Instead of wasting her breath with an answer, she silently asked herself a different question. Why had she agreed to this trip knowing she would be trapped in the same house with Sean?
Sliding her goggles down her nose, she reached for the ignition and gave it a twist. The engine screamed to life. Without hesitating, she pressed the gas and shot forward, jerking herself backward and almost losing control of the snowmobile.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
Sydney tightened her grip and carefully scooted up the seat. The very last thing she needed was to fall on her ass in front of this man.
What made it worse was that the whole way down the mountain Sean followed closely behind her. Three times she took a wrong turn and he had to ride alongside her to steer her in the right direction. The last time he stopped her, she lost it.
“Take the lead,” she yelled over the loud engines.
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to get lost.”
Great. So he would dog her every move. Follow her like she was a wayward child.
Sydney squeezed out an exasperated breath.
If she had an ounce of daredevil in her, she would have sped ahead, leaving his sorry ass behind. As it was she continued her sedate pace, until finally the two-story log cabin they had rented came into view.
It was a beautiful sight, the massive structure cradled in the arms of tall pines. Large panoramic windows stretched around the house so that from north, south, east or west you could enjoy the picturesque landscape. And the inside of the home was as grandiose as the outside. It even had a sunroom with a Jacuzzi and closed-in sauna.
Without waiting for Sean, Sydney glided into the large open garage alongside the others’ vehicles and cut the engine. Swinging her leg over the side of the snowmobile, she climbed off and removed her gloves, goggles, helmet and ski mask, before hanging them on the bike’s handles. An ebony braid fell midway down her back. For a brief second, she couldn’t help wondering what the rest of her looked like. Then again, who cared? She wasn’t trying to impress anyone, and that included Sean.
In a small retention area that had a floor drain, she stomped her feet, shaking off the clumpy snow, before she bent down to unfasten her boots. Until now she hadn’t realized how cold her fingers and toes were. They ached, tingling as feeling rushed back in. Glancing around to find her foot warmers, she startled when Sean handed her the fur-lined boots.
Taken aback by his courtesy, Sydney stared dumbfounded at him. For a moment she was unable to tear her gaze away. Heavy eyelashes framed mesmerizing eyes that even as a sensitive teen had reached out to her. She swallowed hard, resisting the urge to brush back a lock of dark hair that had fallen across his forehead. Damn the man. He had that bedroom look about him. The one that made a woman’s heart speed and knees turn to jelly. It did hers and she hated it.
Choking on a “thank you”, she snatched her boots.
“Sydney?” He reached for her arm, but she moved beyond his grasp.
“Really. It’s okay, Sean.”
Setting her boots down, she wiggled out of her ski jacket and hung it on a hook along the wall that held all the others’ jackets. Then she leaned against the cold surface and eased her foot into a boot, before donning the other.
“You were probably right about the book,” she admitted grudgingly.
“No. I—”
Before he could say more, she had already edged toward the door. Quickly, she opened it and stepped inside, leaving Sean behind.
The wide-open country kitchen was vacant, but laughter abounded beyond the doorway leading to the living room. She propped her hip against the butcher-block island to steady herself. Her heart was a mass of flutters, her stomach weak. Why did his nearness affect her so? Straightening her turtleneck shirt, she hid her unease behind a smile and headed for the noise.
She entered the living room to see the rest of their party sipping wine and lounging on two love seats. Two brown leather love seats and several matching chairs were arranged in a semi-circle before the huge flagstone fireplace. Orange and red flames crackled in the hearth, taking away the chill and adding the scent of pine. In the background, soft music played low.
Harry Morris, Cameron’s sexy boyfriend, had his feet propped on the coffee table before him, his arm draped around her shoulders. When the willowy brunette caught sight of Sydney, she sprang to her feet.
“Good. I thought perhaps you and Sean had gotten lost.” Standing half a foot taller than Sydney’s five-four, her sister’s cheerful smile always warmed Sydney.
She cleared her throat. “Do I have to admit to a bad turn?”
“I think there were three of them.” The deep voice behind her made her cringe as Sean strolled up beside her.