As I’m about to enter the lodge, Duke is walking out, and if I hadn’t turned my head back from saying goodnight to the others, I would’ve run right into him. He’s shed his rhinestones and settled on jeans, a white tee, and a blue plaid flannel with his same tattered ball cap that frames his eyes in such a way they seemed to glow mysteriously in its shadow. How does someone so dressed down look so handsome?
“Ms. Denning,” Duke says, bobbing the bill of his hat.
I turn my nose up. “Mr. Faraday. I see you shed your costume.”
“I did.”
“No more performances tonight? I must say Rusty and Topper managed to be pleasant and charming without all the theatrics.”
The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Both those things describe me as well.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“You’ve only been here six hours,” Duke says, taking a tiny step toward me. “Don’t think you have me all figured out.”
“I don’t need any more time with you to figure you out. I know your kind.”
He presses a hand to his chest. “My kind? And what kind is that?”
“The mountain-man kind.”
“Can you be more specific?”
I huff, sharp and annoyed. I’m trying to stay composed around him, but of course he smells incredible. It’s like he bottled the wild and wore it just to be insufferable. Pine, and something warm and undeniably masculine with a trace of soap. It’s clinging to him and now wrapping around me as he stands too close.
“Arrogant. Selfish. Always chasing the wild. Your only love is conquering the mountain. Everything else comes second.”
He holds his stomach, laughing. “You’re way off, honey.” He drops his hands and takes another step toward me. “How do you have any experience with mountain men anyway?”
“I have plenty of experience since I was born here.”
When I say this, his expression shifts. His eyes grow wide and then narrow.
“You? You’re from Colorado?”
“I was born and raised in Summit County.”
“Really? I find that … surprising.”
“I left Colorado behind a long time ago and I’m happy I did.”
“Then why did you come back?” He peers down at me and a little prickle of electricity dances down my neck.
The current crackling between us could set the whole lodge on fire.
I shake off the feeling. “I didn’t have a choice.”
His eyebrows arch. “Oh? How so?”
“I believe I’m the one that will be conducting the interviews.”
This man actually rolls his eyes at me.
“I have a feeling this is going to be a long summer with you,” he says.
“Goodnight, Mr. Faraday.”
My arm grazes his as I brush past, and suddenly I’m on fire. I duck inside before anyone can see the color rising in my cheeks and take the stairs two at a time, muttering his name under my breath.
