A Cowboy in Disguise Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Victoria Ashe
asked.
“Great,” he lied.
In the middle of the night he had woken with a start from a dream so intense he feared he might blush if he met Alexandra’s eyes now. He hadn’t gotten back to sleep again before his four o’clock AM wake-up call started him on his way to the airport.
“Figures. I get here last, I get stuck with the middle seat,” he said. An enormous man squeezed into the aisle seat beside him, forcing him even physically closer to Alexandra.
“How much will you offer for the window seat?” she teased.
He gave a low whistle. “Mercenary to the core.”
He grinned wickedly, all lightness and liveliness. For someone who hadn’t slept, he felt strangely energetic all of the sudden.
“Look, there goes our office complex,” Alexandra pointed out as the plane lifted higher and higher. “And the Space Needle is way, way over there.”
Scott leaned over her to peer out the window. “Seemed even farther from the airport when I was driving for some reason.”
Alexandra turned her head away from the window to speak and found herself cheek to cheek with him. She looked as if all the blood in her body had just rushed to her face.
Scott leaned slowly back, realizing how dangerously close his lips were to hers, how their arms touched side to side on the armrest. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I think I invaded your space.” A whiff of the lightly exotic perfume oil she so enjoyed wearing filled his senses.
He watched Alexandra dig her long nails into her palms. She acted as if she had her whole world to lose just by liking him. It was a cardinal rule of business—never, ever become romantically involved with a co-worker. Somehow the man always outranked the woman, and somehow the woman was always the one to lose her job when the relationship soured. He’d seen it happen. But, he hadn’t made an overture at all, had he?
After a long pause she said, “I picked up the agenda for our Colorado adventure on the way here.” She handed him a copy, too careful not to touch his hand as she started to read down through the document.
Scott paraphrased, “Looks like we just get to hang out with the competition for the first night. Says that the next day each of the competing firms moves from a hotel up to individual cabins farther up in the mountains.”
“What was that?” Alexandra gripped the papers tightly. “That can’t be right. We were all supposed to be staying in Rio Safari’s private lodge.” She scanned frantically for more information. “Oh. Their waterline apparently froze and burst. The lodge is closed up tight.”
Scott read the guest roster. “You’re the only female on this list. They have you down as Alex Hunter, so I’m pretty sure some misguided travel agent didn’t realize.”
“That I’m a woman?” She chewed her lower lip. “I imagine these cabins have private bedrooms. We’ll be sharing the common areas for sure, but I’m sure we’ll be okay.”
“Why wouldn’t we be okay?” he asked with a smile. It was hard for him to imagine anyone might not realize Alexandra Hunter was a woman. He felt a thrill zap through his body as he noticed how nervous the usually poised lady seemed to be. Her fingers were literally crushing the papers she held.
“I mean I’m sure we’ll have privacy enough,” she said. “It’s a little awkward for a man and a woman on a business trip to be sleeping together in such close quarters, don’t you think?”
“You’re right,” he assured. “But I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“Because you know,” she added, “I’d hate to contribute any to your sterling reputation.”
She gave him a playful eyebrow raise, reclaiming her composure as the flight attendant walked by selling cooled masks made of some type of gel meant to lull sleepy passengers back into dreamland. Considering his lack of sleep the night before, Scott bought two and handed one to Alexandra. With the glare blocked from their eyes, they were both dozing
“Great,” he lied.
In the middle of the night he had woken with a start from a dream so intense he feared he might blush if he met Alexandra’s eyes now. He hadn’t gotten back to sleep again before his four o’clock AM wake-up call started him on his way to the airport.
“Figures. I get here last, I get stuck with the middle seat,” he said. An enormous man squeezed into the aisle seat beside him, forcing him even physically closer to Alexandra.
“How much will you offer for the window seat?” she teased.
He gave a low whistle. “Mercenary to the core.”
He grinned wickedly, all lightness and liveliness. For someone who hadn’t slept, he felt strangely energetic all of the sudden.
“Look, there goes our office complex,” Alexandra pointed out as the plane lifted higher and higher. “And the Space Needle is way, way over there.”
Scott leaned over her to peer out the window. “Seemed even farther from the airport when I was driving for some reason.”
Alexandra turned her head away from the window to speak and found herself cheek to cheek with him. She looked as if all the blood in her body had just rushed to her face.
Scott leaned slowly back, realizing how dangerously close his lips were to hers, how their arms touched side to side on the armrest. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I think I invaded your space.” A whiff of the lightly exotic perfume oil she so enjoyed wearing filled his senses.
He watched Alexandra dig her long nails into her palms. She acted as if she had her whole world to lose just by liking him. It was a cardinal rule of business—never, ever become romantically involved with a co-worker. Somehow the man always outranked the woman, and somehow the woman was always the one to lose her job when the relationship soured. He’d seen it happen. But, he hadn’t made an overture at all, had he?
After a long pause she said, “I picked up the agenda for our Colorado adventure on the way here.” She handed him a copy, too careful not to touch his hand as she started to read down through the document.
Scott paraphrased, “Looks like we just get to hang out with the competition for the first night. Says that the next day each of the competing firms moves from a hotel up to individual cabins farther up in the mountains.”
“What was that?” Alexandra gripped the papers tightly. “That can’t be right. We were all supposed to be staying in Rio Safari’s private lodge.” She scanned frantically for more information. “Oh. Their waterline apparently froze and burst. The lodge is closed up tight.”
Scott read the guest roster. “You’re the only female on this list. They have you down as Alex Hunter, so I’m pretty sure some misguided travel agent didn’t realize.”
“That I’m a woman?” She chewed her lower lip. “I imagine these cabins have private bedrooms. We’ll be sharing the common areas for sure, but I’m sure we’ll be okay.”
“Why wouldn’t we be okay?” he asked with a smile. It was hard for him to imagine anyone might not realize Alexandra Hunter was a woman. He felt a thrill zap through his body as he noticed how nervous the usually poised lady seemed to be. Her fingers were literally crushing the papers she held.
“I mean I’m sure we’ll have privacy enough,” she said. “It’s a little awkward for a man and a woman on a business trip to be sleeping together in such close quarters, don’t you think?”
“You’re right,” he assured. “But I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“Because you know,” she added, “I’d hate to contribute any to your sterling reputation.”
She gave him a playful eyebrow raise, reclaiming her composure as the flight attendant walked by selling cooled masks made of some type of gel meant to lull sleepy passengers back into dreamland. Considering his lack of sleep the night before, Scott bought two and handed one to Alexandra. With the glare blocked from their eyes, they were both dozing