His lips pressed into a hard line and his expression grew colder as she finished. “Are you done?” he asked sharply. “I can assure you I have the highest of ethical expectations of myself as well as others. All I’d really ask of you is that you put whatever baggage is obviously bothering you behind you while we work together.” A small grin tipped up the corners of his lips. “And if we should decide to take our relationship beyond the professional, it should only be because you find me as irresistible as I find you, Janna.”
His grin deepened as he approached the counter and placed a finger under her chin. She gulped. So close. Those sapphire eyes seemed to go on and on. She pulled back, snapping her chin out of his grasp and taking deep breaths to try and undo the hold he had on her.
“Don’t count on it,” she grated out, folding her arms over her chest to hide her heightened breathing. “Don’t count on it, Ryder Hart.”
He raised an eyebrow as he stepped back. “Ah, so you know who I am? I couldn’t tell from your lack of response at my earlier introduction.” He took out his phone and checked it, tapping it a few times with a tense expression before placing it back in his pocket. “Well, then you should know what Ryder Hart wants, Ryder Hart gets. And when I set my mind on an acquisition, it’s only a matter of time before it’s mine.”
Her heart beat hard at that. “I’m not something to be acquired,” she spat out angrily. “And I can’t work with you if you see it that way.”
He shrugged and threw out a number. “That’s what I’ll pay you for coming up to the lodge. Should take only a few days, maybe a week, max. Think it over.”
Her heart stammered. That was enough to get her out of the lousy mortgage on this place and happily settled in civilization. “Why would you pay me that?” she asked suspiciously. “There’s no way I’m worth that.”
He gave her a hard smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Then maybe you aren’t giving yourself the correct valuation.” He held out a hand. “Do we have a deal or not?”
She eyed him skeptically. She didn’t know if she should really trust this mysterious man, but then again, if he did anything untoward, there were about a million journalists who would want to hear about it.
She bit her lip and thrust her hand into his. He caught it and jerked up the sleeve in a smooth movement to place a kiss on the top of her hand.
“Perfect,” he said. “Looking forward to working with you. I have a few more errands in town. I’ll pick you up in an hour, sound good?”
She blinked. She’d need to call in someone to schedule things and watch the store, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Sherry from the grocery store had been looking for more hours. And it wouldn’t take long to pack.
And a part of her just hadn’t been on an adventure in so long that she couldn’t wait another minute to get started on something with this powerful, mysterious man.
And unlike last time, at least if this man broke her heart, she wouldn’t be left alone in the middle of nowhere. He was her ticket out of this life, and she intended to take it.
“Fine,” she said, feeling like she was sealing her fate. “One hour.”
He nodded and pulled up his hood to head back into the cold. She bit her lip and held back her sigh until he disappeared back into the storm.
3
Ryder waited anxiously in his Range Rover. He could have taken the limo to town, but he preferred the sense of absolute control that came from being behind the wheel. Control that the storm kept trying to take from him. He made a note to find out exactly what the best method for being the safest on snow was. Ryder didn’t like anything interfering with his ability to control things, especially when it came to safety.
Living and working in Silicon Valley ever since the tragedy years ago, he’d almost forgotten how bad weather could make driving. And now that he’d be driving his potential new mate home, he had to steel himself against the rush of nerves that came when he thought of the night he’d learned exactly how powerful a bit of frozen water could be.
But he hardened his heart against the sensation and turned down the music when he thought he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. He slid out of his seat and shut the car door behind him as he hurried up to her walk. Janna looked beautiful as usual, her dark curls swirling about her head, those sparkling eyes blinking away the snowflakes battling to get past her long lashes, those plush, red lips pursed against the wind as she struggled with her suitcase, which Ryder hefted easily away from her and over his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her and guided her down the walk.