Chapter Nine
W henever Colt left the Lake Tahoe house, he felt like he was saying goodbye to a close friend. Morning sun slanted through the trees, casting ripples of shadow on the ground. The cabin stood quiet and still. While the place didn’t look any different, Colt felt a change, as though the log walls had trapped the laughter and good times they’d shared.
Would he ever bring Aspen here again? Unlikely.
She stood at the railing, arms wrapped around her middle, gazing out at the water. “There aren’t many spots I don’t want to leave. But this is one.” Her voice echoed the melancholy he felt. She turned to look at him.
His chest tightened. If she asked if they’d ever come back, he didn’t know what to say.
In the end, she didn’t ask.
He reached out, and she slipped her hand into his. With both of their bags in his grip, he led her down the porch steps to the SUV that had been waiting for them at the airstrip. They’d return to Wyoming via his family’s private jet, and his old truck was parked at the ready for him to drive them to the next location.
Neither of them spoke as they got on the road. Aspen clasped her hands in her lap, her head twisted toward the side window.
He grabbed his phone and sent her a pinned location of their next destination.
Her phone chimed, and she glanced at it. “Oh. Thank you.”
“No problem. Have you checked in with the mechanics about your jet lately?”
She gave a small start as if her mind had been far, far away. “Actually, I texted my crew this morning. They’ve received the parts they need for the repair and planned to start work today.”
He dipped his head. “That’s good. Real good.”
She’d be on her way, back to her life of travel and billionaires who texted her at all hours of the day.
Colt would return to his lonely days and longer, lonelier nights at the ranch.
“I’ve enjoyed traveling with you, Colt.”
It was his turn to be startled. He directed his attention from the road to her pretty face.
She let out a throaty laugh. “You look so surprised.”
“I am.”
Her soft smile sparkled in her eyes. “The trust test is whether or not you can travel with someone. My time with you has been pretty effortless.”
“I’m surprised to hear you say that, especially after the mishaps we’ve had.”
She waved a hand. “Those weren’t your doing—or mine either. The cabins weren’t great places to stay.”
“That’s an understatement.”
She laughed again. “It’s probably the military man in you. You pack for yourself. You don’t need any direction. Your training has probably made you into the perfect travel companion.”
“Perfect, huh?” He smirked.
She rolled her eyes. “Great—now I’ve fed your already monstrous ego.”
He chuckled and considered what she said. “It’s partially military training, but growing up with my father, I learned to prepare for every eventuality and fly under the radar. None of us kids wanted to make him angry, especially when he’d been drinking.”
“That sounds rough, Colt. I’m sorry.”
He wished he’d gotten one more look at her as he’d last seen her, standing at the porch rail, staring at the water with that sweet, faraway expression making her features even more angelic.
“I joined the military to get away and see the world. I thought I’d end up in a cushy job stationed at an embassy like my kid brother Theo.”
Her brows puckered. “Did I meet Theo at the wedding?”
“No. He was the only Malone who couldn’t make it.” He considered telling her more about all of his brothers, then recalled Aspen wasn’t going to be sticking around. In fact, those wedding photos she was in would outlast her by a lot. As soon as her plane was repaired, she’d be leaving Wyoming—and her time with him—in the dust.
“And you didn’t get to guard any embassies?”
Her question drew him from his thoughts. He gave a sad shake of his head. “My skillset landed me in combat.”
She didn’t speak, but she did reach out and rest her hand on his forearm where it rested on the console. Her warm fingers spread over his skin. A week ago, he’d jerk away at the feel of being touched. Now, it didn’t feel so odd.
In no time, they arrived at the airstrip. The Malone plane was at the ready.
As Colt followed her onto the bird, he gave the pilot a brief nod in greeting. Soon, they were in the air. When Aspen reclined her seat and closed her eyes, he spent too many minutes studying her features in repose. The fan of her lashes across her pale cheeks, the few freckles dotting the bridge of her upturned nose and the full pout of her lips were etched on his brain.
When he was alone again, he might want to remember this moment. He might want to remember her.
The short flight ended too soon. As soon as they touched down, several texts came through on his phone, which he ignored until they disembarked from the plane and he was behind the wheel of his old pickup once again.
One from his older brother Carson to let him know that a new security job had come through, and he was traveling south to meet the client. There was another from his sister, asking how things were going and a bunch of cutesy emojis.
“Smartass,” he mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Just a text from my sister.” He opened the last message to see a photo of Oaks and his bride standing on the beach at sunset, smiling and enveloped in each other’s arms.
He grunted and put away his phone.
All his life, Colt knew that he wasn’t meant for things that other people had. Romantic relationships and family fun were for everyone else—not for him.
* * * * *
“Colt Malone. You’ve been holding out on me!” Aspen slowly climbed out of the truck, her stare fixed to the cabin they’d just arrived at.
Nestled high on a snow-covered cliff, the remote cabin oozed rustic charm and just the right amount of luxury to fit the bill.
Cedar logs crafted the walls and framed the panoramic windows overlooking the most breathtaking view she’d seen since…well, since leaving Colt’s Lake Tahoe cabin.
The roof was layered in thick shingles sprinkled with a layer of fresh snow, and a stone chimney jutted toward the white sky, cold until they went inside and lit the fire.
She drifted to the quaint porch steps leading to a heavy door painted a dark forest green. The low thump of Colt’s footsteps behind her made her look over her shoulder.
“Do you own this cabin too?”
He snorted. “No. We know the people who do, though. They live in Palm Springs and come up here once or twice a year. My family keeps an eye on the place.”
“That’s nice of you.”
He crowded up to the door, and she stepped aside, giving him access. When he pushed the door inward, a blast of cool but not frigid air wafted at her face. It carried a little staleness from being closed up, but it wasn’t anything like the first two cabins they visited.
He shut the door behind them and set their bags on the floor. Aspen immediately set off to explore through the cozy, spacious rooms. The open floor plan and the oversized solid wood furniture were exactly what her clients were looking for. And the cabin possessed the charm of the old days with cozy nooks for reading or sipping coffee while gazing out at the Grand Tetons not far off, where they could ski and snowmobile—activities the billionaire loved.
She heard Colt approach her from behind, his steps quiet. She spun to face him. “It’s perfect.”
A slow smile spread over his face, enhancing his rugged features. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“You’re sure your friends won’t mind if I add this place to my portfolio?”
“I texted them last night, and they’re up for people staying here.”
“Great news.” She waved a hand at the mountain scene. “I need to text my client right away. It’s the perfect time of year for him to visit this place too. He’s outdoorsy, and so is his wife.” She shook her head. “I always envy people who enjoy the outdoors. I’m the girl who waits at the lodge with hot cocoa while everyone else skis.”
He chuckled. “I like the privacy of remote places like this, but you’ll never see me on a set of skis either.”
She flicked her gaze down his broad chest and long legs, trying to picture him in ski pants and a sporty coat. That just wasn’t Colt. He was outdoorsy in the way ranchers were, in jeans and leather boots and thick workman’s jackets with sherpa lining.
“It’s a little cold in here. I’ll get the fire started.”
He didn’t wait for her response, just walked away. She pulled out her phone and texted her client.
Then she walked through the cabin, snapping photos. She was no professional real estate photographer, but the light streaming through the big windows provided a charming filter to the rooms she wanted to capture for the client to see.
When she made her way into the living room, Colt was squatting before the stone fireplace. As she looked on, he fed a log to the kindling that he’d set on fire. The sweet scent of burning wood reached her nose.
God, could Colt look any hotter? The hard planes of his shoulders and the way his biceps bulged with every move he made had her insides on fire like those logs.
He twisted his head and shot her a look. Whatever he saw on her face made his eyes hood.
“Did you contact your client?”
“Yes, but I haven’t heard anything back from him yet.” She extended her hands to the fire and chafed them together to make it look like she needed to warm up and wasn’t trying to get closer to him.
He set another log on the fire and pushed to his feet. They stood side by side, watching the flames.
At the same moment, they turned to each other. He opened his arms, and she threw herself at him. Their lips collided. Aspen dug her fingers into his hair and parted her lips for his tongue.
Just then, the phone in her pocket chimed.
“Ignore it,” he grated out between heated kisses.
Three more chimes indicated she had more incoming messages.
With a groan, she drew back. Colt cut his hand through his hair, chest heaving.
It took her a second to make her eyes focus on the texts from the client.
“Great news! He loves the place and says it’s perfect. His wife is going to adore it.”
“Good to hear.”
“I’m going to set up the dates, then we need to go into the nearby town.”
His stare lingered on her mouth for a long heartbeat before lifting to her eyes. “Do we need to fill the place with supplies for them?”
“No, I need to go to any quaint shops I can find. Bespoke and artisan.”
“What does that even mean? Is that anything like rustic?”
She let out a laugh that was a little throatier than she intended. “Kind of. I need to buy things for a personalized gift basket for the couple.”
“All right. When do you want to go?”
She paused. They’d been right in the middle of making out, and her flustered senses were not finished with Colt Malone.
A fifth text from the client made the decision for her.
“Now. We need to go now.”
All the travel was getting to be a lot, even for her. She wanted nothing more than to throw on her coziest sweats and curl up in front of that fire with Colt beside her. But she didn’t have much time to set this up for her client, and she did need to run her business.
With a sigh, she gave Colt an apologetic look. “I know we’ve been traveling all day.”
“It’s no big deal. The fire will be fine while we’re gone.” He pulled a screen in front of the flames.
She hesitated. Wishing they could pick up where they left off, wrapped in each other’s arms, well on their way to the bedroom.
The faster she shopped for this gift basket, the faster the job was complete. And the sooner she and Colt would be parting ways.
She wasn’t ready for their time to be over.
Colt met her stare. Several long heartbeats stretched between them.
“Let’s go into town. We can grab some lunch while we’re out.”
Lunch meant more time spent in his company.
“Let me grab my coat.” She returned to the bedroom where she’d removed her coat while snapping wide angle views of the king-sized bed and the view of the mountains through the window behind it.
When she found Colt by the front door, he stood with his back to her. His head was bowed, and his shoulders appeared to be slumped. But he quickly spun when he heard her and slapped a small smile on his face.
“Ready?”
Why did she get the feeling that he wasn’t talking about going into town?
She nodded, and he ushered her outside before him. On her way past Colt—her lover—she sucked in a deep gulp of the fresh mountain air mingled with his scent.
They said that smells were the biggest trigger of memories, both good and bad. She could attest to this herself. She knew the smell of her mother’s cookies and her dear friend Vivian’s perfume. She knew the market in Spain carried notes of spice and fresh lemons.
Colt was man and pine and all things warm and good…and she wanted to remember.