Fatal Wild Child (13 page)

"So there's nothing says you can't talk face to face with Tyler in private."

"No." A shallow furrow appeared between his brows. "What are you digging for here?"

"It was your idea, actually," she said, trying to sound disarming. "I can't really go into town. You'd freak, I think. Right?"

"I'd be pretty unhappy about it," Seth admitted, sounding cautious.

She dug in her bag for her cabin key and stepped up onto the porch and unlocked her door. "Is your group like the American special ops groups? Each operative has a specialty or two, so when you're out in the field you have, say, a communications expert and an explosives expert, something like that?"

"That's not just American," Seth said, pushing the door open for her. "That's common sense. Task forces have been doing it that way time out of mind. Even the three Musketeers had a medical expert amongst them."

She put her bag on the chair next to the door, as he closed the door behind her. "What are your specialties, then?"

Seth looked awkward. "Strategy stuff..." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the cabin. "Are you the only one who uses this cabin?"

She knew he was trying to change the subject. "Computers isn't one of your specialties, then?" she asked.

"I can run a basic home network," he said. "But nothing fancy."

"What about Tyler and Sam, then?" she asked. She picked up the shopping bag holding her rescued camera and laptop and put them on the big oak table next to the borrowed laptop she was using. "I was wondering if either of them might be able to retrieve my photos." She smiled helplessly. "I'd really like to get them back."

Seth actually looked relieved. He grinned. "I don't think Tyler could manage it, but let me find out what Sam can do." He pulled out his cell phone.

Gabrielle hid her smile and went to change out of her lace dress. There wasn't much in her luggage that matched her mood, now. The sloppy yoga pants and sweaters, ski pants and parkers were nothing she wanted Seth to see her in. She settled for a pair of jeans, faded and snug, and her favorite kelly green sweater, which didn't meet the band of her jeans. If she went outside, she'd put on her boots, but for now, she stayed barefoot.

She reapplied her makeup and went back out to the sitting room. Seth was reading the titles of the books in the bookcases.

"There's editions of every Sherlock Holmes story ever printed, I think," Gabrielle told him.

"That's because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to stay here a lot," Seth told her. His gaze swept over her. "You'd break hearts in my home town," he said.

"Where is that?"

"Hinton." He grinned. "The apple didn't roll far from the tree." Hinton was barely an hour outside the borders of Jasper's national park boundaries, to the east.

"You have family there still?"

He shook his head. "My dad died about four years ago, so my mom moved into a house next to my sister and her husband. They're on a farm up near Kinuso, which is on the edge of Lesser Slave Lake, further north." Something touched his face—a shadow—then was gone.

"You were going to go there for Christmas, weren't you?" Gabrielle said softly. "And now you're wondering if you're going to get there or not."

He smiled. "Wouldn't be the first Christmas I've missed. They know not to lay the table for me unless I'm there when they're carving the turkey."

Gabrielle drew in a breath. "Lord, how do you stand it, Seth? How do they?"

"They're proud of what I do," he said quietly. "Besides, I've eaten turkey before and personally, I could pass on the stuff. It's always too dry, it makes you sleepy afterwards, and I really don't like cranberry sauce."

She laughed.

Seth wasn't laughing, though. "If it comes to a choice between saving your life and eating turkey, Ellie, it's a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned."

She bit her lip, her heart thudding.

Seth straightened and looked away, as if he'd said too much. "Sam thinks she can help pull the files off your camera and laptop drives. She has some equipment she says she'll bring over."

"Is Tyler coming, too?" Gabrielle asked.

"Just Sam."

"Well, that's silly," Gabrielle returned. "They were seen dining together last night. If they met us as a couple, she'd hardly turn up alone, would she? They'd naturally visit as a couple. Shouldn't Tyler come with her? And they should bring beer or wine. And we should order in a meal, Seth."

He considered for a moment. "I suppose we can do it that way," he said at last, as if he could find no holes in her argument even though he dearly wanted to.

Gabrielle put her hand on the water-damaged laptop. "I can't wait to show you some of the photos I took of the Sierra Madres last February. They actually had snowcaps on them," she said, injecting happiness into her voice.

Seth smiled. "More mountains? I can't wait."

"Awww...come on. I thought Canadians liked snow." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'll make it up to you," she promised. Her body began to tingle with heat and languid need, making her want to press against him even harder. Seth grew still as she slipped her hands under his jacket.

"Why do you do that?" she asked. "Stiffen up like that?"

"I'm not used to letting someone inside my guard, Ellie," he said. "Not where they can get a hand on my weapons." He dropped a kiss on her head. "It's not a trust thing. Don't read it that way."

"I don't," she told him. "But that explains something." She stepped back to look him in the eye. "You've never had a woman in your life who knew who you really were and stuck around after that, have you?"

He took a breath. "Nope," he said, letting it out. "Guess that blows my cover as man of the year, huh?" He shoved his hands in his pockets.

Gabrielle pretended to consider for a moment or two. "I don't know," she said. "I'll have to check." She slid the buttons of his shirt undone and spread the shirt open. With fingers that trembled, she laid her hands upon his chest, delighting in the sight and feel of his softly tanned flesh and the swell of the muscles beneath the flesh.

Her breath grew uneven and her heart hurried along. She dropped her hands to his belt. "I have to make sure," she said, her voice thick with wanting.

Seth caught her face in his hands, lifting it so he could look at her. He didn't say anything, but his blue eyes were wandering all over her face, as if he were seeing it for the first time. Gabrielle wondered if he was upset.

"Seth?" she whispered.

"You're inside my guard," he said. "Somehow you got in there."

"I don't understand," she said.

"I know." He kissed her and it was a relentless kiss, his hands holding her against him, his mouth hard against her lips. It was almost like he was trying to stamp himself upon her. Gabrielle needed little encouragement to respond in the first place and this was overwhelming. She clung to him, almost giddy with the sensations he was provoking in her. His hands were roaming over her body and between his hands and a shortage of oxygen, reality was dimming.

"Seth..." It was all she could manage.

He picked her up and relief flooded her. He had sensed her need. He would make it right. Gabrielle let herself fall completely into the carnal spell.

Seth's mouth returned to hers, his tongue thrust inside, provoking more silvery waves of pleasure that stole her thoughts and rippled through her body in building swells.

Gabrielle felt a wall against her back, solid and hard and opened her eyes to find Seth leaning over her, his blue eyes inches from hers. His hands were fumbling at her jeans.

"Take them off," he demanded, his voice low, hard, thick with arousal and power.

Heated arousal slammed through her. He did understand. She slid her jeans and panties from her hips as he ordered. He yanked her sweater up and unclipped her bra and pushed that roughly up, too, exposing her breasts.

Gabrielle moaned as Seth's mouth captured her breast and his teeth and lips and tongue played with it. Her eyes drifted shut. She clung to him, wanting more. Trusting Seth to give her want she wanted.

His hands gripped her thighs and lifted her, pushing her back against the wall again. He slid into her in one hard thrust, stealing her breath and her voice. Pleasure exploded inside her, making her clutch at him desperately.

Seth watched her, his eyes drilling into her mind. "I've wanted to do this, to take you like this, since I saw you in that little skirt outside your father's study. I wanted to tear that camisole from your body and do..." He thrust again. "This."

Gabrielle gave a shuddering moan. "Seth..." He was reading her mind. She had wanted him to tear her clothes off and do just exactly this, too. The overwhelming lust was rising in her.

"Harder," she begged. "Faster."

"Oh god, Ellie," he breathed and complied. His hand slapped the wall by her head. It turned into a fist as his excitement spiraled.

As her excitement peaked and her orgasm shattered through her, Seth pressed up hard against her, his own climax tearing through him. The fulfillment of her wish deepened her pleasure and Gabrielle found herself crying out his name.

Chapter Ten

Tyler and Sam arrived just after noon, both carrying two handfuls of parcels and cases. Gabrielle opened the door and greeted Sam first. "You came. I'm so glad you did."

Sam smiled stiffly at first. "Well, the ski lifts were all booked, so..."

"Really? You should have said something. I'll get you on the private lift." Gabrielle looked expectedly at Tyler, who stood waiting on the porch next to the blonde woman.

Sam cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. Er... Gabrielle, um, this is my, um, boyfriend Tyler. Tyler, this is Gabrielle." Sam blushed deeply.

Tyler grinned and held out his hand. "Gabrielle. It's nice to meet you." He made it sound casual, like she was normal person.

"You'd better come in," Gabrielle said, rubbing her upper arm. "It feels like the temperature has dropped again."

"Thirty below," Tyler confirmed. "Celsius," he added. "That's why it's so sunny."

They both moved into the cabin and stepped out of their boots and removed their coats. Both wore jackets beneath, that each kept buttoned.

Seth was waiting in the main room for them and came forward as they entered. He took Tyler's hand and slapped his shoulder.

Tyler grinned. "Got most of what you asked for, sir."

"Seth, here."

"If I can remember that, sir—I mean, Seth." Tyler picked up two of the bags he had been carrying. "Your size doesn't come too easy up here."

Seth nodded his thanks. "I'll be back in a minute." He took the bags and disappeared into the bedroom.

Sam moved to the table. "Are these the camera and laptop that were submerged, Gabrielle?"

"Do you think you can help?"

Sam picked up the digital camera and considered it. "Once I get a look at what's inside, I'll know," she decided. "I brought some tools with me. Can I spread out on the table?"

"Sure. We can eat on the coffee table."

Tyler pointed to the tiny bar area. "I brought beer. Want one?"

"I have a glass of wine going already," Gabrielle told him truthfully, avoiding mentioning that the wine had been poured two hours before and would stand for another three hours or more as she sipped it. Seth's cover strategy was one she had shamelessly stolen. "But I know Seth will want one, and you two should have one, too. We have pizzas coming from the kitchen in twenty minutes. Seth knows the chef."

Tyler grinned as he pulled a six-pack of beer from one of the bags and put it on the bar. "He would. Seth knows everyone around here." He pulled three bottles from the pack and put it in the fridge.

Gabrielle's heart leapt.
Yes.
The exact opening she had been hoping for. "Because he grew up around here, in Hinton." She made it sound casual, like she knew all about it.

"And he just knows how to talk to people." Tyler carried one of the bottles over to the table, where Sam had spread a roll of tools, and put it by her elbow.

"Thanks," Sam murmured. She was already absorbed in her work.

"You're really going to pull my computer apart?" Gabrielle asked.

"No," Sam said. "I'm going to do the equivalent of popping the hood on your car, and check for water in there. Then dry everything off with a hair dryer if anything is still wet. You don't want a lick of moisture in there when you run current through it, which I'm going to have to do long enough to get the photos off the hard drive. I don't have enough equipment here to take out the hard drive and mount it in anything else, which is the way I'd rather do it. So, a quick and dirty in, grab, and out. Then you can shut down the computer and use it as an anchor after that, for that's all it'll be good for."

Gabrielle looked at Tyler, startled.

He shrugged. "Makes sense to me," he said.

"And the camera?" Gabrielle asked.

"Well, you're lucky it's digital. If it was film, you'd have lost the lot. Same deal. Open it up, dry it off, whack some new batteries in it, get the photos off the hard drive, and use it for landfill." Sam took a swig of beer and grimaced. "It's a pity you weren't using a cheaper camera, one with a removable memory card. Then you could just pull it out of the camera, and toss the camera. Problem solved. But then I'd be missing out on gourmet pizza, so I guess there's an upside." She grinned.