checking out the view the house had of the surrounding mountains. This was out of her league. As Ted drove away—apparently in a hurry to get back to his deer—she heard that massive door swinging open and she turned, her biggest smile switched on. She wanted to make the best first impression ever.
Only her mouth gummed.
He had that ‘Lucky’ tee shirt on again. Those flattering blue jeans again. He had that smile again. The same chocolate ganache eyes—glossy, deep brown. And amused.
‘Ellie Summers.’ He held out his hand to shake hers, that smile full on his face.
‘You were the mystery shopper?’
He just grinned more.
‘You watched like five minutes.’
‘I saw all I needed to. It’s obvious you have a gift.’
‘Don’t try to flatter me.’
‘Why would I when I already know that won’t work with you? I’m merely stating a fact.’
She avoided looking him in the eye because she knew if she did she was going to laugh and she refused to let him away with it that easily. ‘I’m not going to give you what you want.’
‘How do you know what I want?’
‘I can see it in your eyes.’
‘You’re not looking at my eyes.’
She closed her own, knowing her skin was sizzling—aliens in outer space would be able to see the glow from her cheeks. She was both disappointed and excited—a zillion thoughts ran through her head in a nanosecond. This couldn’t be his place—and if it was, had he brought her here under false pretences?
‘You don’t own this lodge,’ she asserted. ‘It belongs to an Argentinian guitarist.’
‘Andreas sold it to my company last year and I truly do want to open it up for tours,’ he said calmly, apparently able to read her mind.
‘But you asked for me.’ Not her boss or the other more experienced employees.
‘Because you’re the best guide. Inventive, best when you’re improvising rather than sticking to a script someone else has written. So I want you to write the script. You’re good at creating the fun scenarios.’
The fun scenarios? ‘And that’s all you want from me?’ Now she was blushing more because she’d made a massive fool of herself in assuming...
‘Oh, no,’ he said as calmly as ever. ‘I also want to have wild animal sex with you for hours until neither of us can move. But perhaps it isn’t very politically correct of me to admit that.’ A flash of that wide, wicked smile.
She choked. ‘Not really.’
‘Better to be honest though, isn’t it?’ Complete charm now.
‘Um.’ Speechless, she just stared at him. It was kind of flattering to think that the beneficiary of her one attempt at seduction had enjoyed it so much he wanted another. Except he’d probably be disappointed in any replay—why mess with the memory? And more importantly, she had her job to think of. ‘You don’t think mixing business with...this...is a bad idea?’
‘I’m capable of not letting my personal life interfere with my professional.’ He lifted his shoulders and let them drop easily. ‘Are you?’
‘Oh, you’re just Mr Perfect, aren’t you?’
‘I’m glad you think so,’ he muttered. ‘Because I can definitely be perfect for you. I know exactly how I’m going to make you come.’
She moved, because a mere glance at him had her heating in places no one ought to know about. ‘Why are you staring at me like that?’ she croaked.
‘I’m concerned,’ he answered expressionlessly. ‘You’re feeling hot? You’ve gone very red.’ He brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers—a light caress that didn’t just tease, it singed through her skin to her most elemental cell.
She lifted her chin and stepped back out of reach. ‘Actually, I am feeling hot,’ she answered honestly. ‘You should probably keep your distance. One of the passengers on last week’s tour came down with the flu. Trust me, if I’m getting that fever, you don’t want it.’
‘No.’ His smile came, slow and wicked. ‘I want it no matter what.’
‘Ruben—’
‘Don’t worry.’ He held up both hands. ‘I shan’t touch until you ask me to. And if you insist we’ll never discuss it again. I just thought I’d let you know my plans for the weekend. You can let me know if yours dovetail with mine.’
‘I’m here for the tour company, for my career and for no other reason.’ Absolutely.
‘Sure.’
Oh, the guy was too confident—and pretty much had every reason to be. ‘I’m not messing around with you again,’ she asserted vehemently.
‘Sure.’ Too casually, he turned away from her. ‘So let’s get started.’
CHAPTER FIVE
ELLIE followed Ruben inside—feeling like a pepper slow-burning over a bare flame. But while he might be all kinds of gorgeous, she was no longer Ms People-Pleaser Total Pushover. She’d drawn her line and she was holding it. She was here to work—and work was all that was important to her at the moment.
‘You know the lodge wasn’t used in the movies at all,’ he said, leading her through the building, her overnight bag slung over his shoulder. ‘So it won’t be available for the tour. We’re really just talking about those big hills and the remnants of the set buildings.’
‘Okay, but they’re going to need refreshments at some point. It’s quite a hike to get here.’ She was starving. The biscuit and coffee snack on the plane hadn’t done much to fill her tummy’s gap.
He nodded. ‘There’s a guest house further down the road. We can do morning tea or something. I have a cook.’
Of course he did.
‘Actually, that cook has left something for us to eat tonight if you’re hungry,’ he said—still with that too-casual attitude.
She wished she had the reserves to say no but she knew it was in her best interests to get her blood sugar levels balanced or she’d be in danger of flying off yet another handle and doing something completely crazy. And merely watching his rear view fell into crazy category. Two minutes of following him had rendered her light-headed. The temptation to do him was lunatic.
‘I’d love something to eat, thanks.’ She’d think food, food, and nothing but food.
He turned, surprised at her easy acquiescence. ‘Sooner rather than later?’
‘Definitely.’ She nodded enthusiastically. ‘And I’d love a drink.’
