For a moment, it was all Easton could do not to wrap his hands around her waist. Instead, he closed his eyes, the thin air doing nothing to cover the lingering scent of her skin. Her hand stayed on his arm, her hair copper silk as he threaded his fingers through it. And maybe he didn’t draw her in close. He didn’t have to. River was already leaning into him, soft and warm and more tempting than anything he’d ever known.

“We should probably keep this professional,” Easton murmured. Not kissing her behind her earlobe, down her neck, and across her shoulder was brutally difficult. Especially when her hands were sliding over his chest, fingers digging into his shoulders.

“Define professional,” she challenged him.

“Not this.” Slipping his arm around her waist, Easton picked her up, pulling her across his lap. When a tiny noise of appreciation escaped her throat, his willpower plummeted.

“Probably not this either.” Her hands traced a path along his stomach, making each muscle contract involuntarily at her touch.

A smack of a hand against the outside of the tent was the only warning they had that Ben’s face was about to poke inside the flap.

“Umm, guys, I hate to interrupt…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Easton growled under his breath, letting River slide off his lap.

“Tell me about it,” River muttered. “Your timing sucks, Ben.”

Ben had the decency to clear his throat, sounding far more apologetic than he looked. “I’ve got Ash on the line. She’s watching the weather, and we might need to stay put instead of heading up. Talk to her. She’ll tell you what’s going on.”

The last thing Easton wanted to do right then was leave this tent and whatever was on the verge of happening between them, but only a fool didn’t listen when his people called with weather warnings. Offering River an apologetic look, Easton pulled his boots back on and went to the dining tent. Settling down next to a makeshift supply table they’d formed out of snow, Easton picked up the sat phone. “Hey.”

He’d never know what it was that gave him away, but his sister always knew when she’d interrupted him at the worst of times. With that one word, Ash started laughing.

“You can’t be serious. Oh man, Graham is going to love this. We’ve had a bet going since you left. The actress, right?”

He glanced at the corner of the tent where River had joined her people. At his look in her direction, River’s eyebrow raised questioningly. Turning back to the radio, he cleared his throat.

“What’s got you worried, Ash?”