Page 57 of Rescue Me (Tempting SEALs 6.10)

He smiled—the kind of smile that could melt even the coldest, most cautious of hearts. And, she realized, surprised to admit it, it was a smile that could turn into a problem before this camp-out was over.

“It’s been a good day,” he said simply. “We found three of our six items, the weather’s great, company’s good and tonight I’m going to do my most favorite thing in the entire world.”

She shot him an arched look.

“Stargaze,” he clarified with an evil grin. “You thought I was talking about something else, didn’t you?”

“Hey—what a man does in the privacy of his own sleeping bag is no concern of mine.”

She was really getting addicted to that laugh, she thought as his deep baritone rumble caressed the air. “Why didn’t I know you had such a bawdy sense of humor?”

“Maybe because you’re usually in my face and roaring over something I did that you didn’t like?”

“There is that,” he agreed with a sage nod, then, grinning like that little boy again, he opened up the novel. He cleared his throat dramatically. “‘Moonlight danced across the gentle rise of her breasts—’”

She reached across the distance and snatched the book out of his hands. “Haven’t you got a fire to start or something?”

“Darlin’ … that’s what I’m trying to do if you’d only cooperate.”

Sporting a grin that should be illegal, he rose and dug a lightweight portable camp stove out of his pack then set out the makings for their dinner.

Definitely illegal, Elena thought as she dug into her own pack for dinnerware. So were those devil blue eyes that danced and teased, flirted and tempted.

Despite his obvious and outrageous flirting, like it or not, as the day had progressed, she’d started seeing him in a whole new light. If he’d come on to her all heavy and macho—and he was coming on to her—she’d have dismissed him and his frequent smiles out of hand. But he was having fun with it. Even making fun of himself. Reading from a romance novel, for God’s sake. Just to make her laugh.

And yeah, to make her hot.

Which, unfortunately, he had, Elena admitted as she checked her water supply. Of all the reactions she’d expected to have to Seth King on this trip, the last one she’d seen coming was attraction, or that, considering their history, she might actually like him.

Oh, well. She was a big girl and this was a short camp-out. A bubble, she reminded herself, which would pop the minute they climbed out of this canyon tomorrow night.

Didn’t mean she couldn’t look a little in the meantime, though, did it? So she did. She indulged in a little guilty pleasure and watched the play of light and shadow dance across his handsome face as he hunkered down to start the burner on his camping stove. Enjoyed the hard angle of his jaw, the lush mobility of his lips, the thick dark lashes that hid his eyes as he struck a match and lit the flame.

Two flames, she admitted reluctantly, as a warm flush spread low in her belly.

Lord. She dragged her gaze away from all that man who had ignited all this heat. Save me from myself.

“AND HE COOKS, TOO,” Elena said, tasting her pasta.

“In and out of the kitchen,” Seth agreed, digging into his own dinner.

She didn’t say anything, but Seth got the reaction he wanted. A reluctant grin. A roll of her eyes. A little shake of her head.

Yeah, she was trying her damnedest not to find him funny and maybe a little cute, but he could tell he was starting to get to her.

“This is the life, huh?” he observed with a nod toward the canyon walls stretching out for miles around them. This deep in the Canyon, every color from bone to red, to umbers and rich sand colors decorated the striated canyon walls.

“Yeah,” she agreed with just the right amount of awe in her voice to tell him how much she really loved it here. “Peace. Perfection. Unequalled beauty. It’s daunting. Humbling to face the elements and the isolation.”

She glanced at him, the wonder she felt for the Canyon coloring her voice and her expression. “Did you know that over four and a half million people visit each year and less than one percent ever make it off the rim?”

“Don’t know what they’re missing.” He waited a beat then decided to chance it. “I’m beginning to think I’ve been missing something too.”

When she held his gaze, he knew she recognized his look and his statement for what it was. He wasn’t referring to the Canyon. He was referring to missing out on something with her. Instead of an instant rebuff or a “Cool your jets, cowboy,” she just looked thoughtful.

That encouraging reaction made something other than his heart swell.

Down, boy. You don’t rush a woman like Elena Martinez. Yet all he could think about was the possibility of ending this evening with a kiss—maybe a little something more.

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