Endangered Hearts [Après-Ski 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Zara Chase

  “Oh, I’d like to meet them sometime.” Rick was being annoyingly sparing with information but, Sabine had good reason to know, ladies were usually far more forthcoming.

  “Well, here’s your chance.”

  She followed the direction of Rick’s gaze to the parking lot and saw two couples spill out of an SUV, laughing at something one of them had just said. They had a little girl with them and the two men walked toward Hadleigh’s swinging her by her arms, making her squeal. The two ladies, one a little overweight, the other if anything a little under, walked behind them arm in arm, laughing at the child’s delight.

  “Hey, Rick.”

  One of the guys raised a hand and the whole party headed for their table.

  “Ward. Good night out?”

  “Yeah, we ate dinner at the Old Barn.”

  When Rick introduced Sabine, she noticed his buddies and their ladies eye her with undisguised interest.

  “Rick’s pulled you into his eagle watch then,” Ross said. “Good luck with that.”

  “Don’t let him work you too hard,” the lady called Darcy said, smiling. “He can get a little intense when it comes to his projects.”

  “Yeah, I already got that part.”

  “We stopped in town and Ward bought Tanya the most divine pair of boots,” Darcy said, pointing to the bag Ward was carrying.

  “Is that right?” Rick raised a lazy eyebrow, appearing to find the purchase amusing.

  The visited for a few minutes, then Ward tapped Tanya on the shoulders. “Come along, young lady, I have plans for you and those boots.”

  “I’ll just bet you have,” Rick muttered.

  Tanya blushed, slipped her hand into Ward’s and smiled at Sabine. “Duty calls,” she said.

  “Whose is the little girl?” Sabine asked when the others left them.

  “Darcy’s. It’s a long story, but Ross helped get her back from the child’s father who was holding her without permission. As you can see, it all ended well. Darcy, Ross and Chloe all live here now and I’m afraid we rather spoil Chloe.”

  “She’s a cute kid. What do the ladies do with their time?”

  “Darcy is the photographer for the ski school. Catches the punters’ spectacular falls, stuff like that. Tanya does websites.”

  “I see.” She took another sip of her wine, surprised to find the glass almost empty. “They seem nice.”

  “They are. Ward and Ross are lucky guys.”

  Sabine leaned an elbow on the table, rested her chin on her fisted hand and looked at him. “You sound envious.”

  “Perhaps I am. Everyone has to settle down some time or other.”

  “Not me,” she said without hesitation. “I like my freedom.”

  He chuckled. “You’re just a baby.”

  “No,” she replied sobering. “I grew up long before my time.”

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to… Did I hit a nerve?”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “You look kinda mad.” Rick sent her an apologetic smile. “Hope I didn’t overstep the mark.”

  Damn, Sabine thought, I almost let my guard down there, almost fell for that soft, sympathetic look in his eyes. It was a lot cooler now that the sun had disappeared. The smokers had gone inside and Sabine and Rick had the terrace to themselves. Sabine shivered, her sweater suddenly too thin for the conditions.

  “Cold?” Rick’s eyes were fixed on her tits as he asked the question. She glanced down and, to her mortification, noticed her nipples were hard and visible through the thin fabric. “Here, take this.”

  He slipped his arms out of the denim jacket he was wearing and passed it to her. Their fingers touched and she flinched like she’d been scorched.

  “Thanks,” she said, quickly withdrawing her hand and draping the garment around her shoulders.

  “Why do you dislike being touched?” he asked softly. “Did someone hurt you?”

  Sabine blinked back her surprise. Not many people noticed her phobia, mainly because she had learned to hide it well, or so she thought.

  “I don’t…that is, it’s not—” She shook her head, not wanting to lie, unwilling to tell the truth. “It’s getting late. I ought to get back. Thanks for the drink.”

  She stood up, slightly the worse for wear, and Rick stood with her. “I’ll walk you back to your hotel.”

  “There’s no need. This place is supposed to be crime free.”

  “It is, but I’d still like to walk with you. Ruben needs to use a tree or three anyway.”

  “Very well then. Thanks.”

  She braced herself to feel his hand on her elbow, guiding her. She was unsure if she was relieved or disappointed when it didn’t happen. Instead he loped along easily at her side, wearing just his T-shirt because she still had his jacket, and not appearing to feel the cold. There were a lot of people about and Rick seemed to know and be respected by a lot of them. They went out of their way to stop and say hi.

  “Is there anyone in this place you don’t know?” she asked after they had been accosted for the third time.

  He shrugged. “It’s a tiny country.”

  So why are you hiding here? You must know you’ll be found. “I guess.”

  He said nothing more, whistling occasionally when Ruben got distracted by an especially interesting smell. Sabine’s mind was whirling. What would happen when they reached the hotel? Would he expect her to invite him up? Why else would her walk her home? It was only ten minutes away and, like he’d just confirmed, perfectly safe for a woman alone. It wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t. Rick couldn’t know it but she was more than capable of looking out for herself. In her line of work, that was a prerequisite. But still, what was she supposed to do about him? She was acutely conscious of his large body ambling along beside her, and felt intoxicated by the sensation of tightly controlled strength and power, the raw animal vitality, he exuded.

  Sabine, who never instigated relationships, and for the most part got along just fine without sex, wanted this disturbingly poised, not entirely civilized specimen of male splendor. She wanted him very badly indeed. Her pussy throbbed and her nipples had again solidified, but this time not because she was cold. A tremor it was increasingly difficult to conceal kept pulsing through her veins each time she thought about what could happen between them if she gave him the green light.

  But it couldn’t be. She was here to turn him in for what he did. Not to jump his bones.

  “You have no reason to be afraid of me.”

  He had been quiet for so long that although he spoke softly, his voice still startled her.

  “What makes you think I am?”

  He sent her a knowing smile. “You interest me, Sabine, because you’re different, mysterious. I like that in a woman. You don’t feel the necessity to fill silences with inane chatter, and you don’t flaunt your intelligence.” His voice dropped an octave. It was so deep, so damned sexy, she wanted to throw herself into his arms and lose herself in his virile warmth. “But I respect you, and I’m not going to do anything that makes you feel awkward.”

  Damn it, this is no time to be noble! “You don’t bite?”

  His chuckle was filled with a rich warmth. “Oh, darlin’, I do. I absolutely do. I am a very dangerous man, never lose sight of that fact.” As if I could. “I take my pleasures very seriously. All of us at Hadleigh’s pride ourselves upon doing precisely that.”

  “Tanya’s boots,” she said softly.

  “Exactly. But I don’t think you’re ready to be bitten, at least not quite yet.”

  “Just a minute, I—”

  “We’re here.” He started up the steps at the front of the hotel. “I’ll see you into the lobby.”

  Before she could object, Ruben ran up ahead of them and flew through the open door, tail rigid, a growl rumbling in his throat.

  “What the fuck!”

  Rick took the remaining three steps in one athletic bound and ran through the door behin
d Ruben. Sabine lengthened her stride but struggled to keep up as she followed man and dog up the main stairs. There was no one in reception to indicate what it was that had upset Ruben, but Rick obviously trusted the dog’s judgment and knew something wasn’t right. Sabine’s heart sank when they reached her room. The door was wide open and Ruben was charging down the corridor behind the two guys who had just dashed out of it.

  “Stay here!” Rick yelled as he chased after his dog.

  Sabine was too stunned to do anything else. She had a sinking feeling that this was no opportunistic burglary. Besides, Nevella really did have virtually no crime. Her room had been turned upside down, but at first glance nothing appeared to be missing. Her laptop and camera were still where she had left them, but all her papers had been tossed. She sighed, anxious to pick them up before Rick returned and asked awkward questions.

  Intent upon doing so, she didn’t realize he was standing in the doorway, watching her. She was so startled when she sensed his presence that she dropped the pile of papers she had just picked up and they landed at his feet. She covered her mouth, horrified, when the picture of him in suit and tie fell face up at the top of the pile.

  She found the courage to lift her gaze to his and was almost blindsided by the ferocity of his glower.

  “Perhaps you’d like to tell me what the fuck you’re really doing here,” he said, closing the door behind him and leaning against it, arms folded over his chest.

  Chapter Four

  And so, it starts, Rick thought, disappointed but not surprised to have his suspicions about Sabine confirmed. They had sent a virtual child to do a man’s job, presumably hoping Rick wouldn’t suspect her. He had been on the verge of giving her the benefit of the doubt, so they had gotten that part right. He enjoyed her company and got so fixated on understanding what made her tick that he let his guard down. He should know better. Time was running out and he had been expecting someone to come looking for him sooner rather than later. In some respects he was glad the waiting was over.

  “I…er, did you catch them?”

  “No. Ruben got one of them by the calf but they got away. Tell your boss better luck next time.”

  She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry. It’s my job.”

  “You’re very good at it. You almost had me fooled.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You already said that.” He paused. “Just as a matter of interest, who were they, and why did they feel the need to break into your room? What were they looking for?”

  “Evidence that I found you, I suppose,” she replied, shrugging.

  “You hadn’t already told them?” That surprised Rick. “Why not?”

  “I wish I knew.” She finally looked up at him, hands spread wide. “I’ve never hesitated before.”

  “Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better.”

  “Look, I just find the people I’m told to. It’s what I do.” She fixed him with a malevolent glare, some of her spirit reviving. “I haven’t broken any laws, so don’t try and put the blame for your mistakes on me.”

  “And what mistake would they be?”

  She shrugged. “Like you wouldn’t know.”

  Rick sighed. “Come on. Pack your things up. You can’t stay here. It isn’t safe. You’re coming back to Hadleigh’s with me.”

  He grabbed her hold all and started throwing her possessions into it.

  “Just a goddamned minute. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “Yeah, you are.”

  “Why should I trust you? You’re the one on the run.”

  “I ain’t running anywhere, in case you hadn’t noticed.” A muscle in his jaw flexed and hardened. “Besides, if you didn’t trust me, you would have ratted me out already.”

  “Just because I haven’t, it doesn’t mean I won’t. I have a living to make.”

  “We don’t have time to argue,” Rick replied, striving for patience. “You started this. It’s gonna get ugly and, despite what you tried to do to me, for some reason beyond my understanding, I don’t want you to be in the firing line when the shit hits the fan. It’s not your fight.”

  “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  “You don’t get the option.”

  He continued to pack her stuff, mindless of her stubborn determination not to go with him. Why the hell he was trying to protect her, he couldn’t have said. All he knew was, the people after him played dirty, and he didn’t think she would be spared if she got caught in the crossfire. Her surprise and fear when she discovered her room had been broken into was genuine. Anyway, he would find out soon enough exactly what she did know. He’d get her back to Hadleigh’s and do whatever it took to extract the truth from her.

  She didn’t have many clothes in the closet and he threw them haphazardly into the bag. In spite of his anger, he couldn’t help a brief smirk when he pulled open a drawer in the dresser and found a half-dozen sets of matching lacy underwear, all in different colors. It told him a lot about her. She either had not enough money for, or no interest in, clothes. But she loved sexy underwear because…well, presumably because it made her feel feminine and desirable. Under different circumstances he would have exploited that discovery to his advantage. As it was, he was so fucking furious with her it barely registered. The rational part of his brain told him she was just doing a job, but that knowledge did little to diminish his disappointment in her. He had hoped…shit, it didn’t matter what he had hoped. He had thought she was special, different, but he’d gotten it wrong. Get over it.

  “I’ll get that,” she said, pulling a bra from his hand and scowling as she threw it in the bag.

  She had obviously decided not to fight him because she then packed up her laptop and camera and threw them in a bag.

  “All set?” he asked, toting her bag and heading for the door.

  They retraced their steps back to Hadleigh’s in stony silence, their embryonic friendship in tatters. Rick let her in by the side door, avoiding the bar and the floor that housed their dungeon. Tanya would be in there right now, wearing her new boots and probably not a lot else, having her ass whipped. Darcy and Ross were probably there, too, putting on their own show.

  “This way.”

  They were the first words he had spoken since leaving her hotel. He led her up the stairs and opened the door to his sitting room with its adjoining bedroom and bath. Ruben trotted in at Rick’s heels, drank noisily from his bowl, and then flopped onto his bed. Chasing burglars had worn him out. He whined once as though he could sense the penetrating tension, then curled up in a ball and fell asleep. Rick threw her bag into the corner, perched a buttock on the edge of the dresser and fixed her with the dark weight of his angry gaze.

  “Talk,” he said. “Who sent you and why?”

  Still wearing his jacket, she hugged her torso, her gaze focused on her feet. “I work for some people in London who specialize in tracing missing persons.”

  Rick had known as much, but hearing the words still hit him like a blow to the solar plexus. “So much for bumming around the world.”

  “I did all that.” She glanced up at him. “Before this.”

  Rick sighed. “Look, since you’re here, we might as well sit down and you can start from the beginning.”

  “What do you want? My life story?” Her tone was petulant, defensive. “It’s none of your damned business.”

  “But it’s okay for you to interfere in my business.”

  “You’re a criminal. I trace criminals and turn them in. It’s what I do.”

  “Then why didn’t you turn me in, if you’re so convinced that’s what I am?”

  The light of battle faded from her eyes. “I wish I knew,” she replied softly. “All I can tell you is, this assignment was different right from the start. Usually I just locate people, report back, and let the clients take it from there. This time I was told, if I found you, to let my boss know and stay put.”

  “Who is your client?” Rick knew but w
ondered if she did.

  “No idea. I almost never know. My boss gets the business and passes it on to one of us.”

  “How many bounty hunters work for him?”

  “Four, I think. What difference does it make?”

  He answered her question with one of his own. “Did you tell them you’d found me?”

  “I told them a few days ago I thought I had a lead and was coming here to follow it up, that’s all.”

  “You’re a bright girl. You must have known who I was almost at once. Why didn’t you tell them?”

  She shook her head. “Something about it didn’t seem right. You were easy enough to find. Too easy. They could have found you without my help.”

  Yeah, they could have. Rick had been patiently waiting for them to turn up. He knew they were running out of time and would have to come for him soon because he had made it very clear he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut.

  “What made you look this way?”

  “I got to chatting with a young guy in a wine bar.”

  Rick rolled his eyes. “Let me guess. He was an environmental student at London University and just happened to mention he’d met me.”

  She gasped. “How did you know?”

  “Baby, you were played. What were the chances of someone who knows me just happening to bump into you and give you the lead you needed?”

  “Well…I did wonder about that, but I was told you still had connections to the environmental programs at the university. So, I went to a wine bar close to the campus, asked around about you, and met someone who thought you were here. ”

  “My name is all over the net regarding the projects here in Nevella.”

  “Your picture isn’t, and you’ve changed your name.”

  “Rick instead of Richard. I’ve always gone by Rick but when I started out in my career I was told I would sound more professional if I didn’t shorten my name. I changed my last name from Dawson to Dwyer, which is my mother’s maiden name, because at first I thought I was going to have to hide. The guys I pissed off have a lot to lose if I don’t keep my mouth shut, which I won’t.”