As Rush slowed the truck and guided it up the slightly winding road toward the cabin, he stole a quick glance at Alessandra. The expression on her face was enough to make him momentarily forget the frustrated tumble of thoughts related to his pseudo-boss.
The redhead’s full lips were parted a little, her body leaned forward. Her baby-blue gaze was intent on the parted trees, and there was definitely recognition in her eyes. He followed her stare and after just a moment, he realized she was staring at the cabin, which peeked through the foliage every few seconds. He sought her face again, confirming that she did look like she knew exactly what to expect.
She’s been here before, Rush thought, his mind taking a different turn. When? With who? Garibaldi? He paused, irritation heating his neck. And why the hell does the idea bother me?
Under the cover of his glasses, he narrowed his eyes, then jerked his attention back to last stretch of road in front of them. He really had no reason to care where Alessandra had been in the past, or whom she’d been with. But that didn’t seem to be stopping him from wondering. If he was being honest, it pricked at him, also, that she called the other man by his first name, when everyone under the sun seemed to call him by Mr. Garibaldi instead.
Rush gritted his teeth, annoyed at himself for even being annoyed in the first place. He had an urge to step on the gas and floor it until he had no choice but to either slam on the brakes or drive into the hillside.
Yeah, Atkinson. Really mature means of dealing with things.
He gritted his teeth even harder and eased his foot up a little, just to prove that he was perfectly capable of controlling his temper. The Lada slowed to a crawl. Alessandra didn’t comment, and another quick look at her told Rush she was still focused on their nearing destination. Which was a good thing. It gave him an extra minute to try to sort through his thoughts in a calm manner.
He’d been steering the conversation toward Garibaldi under the pretense of finding out what she knew about the man’s enterprises in Whispering Woods, illegal or otherwise. After all, it was what his boss had asked him to do.
Now you’re taking Garibaldi’s orders to heart? Are you going to kill her, too?
He shoved off the dark sarcasm. Obviously, he had no intention of following through on that particular request. He did, however, need a means around it. A convincing argument. An irrefutable one. If she knew a single damned thing about Garibaldi’s opiate business, it was going to be impossible. So Rush had a valid excuse for questioning her. One that lined up with his job and his current mission. If those reasons coincided with Garibaldi’s request, then so be it. Hell. It might even buy him a little time, if he could string his boss along with any of what Alessandra said.
Except so far... Rush wasn’t sure what to make of the tidbits of information she’d given out. He considered himself more than capable of getting a good, quick read on people. He was pretty damned sure every word out of Alessandra’s mouth was the truth, but something felt off. Like her words were true, but her motivation for sharing them was less than straightforward. It made him want to scratch his head.
What was she hiding? He was truly curious.
As they rounded the final piece of road and came up to the flat, packed-dirt driveway in front of the cabin and its tall stairs, he flicked a third glance her way. This time, she was looking right back at him, her baby blues flooded with emotion. It was impossible to say which was most dominant. Worry? Sadness? Fear? He didn’t know for sure.
What wasn’t impossible, though, was to say how her mixed expression affected him. Rush’s chest compressed, and before he could stop to think if it was the right thing to do or not, her put the Lada into Park and reached a hand over the console. He clasped her fingers and gave them a squeeze.
She didn’t try to pull away. In fact, she clung to his hand. Her skin was soft and warm, and her hand fit just right in his. A jolt of electric attraction shot up from the space where their palms met. The feeling startled Rush so badly that it took him a moment to recall that his touch had a purpose. It got worse when he accidentally drew in a sharp breath. Her sweet, pleasant scent filled his nose in a way that bordered on mouthwatering.
Dammit.
He had to clear his throat of a sudden dryness, and he had to force an impassive tone, too. “You all right over there, Red?”
She offered him a nod that immediately became a headshake.
“I know this cabin,” she said, confirming his belief about her honesty.
“You’ve been here before?” he replied.
“No. But I’ve seen a dozen pictures of it.” Her eyelids sank down, her long red lashes brushing her face as she inhaled. She held on to him even tighter, then murmured something that didn’t make any sense. “Glad I put that in storage.”
Rush frowned, puzzled. Before he could ask for clarification, though, she opened her eyes again, their blue catching the light and holding him captive as her irises turned the same color as the sky.
“My parents had their honeymoon here,” she told him.
Surprised, Rush looked from her to the cabin, then back again. “Here? You’re sure?”
“One hundred percent. They talked about it all the time when I was a kid. The way the cabin was built into the hill. The big porch.” She paused. “Have you been inside?”
He nodded. “A few times. The boss likes it because it’s private.”
“I think that’s the same reason my parents liked it so much.” A smiled tipped up Alessandra’s lips, and she added, “Well. Maybe not quite the same.”
Rush was distracted by the curve of her mouth. She had an unusual dimple. It wasn’t in her cheek. More in the groove beside her smile. He had a nearly unstoppable urge to reach out and caress it. His free hand itched to do it, and he had to order himself not to make the move. When he spoke, though, his words were almost as bad as a touch.
“It is a pretty romantic setting,” he said.
Alessandra lifted one of her already arched eyebrows and shot a speculative look his way. “It is, isn’t it?”
Rush knew he should pull his fingers free. Hell. He shouldn’t have been holding her hand in the first place. Damn if he could do it. Instead, he gave her yet another squeeze, then eyed the cabin.
“It’s held up well for thirty years,” he said.
“Is it nice inside?” she asked. “Does it still have that window in the back that doesn’t look at anything except the rock face?”
Rush noted that her expression had changed again. It was wistful and a little hesitant, and he had a need to accommodate her feelings. Maybe it was a random moment of rare softness, or maybe it was brought on by the fact that he’d be equally torn by being allowed a glimpse into his parents’ past. There were things he’d like to know, but also plenty he’d rather not be privy to. It actually made his chest ache with a peculiar sense of loss. So he understood her hesitation, and he didn’t push Alessandra to jump out and explore the area right away. He could give her a moment and resume his soft interrogation later.
He offered her a nod. “The window’s still there. But it has a little crack up in one corner, and someone fixed it with some kind of epoxy, so there’s a jagged yellow line covering that spot.”
“Is it ugly? Or does it add character?”
“Definitely character.”
“Does the woodstove work?”
“Hope so. Gets cold up here at night.”
A long, silent moment hung in the air after Rush said it. He wondered if she felt the same trickle of realization. They were going to be alone in the cabin. Overnight was a strong possibility. It did get cold. And there was only one bed inside.
That’s not where you need your mind to be, Rush told himself.
It was impossible, though, to rid himself of the awareness of the impending circumstances. He could swear that the heat in the Lada rose a few degrees just thinking about it. The fact that Alessandra’s thumb started to move back and forth over his hand didn’t help things, either.
Stifling a groan—and a true reluctance to let go—Rush pulled his hand free and said, “Think you’re ready to go check it out?”
Alessandra’s gaze dropped to their separated hands, then lifted to his face, and the flash of heat he saw just before she nodded made him think he was heading straight into trouble. Which was saying something. Because Rush was a man who’d spent his entire adult life mingling with hardened criminals.
Alessandra climbed from the truck and watched as Rush wordlessly grabbed her bag from the back and started toward the staircase that led to the unusual cabin. It took her a moment to follow. Not because of the mix of emotions swirling through her. Though they definitely factored in. She was excited to see the place that had seemed like a piece of lore throughout her childhood. She was worried that she might find something connected to her father’s note, and equally afraid that she might not. The fact that Jesse owned the cabin filled her with unease and reinforced the thought that his invitation to join him in the small town was anything but a coincidence. But none of that was really what slowed her feet as she finally took a step forward. What made her hesitate was the idea that had occurred to her as she’d held hands with the man who was now effortlessly carrying her things up the stairs. The thought that wormed its way in when he mentioned how romantic the setting was, and when she agreed.
That maybe...the best way to get information from Rush Atkinson might be to employ a bit of good old-fashioned flirtation.
But the idea was so base that it was almost embarrassing.
Almost? she asked herself with a mental headshake. It’s stooping to the lowest of the low. Feminine wiles. What is this...the 1800s?
But she couldn’t shake the thought that it might work.
He was attracted to her, she was sure. She caught the way his gaze lingered on her lips for a second too long. Felt the quickening of his pulse when their palms were pressed together. If she could distract him with flirting, it might make it easier to slip in a more significant question or two. An extra touch here. A little query there.
Of course, a seduction on any level would mean actually having a set of eyelash-fluttering, giggle-giving, suggestive-comment-delivering skills. And Alessandra wasn’t convinced she did. She’d always been too straightforward to play games.
“I like you...do you like me...” she muttered under breath. “What’s so wrong with that?”
Rush stopped so abruptly that she nearly crashed into him. He turned his head. “Did you say something?”
Alessandra’s whole face heated. “No. Well. Uh. Yes. But it was nothing. Talking to myself.”
She couldn’t see his eyes or his forehead, but she got the feeling he was frowning at her. Thankfully, he didn’t push it. After a second, he just swiveled forward and resumed his trek up the stairs. And Alessandra waited until he was almost at the top before continuing behind him. Just in case.
Yeah... said her reasonable, internal self. So. About that flirting in order to extract information thing...how’s it going so far?
She rolled her eyes, brushed off the thought and focused on the moment. Rush was on the porch now, and showed no sign of exertion as he set down her bag. Alessandra recalled his easy strength when he’d boosted her out of the hole in the woods. Clearly, he was in good shape.
Well, she thought. Two can play at that game.
Channeling her inner fitness guru, she took the stairs quickly, pleased that she didn’t break a sweat. But when she reached the last step, she turned just enough to catch sight of the panoramic view, and all thought of cardiovascular superiority and botched seductions completely slipped away. Even the torn-up letter took a back seat. Awe took everything else’s place.
She couldn’t help but step forward to lean on the railing and take it all in. They weren’t all that high up, but the visibility was still incredible. On one side, it was trees as far as the eye could see, broken only by the narrow strips of road that cut through the mountains. On the other side, there was just a hint of the town. Alessandra imagined that at night, that hint would be made up of warm lights. And she bet that overhead, there’d be a million stars. She inhaled deeply. Fresh air and the scent of pine filled her nose and made her toes tingle. She exhaled, then breathed in again, wanting more. But this time, a muskier scent came in with the woodsy one, and she knew before he even spoke that Rush had moved in closer.
“Hell of a view,” he murmured.
His voice was right beside her ear and full of genuine pleasure. And Alessandra’s toes tingled for a different reason. Smiling, she started to turn. But he was even closer than she thought, and when she spun, she bumped right into him.
“Whoops!” Her face tipped up with the exclamation, and her breath caught.
Rush was inches away. He’d taken off his sunglasses and stuck them on top of his hat, and his chocolate gaze was trained her face. Warm. Caring. Lacking the resentment she would’ve assumed would be there. Like the mountain air had washed it away.
Then his eyes dropped down, and she realized it wasn’t just them that was inches apart. It was their lips. So close that she could feel the heat of them. And he didn’t move away.
“It’d be nice at night,” he said, echoing her own silent sentiment.
“Yes,” she agreed, her voice breathier than she would’ve liked.
Flirtation, a voice in her head reminded her.
Maybe it wouldn’t be quite so hard after all.
She leaned forward a little more and put her hand on his forearm. “I can see why my parents liked it here so much.”
He didn’t pull away. “You know what’s kind of funny...”
“What?”
“I’ve never appreciated it quite so much before.”
That, she thought. That right there is what you need. Smooooooth talking. Flirtatious words. Dammit. He’s not supposed to be saying them, you are. Get it together, Aless—
Her thoughts cut off abruptly. They had no choice. Because Rush’s lips came down, stopping any and all reason from working through her brain. Instead it did a Goldilocks routine.
His mouth warm, but not overpoweringly hot. Soft, but not too yielding. Not so big as to overwhelm her, but just big enough to encompass her. In other words, everything about his lips—everything about his kiss—fit her just right.
She actually felt a small moan building in her chest. It was a primal reaction. Her body liked kissing Rush and wanted to tell him. To show him, too, if her hands’ movement was any indication. They came up to Rush’s forearms, dancing over the tattoos she couldn’t see but knew were there. They slid over his pushed-up sleeves, then paused on his biceps. She could feel the thick muscle there, and her mind filled with an image of it. Of him. Bare from the waist up. Lean and tanned. Pressed against her. The thought of it brought the moan up higher. It slipped from her diaphragm to her trachea. It hung there for a moment, making the back of her throat ache. Then Rush’s tongue came out to touch—just barely—her bottom lip, and there was zero chance of Alessandra being able to hold in the sound any longer. It pushed free, vibrating between them. And it made Rush pull abruptly back.
He blinked down at Alessandra for a second, his brown eyes full of undisguisable want. Then he gave his head a visible shake, and he stepped away, his expression turning stony as he extricated himself from their brief embrace. When he spoke, his tone was equally stiff.
“Alessandra,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Her voice was as puzzled as her body, which was anything but apologetic.
“That was incredibly unprofessional of me.”
This is it, said the little voice in her head. Time for the flirting. Time for reaching out and telling him that you’re not sorry. That you wanted him to kiss you.
But she hesitated. It was something in the way he said “unprofessional” that gave her pause. Maybe it wasn’t in his best interest to kiss the woman he’d been tasked with babysitting. Alessandra could see that. But his emphasis made her think what he said had a little more meaning than that. He didn’t exactly give off a suit-and-tie, all-aboveboard vibe. And he definitely wasn’t afraid to argue with his boss. So stealing a kiss—one she was willing to give—hardly seemed like a serious offense. It piqued her curiosity, and as Rush snapped her bag up from the ground and moved toward the cabin door, Alessandra couldn’t help but wonder what she was missing.