The Sextet - Entanglements [The Sextet Anthology, Volume 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (20 page)

“We really need to keep challenging him, Dad. Now that our summer program is expanding, I think he’d be a great candidate to head up the new promo department.”

Rebecca pushed back a niggle of guilt about eavesdropping. But, she figured, if the man wanted privacy, he should have the conversation inside his room.

Now there he was, sharing the spotlight with an employee. More than that really, he was all but telling his father to promote the guy.

It didn’t jibe.
At least not with the Cam she accused of jerking that opportunity out from under her. But the Cam she’d been on the edge of falling in love with. Yeah, it was him all over.

She heard a door close above her. Figuring Cam had gone back into his room, Rebecca stepped back off of the curb, walked over, and opened the vehicle door. Bending over and then reaching behind the seat, she found her light boots.

“That’s still a fine-looking ass.”

Damn!
“Would you stop this sneaking up on me? It’s starting to get old.” Rebecca eased back from the vehicle and looked up to where Cam leaned over the railing of the upper floor of rooms.

“I could come down there if you’d prefer.”

Before she could respond, he’d hooked a leg over the railing, and like the climber he was, dangled momentarily over the edge before letting go and dropping the final three or four feet to the pavement. “There, that’s better.”

She felt her stomach clench. Without the cadre of students around to act as a buffer, she had to deal with the object of her growing desire on that oh-so-dangerous, one-to-one level. “I guess.” She shrugged her shoulders and tried to glance over at the door to her room. “I was only coming out to get my other boots for tomorrow.”

He hooked a finger in one boot, giving it an easy tug. “I see you found them.”

When she didn’t move, he trailed that finger up her bare arm, sending shivers of goose bumps all over her skin. “You know you’re going to have to talk to me sooner or later, Rebecca. And not just in the classroom or up on the mountain.”

She swallowed hard, her mouth parched. “We—we don’t have anything to talk about.”

Cam chuckled under his breath. “Oh, yes we do. You stopped taking my phone calls. Didn’t answer my e-mails. Something happened.”

She looked away. “What if I’m not ready to talk about that?”

His fingertip circled her T-shirt–covered shoulder and then moved up her neck to her chin. A gentle push, and he turned her face to where she had to look him right in the eyes.

“Then this is your notice, Rebecca. Get ready. ’Cause before we leave here, you are going to tell me.”

She opened her mouth to reply. “But—”

He pulled his finger away from her chin and then waggled it in front of her face. “No buts. And just so you don’t forget.”

Cam’s hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her hard against him. Close enough for her to feel the heat of his body, his breath soft against her cheek, and the hard ridge of his cock straining against his jeans.

And then he claimed her mouth with his. Sweet, gentle, but at the same time, totally in control. His tongue plundering, exploring, devouring. Encouraging her to do the same.

And damn her, she did.

Rebecca leaned in to the kiss, reaching up to rake her fingers through his dark hair, her breasts flattening against his chest. It brought back wave after searing wave of memories. Tangled sheets, sweat-slick skin, and racing pulses as they’d spent night after night appeasing the fire that threatened to consume both of them.

As suddenly as he’d begun, Cam ended the kiss. He pulled his face back just far enough that she could focus on his features and for a moment, looked right into her eyes.

“And that, my dear, is how I know you
are
going to talk to me.”

* * * *

Rebecca stopped just outside the open office door, tapping on the frame. “You got a minute, Bryce?”

Her mentor looked up from the stack of exams. “I couldn’t talk you into entering these scores into the system, could I?”

She shook her head. “How’d they do?”

“No one’s getting voted off the island, if that’s what you mean.”

“I was a little worried about Lori and Rob. They’re solid up on the climbs but don’t seem to test well.” Rebecca walked over to the chair in front of Bryce’s desk. She turned it around, straddled the seat, and then crossed her arms on the back. “I need to pick your brain on somethin’. And it can’t leave this office.”

“Sure. What ’cha need?”

“How much do you know about the folks that run Wentworth Gear?”

Bryce rubbed a hand over his cheek. “They sell quality stuff.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

He walked over and closed the door. “Like you said, this doesn’t leave the office.” Bryce settled back into his chair. “The man who started the company, real stand-up kinda guy from what I hear. Opened the business right after World War II on his SAS muster out pay. He passed away back in the early ’90s. The son’s been running the show since then.”

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her folded arms. “And this son?”

“Decent enough. Just not the hands-on kinda boss his father was. I met him on a climb in the Italian Alps once. Bragged about how the advantage to being in charge was never having to be at the office.”

There was something more he wasn’t telling her. “Come on, Bryce. I know you’re keeping something from me.”

“It’s the grandson. By title, he’s just running promotion and advertising, but with papa away so much.” Bryce cocked his head to the side and flared his hands out. “From what I hear, it’s all about making a buck for him. Ethics be damned.”

She shook her head. “I was supposed to be in this year’s ad campaign.”

His eyes widened. “But Cam did. Oh, now I see.”

“Yeah.” She pushed herself up out of the chair. “Thanks for the info.” Rebecca headed to the door and eased it open. “Not a word about this to anyone. Especially Cam.”

Chapter 4

Cam leaned on the supporting post right outside her door and watched as Rebecca made expert work of the three-point turnaround, backing into the available slot.

“I want it in the record that I am not sneaking up behind you this time.”

She glared over at him as she shoved the vehicle door open. “Just give me a few minutes to grab my gear, and we can get going.”

They’d been alerted earlier this morning that melting snow and ice had forced closure of certain climb routes on the mountain. With tomorrow being a testing day for the students, he and Rebecca now had to go up and lay out an alternate route.

“You’re not that late, no reason to rush.” He reached down and picked up the rucksack that sat at his feet, casually brushing against her arm.

Hearing her pull in a startled little breath and then watching as she fumbled her key card a couple of times before successfully disengaging the lock gave him a satisfied smile. Regardless of how much she protested, he still had an effect on her. When she pushed open the door, he followed her in.

“I don’t remember inviting you in. I might need to change clothes or something.”

He flashed his best cocky grin. “First off, there’s a bathroom door if you are really shy. And second, I’ve seen you naked. Recently, I might add.”

“That will not be happening again.” She tossed her purse onto the bed.

He watched her snap open one of those oversized lidded totes and sort through carefully wrapped lengths of rope. Selecting four or five, she then pulled out a bag. From the metal clinking, he could tell it contained her D rings and the rest of the small hardware needed for their trip up the rock.

She looked back over her shoulder. “Got everything you need? As you can see, I’ve got extra.”

“This climb’s only supposed to be moderate difficulty, right?”

“Yeah, but there’s a shortcut some of them might know and try to use to shave off some time. I kinda suspect it’s gonna be, to borrow the skiers’ term, a double black diamond right about now.”

“Then we’d better check it out first while we’re certain of good light.”

They loaded the gear in her vehicle. His rental car was not cut out for the gravel trail leading to the starting point. Cam stopped himself before holding out a hand for the keys. If he was going to get her talking, antagonizing her over who was going to drive would not be a good way to start.

Once clear of the stop-and-go town traffic, he figured he could have more of her attention.

“Just you and me here now, Becca.” He halfway hoped using the nickname might keep her from biting his head off right away. “What happened between us?”

She gripped the wheel tighter. “I didn’t believe it at first, but even you aren’t that good of an actor. You seriously don’t know, do you?”

What unimaginable sin had he committed? “No, I don’t. It’s why I kept calling.”

“Wentworth.”

Well that didn’t tell him anything. “What about them?”

“This year’s ad campaign.”

Could the woman be any more evasive? Then a thought struck him. “Casey was just a model they hired to be in the shots with me. I swear to you, Rebecca, nothing happened.”

She looked over at him, the disbelief blatant on her face. “Jealous? You think I got jealous over some blonde bimbo model?” The laughter she tried to fight back had her shoulders shaking. “You are so not even close.”

“Then what the hell was it? I’m serious here, Rebecca. I deserve to know. We were lovers, damn it.”

“
Were
is the operative word there.” She drove for almost a full minute in utter silence. “Exactly when did Wentworth approach you about being in the ads?”

“I don’t know. Just before Christmas, I think.” He turned to look at her. “What’s that got to do with it?”

“Ads like that come out in early spring. Didn’t it strike you as kinda late?”

“Justin Wentworth said something about another climber backing out at the last minute.”

Rebecca shook her head. “He didn’t tell you who, did he?”

“He couldn’t, he said. Contract, legal issues. You know.”

“Then I’m telling you right now. I didn’t back out.”

* * * *

She hadn’t said another word for the remainder of the drive, giving him time to process what she’d told him. She’d been Wentworth’s first choice, then for some reason, the company had reneged on the deal. That much was now obvious. But why be mad at him?

After unloading the small amount of gear they needed, the two of them headed up the trail to where tomorrow they would, one by one, send the students on a mapped-out course. Not only was it a timed exercise, but then each student had to write up a report on what skill level it required and the sort of climber the specific trail would appeal to.

He’d let her take the lead as they did the easy hike up to the starting point. The confident and yet utterly female way she moved had always fascinated him.
Concentrate, boy-o.
He had to get her talking again, and soon.

“What did they tell you when they cancelled your contract?”

She strode on ahead of him but answered. “That I didn’t fit the new demographics they were shooting for. They were out to push mountaineering to more women. Coming out with a new line of gear, they told me.”

That meshed with what they’d told him. Partially. Jason Wentworth had hinted of a prima-donna climber who’d wanted more and then had backed out. Cam would be doing them a big favor.

“You and I both got lied to, darlin’.”

As they continued to the first checkpoint, he laid out his side of the story. The longer he talked, the more Rebecca began to believe him.

With what Bryce had told her, it was all too clear now. “So he twisted around the same story to both of us?” she said as she checked her timer and map coordinates.

Cam nodded. “The only thing I can’t figure out is why. I mean, you’re a very well-known woman in the sport. If I had a company like Wentworth, you’re exactly what I’d look for to pull in other women.”

She had to laugh, because she saw what he’d missed. “Yeah, you, as a guy would. Women don’t want to see the competition. They wanna see what they can get by climbing.” When he gave her a confused look, she continued. “You, my hunky friend. They want to think they can get a hot guy if they learn to climb.”