In college, it had been Broderick’s confidence that attracted her. They’d been assigned a group project—a task she normally dreaded. But he’d proved to be just as dedicated to the presentation as she was. He’d pulled all-nighters with her and they’d been excellent study partners, pushing each other to be better, smarter.
His gaze had always been electric and his body delicious.
It was still delicious. When he’d hefted the suitcase and supplies into the seaplane, he’d proved his muscles were just as tight and enticing as they had been over a decade ago. In that moment, the careful way she’d forced herself to think of Broderick as a cutthroat businessman faltered.
Chewing the inside of her cheek, she realized how much more there was to him and how damn difficult it’d be to spend all this time alone with him.
He was a man. In every sense of the word.
She tore her eyes off him now, searching for some distraction. She looked up into the mirror, half hoping Fleur would be waking and need her. But the infant slept on.
The plane dipped, hitting harder pockets of air as they made their way to the mountains.
Glenna devoured the sight of springtime in Alaska, particularly from the sky. A field of impossible emerald green and pockets of lakes served as contrast to the snowy mountains. When Glenna was a child, she’d thought of the land as a magical space. When she’d gaze out at the backdrop of green land and white mountains, it’d always seemed as if two seasons existed simultaneously.
She reached out to touch the cool glass at her side. The engine rumbled, reverberating slightly. “It’s been so long since I flew in one of these.”
“Perhaps because your family spent more time operating out of the Dakotas. I’m sure there are equally awesome sights you could show me there that I’ve missed.”
“Sure, sure,” she said, enticed by the idea of showing this man her stomping grounds. She folded her legs under her, sitting in the lotus position. “One good thing will come from this family merger. We’ll bring new experiences to the table.”
“I imagine there can be some other positives.”
Did he have a hidden meaning in those words? His face appeared honest, calm, focused on flying. Lord, but he was handsome. The sun streamed through the window, playing across the strong line of his jaw, his broad shoulders in that plaid shirt, those jeans fitting him like denim was made just to hug that fine butt.
Her eyes roamed back up to the hard angles of his face. He always had that five o’clock shadow, even when he wore a crisp suit.
The man freaking oozed testosterone.
And her body sensed every pheromone.
She pulled on her black cashmere sweater, hoping the ritual tug on the sleeves would calm her. Ground her.
Staying in that cabin with him was going to be…difficult. To say the least.
She pulled her attention back to work and the more manageable reason for their retreat to the mountains. “Figuring out the corporate logistics of blending both employee rosters will be challenging,” she reminded him, simultaneously reminding herself that Broderick Steele should be off-limits to her wandering feminine imagination. “There’s no way everyone can keep their jobs at the current level. Demotions are inevitable. Everything can’t be a co-job. Someone has to be the boss. CEO…CFO…” She ticked the list off on her fingers.
There. That should put some distance between them.
“We’ll work it out,” he answered vaguely, his hands clenching briefly on the steering yoke.
Strong hands. She remembered how they felt on her last night, his palm steadying her, burning through the fabric of her shirt.
“This peace between us can’t last.” She looked away from him, fingers tapping on her denim-clad thigh.
And no, she wasn’t thinking about Broderick’s touch on her thigh. It must be the cashmere sweater that was overheating her to this degree.
“Why not? Isn’t there anything else in the company you would enjoy overseeing?” His question was a welcome distraction.
Did he really think she would give up her job without a blink? “Why should I be the one to find a new place in the business? What about you? Isn’t there something else you would ‘enjoy overseeing’?”
“In the end, it may not be up to either of us. Let’s not make this getaway more difficult by arguing.”
She studied him. No question, he had on his poker face today. She’d seen it often enough across the boardroom or on an occasional television show as he made a comment on behalf of his business. He was charming, sure, but gave little away.
Glenna played with the zipper on the folded parka in her lap, finding the interior of the small plane still too warm. “You’re not going to attempt to push me out or seduce me into stepping aside?”