any real trouble, hoped they had just been unable to get in touch with him and their P.I. partner, Gavin Summerfield, who was still running their business back in Seattle in the meantime.
Cameron sighed. Seven days. That's how long the hunting trip was supposed to last. Add a couple of days travel time. Two weeks, max. They'd even had to turn down some lucrative jobs because they were so short handed. But it beat the heck out of him how he got stuck leaving Seattle to land in this snow-filled landscape instead of Gavin.
Cameron's cell phone rang. Speak of the devil. Gavin . "Hey, no word yet, but I'll be going to the cabins tomorrow after I stop by Back Country Tours to see if anyone's in the office in the morning. We'll have a phone blackout for a while once I reach the resort."
"I received a garbled message. Sounded like Owen and he said something about being unable to get word to us. It sounded like he said he and David were all right. And quitting. Quitting the hunt? The static was too bad, and I couldn't make out any more before the phone line cut out completely."
"But he really sounded all right? Not under duress? Not in any kind of trouble or anything, were they?"
"I'd like to say no. But the connection was so bad, I couldn't really say."
Cameron opened his mouth to speak, when a woman screamed—from the room across the hall.
Chapter 2
THE GRAYHAIRED MAN APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY AS FAITH pushed him out of her room, her towel clutched tightly around her torso, her wet hair wrapped in another. She'd kill the hotel clerk. Couldn't the woman give one customer a room that wasn't already occupied?
If that weren't enough of an embarrassment, here came her knight to the rescue, wearing a pair of vivid blue silky boxers—and nothing else—none other than Cameron MacPherson.
He raised his brows at her as the man hurried off with his bag, apologizing under his breath.
"Clerk gave him a key to your room?" Cameron asked, a wrinkle creasing his forehead.
Faith began shutting the door to hide her state of undress in case anyone else happened to walk down the hall. "Yes."
"I'll call down and complain to the manager. We haven't been properly introduced, though. I'm Cameron MacPherson. And you are?"
"Faith O'Malley." She pressed the door closed a little more.
"Want to have breakfast with me in the morning?"
She was so annoyed with the clerk, she hadn't planned to let the grudge go, until Cameron asked to have break fast with her. He was just too cute. And persistent. Her stomach grumbled. Although initially she thought eating too late could keep her awake, now she reasoned she might sleep better if she had a bite to eat. Besides, Cameron could take her mind off Hilson, for a little while. It didn't mean she was going to stay the night or do anything she didn't want to do, she reminded herself.
"Still have some dinner left over?" she asked.
Cameron smiled, the skin beneath his eyes wrinkling, dimples appearing, his blue eyes gleaming with delight, the devilish look saying he knew he could break her down eventually if he tried long enough. "I'll even dress for dinner."
She wondered just what his definition of dressed would be. "Be right over. And thanks… for the rescue." She glanced at his boxers, the same blue as his eyes.
Grinning, he saluted her and stalked back to his room as if his mission was done.
As soon as Faith said she'd eat with Cameron, she'd surprised and pleased the hell out of him. He really figured he didn't have a chance to convince her he was one of the good guys and just wanted a little company. Her kind of company.
He couldn't get the image of her—standing half naked, wearing only a skimpy towel to cover herself—out of his mind. For certain, the gods had smiled on him tonight.
After hurrying back into his room, he jerked on his jeans and threw the rest of his scattered