Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle Page A

on a rock behind her and then attempted to wiggle loose. This time, when George approached, she let him grab the pack and slide it free.
    As she took off her jacket, she debated what to remove and decided on her outer long underwear layer—just the top. Hot or not, she wasn’t about to start stripping off anything from the waist down. Her zip-up fleece top came off next, and she put it on top of her coat so it didn’t get snow on it. Grimacing at the dampness of the fabric, she pulled the silky second layer over her head, dislodging her hat on the way.
    She bent to pick up her fleece, shivering a little in her single, slightly clammy top, and caught a glimpse of George’s face as she straightened. His eyes were wide and fixed on her chest. Following his gaze, she saw that the form-fitting long underwear presented a clear view of the lines of her bra and, even better, her cold-stiffened nipples.
    With a mortified intake of air, Ellie clutched her fleece to her chest. Her movement broke George’s daze, and he blinked, then quickly turned so his back was to her. She scowled. Why couldn’t he have done that a minute earlier?
    She fumbled to stuff her arms into the sleeves and then zip it up all the way to her chin. Although the fleece wasn’t in any way revealing, she didn’t feel totally covered until she had the jacket on and zipped. It was only after putting on her hat and gloves that she cleared her throat.
    George turned slightly, so he wasn’t quite facing her but could probably see her in his peripheral vision. Her cheeks still warm, she rolled the discarded top and tucked it into an empty pocket on her pack, not wanting it to get any of her other clothes damp. Once she’d zipped the section closed, she eyed the pack. She’d be able to get it onto her back, but it would be a lot easier with help.
    â€œUh…George?” When he turned to face her completely, she tilted her head toward the pack sitting on the rock. “Could you…?” He moved to lift the pack, and Ellie turned her back to him, sliding her arms through the straps. His hands shifted to her biceps, and he turned her to face him so he could fasten the buckles around her chest and waist. Even though George’s touch was brief and impersonal, Ellie could feel her cheeks heating again.
    It was a relief when he turned and started walking, giving her some space to figure out why this silent mountain of a man flustered her so much.
    * * *
    Ellie peered at the position of the sun, squinting even behind her sunglasses. Although she was no ancient navigator, it sure looked like lunchtime to her. “George?”
    He turned his head, not quite looking at her. Since the whole not-really-naked-but-it-felt-like-she-was incident, he hadn’t made eye contact.
    â€œWhat time is it?”
    â€œNoon.”
    Wow, she was good. Maybe she’d missed her calling. Instead of working at a boutique, she could be letting sailors know the time. She’d have to time travel back a ways, though, since they had clocks on ships now. Ellie blinked, a little disconcerted by the trajectory of her thoughts. The high altitude must have made her punchy. “Can we stop for lunch soon?”
    â€œNot stopping for long.”
    â€œOh.” Her legs gave a wail of complaint. So did her lungs.
    â€œNo sense in sitting a long time and getting cold.”
    But the sitting part sounded so nice . She reminded herself to be low-maintenance. They were only a half-day’s hike—a slow half-day’s hike—away from his truck. It definitely wasn’t too late for George to turn this car around if she was irritating. “Okay.”
    Her tone must’ve been mournful, since he actually looked at her and stopped. He pulled out more trail mix from what appeared to be an unending supply. Balancing her pack, she carefully sat on a chair-sized rock and immediately regretted it. There were very inconveniently