Saving the CEO (49th Floor #1)(30)

She waved a hand dismissively. "You're just saying that because it's Christmas, and they're top of mind."

"I am not. It fits. Resolutely green year-round, no matter the weather.  Striking. You'd be one of those tall pine trees in the forest, with the  long needles. The kind that has a long trunk before the branches with  needles start. I'm sure they have a proper name I don't know."

And so it went. They laughed and assigned each other animals, colors,  and cities. It occurred to Jack, as the kilometers slipped by, that this  wasn't the best way to keep a professional distance between them. This  wasn't something he would have done with Carl or Amy, for instance. But  it did make for an amusing trip. And keeping his mind occupied with  something other than what was under Cassie's parka could only be good.

Their game was derailed when Cassie's phone rang. "Sorry, I have to take  this." He waved away her apology, thinking about where they might stop  for a meal. They were approaching Gravenhurst, which would be the last  town before they reached the island.

Whoever was on the line had obviously launched into a flurry of talking  because Cassie kept saying "yeah" and trying to interrupt. When she was  finally able to get a full sentence in, she said, "I told you. Lake  Muskoka." Some more silence from her was followed by, "An island. I  don't know which one. Danny! I'll be fine!"

"I'm not sure if there's cell service there," he offered, realizing that  wouldn't go any way toward placating her obviously agitated best  friend.

"He doesn't know if there's cell service," she parroted. Silence. "He is  not an ax murderer." More silence. "Because I just know!"

Jack chuckled. He liked that she had a friend who looked after her like  this. After this trip, when they were done … well, it was good to know she  had Danny.

She held the phone away from her ear in parody as Danny talked on.

"Put him on speaker."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Just do it," he said.

She obeyed and he said, "Danny, hi. This is Jack. The not-ax-murderer."

"Isn't that what they all say?" came the droll reply.

"Listen, I'll give you my phone number. Then when I murder Cassie, you  can at least give that to the cops." He was joking, but Danny was right.  He should have a way to contact Jack-and vice versa-in case something  happened. Danny was pretty much Cassie's next of kin from what Jack  could tell. Especially given that her actual next of kin was so  completely useless. He rattled off his digits. "And do me a favor. Send  me a text, and then I'll have your number, too. I promise to call if  anything happens."

Danny gave him a hard time for another minute, issuing a couple of  melodramatic threats that made Cassie roll her eyes and Jack struggle to  hold in laughter.

"It's so pretty here," said Cassie after they'd hung up, watching the  snowcapped trees pass as they zoomed along the nearly empty highway.  "You kind of forget how pretty snow can be. You get so used to the ugly  gray urban variety."

"Do you ski? No time on this trip, but we're not too far beyond Blue  Mountain." Then he realized it sounded like he was suggesting they ski  together. "You should come back sometime," he added lamely.

She shook her head and laughed, and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief  that she hadn't misinterpreted what he'd said. "To ski you have to get  out of the city."

"And you don't do that much, I take it?"

"Nope."

She worked too hard. People said that about him, but at least his work  necessarily sent him to other locations, forced a change of scenery on  him every now and then. "When was the last time you got away?"

"Never."

"You mean like literally never?" Was that even possible?

"Yup."

"You've never been out of Toronto."

"Well, I did go to Niagara Falls on a class trip when I was twelve. And  I've been to Danny's mom's farm, which is an hour north of  Peterborough," she said, naming a town a couple hours east of Toronto.  She crinkled her nose. "I'm not planning to repeat that mistake,  though."

He was shocked. Though why should he be? She didn't have any money,  thanks to her mother. Between school and Edward's, she worked nearly  constantly. How was she supposed to get away? Too bad he hadn't  known-they could have tacked on a couple non-business days to this trip.  His mind began cataloguing all Winter Enterprises' properties, trying  to figure out which she would like best.                       
       
           



       

No. He checked himself-he was doing it again. There was no "after this  trip." What came next was that they shook hands and parted ways, he  having gained a company and an island, her fifty grand richer. Maybe,  though, he would send her and Danny on a trip to one of his sites. It  could be the bonus he'd promised if the deal went through.

He slowed as they pulled into Gravenhurst. "I thought we'd have a meal  here-late breakfast, early lunch, whatever you want to call it. It's  about another hour to the spot where we set out for the island."

Cassie smiled. "Great. I'm starving."

The image of Cassie devouring pizza on her bed flashed through his mind.  She ate, like everything else she did, with gusto and delight.

He shifted in his seat. God damn, it was going to be a long trip-and it had barely even started.

 …

Everything was so pretty. Gravenhurst seemed to Cassie like a pretend  town. Something out of a Lifetime Television movie, all quaint and  decorated for Christmas. They'd had amazing homemade pancakes at a  diner, served by a sweet older woman who called them both "hon." The  snow squeaked under her feet, white and pristine. She was glad she'd  sprung for a serious pair of boots. She'd figured with fifty grand  coming her way, she could afford to outfit herself sensibly for the  trip.

Even the air seemed different. Colder, yes, but also fresher. Jack had  rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee in town, having arranged to leave his own  car at the rental office. She'd teased him at the time that he was not a  "Jeep" person, but she was glad now he'd made the switch. The Aston  Martin would never have made it through the icy, rutted lanes that Jack  was expertly navigating. And, in truth, she was enjoying the ride. The  bumping and vrooming of the engine felt kind of like a carnival ride.

She had to remind herself, as they turned from a small road onto an even  smaller one, that she was on a business trip. It was tempting to get  sucked into the fantasy that this was her life-that she had a rich,  handsome, Jeep-driving boyfriend who could make her feel all squishy  just by looking at her with his signature brand of intensity.

Dang. She needed to get this whole insane attraction thing under  control. That was exactly what she'd intended when she suggested they  part ways last night. Some physical distance to presage the emotional  distance that had to come between them on this trip.

But clearly she'd been an idiot to think anything would work. The only  way to get Jack Winter out of her system was to get him out of her life.  And that wasn't happening for a few days yet, so she just had to grin  and bear it-"it" being the maddening and constant state of low-grade  arousal his presence triggered.

She sighed and looked out the window. The trees grew thicker and the  road narrower. Just when it seemed there was no way they could continue  to press onward, Jack turned off the road next to a little clearing that  had been shoveled out. The big expanse of treeless snow beyond must be  the frozen lake.

He shut off the ignition. "This is the end of the line."

It occurred to Cassie that she hadn't bothered to think through the part  where their destination was an island, and it was the middle of winter.  "We walk from here?" she asked.

"Nope. Snow's too deep. We snowmobile." He gestured to his side of the  Jeep, and when she leaned across him to look, sure enough, there was a  snowmobile parked next to them. It was much bigger than she'd always  imagined one would be, with its two seats and side compartments that  looked like larger versions of panniers on a bicycle.

He hopped out of the car and came around to her side. "I'll take you over first, then I'll come back for our bags."

She pulled out her phone. "Hang on just a sec. I have to text Danny that you didn't murder me."

"How do you know I'm not going to drive you into the woods and murder  you there?" He flashed her a grin. "That would be a lot more sensible  than murdering you in the rental car."

"Good point." She clicked off the phone and climbed out. Jack emerged  from digging around in the back of the Jeep and handed her a helmet.

"Right." She reached for the helmet even as her mind flipped through all  the reasons this wasn't a good idea-death chief among them. "So you own  the land we're on?" she said, glancing around as if she could find  something to discuss that would stall their departure.