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 actually 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.
