by Nicola Marsh
As he hung up on his deputy, he glanced at the print again. It mocked him. He hadn’t felt free in a long time; responsibility and guilt put paid to that.
Now, he was heading back to the one place he truly loved and it scared him to death.
Chapter Three
FOR the first time in her life, Jade had a job. A real, honest-to-goodness job, with a wage and co-workers and a boss who’d given her two sleepless nights in a row.
While acing the interview had been the confidence boost she needed, she still hadn’t quite got her head around the interview itself.
Rhys Cartwright might be hot stuff, but the guy was seriously weird. All that subterfuge and play-acting reminded her of the people she’d left behind, though her parents and Julian would eclipse Rhys in the Oscar-winning stakes.
Shaking her head to dislodge the painful memories, she zipped her backpack shut and hoisted it onto her shoulders, wriggling to get comfortable, testing the weight.
Not bad, considering she’d over-packed as usual. She’d happily walked away from her couture ball gowns, had the foresight to pack all her winter gear. She’d probably stand out like a designer snowman in her gear but who cared? Didn’t matter, as long as she did a great job and gained the reference she needed to enter uni as a mature biology student.
Pity weirdo boss with the Superman eyes wasn’t coming to Alaska. He might be odd, but she could’ve really learned a lot from someone with his experience.
She’d done a Google search on him before the interview, had been blown away by his field experience. Rhys Cartwright wasn’t your average CEO. He’d travelled the world after gaining his degree, had seen more places and done more exciting things than she’d ever dreamed about.
She envied him. While she’d been attending polo matches and nightclub openings and charity galas, he’d been out in the wilderness—the Amazon, the Arctic—making a difference.
Not that she hadn’t loved her old life. She had, with every breath she took. But it had been a lie, all of it, and when the world as she knew it had collapsed around her ears she’d been left with the bitter knowledge the life she’d loved had been rather empty anyway.
She might have walked away from a brilliant marriage in the making and parents she’d idolised but, in shrugging off the constraints of her old life, she’d been reborn. Emotionally, psychologically, maybe even physically; for there was no other explanation for her irrational reaction to Rhys’ raw sexuality.
Her hormones, bruised and battered from Julian’s neglect while he’d focused on work, had jump-started in a big way the instant she’d met her charismatic boss. She should be relieved he wouldn’t be accompanying her to Alaska.
Then why the annoying sliver of disappointment?
With an exasperated huff she dumped her backpack, rolled her shoulders and glanced at her watch. She had two hours before meeting her new co-workers at the airport. Back in Sydney, she would’ve grabbed a latte, surfed the Net on her iPhone or colour co-ordinated her outfit for that night’s upcoming party.
Here in Vancouver, about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, she did the only sane thing: flipped open her Lonely Planet guide and started reading.
Suck it up. You can do this.
Pasting a fake smile on her face—a smile honed through many years of attending gala functions as part of the Beacham brigade—Jade strode towards two men wearing Wild Thing polo shirts.
Her legs wobbled the entire journey across the tarmac as she wished for an errant plane to drop on her head.
Whatever made her think for one stupid second she could swap stilettos for hiking boots, angora for anoraks? She was a novice, an inexperienced one at that, about to spend six months in the Alaskan wilderness.
Sure, she’d always loved nature, had thrived on school excursions to the Outback, to the Blue Mountains, her love of cold weather flourishing when her class had camped near the foot of Mount Kosciusko.
She’d begged her parents to take her camping after that. Predictably, they’d turned up their noses and chosen a first-class trip to a six-star spa resort in Thailand instead.
So she’d become smarter then, researching her favourite cold spots around the world—Val d’Isère in France, Queenstown in New Zealand, Sahoro in Japan—and pointing out the luxury accommodation and spa treatments to ensure her parents would visit. While they’d sunk cocktails in the bar and been smothered in caviar facials, she’d explored on her own, following trails off the beaten track, collecting local flora, revelling in the sub-zero temperatures.
She’d loved every second of those trips and now she had a chance to follow a secret passion: a true love of the outdoors. No way would she allow a last-minute attack of nerves to stop her.
Reaching the guys, she smiled and held out her hand.
‘Jade Beacham.’
The taller guy shook her hand firmly. ‘Pleased to meet you. I’m Jack Summer and this oaf is Cody Winter.’
Cody, shorter, rounder and shaggier—he reminded her of a giant teddy—elbowed his colleague and sent her a warm grin. ‘Don’t mind him. He lives in the wild most of the time.’
She laughed. ‘Summer and Winter?’
The guys chortled. ‘Strange, but true. Gets a laugh out of the tourists.’
‘I bet.’
Jack cupped his ear. ‘Is that an Aussie accent I hear? You from Down Under?’
‘Sydney.’
She loved the buzz of the Harbour city: the vibe, the excitement, the eclectic mix of people and restaurants and shops. Sydney never slept, the perfect party town for a party princess. Who had flung off her crown, kicked off her glass slippers and left her Prince Charming to turn back into the toad he was.
‘Did you go to the Olympics? That would’ve been awesome!’
She shook her head, remembering the prissy party she’d attended with her folks instead. She’d been mad keen to attend the opening ceremony, but her folks had been invited to Dubai for the launch of some new hotel so they’d flown there, followed by a whirlwind visit to London and a stopover in Paris for a soirée on the way home.
She’d missed the whole Olympics but in typical Beacham fashion, Daddy had taken her to the next Olympics in Athens, flying first-class all the way.
‘No, I missed out. Watched it on TV though.’
She could see Cody, the more perceptive of the two, noted her discomfort.
‘Don’t worry, Aussie girl. Where we’re going you’ll see more sport than you could ever wish for.’
‘Really?’
The image of fierce lumberjacks in checked jackets sprang to mind though, apart from fishing, she didn’t think Alaska had much sport.
Jack rolled his eyes. ‘You ain’t seen nothing ‘til you’ve seen the way the tourists pour off the cruise ships, trample through the bush, jostle each other for the best position in the bus or canoe, then push and shove their way towards the food at the end of a tour. A medal-winning performance to the last person standing.’
She laughed, relieved the boys had a sense of humour. It would make the next six months a lot easier if they didn’t resent the newbie and concentrated on making her laugh instead.
‘Hey, boss, come to wish us bon voyage?’
Jack’s question came from left field as a strange prickling awareness raised the hairs on the nape of her neck.
Someone stood close behind her. Too close. She didn’t need to turn to know who it was: her flip-flopping belly was a great recognition device.
‘No bon voyage. This time I’m coming along to keep an eye on you.’
Oh, no…
Not wanting to appear rude, she turned, sent him a curt nod in greeting.
Rhys Cartwright had lost the suit; unfortunately, faded denim jeans highlighted lean legs, the bottle-green polo shirt increasing the impressive breadth of his shoulders. Yep, definitely a superhero bod. And now he was coming with them? No way.
‘That’s great, boss.’ Cody extended a hand.
Yeah, real great.
>
‘Cool.’ Jack shook his hand too as she surreptitiously cleared her throat, trying to ease the sudden constriction at the thought of Rhys accompanying them.
While the boys busied themselves with the luggage and equipment, Rhys leaned closer, invading her personal space with his own special brand of ka-pow.
‘Needless to say, I’ll be watching you too.’
His ice-blue eyes pinned her with their brilliance as she suppressed a shudder of anticipation. Must be her eagerness to learn from him. Yeah, that was why her tummy tumbled and her palms grew clammy at the thought of spending six long months in the wilderness with her new boss. Her story and she was sticking to it.
‘You don’t have to worry. I’ll do my best.’
And she fully intended to. She had no intention of botching this opportunity and ending up with her dreams in tatters. Or, worse, having to return to Sydney embarrassed.
‘All very well and good, but is your best going to be good enough?’
His low voice might have been laced with amusement, but his wary stare hadn’t eased. If anything, he was studying her with a strange intentness that raised goose bumps of foreboding.
It was almost as if he expected her to fail, as if he knew she had no real qualifications and had crammed that first-aid course over the last month to add to her CV so it wouldn’t be a total blank.
She knew she could do this. She’d grown up around people from all walks of life, had socialised from the time she could talk, so how hard could it be leading a bunch of tourists around?
‘You may be used to batting those long eyelashes to get what you want back home, Princess, but it isn’t going to cut it where we’re headed.’
Shock warred with indignation as she clamped her lips shut to stop her mouth from dropping open.
Princess? Implying she flirted her way through any situation? Where the hell did this guy get off?
As a host of indignant retorts pinged from her brain to her mouth, she caught the challenging gleam in his eyes, the smug expression.
He wanted her to bite back, wanted to rile her so she’d retaliate. Why? So he could fire her before she’d really started? Or was this more of the same warped game he’d started during that bizarre interview?
Whatever, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. She had a job to do, whether he wanted her here or not.
Mustering her best innocent expression, she gazed at him with fake demureness. ‘Really? You don’t think this will cut it in Alaska?’
She fluttered the very eyelashes he’d taken a swipe at, scoring a minor victory when his smile waned and he backed up a fraction.
So, he liked to be in control and didn’t like to be challenged? She’d have to remember that if he gave her any more grief.
‘If the eyelash thing doesn’t work out, guess I could always use the Princess title, see how that impresses the plebs.’
Amusement gleamed in his piercing blue eyes, radiating a heat that curled her toes. ‘For someone with no qualifications, in her first job, you’re impressively poised.’
She wished he’d stop staring at her like that. She’d have no problem keeping warm in Alaska with those baby blues doing their thing.
Feigning nonchalance, she shrugged. ‘I’ve handled bigger challenges.’
Like confronting her dad with what she’d seen, going to her mum with the truth, discovering her fiancé wasn’t the guy she thought he was, escaping her old life because it was all one big sham and flying halfway around the world for a new start.
So, yeah, she knew a thing or two about challenges.
‘Come on, you two. Get a move on. We’ve got a plane to catch.’ Jack jerked his thumb towards a trolley where Cody was loading equipment.
Rhys turned away, but not before she’d seen the speculative expression on his face, as if he hadn’t expected her to be so feisty. What did he expect? She might be inexperienced careerwise, but she’d handled a lot worse than him during her time on the Sydney party circuit.
Let him dish it out. She could take it.
Rhys chose that moment to bend and pick up his backpack, the faded denim clinging to his great butt, and her confidence evaporated as quickly as a glacier under the summer sun.
Professionally, she could handle anything.
Physically, her body was letting her down in a big way.
As he straightened and hoisted his pack onto his back she quickly snapped out of the butt-induced trance and gathered her bags. She had a large backpack and a small duffle bag, a far cry from the Gucci luggage her parents had given her for her six-month trip to Europe, a twenty-first birthday present six years ago. Thankfully, she’d stored it with the rest of her belongings back home, along with her bitter memories.
‘Need a hand?’
His smile kick-started her heart all over again when she’d just steadied it into some semblance of normality after those blistering stares.
‘Thanks, but I’m fine.’
‘Suit yourself.’
She waited until he moved out of earshot before muttering, ‘Princess, my butt.’
His mini-stumble would’ve gone unobserved but for the quick grin he threw over his shoulder before he strode towards the plane without a backward glance while she lagged behind, lugging her bags, torn between ogling his tempting butt and wanting to plant her foot firmly in the middle of it.
‘Don’t straggle.’ She heard the amusement in his taunt, the assured confidence he’d won this round.
No competition. Giving him a swift kick in the butt won hands down if she was silly enough to get that close.
Chapter Four
JADE had sipped Cosmopolitans at New York’s trendiest bars, she’d savoured margaritas at exclusive Mexican Riviera resorts, she’d sculled flavoured vodkas in London’s finest clubs, but nothing came close to the atmosphere of this chic, cosy bar tucked away off Skagway’s main street.
A steel-and-glass enclosed fireplace radiated a welcoming heat in one corner, trendy chrome tables and chairs circled the room and a stainless-steel bar ran from the entrance to the back.
Soft jazz filtered through high-tech speakers, muted music clips flashed across a wide, flat screen suspended over the bar and the exotic cocktails distributed to patrons had her wondering if she’d stepped into a time machine and been whizzed back to Sydney.
But one glance behind the bar dispelled that illusion.
Some incredibly talented architect had captured the real beauty of Skagway and brought it directly into the bar with a monstrous clear glass pane that ran the entire length of the bar, allowing patrons to enjoy the towering snow-capped mountains as a background to their upmarket drinks.
She’d never seen anything like it and the view of all that rugged splendour had her itching to start her job.
As if reading her mind, Rhys raised his boutique beer in her direction before taking a long slug, looking just as comfortable here as he had in his slick designer suit in Vancouver.
He unnerved her but here she sat, playing at being the model employee, when every passing second made her more aware of him as a man rather than just a boss.
When he’d first suggested they have a drink for some company bonding, she’d been hesitant. But she couldn’t beg off when Jack and Cody had been gung-ho so she’d tagged along, more than a little alarmed when the guys had ditched them after one beer in favour of one of the rowdier pubs they’d passed.
She’d been tempted to bolt too until she’d seen the gleam of challenge in Rhys’s too-blue eyes. He’d expected her to do a runner too so she did the exact opposite, plonking her butt on a chair, ordering a soda and steeling her nerve for some meaningless small talk before she could make her escape.
‘What do you think so far?’
Taking a sip of soda to ease the dryness in her throat the longer he stared at her, unwavering, as if he really valued her answer, she carefully replaced the glass on the table, annoyed when her hand trembled slightly. ‘It’s great. I can’t believe I’m ac
tually in Alaska.’
He chuckled, the laugh lines crinkling adorably around his eyes. ‘You’ve only seen the airport and the main street so far. Are you really that impressed?’
She recalled the deep fjords they’d flown over and her first glimpse of the quaint Alaskan town that looked as if it hadn’t changed in a hundred years.
‘I love what I’ve seen. Can’t wait to explore.’
He leaned across the table, creating an intimacy she found intoxicating yet terrifying.
‘Lucky you’ve got such an experienced guide.’
‘You really that good?’
His mouth quirked in a cocky smile that had her heart tripping and her head wishing she’d ordered something stronger than a soda.
‘I’m better than good. I’m the best.’
She tried to ignore her pounding pulse, to focus on his lips as he spoke. Unfortunately, looking at his lips didn’t help her concentration.
‘That’s a big call, Ranger. Sure you can live up to it?’
‘You’ll just have to try me and find out. You strike me as a girl looking for adventure and I think I’ve got just the thing for you.’
His eyes glimmered in the low light from a flickering votive candle in the middle of the table, conveying an enthralling danger that thrilled yet scared her.
Consuming heat swept through her body, burning everything in its path, including her common sense. She’d had a close call with a rat fiancé, had had her trust in the parents she loved shattered, yet here she was hanging on this guy’s every flirtatious word. And not just any guy, he was her boss. Even if her common sense had gone AWOL she knew boss should equal hands off. Should being the operative word.
‘And what would that be?’
‘Six months in the most spectacular, unspoilt wilderness you’ll ever see with an expert park naturalist as your personal guide. What more could a girl ask for?’
Oh, she could think of plenty of things, but wisely kept her wayward thoughts to herself.
