenty of those up here.”
There was a glint in his eyes that made her shiver. She wasn’t entirely sure whether it was caused by appreciation or apprehension.
“I’ll give you points for your extreme setup. I never saw it coming.” But she should have. Rich men stayed rich by knowing one another’s weaknesses. That’s really all a fascination with a woman was in Nartan’s world.
A weakness.
She found herself battling the way he made her question her resolve.
“Praise from the lady at last.” He performed a mocking bow before taking her jacket from the pilot and holding it out for her.
She turned around and fit her arms into the sleeves. He pointed up at a red snow vehicle of some sort.
“We have to take the CAT up to the dog camp. The snow here is too soft for the sleds.”
Her boots crunched on the ice and Nartan steadied her with a hand on her arm as she got the hang of walking. “Yeah, it’s practically summer weather…”
The other man opened the door of the huge snow machine, and Nartan clasped her waist to help her up.
She shivered in spite of the layers of clothing between them. There was just something about the way he touched her.
It felt perfect in a way she hadn’t experienced before.
“Coming up…” he warned before he climbed in and sat next to her. The driver turned on the engine, and the CAT started to climb over the ice. Celeste wobbled on the long bench seat. Nartan slid an arm around her as she pushed her feet into the floor to steady herself.
“To be honest, I thought you’d be a tad more prickly about my presence.”
“You think I’m a sore loser, huh?”
The machine was noisy, grinding away as it moved over the glacier face on huge treads like a tank.
“Glad to be schooled.”
She snorted. “I don’t think you get schooled very often.”
He flashed her a grin. “You can have special tutoring privileges.” His eyes narrowed. “I think I might enjoy seeing you in a prim and proper schoolmarm suit…peering at me over the rim of your glasses… Wooden ruler…”
He tightened his arm around her, and she turned her head away so he wouldn’t see her amused smile. For a moment, she just enjoyed the embrace.
Crap. It had been a really long time since anyone had held her.
Okay, since she’d allowed anyone to hold her.
He lifted his right hand and pointed ahead of them. “There’s the camp.”
Just coming into view was a row of round tents set on platforms that looked a lot like loading pallets. When the CAT stopped and she got out to walk closer, she realized that’s exactly what they were.
The dogs were barking, most of them jumping with excitement. Beyond the tents, about forty boxes served as doghouses. They were set right on the snow, but the dogs were resting there as easily as they might on grass.
“This is Candace. She’s training her team for the Iditarod. She’s going to teach you how to mush.”
The girl had ice slush up to her ankles and a messy ponytail, but she grinned and offered her hand.
Celeste started to follow the girl, only to see Nartan heading toward a second team of dogs. He caught her look and grinned. But it wasn’t the carefree expression he’d shot her when he’d shown up on the glacier. This one was pure determination.
“We’re racing,” he declared.
Celeste felt her confidence rising. “You bet your ass we are.”
“We’re betting for dinner.”
He turned and strode over to his sled. Celeste focused on Candace, listening to the commands and stepping up onto the sled. The musher stood on the back runners of the sled, holding the reins. The dogs got up, yipping and barking with excitement.
It was a total blast. The rush of adrenaline, the slap of the frozen air against her cheeks. The dogs took off with a jump, jerking the sled into motion before it started cutting across the surface of the glacier like a hot knife. It was smoother than she’d thought it would be, and faster. She held on, not looking down at the ground because she wanted to win.
Nartan’s team came up from behind, pulling alongside her. Candace gave direction from the seat of the sled, while Nartan’s sled was empty.
Of course. He wasn’t a man who lost.
He smirked at her and she gave in to the urge to stick her tongue out at him.
She instantly regretted that because the frozen air felt like it was freezing her tongue. She dropped one of the reins as she slapped a hand over her mouth. The sled veered to the right, her string of dogs tangling with Nartan’s before Candace got control.
Nartan scowled at her. “Sabotage!” he yelled over the barking of the dogs.
“Serves you right.”
Candace was trying to separate the dogs, and the moment they were facing forward, the dogs were pulling on their harnesses to start going again. They ran up the glacier until Candace grabbed the reins and pulled them around to face back down the valley. She stopped the team, leaving them looking down the face of the glacier.
Celeste found herself breathless. The expanse of ice had streaks of darker earth and stones flowing through it like ribbons. Below them was the forest and then the ocean. She felt insignificant in such an imposing landscape and, at the same time, more alive than ever.
“Are you warm enough?”
Nartan was behind her, his breath warm against her ear.
“Sure.”
He pulled one of his gloves off and stroked her cheeks and nose. “You can get frostbite from the windchill.”
He rubbed her nose for a moment, warming it.
“I think this is more than the normal tour.”
He shrugged. Her belly tightened with him so close, the reaction instant.
“Thanks. This kicks serious ass.”
He winked at her. “Does that mean you’ll have dinner with me?”
A warning be
ll was trying to sound, but it was hard to hear with his body heat surrounding her. “And if I say no?”
His eyes glittered with promise. “Candace will end up getting an eyeful when I kiss you right here.”
“Dinner,” she answered a little too quickly, “but no promise of a kiss.”
“I promise you there will be both,” he said, and stepped away.
“You’ve got a one-track mind,” she called after him.
He turned and fixed her with a knowing look. One that warmed her cheeks again and kept them stinging on the ride back down the glacier.
But she didn’t really dread the coming evening. The truth was, she was looking forward to it.
***
Her legs felt like Jell-O when she stepped out of the shower back in her room at the lodge.
Candace gained a huge amount of respect in her book as Celeste rummaged through her travel case looking for some painkillers.
But it had so been worth it! Her Alaskan adventure was a blast, and she had to admit that Nartan was doing his part to make it unforgettable.
Someone knocked on the door, so she made her way across the sitting room.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Connor,” a woman in a three-piece hotel uniform greeted her. She pushed a rolling cart into the sitting room and transferred afternoon tea service to the table. “Compliments of your host. You have a confirmed dinner reservation in the Denali room at six.”
Celeste dug her wallet out of her purse, but the woman shook her head. “Every detail of your stay has been provided for. Please ring the desk or use the touch pad if you’d like anything.”
The woman made for the door and disappeared quietly. Celeste moved closer to the table to inspect what had been delivered. The plate was almost too beautiful to disturb by eating from it. Small slices of cheese and fruits were artfully arranged. There were afternoon tea cakes that smelled divine. They were so delicate that she snapped a picture with her cell phone to preserve the image.
“You’ve got style, Nartan Lupan.”
For just a moment she felt a tingle of apprehension on the nape of her neck. Every little luxury could become a bar in a lavish cage. The perfectly performing staff could transform into a network of spies that would make it impossible to breathe.
You’re building your own prison…
Nartan’s words rose up from her mind and snapped her back into the moment.
She reached for the silver teapot that was also on the table and poured hot water into a delicate teacup. A selection of teas sat in a box alongside a small pot of honey and a miniature pitcher of cream. Celeste unwrapped a tea bag, dropped it into her cup, and took it out onto the viewing patio. She settled into the large, rocking love seat, smiling as she sunk into the thick cushion, and sipped her tea.
She refused to notice how everything was built for two people.
She wouldn’t notice it because she’d made her choice to be single.
But you do still feel Nartan’s kiss…
She drew another sip from her tea, letting the hot liquid override the memory.
Her choice.
And she was happy with it.
Bullshit…
She took another sip and realized how easily Nartan had become the ghost lurking in her thoughts.
Well, at least that was a step forward.
The real question was: Would she let him kiss her after dinner?
***
Celeste primped in front of the bathroom mirror.
She was avoiding thinking about what she was doing. Going with the flow; letting herself enjoy the buzz of dressing up.
Why not?
God it felt good to think like that!
She finished her makeup and loosened the soft dressing robe that had been hanging in the bathroom for her.
The matching lingerie set she had on made her pause. She looked down at one of her garter straps, almost feeling the brush of Nartan’s fingers against her thigh.
Ghost. Only this one was far more welcome than the specter of her ex-husband.
Drawing in a deep breath, she walked over to where her dress was hanging. She tore off the plastic covering in which the pressing service had encased it and lifted the dress over her head.
As overwhelming as Nartan was, it was a relief to have memories of someone other than Caspian.
You’re enjoying the idea of seeing him again…
Actually, she was, and she wasn’t going to get her panties in a twist over it.
Nartan wasn’t the only one who knew how to make an entrance. She was going to knock him off his stride tonight and enjoy every second of seeing him on edge.
Playing with fire…
Yes. And high time too.
The dress was spring green, matching her eyes, and settled just above her knees. She stepped into a pair of heels that clicked on the tile floor, and reached into the closet to pull out a wrap in case she wanted to venture outside. The Alaskan summer was packed with eighteen hours of sunlight. Maybe she’d get a look at the peak before sunset.
She tucked her room card into her bra and left her purse on the bedside table.
No cell phone.
Nope.
She was on vacation.
You’re going on a date…
Date, vacation—there was no need to overthink the moment.
Whatever emergencies were brewing in the Lower 48 could be resolved without her tonight.
She was working on her to-be-dealt-with list.
She took her time walking toward the restaurant, the scent of dinner teasing her nose before she arrived. The hallway was constructed to allow for an unobstructed view of the granite peaks in front of the hotel. She heard the low rumble of conversation coming from the restaurant before she turned the last corner and arrived in front of the reception desk.
“Good evening, Ms. Connor.”
The way everyone knew her name was a little unnerving. Of course, she was a guest of the boss, so everyone would be betting on just how much influence she had with Nartan. It wasn’t much but no one would believe her if she claimed otherwise.
The gentleman smiled and gestured her past his desk. Instead of taking her into the spacious dining room, he led her past the floor-to-ceiling wine cellar to another more private dining area. Large tables were set into secluded dining alcoves with velvet curtains that could be closed to provide privacy. There were also small, intimate tables.
“Please mind your step.”
The man took a moment to point out the first step of a staircase with the help of a small flashlight. He led her up the stairs silently, the mark of a professional butler. The stairs took a right-hand turn and rose another floor. Once she stepped onto the landing, the restaurant below and its sounds dissipated, leaving her immersed in the wide expanse of Alaskan wilderness surrounding her. Some sort of soft music was playing,
“The Denali dining room…”
The man gestured her forward but that wasn’t really necessary. The table was set in a section of the restaurant that overhung the viewing patio below. Floor-to-ceiling glass created a temperature-controlled environment with a breathtaking view.
“May I take your wrap?”
“Yes, thank you…” Celeste surrendered the garment as she moved closer to the table. Another waiter had appeared while she was absorbing the grandeur of the view and now held her chair out.
He reached for a wine bottle that was nestled in a silver bucket and opened it, then poured a small measure into a glass for her approval. She swirled it once around the glass and inhaled before taking a sip.
“Perfect.”
He nodded before filling her glass and a second one. The waiter finished with a twist of the bottle to keep it from dripping and set it back in the bucket. He disappeared quietly while she looked over her shoulder.
&nbs
p; There was a little swish as doors slid shut, ensuring complete privacy. A chef was waiting beyond the glass doors to speak with the waiter. They conferred for several moments before the waiter disappeared.
Celeste turned back to look at the second wineglass.
“Your neck is tight.”
She didn’t jump. Nartan’s voice washed over her and every muscle tightened. Her lips parted as her heart accelerated and she fought the urge to look behind her.
She lost.
She did a double take, blinking as she drank in the sight of him. He was hot. And mouthwatering. The realization sunk all the way into her brain. Nartan was watching her from beneath hooded eyes, gauging her reaction and looking like he was taking her apart like some sort of complex math equation.
At least, she felt that vulnerable.
Totally stripped down in front of him.
She was tempted to label him intimidating, but the truth was it was her own failing that made her so susceptible to him. There was some reaction brewing inside her on a cellular level that was reducing her to a bundle of responses that operated on a purely instinctual level.
She noticed every little detail about him.
Like that what he did for a suit should be bottled and sold. The gray wool was loose enough to show how fit he was, his tie the same ocean blue as his eyes. All of that rich fabric lay over him like wrapping paper made to be ripped away.
He moved closer, his fingers brushing her nape. It was just a light touch at first, gauging her acceptance. She took another sip of wine and let him rub the tense muscles in her neck for a moment.
He moved away and sat down. She watched him, feeling on edge.
“Admit it, you’re impressed with me.”
Maybe…
“I can always check out if you get too presumptuous,” she countered softly.
One inky, dark eyebrow rose. “Only if you’re willing to admit you’re too chicken to be in the same room with me.”
