She felt like shit. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I am happy to see you.” Problem was, his theory had been right. Now that he was there, she did want to spend time with him, but she still had a job to do. She couldn’t take the evening off and go back to her condo and make love to him and fall asleep in his arms. That was a fantasy. This was real life.

“Are you?” he asked.

“Of course... I’ve...uh, missed you, too.” She reached out to touch his arms, but his hands stayed in the pockets of his jeans.

His sexy, faded jeans that hugged his thighs with the rip in the left knee. Damn, he looked good. Suddenly all of her ability to push away emotions and memories of him vanished and their week in Wild River came spiraling back like a bad ’80s movie montage.

Unfortunately, her words had come seconds too late. His expression had changed to one of disappointment and she hated that she was the cause. He’d come all this way. For her.

She moved closer. “I really did. Let’s talk in my office,” she said, checking her watch.

He caught the motion.

“I’m obviously on the clock, so let’s just get this out there,” he said. “What I’ve come to say.”

Her heart raced. There was zero air in this elevator. “Okay...”

“I’m in love with you, Erika.”

The lump in her throat threatened to choke her. He loved her? After only a few weeks? Was that possible?

She’d been falling for him while she was in Wild River, but now that she was back in Anchorage she couldn’t help but wonder if the mountains and the freedom and the excitement had tricked her into believing the feelings she was having for Reed were real. She cared about him more than any other man she’d ever been with, but love? Was she even capable of that?

But here he was saying the L word and damn, if he didn’t sound sincere.

Which made her own hesitation even worse. If he was so sure, how could she not be? “It’s so fast,” she said. “We’ve only known each other a few weeks.”

“I’ve known you my entire life,” he said.

“You know what I mean.”