Читать книгу Rule Breaker - Joanne Rock - Страница 13

Sunlight pried at April’s eyes the next morning.

Too early, she thought, for it to be so bright. Her body was exhausted. And hot.

Pulling herself from layers of sleep, she struggled to figure out why she’d be so warm. Her limbs were pinned by a heavy weight on one side. Her nose was buried against...a man?

Memories of the night before returned in a moment as blinding as the sun streaming across one side of her face. The avalanche threat. The trudge through deep snow only to make camp with Weston. Falling asleep in his arms.

Which was a spot she’d clearly enjoyed, based on the way she was wrapped around him now like a second skin. How had her sleeping bag unzipped enough to allow so much proximity? She had one arm threaded under his to splay across his strong back. One thigh tucked between his. Her cheek and nose were pressed tight to his chest, where his heartbeat slugged. The fabric of the thermal shirt he wore hugged every inch of him as tightly as she did.

But the point of all the heat she felt was focused in the cradle of her hips, where the most intriguing part of his anatomy stirred.

Her breath caught in a strangled gasp as she scrambled back.

Weston let go of her immediately, making her realize he’d been awake the whole time. Which only added to her flustered state.

“Good morning.” His voice was rough from sleep, his tone polite and reasonable, though she detected a hint of mild amusement.

“Is it?” she asked, confused to note her covers twisted around one knee while the rest of her remained under the warmth of his heavy coat.

Her gaze went to his body, where she caught a glimpse of his powerful legs and narrow hips before he shifted his own sleeping bag over him like a blanket.

“We’re still here,” he reminded her. “Whole and warm, ready for another day. I’d call that good news after the weather conditions we faced last night.”

Belatedly, she noticed the snowdrift on one side of the tent was almost halfway up the canvas wall. No doubt that had helped insulate them against the cold, along with the natural body heat they’d gained by wrapping themselves around each other.

“I don’t know how my sleeping bag unzipped.” She couldn’t help but raise the issue, since it embarrassed her to think she’d helped herself to Weston’s body during the night.

She liked to think she had a stronger-than-average sense of personal space. Healthy boundaries. And while she’d been fine with pressing together through the fabric of two down barriers when they’d been trying to go to sleep, she felt completely undone at the idea of waking up with her leg between his thighs.

Lifting her gaze to his face, she was stunned all over again to notice how little space still separated them. During the night, at least, it had been dark enough that she couldn’t see his perceptive hazel gaze on her.

“You probably did that in your sleep.” He was a kind man to give her a face-saving excuse for why she was attached to him like a barnacle this morning. “I woke up a couple of hours into the storm and realized I was burning up, so I unzipped my sleeping bag and used it like a blanket.”

“Hmm.” She was all too aware of how hot things had gotten during the coldest night she’d ever spent outdoors.

Talking about it wasn’t going to make her any less flustered.

If anything, her body still tingled with awareness everywhere she’d touched him. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive, like every nerve ending had been awakened at the hands of this man. Why did he have to be someone so important to her investigation? For a moment, she wondered what might have happened between them if she didn’t have that professional duty holding her back.

Well, that and the fact that Weston was anxious for her to take her questions and leave Mesa Falls Ranch. She couldn’t do that until she’d tracked down answers, and she’d do well to remember that barrier between them since she’d been so quick to tear down the physical ones. Her subconscious obviously wanted him, even if the rest of her knew that was a very bad idea. She needed this job. The order, the respectability had saved her in so many ways. Without it? Hell, she couldn’t even consider risking her job for anyone.

“How do you feel this morning, April?” he asked, jarring her from her worries. “Are you ready to try the descent now that the snow has stopped?”

Sunlight beckoned.

And so did the chance to resurrect boundaries with the compelling man next to her.

She nodded, already mentally ticking through today’s to-do list to keep herself from thinking about Weston. “I can have my gear packed in five minutes.”

Her five-minute prediction turned out to be optimistic. April hadn’t counted on how much the deep snow would hamper her efforts, or how much her mother’s phone calls would distract her.

She’d ignored the first two times the notifications chimed as she laced up her boots and loaded her backpack. But by the third time the chime sounded as they began the descent, she was too worried not to pick up.

Weston had insisted on walking in front of her to check the soundness of the snow. He’d given himself the much harder job in the process, since his powerful stride cleared a path for her. Even so, the deep, fluffy powder was exhausting to wade through.

“Mom?” she answered once she fished the device from her pocket, knowing she needed to make this brief. For her own safety, she had to focus on what she was doing. “Is anything wrong? I’m on the mountain, so it’s not the best time—”

“I just wanted you to know that I’ve fired the cleaning service.” Breathing heavily, her mother sounded tearful.

Anxiety spiked, but April tried not to let it explode into full-blown panic. The cleaners were expensive because they specialized in helping people like Holly Stephens. April had hired them, not her mom, so she didn’t think they could be fired so easily.

“I’m sorry they’ve upset you.” She dragged in a long breath of the cleansing cold, preparing to smooth things over with the company. “Can I speak to Emily and maybe I can get things sorted out?”

“It’s too late for that!” Her mother’s voice rose an octave. “I tried calling you before it came to that, but you were too busy to help.”

April swallowed convulsively. She loved her mom, but she hated this stress. It was difficult enough when she was in the same town as her mother, but now, many miles from her Denver home, there was nothing she could do to fix things.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” She kept her voice low, hoping Weston couldn’t hear all of this. Even though he wore a fleece headband around his ears today instead of a balaclava, she wasn’t banking on it. “I’m in Montana right now, hiking through snow and hazardous conditions or I would come over—”

“It’s no problem.” Her mother cut her off, a new curtness in her voice. “I just wanted you to know so you didn’t harass me about the cleaning company anymore. Emily wanted me to throw out one of the brand-new bolts of fabric. Have you ever heard of such waste?”

With some murmured words of sympathy, April was able to extricate herself from the call a few moments later, but the worry remained. Keeping her mother safe required more time and money every year, sacrifices April would gladly make if it truly helped. But when her mom resisted more and more frequently, it made her efforts feel futile.

“Everything okay?” Weston called back over his broad shoulder, lifting his goggles to look at her.

For a moment, as she saw the concern in his expression and heard it in his voice, she allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to have someone like that in her life. Someone who cared about her daily trials. Someone to share the burden with.

It was a crazy, foolish thought for someone like Weston to inspire, since he was decidedly off-limits as a key to her investigation. Besides, the life of a wealthy and influential rancher was a world apart from the one she lived.

“Everything’s fine,” she lied, needing to resurrect some mental and emotional boundaries with the man she’d spent a memorable night with.

“Didn’t sound fine.” He slowed his pace so she could catch up with him, his hazel gaze tracking her, sliding right past those boundaries she needed. But perhaps he read her reticence in her eyes, because he changed topics as she neared him. “Are you warm enough? Am I going too fast?”

Grateful for the reprieve from talking about her mom and even more grateful to seize on the topic of climbing, which had always been her favorite escape from her home life, she launched into questions about the terrain. How he read the snow, how he could tell what kind of surface was beneath it, what to look for when gauging avalanche conditions.

All things she was interested in. All much safer topics than her mom. If only she could distract herself from her attraction to him as easily.

It didn’t take an expert in body language to read April’s cues.

Weston had seen the guardedness in her expression after her tense phone call, so he’d given her an out and she’d grabbed it like a lifeline. At first, he’d thought she was just trying to distract him from asking questions, but her curiosity about the Bitterroot Mountains and his rescue work revealed a dedicated climber’s knowledge. He found himself enjoying the long trudge down to his truck, a trip that took far longer than it should have given the depth of the snow. Besides, he knew she’d been exhausted the night before. He didn’t want her to deplete her energy completely.

Plus, he was glad to forge a connection on another level after the awkward way she’d awoken in his arms that morning. He didn’t know who’d made the first move to initiate the contact, but he’d never forget the feel of her soft and warm in his arms. She didn’t know that he’d emerged from sleep before her, or that he’d found his hand tantalizingly affixed to her breast. Thank goodness she didn’t know. Breaking that contact had been what had awoken her. Those sensory memories had tormented him all day long.

Now, as they paused for a water break and a shared protein bar, he found himself wanting to know more about her. About what caused those shadows in her eyes after the call from her mother. He understood something about painful family relationships. And while he wasn’t in the habit of revealing details of his personal life, he couldn’t help but think that a shared experience might help her, if only to remind this strong, capable woman that she wasn’t alone.

After capping the water, they renewed their trek. The path widened and the incline decreased, making the walking easier. She stayed close to him, her cheeks flushed pink from the exercise, but she kept pace without a problem. He’d done this descent hundreds of times himself, so it was simple enough to focus on her. The conditions were solid here even with the foot of fresh powder. A winter wonderland glittered all around them, dazzling white from the intense sun.

“I won’t ask you about your family,” he began, hoping to put her at ease. “But I can tell you that living far from mine has improved my relationship with them.” Which still wasn’t saying much, considering they hardly spoke. But it was better than the hurtful exchanges they’d had all too often when he lived on the family’s ranch.

“You’re fortunate you have that option,” she said tightly, breath huffing in the cold air.

“I realize that. I’m often reminded how lucky I am to have a brother who has never made a misstep in his life at the helm of our family’s ranch.” Weston wasn’t exactly bitter. It was tough to hold a grudge against Miles when he’d never done a damned thing wrong. “But I found it frustrating to continually fall short of my parents’ expectations for me.”

“You’re the black sheep?” She sounded surprised.

“That’s putting it kindly.” On second thought, the tension in his shoulders just thinking about the Rivera family made him realize how much he didn’t care to unearth old pains, even for her benefit. “But it did help to put some physical distance between me and them. Do you have siblings?”

“No. Just me.” She was quiet for so long he nearly replied, but then she continued. “And my mother isn’t someone I can leave alone for long. She has a hoarding disorder, in addition to some other issues that aren’t as obvious or well managed, and I worry about her safety when I’m not with her.”

“That sounds stressful.” He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but it hadn’t been that. “Is she getting treatment?”

“Not as much as I would like.” April’s boots trudged a soft rhythm beside his, and he took in how she tucked her thumbs under the straps of her backpack as she redistributed the weight on her shoulders. “The condition was only recently reclassified as a distinct mental health issue, and I feel like her current doctor isn’t doing all she can to help with my mother’s specific problems.”

“Is your father around to help?” Weston realized he was on more precarious terrain in the conversation than they were on the mountainside as the landscape evened out a bit more. He hadn’t meant to pry.

“No. They divorced when I was in my teens, after the house started getting out of control with Mom’s purchases.” She gave an awkward shrug as they ducked into a thicket of trees. “I’m the only one Mom has.”

“That’s a lot for you. For any one person.” It also said a hell of a lot about the burdens she carried. No wonder she was a fearless climber. Real life had thrown her plenty of other obstacles.

“There are more and more resources out there. Even if I can’t get as much aid from her doctor as I would like, at least we have access to more programs as social awareness of the condition grows.” She glanced his way just as his all-terrain vehicle, completely covered in a mound of snow, finally came into view at the trailhead. “Is that yours?”

“Yes.” He offered her a smile, grateful to be close to home again but regretting not getting to learn more about her while she’d been sharing her story with him. “We’re almost home free.”

Reaching the vehicle, they worked side by side to brush off the worst of the snow. He noticed April gave herself completely to the task; apparently she was done talking for the day. While he understood that urge to shut down about family, he couldn’t help but ask one more question.

“What set you on your career path? Financial forensics seems fairly specialized.” Once he could open a door of his ATV freely, he withdrew a compact snow shovel and dug around the wheels, just enough to get them going.

They’d be fine once the ATV was in motion, but he needed some space around it to gain traction and momentum first.

She smoothed her glove along the top of a tire, swiping off the snow with her hand since there was only one shovel. “I received an accounting degree but worked for a PI in college to make some extra cash. I sat on stakeouts, followed cheaters, took some pictures...just legwork. Being around his office helped me to see my path.”

Standing up straight, Weston moved to the last tire as his brain shuffled through the new information.

“Now you follow money instead of people.” He could see where the order of finances would appeal to someone who grew up the way she’d described.

“People can try to create a smokescreen with their finances, but in the end, the numbers don’t lie.”

Her assessment of her job stuck with him as he loaded their packs in the vehicle. He’d heard the note of pride in her voice. It was obvious she gained professional satisfaction from succeeding at her work. Which only underscored his certainty that she wouldn’t let this case go.

Opening the passenger-side door for her, he asked, “Are you ready to return to civilization?”

“Yes, please.” She pulled off her hat and goggles, her blue eyes a clear, deep sea as she peered up at him.

Memories of waking up to her in his arms returned. The awareness of her hadn’t retreated, even with the reminder that her work was going to be a thorn in his side.

“And you’re still staying at the main lodge?” He knew for a fact she hadn’t checked out. But he was curious what she’d say about her plans moving forward. As much as he resented her investigation, her work was being financed by Devon Salazar, Alonzo’s son. So Weston preferred not to ask her to leave outright.

Ideally, she would give up on her own without anyone at Mesa Falls having to cross swords with the Salazar heirs.

“I am.” She stepped into the ATV. “I’ll be at Mesa Falls Ranch until I find the answers I need.”

Grinding his teeth, he closed her door, then slid into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine, trying to figure out what that meant for him.

He really should be keeping track of her progress on the investigation since he had a vested interest in keeping his former mentor out of the public eye. If April uncovered Alonzo’s secrets—and he was beginning to think she wouldn’t give up until she did just that—Weston needed to be there for damage control. Or to spin the story more favorably.

Just the thought of it made his shoulders tense up again.

He debated his next move as he drove them down the mountain. He passed his house, pointing it out to April on the way to the main lodge. By the time he arrived at her accommodations and switched off the engine, he knew he couldn’t return to his old way of dealing with her by ignoring her. There was no denying they’d forged some kind of connection on that mountain. If anything, he was already thinking about what it would be like to wake up next to her again. In a much warmer bed.

Mind made up, and intrigued by the prospect of seeing her again, he opened his door and retrieved her backpack before coming around to assist her. The snow wasn’t as deep here, telling him the storm hadn’t been nearly as bad in the valley as it had been on the peaks.

“I can’t thank you enough for coming to my aid last night, Weston,” she said as she took his hand and allowed him to help her from the low vehicle.

“You can if you have dinner with me tonight.” He liked the plan even more when he saw a momentary flash of feminine interest in her eyes.

Awareness.

The expression was fleeting, though, quickly replaced by a nervous nibble on her lip as she reached for her bag.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, since my investigation is sure to put us at odds again.” She hugged her backpack closer.

Did she feel like she needed a barrier with him? The idea gave him pause. He sure as hell didn’t want to make her nervous.

“I understand.” He wouldn’t pressure her. She’d had an exhausting couple of days, made more stressful by whatever crisis was happening at home. “But you know where to find me, and I promise no more threatening to have security cart you off if you want to talk.”

A small smile played around her lips at the reminder of their previous meeting.

“Even if I ask nosy questions?”

“I think we’ve passed that point in our relationship after last night.” He wasn’t going to pretend something significant hadn’t happened up there. “You have a job to do, and I respect that.”

That didn’t mean he had to like it.

“And you still want to have dinner?” she clarified, her professional mind clearly at work on the problem.

Sensing victory, he was surprised at the rush of pleasure he felt at the idea of spending an evening with her. She’d gotten under his skin fast.

“I do.” He relished the idea of seeing her relaxed by candlelight. Last night had been too anxiety-filled for both of them. “We deserve to toast our success in weathering the storm.”

Just thinking about something happening to her made his gut go cold again.

“In that case, I will have dinner with you, Weston.” She smiled, and he caught a glimpse of another side of her that he hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t deliberately flirtatious, but it was definitely aware.

A blast of heated attraction banished the chill of a moment prior, and he couldn’t wait for tonight.