Secret Gifts_Steamy Version

by Elena Aitken

  He’d been at the Lodge less than twenty-four hours before he’d found himself a woman willing to have a private party with him, and no doubt she’d be just as willing to talk to the tabloids and let them know exactly where Gage was and what he was doing. The last thing Megan needed was the press getting wind of their location.

  Lois wouldn’t like that at all, and she didn’t need any more reasons for Lois Grace to be unhappy with her. Lord knows the mess she’d made of her social life was doing a good enough job with that.

  Thankfully, Megan reached the main lodge before she could drive herself crazy with the idea that her breakup with Ryan had anything to do with her own exile to the mountains. She had more important things to worry about. Like keeping Gage busy. But first, she thought as she spotted a familiar blond—now dressed in what looked like a uniform—across the room, she had a more pressing issue to deal with.

  Megan crossed the room quickly before the girl spotted her. She had no idea if she’d remember Megan or not—she’d been pretty liquored as well—but when Megan was done, she wouldn’t forget her. The last thing Megan needed was some girl trying to screw things up for her, and Gage, of course.

  “Excuse me,” Megan said, trying for civil. She resisted the urge to reach out and flick the woman in the head and instead tapped her on the shoulder. “Lisa, is it?”

  The blond turned around, with a smug smirk on her face. Oh, she remembered Megan all right. “It is,” Lisa said. “And I didn’t catch your name last night.”

  “I didn’t give it,” Megan said. She put her hands on her hips. “My name is Megan Powers and I’m—“

  “Well, Megan,” she emphasized the name and squared her shoulders. “I don’t appreciate the way you crashed the party last night. I know full well he’s not seeing anyone. I haven’t read anything about it.”

  Perfect, Megan thought. She was a tabloid reader. Megan tried not to sigh. “I don’t really care if you appreciate it or not, but my client did. And frankly, that’s my only concern right now. So it would be in your best interest if you stay away from him for the rest of his visit.”

  “Your client?” Lisa’s smirk grew into a full smile. “Well, that’s interesting.”

  “I guess you missed that part last night,” Megan said. “But yes, Mr. Mitchell is my client and it’s my job to make sure he only spends time with the right influences.” Megan was losing interest in the conversation, and she was far too busy to spend her day arguing with a fame monger. “Look, Lisa.” She switched tactics. “You seem like a smart girl, and I have to think you wouldn’t want to jeopardize your job just on the remote chance that you’ll be another notch on some celebrity’s bedpost. Because you and I both know that Gage Mitchell isn’t the settling down type. So if you have any illusions of whatever it is between the two of you being anything more than one night that ends in a hangover and a bucket full of remorse for what you did and can’t really remember in the morning, think again. Because that isn’t going to happen.”

  Lisa’s mouth dropped open before she caught herself. She opened and closed it again before finally speaking. “I don’t know what you think—“

  “Is there a problem here?” Carmen, the same woman who’d checked her in to the Lodge the day before, stepped between them. She turned to face Megan. “I hope you’ve settled into your suite,” she said with a sweet smile. “Lisa here works in the Cub Club, which is the special kids area here at Castle Mountain. I don’t suppose you’ll have much need for it. But if you do…”

  “No,” Megan said, turning away from Lisa. “I don’t think I’ll have any need for the Cub Club at all.”

  “Lisa?” Carmen addressed the other woman, who was still glaring at Megan. “Did you have some business with Ms. Powers? Because I think your shift should be starting soon, isn’t it?”

  Lisa nodded sharply and swallowed hard. “It is.” She moved to leave but Carmen stopped her.

  “Oh, and, Lisa?”

  She turned and looked between Megan and Carmen. “Yes?”

  “Castle Mountain Lodge prides itself on the discretion of our staff,” Carmen said, looking Lisa directly in the eye. “I’m sure I can count on you, though, to maintain that discretion. Am I right?”

  Lisa’s gaze flicked to Megan briefly before gritting her teeth and saying, “Of course.”

  Carmen’s smile was bright and genuine. “Okay then. Have a great day. I’m sure Morgan has some fun things planned with the kids.”

  Lisa nodded and, without another word, left the room.

  When she was gone, Megan felt the tension release from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how wound up the other woman had made her. And all because she’d compromised her client. At least that’s what Megan told herself. She pushed away the thought that she’d felt such animosity towards Lisa for any other reason. Surely there was nothing else to it? She did not get involved with clients. Especially clients like Gage.

  “Ms. Powers?”

  Megan shook her head, unaware Carmen had been speaking to her. “Sorry,” she said. “I was just thinking about something.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you have a million things to do,” Carmen said with a smile. “I was just wondering if you’d found everything in the suite to be satisfactory? At your angency’s request, we gave you our finest villa. It has some of the most amazing views and the furnishings—“

  “It’s absolutely perfect,” Megan said. And it was, except for the fact that she was sharing it with Gage Mitchell. It would have been preferable for her to have her own suite. Or just a basic room, even. But it was absolutely out of the question when it came to damage control duty. Or babysitting, as Gage liked to call it.

  “And Mr. Mitchell finds the room satisfactory as well?”

  “Yes, of course.” Megan didn’t bother adding that he seemed to be just as unimpressed with them sharing the space as she was.

  “That’s fantastic.” Carmen looked genuinely happy to hear they were satisfied, and her eagerness to please and do her job well made Megan warm to her all the more. “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

  Megan scanned the room. Through the large picture window, she spotted the trails that wound away from the Lodge and into the trees. “As a matter of fact, you can,” she said. “I need a little help. Do you have a few minutes?”

  With Megan gone from the villa, Gage paced the living room, unsure of what to do with himself. Finally, needing to burn off some steam, he changed into shorts and a t-shirt and went into the small room that was supposed to be his workout room. Lucas had obviously called ahead to have it equipped with some weights and a treadmill. It wasn’t much, but at least it was something and Gage knew it was yet another attempt by Lucas to keep him in his room and out of trouble.

  He snorted in disgust at the bare minimum of workout equipment and headed for the treadmill. The trails would be a whole lot more satisfying to run on, but despite only their brief encounter, Gage knew better than to push Megan too far. He should probably stick to the treadmill.

  He punched in some numbers and set the machine to a speed that would challenge him and with any luck, push him to the point where he didn’t have to think anymore. Exercise always did that for him: gave him the opportunity to close off his mind to the mess he’d made of his life and let him focus on the present. Nothing more.

  Feeling the power flow through his feet as he moved them faster and faster, Gage pressed the buttons to increase the incline and push him even harder. Just a bit more and all he’d be able to focus on was putting one foot in front of the other. Sweat dripped down his face and trickled down his back. Gage yanked his t-shirt off and threw it across the room. He increased the speed further, relishing in the sound of his shoes hitting the belt of the treadmill. Faster.

  His breath came in short bursts as he worked harder to keep the pace. Gage loved the intense feeling as his body pulled from reserves and kept up with what he was asking of it. But it wasn’t working. The blissful blankness that normally
accompanied physical exertion wasn’t coming. He was still thinking. There was no escape. Megan’s face flashed in his mind.

  “Dammit.”

  He knew why she was there. He wasn’t stupid. Lucas had warned him more than once that if he didn’t pull it together, they were going to have to do some major damage control for his reputation. But he hadn’t listened. It was easier to keep drinking and partying and just let everything else figure itself out. Of course, that hadn’t worked out well for him at all. And just because Gage knew why Lucas had sent Megan didn’t mean he had to like it. Except he did. At least a little.

  He liked looking at her, for sure. She was gorgeous of course, and not in the over-processed, overdone way of most of the actresses he worked with on set. No, Megan, with her dark hair and chocolate eyes, was beautiful in a completely unexpected way. She didn’t try too hard and she didn’t need to. But there was more to her than her looks. She was fiery and unlike most of the women he came across.

  Ever since Extinction came out, women had thrown themselves at him. They didn’t care who he was, or what he liked, or what his favorite color was, or what made him happy. They only cared about being with someone famous. Even actresses, famous in their own right, wanted to be linked to him. For goodness’ sakes, Lucas had presented him with actual contracts from some of their reps. It would be completely impossible to find someone who actually wanted to be with him. Someone like Lana.

  “No!” He pumped his arms and increased the speed on the treadmill even further. “I won’t think of her.” But once the thought of his childhood sweetheart was in his head, he couldn’t get it out. He also couldn’t forget the last night he’d seen her when she’d pleaded with him not to do the movie. To stay on the farm so they could get married the way they’d planned. But it was the look in her eyes and her tear-streaked face when he’d walked away from her that haunted him at night and led him to try any means possible to forget.

  His lungs at the verge of bursting, Gage powered through another few minutes on the treadmill, willing himself to stop thinking of Lana. He was just about to increase the incline again when the door flew open.

  “Gage? I’ve been looking everywhere for you. What the—“

  He saved himself only moments before his feet flew out from under him. Gage slammed his hand down on the emergency button and the treadmill came to a sudden and complete stop, jarring him against the front of the machine.

  “Are you okay?” Megan was at his side, but he was too preoccupied with getting a full breath of air into his lungs to respond to her. He collapsed over the edge of the machine and took his time composing himself before grabbing the towel that was hanging off the edge and wiping his brow.

  “I’m fine,” he said after a moment. “I was working out.”

  “It looked like you were trying to kill yourself,” she said.

  More like trying to kill the demons inside him, he thought but didn’t say aloud.

  “Well, I like to work hard.” He wiped his face again and ran the towel quickly down his chest. He couldn’t help but notice Megan’s eyes flicker to his bare chest. He raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t seem to notice. “It feels good to work up a sweat,” he said. “Don’t you think?”

  She blushed and her eyes flew up. “I don’t spend a lot of time in the gym.”

  It was his turn to look surprised. With such a toned body, he thought for sure she worked out regularly. “No?”

  “I prefer to take my workouts outside,” she said. “Which is what I came to talk to you about.”

  He tossed the sweaty towel into a bin and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. “You wanted to talk to me about your workouts? Go right ahead,” he said. “You don’t need my permission.”

  Megan threw back her head in a laugh. He had a sudden and unexpected desire to run his lips down her exposed neck. “Ha,” she said. “I’m hardly asking you for permission.” She looked up and he could tell she’d seen him eyeing her neck.

  Gage swallowed hard and tried to look relaxed, which was next to impossible with her so close. What was it about her that made him crazy? Women didn’t have such an effect on him. It was the other way around.

  “Then what?”

  “I want you to come mountain climbing with me.”

  “Pardon me?”

  She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear while she spoke, a move that was so natural and so completely sexy. Gage grabbed a bottle of water and took a drink to distract him while she spoke.

  “Well, I want to go. I usually hit the indoor climbing walls. I haven’t been outside for ages on a real rock face and I’ve never been climbing in the Rockies,” she said. “And since it’s my job to keep you out of trouble, I think you should come with me. Besides, I know you’ve never been to the mountains before. It seems to be a shame to stay tucked away—“

  “Wait,” he interrupted her. “How do you know I’ve never been in the mountains?” Every nerve in his body was on alert. If she knew where he had and had not been, what else did she know?

  “It’s my job,” she joked. “I know everything.”

  But, Gage wasn’t joking. “What else do you know?” he demanded. His voice was hard. He needed to know.

  It took Megan a second, but her face transformed and the smile fell from it as she realized he wasn’t kidding. “I know your favorite meal is a traditional meatloaf with mashed potatoes, you prefer country music even though you pretend to like Top 40, you have an older sister, and you’d never been out of Indiana before you were discovered and you filmed Extinction.” She recited the list as if reading from a dossier. “It’s my job to know the details.”

  Gage almost let out a sigh of relief that she didn’t know more than she did. If all Megan knew was the insignificant details of his life, that was fine with him. As long as she didn’t know anything that was actually important. He gave her a dazzling smile. “It seems you have everything covered.”

  “Like I said. It’s my job to know.” She gave him a strange look and for a second Gage was worried she might know something she wasn’t saying. But all she said was, “So, can we go climbing now?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  After a quick lunch, Megan went to her room to change before heading out. She grabbed a sweater and walked into the main room of their suite, expecting to find Gage waiting for her. Instead, she found him staring out the picture window. His back was turned to her and for a moment Megan held her breath and watched. There was something about the way he didn’t move and the way he held his body that reminded her of a lost little boy.

  She took a step towards him, unsure of what she was going to do, but knowing she needed to do something. “Gage?” Megan’s voice was soft, but still he spun around as if she’d yelled at him.

  “What?”

  In a second, his entire demeanor had returned to normal. The only trace of vulnerability was in his eyes, but when Megan blinked, that too was gone.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  Gage nodded and walked by, brushing her with his arm as he moved to the door. She grabbed her sweater where he’d touched her. Even through the fabric, there was a spark of heat on her skin.

  “Well,” he said. He turned where he stood at the front door, a smile on his face. “Are you coming?”

  Cursing herself for her moment of vulnerability, Megan nodded and fixed a mask of professionalism on her face before joining him outside.

  They walked for a few minutes in silence before Megan stopped to take her sweater off. The sun had warmed up the spring day almost to the point of hot. At least when they weren’t in the shade of the pines.

  When she pulled the sweater off and over her head, her eyes met Gage’s. “Hot, are you?”

  Her cheeks heated with the innuendo he implied but she ignored him, tied the sweater around her waist and kept walking. “I’m assured the climb is going to be quite a workout,” she said when he caught up with her again. “Are you sure you’ll be able to keep up?”
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br />   It was a stupid question and she knew it. Gage was in amazing shape, and she didn’t need his insane display on the treadmill earlier to show her that. It was no secret that his role on Tumbleweed was physically demanding. Even she knew there was nothing she could throw at him that he wouldn’t excel at.

  He surprised her when he said, “I don’t know. I’ve never been rock climbing before.” She raised her eyebrows at him. “What? There aren’t a lot of mountains in Indiana.”

  “Okay, maybe not on a mountain then,” she said. “But you’ve really never even gone to a climbing wall? Half the gyms have them now.”

  “Maybe in California,” he said. “But even so, I never spent much time in a gym before all this movie stuff.”

  She laughed. “This ‘movie stuff’?”

  His smile brightened his chocolate eyes. “You know what I meant.”

  “Okay, fine. But I don’t believe that you never went to the gym. You’re in way too good of shape for me to fall for that.”

  He stopped short on the path. “You think I’m in good shape?” He flexed his biceps and wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Stop it.” Megan gave him a gentle shove and he stumbled backwards in jest. “You know you’re ridiculously hot. All the magazines say so. You don’t need me stroking your ego.” She walked past him but shot a look back in his direction.

  “But you still think so?” Gage grinned and she couldn’t help but laugh again.

  He was a charmer, that was for sure. And it was also exactly why he didn’t have any trouble finding a woman to share his bed and get him into trouble, she reminded herself. She gave her head a shake. Incredibly handsome or not, he was still her client, and she had a job to do. Falling for his charms was not going to help her get that done.