Part 16 (1/2)
”Just the way it should be.” Karen grinned.
They got to the top. He stepped up beside her. ”Whatas that? Toward the top of the canyon?”
She halted and looked, too. A light came on and moved, then stopped and went out. ”It must be campers, although theyare not supposed to be there. Or lost hikers.” She lifted her pager, but before she could even speak the spaas chief of security came hurrying up the path toward them.
”Do you need something, Miss Sonnet?” Ethan played his flashlight over Rick.
Rick blinked and brought his hand up to s.h.i.+eld his eyes.
Warmth spread through her veins. Ethan had been watching out for her.
”Iam fine, but look.” She pointed at the light that had moved a little closer to the spa. ”Youad better send someone up there to investigate.”
Ethan stared up at the canyon rim. ”Stupid hikers,” he muttered. ”Iall call the sheriff. Heall take care of it.” Before he flipped open his cell phone, he looked into Karenas eyes. ”Is everything all right with you?”
”Really, everythingas fine, thank you, Ethan.”
”Great. Good evening, Mr. Wilder.”
As they walked away, Ethan stood looking up at the canyon rim, speaking forcefully to the sheriffas dispatcher.
Rick looked back. ”You really have a lot of security around here. Iave run into someone every time Iave been alone.”
”Have you?” She hid a smile.
”Do you have a lot of problems with intruders? ”
”No, just the occasional lost soul. But this area is still wild. We have bobcats and hawks, and sometimes a cougar wanders through.”
”Wow. I hadnat thought of that.” He peered around at the trees as if expecting an attack at any moment.
”But weare perfectly safe. Theyare more afraid of usa””
”a”than we are of them,” he finished. ”Yeah, yeah, my dad used to tell me that about snakes, but I still hate the big slimy worms.”
”Me, too.” As she walked, she tucked her hands behind her back. Not that she expected him to make a grab for her, but he was tall, and his broad shoulders made her feel crowded on the path.
The hotel came into sight, and Rick said, ”You were telling me about tomorrow night.”
”No, I wasnat.”
”Come on,” he coaxed. ”I wonat tell. Itas the last night, so it must be the grand finale. What have you got planned?”
It was so charming to have a man who was actually interested in what she did. ”Thereall be a buffet in the afternoon, a ball in the evening, and another buffet at midnight. Then everyone leaves the next day, we have a week of regular guests, and it all starts again.”
”Weare going to have a ball? So thereall be ballroom dancing? With a live band?”
”Theyare local, called Good Red Rock, and they play songs from the last six decades.”
”I like to dance.”
”Really?” She raised her brows in disbelief.
”Yep. Women will do anything for a guy who knows how to dance.”
He made her want to giggle. ”Anything?”
”Trust me.”
”So you donat really like to dance; you merely like to reap the rewards.” To her amazement she realized she was flirting. Lightly flirting. With a guy who had sort of reminded her of Warlord.
Maybe this was a sign that she was healing from the horrors of that time in the Himalayas.
”Well . . . yeah. Do I sound like a sinner?”
He seemed so amused, she didnat stop to examine the words for hidden meaning. ”You sound like a very smart man to me.”
”So, my evil plan is working. Tomorrow night would you dance with me?”
”Yes . . . but for no more reason than the pleasure of the dance. Thereall be no anything between us.”
”Fair enough. Because by tomorrow night Iall have entranced you enough for anything.”
She snorted softly. ”You can hope.”
”I do.” He smiled at her, an open smile, and something inside her relaxed.
Surely if he were Warlord he wouldnat expose his face so utterly. Surely if he were Warlord she wouldnat feel so lighthearted. ”They say when a man dances with a woman, all his secrets are revealed.”
”In that case . . . Iad better try to get more interesting fast.”
”You donat think youare interesting?”
”I do think Iam interesting.” He stopped.
She stopped, too, and looked up at him.
He tapped her nose like an admonis.h.i.+ng older brother. ”But Iam a computer nerd. I think binary numbers are interesting.”
She laughed aloud, and enjoyed the sensation of his hand as he cupped her cheek and rubbed the high point of the bone with his thumb. ”Why does a computer nerd know how to dance?”
”My parents are immigrants. Dancing is required.”
She spoke without thought. ”Then I will enjoy myself in your arms.”
Softly he said, ”That would be the best anything you could give me.”