Bree eyed Jessie critically. “I mean, standing next to him, you do kind of look like you should be eating pizza and playing Unicorns and Magpies at the high school lunch table.”

Wounded to the core, Jessie drew himself up with righteous indignation. “You did not go there. UniMagP is a deeply philosophical representation of the sexism in the current gaming culture—”

“I didn’t criticize it. I’m saying that’s what you used to do—”

The pair launched into a verbal brawl over whether Bree had insulted Jessie’s beloved pastime. Easton watched the exchange with absolutely no expression on his face. “Unicorns and Magpies?”

“It’s a new card game,” Bree explained while Jessie sputtered in indignation. “Think Magic meets World of Warcraft meets evil unicorns and plucky magpies determined to save the world.”

“Hey, Bree? Jessie? I think we’re on a schedule here.” River tapped her smartwatch. “Plus, I have the feeling we’re driving our guide nuts.”

“The way this works will feel counterintuitive,” Easton continued.

Oh, the poor man had brought visual aids. Didn’t he understand that made him a target?

“Here’s the mountain. We’re going to be flying here, the drop-off site. We’ll hike to our first camp, set up, and spend the night there…what are you doing?”

Jessie zoomed in on Easton’s narrowed eyes. “I’m filming the lesson plan,” he replied. “You never know what the most important aspect of the lecture might be.”

“How about focusing on the lesson plan so you don’t get in trouble up there?”

Humming, Jessie continued to film. Easton took a deep breath, as if doing a mental yoga pose. Bree pulled the handheld out, filming Easton from a second angle to mess with him. Leaving River as the only one actually listening. Dutifully playing the role of “hiker paying attention number three,” River crossed her legs and stuck the end of her pen in her mouth, fluttering her eyelids at Easton.

“Could you explain the visual aids to me one more time, teach?” she asked. Flutter flutter flutter. Legs recrossing, pen nibble.

“It’s fine,” he grumbled. “You all are going to fall off the mountain, but I already got paid.”

River stood, joining Easton and patting him on the shoulder.

“We’ve got this. Start at the bottom, head to the top, filming the wildlife is good, getting eaten or trampled is bad. Once we get high enough, we’ll need to acclimate to the lower oxygen levels. If we do feel sick, say something to you immediately. Is that about right?”

“What about the tents?” he asked.

“What about the tents?” River replied, fluttering her eyelashes at him again.

A flat look met her question, and River had to bite her lower lip to cover her laugh. Riling him up was too much fun. Every time she was successful at it, his eyebrows would knit together. The more riled, the closer the eyebrows were to touching.

“The tents are with the rest of our gear. And I get points for finding three brand-new four-season double-walled tents on such short notice. Your dad helped hook me up.”

“When did you talk to my father?”

“He came by the house while you were on your farewell tour last night. We all drove to Anchorage and got what we needed. He’s a nice guy. Told me all the stories.”

Easton went still.

“And I’m talking all the stories. He showed me pictures too. We dug deep. There was bathtub stuff.” She’d never seen a man so horrified in her life. Dissolving into helpless giggles, River took mercy on him. “Okay, it wasn’t bathtub stuff, but now that I know bathtub stuff exists, don’t think I won’t get my hands on it. He just showed me lots of climbing pictures. I didn’t know he went to Everest.”

“Yeah, in ’88. It wasn’t a good year for it. Not many people from his expedition summited.”

“Great pictures though. Hey, Easton? Has anyone ever successfully made you go full unibrow?”

Bree and Jessie made their escape while River took one for the team, letting him focus his annoyance down at her. Although, in hindsight, he didn’t seem all that annoyed. Instead, all six and a half glorious feet of him shifted closer until he was standing as near to her as he had the night at the torture barn.

And okay, so maybe she deserved some teasing in return, but did he have to do so with his broad chest mere inches from her nose?

“Has anyone ever told you that you can be a very aggravating woman?” Easton rumbled sexily.

“It’s been brought up a few times.”

“And half the things that come out of your mouth make absolutely no sense?”

River beamed up at him. “I mean, they make sense to me, but I can understand the confusion.”

Tugging at the collar of her shirt, River wondered why the temperature had suddenly gotten so stuffy. Was anyone else light-headed?

“You’re gorgeous,” he told her, that low rumble deepening even further.

“I’m sorry?”

“If we’re doing this, don’t think I won’t go on the offensive. When you brought up the bathtub pictures, you dropped the gauntlet.”

River arched an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“Meaning this is going to be a really, really interesting climb up the Old Man.”

“I’m not climbing any men. So you can…and the chest…with the thoughts…” Stepping away from him, River looked up at Easton in horror. “How do you do that?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Oh, he so completely knew what she meant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be watching her like this, like she was an ice cream cone and he was…

“I’m not finishing my thought,” River told him. “It’s a bad thought. You’re technically an employee. This is bad. And…”

“Complicated?” he murmured, lips near her ear.

Oh, screw it. No one was looking, and he was right there. Half an inch at most between his body and hers, and they had a long trip ahead of them where no showering would be had. She wasn’t going to smell any better than she did right then.

When he took her fingers, entwining them before resting them on his chest, River was pretty sure her ovaries flinched in warning.

“We’re not having Alaskan mountain babies,” she warned him, breathless. Seriously, how hot had it gotten? Menopause hit in late twenties sometimes. This was definitely not because of him.

A warm laugh filled the air between them. “I’m just trying to keep up.”