Page 15 of High Seduction
“Like usual? Isn’t that what you want to say?” His eyes glittered brightly a second before he shivered, tugging his coat closer around himself. “You know me—trouble calls my name like a sweet siren, and I’m helpless to resist her.”
There were all kinds of innuendo in that sentence, and temptation poked Erin again.
Would getting him out of her system work as an inoculation? Or would it give her a full dose of the fever?
She was saved from having to decide as Tripp patted her on the back. “Great job, but I’m nearly frozen. Take us back to HQ, then I’ll treat you all to a trip to the hot springs.”
Oh lord, yes. “You are a gentleman and a prince.”
Anders turned to Tim. “You coming with us?”
She had to give him credit. He didn’t check her reaction. Ignored the potential danger—brave man—and answered Anders. “I’d love to.”
Marcus eyed Tim as he paced into HQ with the rest of the team. “You again. Did I hire you in my sleep, or something?”
“That would be a first.” Tim grinned. “Nah, I was out at the hill for an interview and to take in a little skiing, but it seemed the fates had other plans.”
“He did great,” Anders commented. “He, Alisha, and Erin stayed very cool under pressure. Very impressive, actually.”
“Credit where it’s due,” Tim offered. “Erin did her job, and Anders knows his stuff. Makes it easier to step off into the unknown when the support team is strong.”
Marcus looked volumes at the mutual back-patting going on, then let them off without a long debrief. “We’ll talk about the rescue tomorrow, once Alisha and Devon return. You guys look like human icicles. Go get warmed up,” he ordered.
They ended up at the Banff Hot Springs, Tim getting a ride over with Tripp. Erin distracted herself from thinking too hard by examining Banff with new eyes, trying to see it as a newcomer would. The decorative river rock covering all the buildings. Old-fashioned light posts lining Main Street. The mountains rising around town as a backdrop to the historic manors and castlelike hotels. It was beautiful and unique. A kind of medieval oasis mixed with rustic wilderness, the two meeting within inches of civilization.
Even the pool entrance featured thick rockwork on the walls, steam rising invitingly from the water’s surface beyond the observation deck. It truly was a fascinating and beautiful location.
By the time Erin had changed and persuaded herself to get her ass in the water, the three guys were already gathered in the deepest section of the pool, hanging on the wall and chatting. The curved surface in the northwest corner formed a semicircle for them to see each other’s faces while they floated.
She stepped in slowly, the heat making her toes tingle as the cold in her extremities leached away. The icy-cold air was pleasant now that there was hot water surrounding her.
Anders spotted her and gestured her forward, and she paced through the chest-deep water, relaxation wrapping around her physically and easing a little of the mental tension as well. It was hard to stay uptight when her body was melting.
“So we’ve already got the line in place to drop the kid, but he’s suddenly all panicked.” Tripp paused his storytelling to move aside to make room for Erin at the wall.
“We put you in the cabin with the shortest drop.” Anders frowned. “Was he that afraid of heights?”
Tripp shook his head. “We had them harnessed up, but we’d told them to leave their backpacks in the corner to be recovered later. His reaction only got worse when I told him he could reclaim his bag from the base camp, and that the RCMP would be around to make sure nothing got stolen. I thought he was going to pass out right then and there. I had to promise to send it down when I could.”
“Uh-oh. I see where this is going.” Anders rolled his eyes. “What was in the bag that he didn’t want found?”
A grin escaped Tripp. “Some of BC’s finest-grown pot. He didn’t have that much—he wasn’t dealing, but yeah, if the kid had smoked that much pot all by himself he could have flown down from the gondola car without being rescued.”
“Crazy kids.” Anders rested his head on the lip of the pool, nearly submerging himself. “What the hell do they need drugs for when they’re in the middle of that kind of terrain?”
“Who knows? Maybe the adrenaline rush of stepping off a vertical cliff with a snowboard strapped to their feet isn’t enough.” Tim slipped off the wall and stood in the open space in front of them, working his fingers over his shoulder muscles.
Erin couldn’t look away.
“Like I said, crazy kids.” Anders chuckled. He cracked open one eye. “You put something out during the rescue today?”
“Just tight. Been a while since I did that many buckles and lifts in a row.”
“Move over here,” Tripp offered. “If you’re not squeamish about a guy giving you a rubdown.”
Tim slipped in front of the other man. “Hell, no. I’m not an idiot.”
The hot water had already taken the edge off the dreaded cold that had settled in Erin’s veins during the time they’d spent in the air. The changing expressions Tim offered as Tripp dug his thumbs into tight muscle spots, the occasional groan of affirmation as Tripp hit tender spots—
