It had surprised Ellie, too, but not nearly so much as the sight of him in those snug black boxer briefs. The man was well endowed.
“Details, details. That does nothing to change the fact that the man was cleaning—in his underwear!” Claire all but shouted those last words. “A sight like that would have made most hetero women seriously horny. Tell me you at least enjoyed checking him out.”
“I didn’t check him out.” Oh, yes, she had—from head to toe and back again. “Okay, so maybe I did—a little.”
And Jesse had noticed. Ellie had seen it in his eyes.
“I bet he was ripped. Climbers usually are.”
“Yes, he was.” Ellie took a sip of her wine and closed her eyes, remembering all that beautiful, masculine terrain. Broad, powerful shoulders. Scars from combat. Biceps encircled with tribal tattoos. Rounded pecs scattered with dark curls. That eight-pack. Those obliques.
“Could you see a bulge?”
Ellie’s face flamed. “What kind of question is that?”
Okay, shehadseen that bulge—seen it and felt a jolt of lust in response.
“Oh, come on! Since when did you become a prude? When you and Dan slept together, you told me everything. You even told me how big his—”
“Good God! Would you knock it off?” Ellie had been fresh out of college then, silly and naïve. She’d had no idea how unpredictable or painful life could be, how everything she loved could be torn from her in an instant. “Well, I haven’t slept with Jesse yet, have I?”
There was a moment of silence.
“Notyet, huh?” Claire sounded satisfied. “Was that a Freudian slip?”
“You’ve got me flustered. I’m not going to sleep with him at all. I’m not—”
“You’re not ready. So you’ve said.” Claire let it go, changed the subject. “Hey, you still have Mondays through Thursdays off, right?”
“I’m on call every other Monday.”
“I bought tickets for you and me for Scarlet Mountain Resort’s next Women’s Day on Tuesday. I haven’t been on the slopes yet this season, and neither have you.”
“Well, I’d have to find—”
“I’ve already asked Mom if she would watch the kids, and she said yes. You need to get out and have a little fun. I’ll even buy lunch.”
What could Ellie say? A day skiing with her sister? “Wow. Okay. Thanks.”
They talked about other things after that. How Cedar was hoping for a raise at work. How much Claire loved her new office. How she and Cedar wanted to get a puppy so that they could practice being parents.
“You can practice with Daisy and Daniel any time you like,” Ellie offered.
“I knew you would say that. I thought we’d start with something easier and work our way up to human children.”
Ellie wasn’t sure a puppy was that much easier to manage than a toddler, but she held her tongue. As they ended the conversation, she found herself wondering whether Jesse would be on duty next Tuesday.
Chapter 5
Jesse was sittingin the lodge eating lunch, when his Team pager went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and scrolled through the message.
AVALANCHE. UTE RIDGE TRAIL. ONE SKIER MISSING.
Shit.
He slid the pager into his pocket and reached for his mic. “Forty-two to dispatch.”
Matt answered. “We heard the call go out on the radio. You’re cleared to go.”