Dark Ice (29 page)

“Well, don’t we sound like a bear with a thorn in its paw.” Cameron straightened. He studied Liam for a moment. “All right. I’ll stay away like a good little boy. There’s something about this woman that you’re not telling me. Could be her long wavy hair, or the body that’s curved in all the right places. Or maybe, just maybe, my big brother has finally found a woman who’s going to get under his skin.” Laughing, Cameron turned on his heel and left the study.

Liam watched him go. Once more, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Just listening to his brother’s words, teasing though they’d been, conjured a mental image of Sarah Doyle. Cameron pinned it right. She had long, wavy hair held back with a clip, and a body that-- even under a baggy sweatshirt and jeans--definitely curved in all the right places. Long legs that made a man wonder what they’d be like wrapped around his hips. What Cameron didn’t mention was the intelligence in her hazel eyes. Or her scent. That lavender smell that tugged at his gut. Springtime. Food. Flowers. Everything he shouldn’t want and couldn’t have. He breathed a heavy sigh, still swearing he could smell her even through the floor that separated them. The Quintursa wouldn’t be happy with this development. Not at all.

He fired up his computer, the wallpaper of an Alaskan Grizzly reminding him exactly what was at stake. Everything. Deadhorse, Alaska was as close as it came to a company town. As much as he’d hate to see the oil business and the jobs it brought leave, he’d hate to have this land and its creatures destroyed even more. A slippery slope, one he’d been walking all his life. The best he could hope for was that Sarah would write her report and Washington would listen. It was a long shot, but right now, it was all they had.

The phone rang just as he checked satellite and weather maps to plan their camping excursion. Picking it up, he listened for his brother. Luckily, Cameron was gone. “Round the Bend EcoTours, Liam here.”

“She’s arrived?” The Quintursa agent gave no greeting. He never did. From the sound of his voice, Liam thought it was the same one he’d been working with for a while, but he never could tell. Damn bastards were far too secretive by far. As if Liam would ever betray any of them, or their secret.

“Yeah, she’s here. We’re heading out in the morning. I was just double checking the forecasts.”

“Good. We have more information on Hodges Associates. I hope this Sarah knows what she’s getting into. Bill Hodges is in some mighty deep pockets, none of them friendly to our cause. I’m sending you everything we have. She is not to know. Understand?”

Liam nodded, used to the super-spy secretive nature of the organization that governed his kind. Most of the time he thought they took themselves entirely too seriously. But then, several months in a Russian prison changed his outlook and his life. “Copy. She isn’t to know a thing.”

“And anything you gather you’re to send directly to us. We want to know everything about this woman.”

“Understood.” Already, Liam filtered his information. Some things, like how good she smelled, or the way he knew her breasts would fill his hands, he wouldn’t tell them. Hell, he had no business thinking that way. She was a human. Truth be told, he’d most likely never get a chance to find out anyway.

“First impressions?”

“I think she’s serious about this. Looks like she knows what she’s doing, though I’ll go over her equipment tomorrow. Didn’t come dressed in a power suit. She looks like she’s ready to go camping. I expect we’ll spend a few days out. I’ll show her the oil rigs. The damage the pipelines do to the environment and what happens when they break, then send her back so she can write her report about how increased oil drilling would be a determent to this national treasure.”

“Good. Good. We need to make sure she stays sympathetic to our cause. You have authority to do whatever it takes to keep her on our side. Full authority.” The weight in the agent’s words, made Liam sit up straight in his chair. He’d never been given full authority before, always told in half-truths and couched language what he could, and couldn’t do.

“Do you understand?” the agent asked, when Liam didn’t answer.

“Yes. I do. Thank you. Full authority to keep her on our team. I hear you.” Already his mind raced with the possibilities. His body reacted differently. Mentally, he willed it to behave. He hadn’t had to seduce a woman yet to get what he wanted. Completely mutual and fully pleasurable. When it came to Sarah, totally out of line.

“Keep us posted.” Then, without waiting for a reply, the agent hung up.

Liam stared at the dead handset for a moment, before replacing it in the cradle. His email chimed with the anticipated information. Opening it, he scanned the document. Apparently Bill Hodges was quite the piece of work. Not liking what he read, or its implications for Sarah, he knew he’d be spending the next couple of hours stuck in his den. Now, more than before, he needed to warn Cameron away. Best Liam deal with this himself.

A flash of movement outside the window pulled Liam’s attention from his computer. He leaned back, watching a bachelor grizzly lumber towards the stand of trees and bushes beyond the lodge. Liam didn’t recognize the animal. This time of year, bears congregated where they could to find food. He’d fielded bear complaints from Deadhorse citizens who couldn’t be bothered to bear-proof their backyards. To a creature determined to gain as much weight as winter, an unlatched garbage can created the perfect buffet. He frowned, knowing once again he’d have to fight the battle of humans versus nature. Inevitably, nature lost.

He watched the juvenile male for several moments longer, half wanting to go upstairs and see if Sarah looked out her window at the bear. He doubted she’d seen one so close before. Perhaps this would be the perfect time to introduce her to Alaska’s wildlife from the safety of the lodge. He pushed back his chair and rose to his feet.

A hint of lavender filled the air. From his position behind his desk, he watched as she descended the stairs and went into the living area. A glance out the window showed the bear had left. Just as well. Maybe she should get her first glimpse of a grizzly in the wild, with nothing but a bit of canvas and him to protect her. Might make a better impact.

His stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten much today. Dinner first. A chance to get to know Sarah better. He shut down his computer, deciding he’d done about enough work for today. The Quintursa authorized him to use any means necessary to convince Sarah to write a report recommending no further drilling in the refuge. For a moment, he wondered if that meant revealing his secret. He shook his head. They couldn’t have meant that. For centuries his kind had lived among humans, silent guardians trying to protect them from the things they did. Of course, prior to the 1900s, they’d spent more time protecting the humans from Mother Nature than the other way around. A smile quirked his lips. Funny how things changed.

He glanced in the living area. Sarah stood at the windows, staring out into the Alaskan landscape. With her arms wrapped around her, she looked very vulnerable, very frail. He wondered what went through her mind. “I’ll start dinner in a little bit. Do you like salmon?”

She turned and smiled. “I do. Thanks. I’m sure it’ll taste better up here than from the freezer at home.”

“I’m sure it will. Is there anything you need? You settled in all right?”

She nodded. “I’m good. Thanks.”

He hoped so. From the bottom of his heart, he hoped she was good. Because if she wasn’t, more than an ecosystem rested on her report. She held the fate of an undiscovered species in her hands, and she didn’t even know it.

And he couldn’t tell her.

PPB

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