two might like to use the Jacuzzi in the main cabin here. I'll let the staff know you're expected. Have fun."
He disconnected before she could respond. She folded the phone closed with a snap and threw it back in her bag.
"His last comment annoyed you," Seth observed.
"He suggested we use the Jacuzzi in the main cabin today, while they're all out skiing. If his manipulations to get us married were any more obvious, he'd have to carry a harp and wear vine leaves in his hair like Cupid."
Seth picked up her hand and rubbed his thumb over her palm. "Have you asked yourself why he's doing it, Ellie? You know him better than I do."
His thumb was creating little circles in her palm that were sending sizzling signals back along her nerves. Gabrielle had a hard time concentrating on anything else. "Because he wants me off his hands," she murmured. "I'm Gabi-hell, remember?"
"Not to me, you're not," Seth said, his voice rumbling. His finger slid between her first and second finger, lightly tracing the flesh on the inside of her fingers. She shuddered at the delicious sensations he created.
Ellie. He'd called her Ellie through the night, his voice thick with longing.
Gabrielle hooked her fingers over the unfastened opening of his trousers and lifted the zipper tab with her other hand. The heat of his flesh against the back of her knuckles sizzled along her nerves and made her heart flutter. This close, she could smell Seth. He was clean, fresh, male and spicy.
She gave into impulse and leaned forward to lick his stomach and felt it quiver under her lips.
He hissed and his hand thrust into her hair. "What about breakfast?" he asked. His voice was thick with arousal.
Gabrielle let the sheet drop from around her and drew down the zipper on his trousers. "It can wait," she told him. "I can't."
* * * * *
"Your suit at least looks like day wear," Gabrielle complained. "While I look like I'm still wearing last night's clothes. I'm going to have to go back to my cabin for fresh clothes."
Seth considered for a moment before nodding. "We're relatively safe inside the lodge grounds. I'll let Tyler know." He pulled his phone out of his jacket and turned away.
Gabrielle stared at Seth's broad back, as a dozen different little facts joined together: Seth's reluctance to talk about himself, to reveal anything about his career and his risky business. The conversation last night at the dinner table, and his comment, 'he's wearing an awful dark brown jacket I keep telling him to get rid of', Seth's rescue of her camera and laptop from the icy bottom of the river, and the need for technical help to save the data on both, the way she had forced an introduction with Sam in the washroom last night, and the flicker of admiration in the woman's eyes when they had parted...it all merged into a cohesive whole, startling idea that took her breath away. She considered it from every angle, her heart skittering. Did she dare?
Then she remembered who she was. Her father's daughter.
And she thought of the prize. It was worth it.
When Seth turned back around, she had control of her face once more.
Seth put the phone away. "Ready to go?"
She picked up her coat and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Seth picked up his and they slipped out of the room and headed for the foyer.
"Where did Tyler and Sam spend the night?" Gabrielle asked.
"They got rooms here, too."
"They're not...together, then?"
"No. They didn't even know each other until last night."
"Your group is that big?" Gabrielle asked.
"Sam is that new."
"I see." A horrible thought occurred to her. "She isn't replacing someone who is..."
"Someone transferred out," Seth said, with a smile.
"Oh, good," Gabrielle said, with a sigh. "How long have you known Tyler then?"
"About eight years."
"That's a pretty long time, in your world, isn't it?"
"A very long time," Seth agreed.
"Is he a very good friend?"
"He wouldn't be best man at my wedding," Seth said easily, "That spot is reserved
He disconnected before she could respond. She folded the phone closed with a snap and threw it back in her bag.
"His last comment annoyed you," Seth observed.
"He suggested we use the Jacuzzi in the main cabin today, while they're all out skiing. If his manipulations to get us married were any more obvious, he'd have to carry a harp and wear vine leaves in his hair like Cupid."
Seth picked up her hand and rubbed his thumb over her palm. "Have you asked yourself why he's doing it, Ellie? You know him better than I do."
His thumb was creating little circles in her palm that were sending sizzling signals back along her nerves. Gabrielle had a hard time concentrating on anything else. "Because he wants me off his hands," she murmured. "I'm Gabi-hell, remember?"
"Not to me, you're not," Seth said, his voice rumbling. His finger slid between her first and second finger, lightly tracing the flesh on the inside of her fingers. She shuddered at the delicious sensations he created.
Ellie. He'd called her Ellie through the night, his voice thick with longing.
Gabrielle hooked her fingers over the unfastened opening of his trousers and lifted the zipper tab with her other hand. The heat of his flesh against the back of her knuckles sizzled along her nerves and made her heart flutter. This close, she could smell Seth. He was clean, fresh, male and spicy.
She gave into impulse and leaned forward to lick his stomach and felt it quiver under her lips.
He hissed and his hand thrust into her hair. "What about breakfast?" he asked. His voice was thick with arousal.
Gabrielle let the sheet drop from around her and drew down the zipper on his trousers. "It can wait," she told him. "I can't."
* * * * *
"Your suit at least looks like day wear," Gabrielle complained. "While I look like I'm still wearing last night's clothes. I'm going to have to go back to my cabin for fresh clothes."
Seth considered for a moment before nodding. "We're relatively safe inside the lodge grounds. I'll let Tyler know." He pulled his phone out of his jacket and turned away.
Gabrielle stared at Seth's broad back, as a dozen different little facts joined together: Seth's reluctance to talk about himself, to reveal anything about his career and his risky business. The conversation last night at the dinner table, and his comment, 'he's wearing an awful dark brown jacket I keep telling him to get rid of', Seth's rescue of her camera and laptop from the icy bottom of the river, and the need for technical help to save the data on both, the way she had forced an introduction with Sam in the washroom last night, and the flicker of admiration in the woman's eyes when they had parted...it all merged into a cohesive whole, startling idea that took her breath away. She considered it from every angle, her heart skittering. Did she dare?
Then she remembered who she was. Her father's daughter.
And she thought of the prize. It was worth it.
When Seth turned back around, she had control of her face once more.
Seth put the phone away. "Ready to go?"
She picked up her coat and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Seth picked up his and they slipped out of the room and headed for the foyer.
"Where did Tyler and Sam spend the night?" Gabrielle asked.
"They got rooms here, too."
"They're not...together, then?"
"No. They didn't even know each other until last night."
"Your group is that big?" Gabrielle asked.
"Sam is that new."
"I see." A horrible thought occurred to her. "She isn't replacing someone who is..."
"Someone transferred out," Seth said, with a smile.
"Oh, good," Gabrielle said, with a sigh. "How long have you known Tyler then?"
"About eight years."
"That's a pretty long time, in your world, isn't it?"
"A very long time," Seth agreed.
"Is he a very good friend?"
"He wouldn't be best man at my wedding," Seth said easily, "That spot is reserved
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