Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

C roft pushed Sam. If possible, he wanted to get in place before they arrived as he was certain they hadn’t been staying in the canyon. As vast as it was, the rangers were normally very aware of everything going on as it happened. If not at that precise moment, usually within hours.

He was fairly sure they would fly in by low-level chopper from the western end of the canyon, under the radar. They might use a plane, but a helicopter would be easier and more maneuverable. The only other option was by speed boat, and that wasn’t nearly as viable as air transportation.

He hadn’t lied to Finn. He might have downplayed the danger of today’s meet but not overly much. If Reid was still alive, Croft figured he had a better-than-average chance of returning him to his sister. While he had no plans to involve the authorities, he was going to make damn sure he knew what the hell was going on.

He sat astride Sam and listened. There it was—the distinct whirring of chopper blades coming straight down the canyon just over the rushing waters. He watched them approach. Their pilot had skill. Had the company known what was really at stake, they would have had a team in place and Avery sitting up on the rim with a fully armed helicopter to provide air support.

He sat where they could see him, out in the open, but that also meant anyone approaching had to be in the open as well. The chopper landed, and Sam managed to yawn as he watched. He was as rock-steady as they came.

Two men in business suits got out and headed in his direction, stopping far enough away from the chopper not to worry about injury but close enough to beat a hasty retreat. That was good. It meant they recognized the game had changed, and they weren’t calling all the shots.

“Gentlemen,” Croft hailed. “I’m Billy Crofton with the Wild Mustang Security Firm. Our services have been retained by Finlay Reid regarding her brother.”

“We told her not to tell anyone or involve the authorities,” accused the cultured, English-accented voice.

Croft tried to place the accent. It sounded a bit like London but was off by a hair. Most likely, a non-native speaker who learned the language in the capital city of England.

“Wisely, Ms. Reid chose to disregard your instructions on that point. Let me hasten to assure you she is only desirous of having her brother safely returned to her. She couldn't care less the nature of your business with her brother and is well able and willing to conclude our business with as little fuss as can be done.”

“Crofton. I’ve heard of you. You were involved in that nasty piece of business in France earlier this year.”

“I can assure you it only got nasty when those on the other end failed to uphold their end of the bargain and tried to take the ransom and kill the hostage. I always deal in good faith, gentlemen, and would prefer to conclude our transaction as peacefully as possible.”

“Don’t you want to know who we are?”

Croft shook his head. “Not really. As I said, my only interest is in exchanging the flash drive for Christian Reid.”

“You have it with you?”

“As you already know, I’m a professional. I expected you would be the same. I’m assuming you don’t have Reid in the chopper, and I don’t have the flash drive with me. If you can provide me with proof of life, and Reid had better not look any worse for wear than he did in the picture you previously provided or be missing any body parts, we can arrange for the exchange tomorrow at a time and place of our choosing.”

“You are not in charge. You do not dictate terms to us. We have the banker. We control his life.”

“And I control the information you need and what happens from here on out. It occurs to me there is a pilot and another individual in the helicopter. Should I assume he is actually the one pulling your strings?”

Croft watched the two men exchange glances and look back toward the chopper. He wasn’t all that surprised when he saw the man at the back of the helicopter raise his hand and wave the men back to where he was sitting. Croft watched as the man stepped out and removed his sunglasses… Fariq Abdal.

The good news was, he’d had dealings with Fariq in the past. The bad, not all of them had been handled professionally and without violence. Added to the good, all the transactions that had gone south, so to speak, had been before he was with Wild Mustang.

“Croft. Shall I say it is good to see you?”

Fariq spoke with a French accent but was of North African descent. His home was a large yacht that remained in the neutral waters of the world, guarded by several heavily armed patrol boats. The man was among the wealthiest individuals in the world and had his own peculiar sense of honor and morality to which he remained true. Croft supposed if he was going to have to deal with an arms dealer, Fariq was probably the best.

“Fariq, it’s good to see you.”

“As it is you. It would appear the hotheaded photojournalist is letting cooler heads prevail. I believe that will be in all of our best interests.”

Croft nodded.

“You have the required ransom?”

“I do, but not with me.”

“A clever man, but not a very trusting one.”

“Come on, Fariq, we both know you wouldn’t have let her walk away. Besides, I didn’t know it was you. You must admit, most of those in your line of work are not to be trusted.”

Fariq smiled, his gold tooth with the diamond inset gleaming in the midday sun.

“Probably not,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “But we both know I have no desire to run afoul of you and those who make up Wild Mustang.”

“I’m glad to hear it. With other men, less honorable than you,” Croft said, playing to the arms dealer’s vanity, “I would require proof of life. If you tell me he is no worse off than he appeared to be in the picture sent to his sister, I will accept your word.”

“He is not in worse shape,” said Fariq. “He is in better shape. I did not order him to be treated in that manner, nor do I condone how this matter has been handled thus far. I was only apprised of it yesterday. Your Mr. Reid has been well cared for, and I believe you will find him in much better shape than you were previously led to believe. I take it you would like to propose a different time and place to meet?”

“I believe you like the Four Seasons in Las Vegas. What do you say we meet in their dining room at say three o’clock? It should be quiet, and we both know the establishment well.”

Fariq nodded. “And I will have assurances from your firm you will have the only copy of the flash drive to exchange?”

“You will. You leave Reid at one table. One of my men will sit down with him. Then you and your man join me. I will hand over the flash drive, then join my team and Mr. Reid. After that, we all go our separate ways.”

“Ah, but who picks up the check?” chuckled Fariq.

“It would be our pleasure. Then we are agreed?”

“With one exception. I want the person who sits with him to be his sister…”

“Unacceptable.”

“But why? I am assuming he knows no one with your firm, and her presence will make him feel more comfortable.”

“I’m not sure she should see him like that before we have a chance to have him checked out.”

“I assure you, he looks much better than in the picture. Reid has become quite agitated by those in my employ involving his sister. I think it would go a long way to easing his concerns if he could speak to his sister. My only concern is the information that could prove damaging to my business. I have no axe to grind with either Reid or his sister. As long as I get what I want, I am content to allow both to live and wish them well.”

“How did a banker come by information that concerns you?” asked Croft.

“An inept former employee got lazy, sloppy, and greedy. He exposed my flank, so to speak. As the employee is gone, the only link back to me is the information your Mr. Reid stumbled across.”

“I will need to speak with my employer about whether Ms. Reid will be in play. If not, I will come alone. An acceptable compromise, don’t you think?”

Fariq nodded.

“And Fariq? I want you there in person, seated at the table.”

“Done. Until tomorrow, then?”

Croft inclined his head and watched the helicopter lift off. As it turned and headed back down the canyon, just barely above the water, Croft took a deep breath before turning Sam back toward the campsite.

F inn was just beginning to saddle Jasper. She’d waited until what she thought was the last minute after arguing with herself what course of action she would take. Part of her knew she should trust in Croft’s experience and go for help, but every other part of her insisted she ride after him.

She looked up to see Croft riding Sam, alone, but he didn’t seem injured.

“You’re all right?”

Croft smiled. Finn hoped he’d taken note it wasn’t quite five hours, and she had Jasper ready to go. Whether she would have gone for help or come after him was debatable, but it was also immaterial.

“I’m fine.” He nodded as he stepped down. “Christian wasn’t with them, but he is alive, and I’ve been assured he’s received medical attention. The man holding him is one we’ve dealt with before. As long as they get the flash drive, we can make the exchange, and if your brother doesn’t threaten them again, they’ll leave both of you alone.”

“You know these people?”

“The man is Fariq Abdal.”

“The arms dealer? He’s an assassin and terrorist.”

“Actually, he’s neither. He sells arms to both but rarely gets personally involved. It’s not the same… at least not in his mind, and that’s important to remember. I’m not saying he isn’t a dangerous man, but he has his own code of honor we’ve come to trust. We’re going to make the exchange tomorrow in Vegas. We need to get back to Mesa, get a team put together, and make this happen. I have every hope by tomorrow afternoon, you’ll have your brother back.”

Finn embraced him and held onto him with all her might.

“And you’re not hurt?” she whispered.

“No, baby,” he said, taking hold of her ass, lifting her off of the ground and into his groin. “I’m in pain, but fine.”

She tilted her head back, so she could look him in the face as he grinned at her. Apparently, Croft was happy to see her—the throbbing bulge in the front of his jeans was proof. He chuckled as he set her back on the ground.

“Did you get any proof Christian is still alive?”

“No, but Fariq told me he was, and I believe him. Fariq’s word has always been good. He doesn’t care about you or Christian, and if Christian isn’t at the exchange, the deal is off. He’s going to call the firm this afternoon and have Christian talk to you. He wants to assure Christian that you’re okay. We’ll make the exchange tomorrow. I know how stressful this is for you, but for Fariq, it’s just business as usual. In this kind of situation, it’s much better to deal with professionals. Let’s get the camp broken down and you ready to ride. You up for taking the trail to the top?”

“Yes. I trust you and Jasper. If I start to freak, I’ll toss you his lead.”

“Good girl.” He kissed her. “Let’s go.”

They were packed and ready to move out in less than fifteen minutes, opting to ford the river where they were, then head to the trailhead. Finn took in the daunting series of switchbacks that led up the steep rockface and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

“You sure you want to do this? I can go up and send a chopper back for you here or at Phantom Ranch.”

“No, we need to get Christian, and that means you need to get to your people. I’m not going to let a trail frighten me into making things more difficult. I won’t,” she said adamantly.

Croft rode back, coming alongside her. Leaning out of his saddle, he cupped her head and crushed her mouth to his. He released her, turned Sam back around, and headed up the challenging trail.

“Tell me more about Fariq Abdal,” Finn said.

Croft smiled, knowing she was trying to get her mind off the daunting trail they were about to ride.

“I’m guessing you know as much as most. He’s North African by birth. He was a mercenary who took out one of the richest arms dealers in the world and took over his business. Unlike the man he replaced, he keeps his word and honors the deals he makes. Cross him, and he’ll kill you without blinking an eye, but if you hold to the bargain, so will he. As I said before, once I knew it was Fariq, I felt a lot better about our odds of getting Christian back.”

“What makes Fariq think Christian will remain quiet?”

“Because if he doesn’t, Fariq will kill him. Christian needs to become a non-threat.”

They talked about things not connected with arms dealers, terrorists, and assassins. Croft opened up about some of the things he had seen and shared with her the things that had caused him to walk away from what would have been a brilliant career in the Navy.

“Having second thoughts about hooking up with a cowboy?”

“None whatsoever. What bothers me, and clearly not overly much, is the way I responded to you. You should know I don’t just jump into bed with men.”

“That never even entered my mind.”

“I’m not sure why I responded to you the way I did.” So many thoughts and emotions swirled around her. “I don’t like pain, so it bothers me that it got me so turned on. I was supposed to be saving Christian, and instead, I’ve been fucking you like I was a horny teenage girl who just discovered sex… Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that. Please don’t think I regret being with you. I’m… I just don’t understand anything at the moment.”

“First, there was nothing we could have been doing for Christian when we were discovering each other, so let’s nip that guilt in the bud. You need to leave that on the trail. If you don’t, I’ll spank you until you do. And it wasn’t the pain that got you all hot and bothered. What turned you on was knowing there was someone who cared enough to hold you accountable and keep you safe and was more than capable of doing both.”

She laughed. “That sounds good… well, everything except the spanking me again part.”

“Finn, get used to the idea I can and will spank you whenever I think you need it.”

“I have to tell you, Croft, the fact those feelings came wrapped in a sexy, dominant cowboy who fills out his jeans better than any man I’ve ever met didn’t hurt.”

He laughed with her. “I didn’t think nice Boston girls even considered things like that.”

“I might have been born in Boston, but I live in Fairfax County. I haven’t spent a lot of time at anything resembling a home, so like you, I have a place on a friend’s property.”

“My place is pretty small, maybe 700 square feet, but if you want something bigger, we can look for something else...”

Finn’s laughter cut him off. “That’s downright spacious compared to my place. I have a shepherd’s caravan I converted… maybe 160 square feet.”

“Then the dairy barn should feel downright palatial. No tub in the house itself but a nice shower.”

“Not a big bubble-bath kind of girl, but can we get a wood-fired hot tub?”

“Sure, but why wood-fired?”

“Because I think you’d be all kinds of sexy splitting logs without a shirt on.”

“Swinging an ax and getting all hot and sweaty?”

“Nothing wrong with hot and sweaty.”

Croft laughed again. “I’m going to remind you of that when I get you in a real bed and have nothing but time to devote to seeing how many times I can make you come.”

Finn shook her head. It seemed unreal a man she hadn’t even known two days ago could suddenly bring her so much joy, make her laugh so much, and reassure her, even now when she was terrified about her brother and about this damn trail they were on, everything was going to be not just all right but better than it had ever been.

They made it to the top of the trail and were greeted by a park ranger just getting ready to head down.

“Croft,” the ranger said, pulling up beside him and extending his hand.

“Kurt. Good to see you. Can I borrow your sat phone or get you to let me into your station?”

“Either/or. Were you down by the river? We’ve heard reports that someone came in below the rim in an unauthorized chopper.”

“I saw it. Came within about ten miles of the foot of the trail, then swung around and headed back when they spied me. My guess is once they realized they’d been spotted, they hightailed it back out of the restricted zone.”

“Probably, but I’ll go on down and check. Come on, I’ll let you into the station. You can make your phone call, then lock up when you leave.” He nodded toward Finn. “Client? Girlfriend?”

Croft swung around to look at her and smiled.

“Both and much more. Kurt, this is Finlay Reid. Finn, this is Kurt Manderlay, one of the lead rangers here at the Grand Canyon.”

“Finlay Reid? The photojournalist?”

“Guilty as charged,” she said, smiling as they headed toward the small building.

“Damn fine work you’ve done. You ought to do an exhibition,” Kurt said.

“I don’t know that my pictures are the kind of thing one puts on display in a gallery,” she said modestly.

“Nonsense. It’s the kind of thing people ought to see. It may not be pretty, but the images are hauntingly beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she said as she went to step off Jasper and found Kurt was waiting to help her.

“Kurt?” Croft said with less warmth than he’d greeted the ranger. “Client and girlfriend, remember?”

Kurt laughed and put some space between himself and Finn.

“I’ll say that the much more must be pretty damn serious.”

“Yeah, it is.” Croft grinned. “And it’s been kind of stressful.”

Alerted, Kurt continued, “Anything I should know about or can help with?”

“No.” Croft shook his head, turning serious again. “Anything involving the park is concluded, and no harm was done to anything… oh, except a couple of trout we ate and a rattler I had to kill because the city girl disturbed its sun nap.”

“Careful, cowboy, or this city girl will put her boot up your ass.”

Kurt laughed out loud. “Oh, I like her. You tell him, Ms. Reid…”

“Finn, please. Does he always go caveman on such short notice?”

“Not that I’ve ever seen, but when a smart man finds the right woman, civility to any guy even thinking about making a move goes right out the door.”

“But, babe, I thought you liked it when I went caveman?” Croft asked, trying to sound innocent.

“You’re a jackass.”

“Your jackass,” he said, leaning down to kiss her lingeringly.

He opened the door to let her into the small building.

“Just lock up when you leave, Croft. West of the trail?”

“Yeah, probably a good hour or so.”

The ranger tipped his hat. “Much obliged. Nice to meet you, Finn.”

“You, too, Kurt,” she called as he mounted up and headed down the trail. “You actually get to where those trails don’t bother you?”

“Yes, but it takes a while. For what it’s worth, I’m really proud of you for following me up the trail. You did great.”

“Thanks for talking to me all the way up. It helped.”

Croft reached for the phone and called the office.

“Avery? It’s Croft. Can you get John and a couple of guys to meet me tonight at the office about seven-thirty? We’ve got a situation,” he said, shooting a look at Finn. “Seems our client wasn’t completely upfront with us about her brother’s circumstances. We need to be ready for an exchange tomorrow in Vegas at the Four Seasons. Any chance I can get you to fly to the South Rim with Gus and pick us up? He can ride back over to the North Rim, load up the stock, and head home. We’ll see you when you get here.” He hung up and turned to Finn.

“So, how pissed is your boss going to be?”

“John? He’s not the top boss, but I won’t lie to you, he won’t be happy. But we’ll get Christian back, and he’ll leave me to deal with you.”

“Will he know how you plan to deal with me?” she asked anxiously.

“Probably, the same way he deals with his wife, Mandy.” She blushed. “Don’t let it worry you, Finn. Most of the guys have similar relationships, and those who don’t either wish they did or understand and accept them. Mac and Willa do. Nothing for you to be worried about.” He pulled her to him and kissed her hard. “You gotta know I’m glad to be moving from wanting what they have into having one of my own. I’ve never known better relationships.”

“But we’re good… you and me… right?”

“If you’re questioning whether or not we’re together, you and I are going to have a major disagreement.”

“No, that wasn’t what I meant,” Finn said quietly.

“Glad to hear it. If you’re asking if I’m still planning to put you over my knee when we get home? Count on it…”

“But nothing bad happened…” she argued, the stress and heat catching up to her.

“Nothing bad? Let’s see, you ran off in a wilderness area you have absolutely no experience in and weren’t prepared for. I had to find you, then deal with a notorious arms dealer to negotiate for the lives of you and your brother, which I wasn’t prepared to do because you lied to both me and the people I work for. Which part of that would you not classify as bad?”

“That’s just your point of view…”

“Baby, first, where your behavior is concerned, mine is the only point of view. Second, there is no point of view involved. Those are the facts. The only thing you could even raise as a mitigating factor is you were told they’d kill Christian if you didn’t come alone. If you did any research at all, and you indicated you did, you knew handling situations like this is our bread and butter. So, there goes that argument.”

“I’m not going to win this, am I?” she said angrily.

“Nope, and fussing at me about it is only going to make your spanking worse. You stay here. I’ll turn on the a/c, then go take care of the mules, make sure they have shade and water.”

Finn started to push past him. “I’m not some delicate hothouse flower. I can take care of my own mule.”

Croft caught her by the arm and used her own inertia to swing her back around. Grasping her around the middle, he swatted her jean-clad rump several times with enough force, she danced at the sting.

“No, you’re going to do what I tell you. You’re going to stay inside, and if you’re not careful, when I’m done with the stock, I’m going to put you over my knee and give you that spanking you seemed determined to get.”

“You bastard!”

He smacked her ass even harder than before.

“Better stick with jackass, sweetheart. I’ve begun to think of that as a term of endearment. Settle down, Finn.”

“Let me go!” she snarled, managing to kick him in the shin sideways.

“Ouch, damn it,” he said, striking her backside another three times.

Her ass now felt like it was covered with bee stings. Even though her jeans had provided her with some protection, his swats had reignited the heat from his previous spankings.

“Quit! Do I need to strip those jeans down and give you a proper spanking?” said Croft angrily.

Finn’s only response was silence.

“Do I?”

“No!”

“Then knock it off.” He swatted her once more before she ceased struggling. “That’s better. I’ll have to remember a couple of good swats goes a long way to getting you to curb your temper and behave yourself. Now, go sit on the bed while I take care of the mules.”

Finn walked over to the small love seat and sat down. She might give in to avoid a worse spanking, but she’d be damned if she was going to just do what he told her by sitting on the bed. Granted it was only the difference between the love seat and the bed, but still it was a difference. Croft shook his head, reading her obvious attempt to assert some independence. She got up and wandered over to the window to watch as he unsaddled both Jasper and Sam, stowed their gear, threw them some hay, and made sure they had water. He turned to head back inside, and she hurried back to her seat—no use making him any angrier than he already was.

Croft came inside, crossed to her, and pulled her into his arms, capturing her mouth with his in a punishing kiss. He was still angry and still aroused. She could feel his hard-on pressed up against her through his jeans. Cupping her ass, he reached between them, unfastened her jeans, slipped them and her panties down past her sore bottom, and slid his hands between her legs. He smiled as he gathered the evidence of her arousal and rubbed it into her clit.

“Ah, if I only had time.”

“You do,” she moaned, finding it hard to believe she behaved so wantonly with Croft.

He had the ability to build a tremendous need in her, something she had never experienced before. The worst problem was she didn’t even question it or her willingness to surrender herself to him.

“Not to get it done right, I don’t, but get on your knees and suck me. I’ve been hard for you since this morning.”

“What about me?”

“What about you? You’ve been pushing my buttons the whole time. I have plans for you when we get home. It’s in your best interest to soothe the savage beast, and deep throating me will go a long way to doing that.”

“What kind of plans?” she asked suspiciously.

“That depends on whether you manage to behave from here on out. Get on your knees, Finn. Show me your mouth has a talent for more than arguing.”

She sank to her knees and opened his fly. His cock sprang out, and she licked her lips. If he thought this was a punishment, she was about to prove him wrong. Croft fisted her hair and pushed his staff past her lips to the depths of her throat, giving a heavy, satisfied growl.

“Good girl, Finn. Take it all,” he whispered, releasing her hair, but grasping her head to still her mobility and slowly plunged in and out of her mouth.

Finn licked his staff, bringing her hand to grasp it at its base. She sucked on the lower end as he withdrew, encouraging him to sink his shaft back down her throat, swallowing when he did. Croft wound his fingers in her hair, so she couldn’t move away or distract him from the rhythm he wanted to create. Finn focused on keeping her jaw loose and her throat open, so he could fuck her mouth as she sucked, licked, and nibbled on him. With the hand not wrapped around his base, she reached up to fondle the rock-hard balls behind it. She was certain she could feel when they started to release his cum, so he could shoot it into her belly.

She wasn’t overly fond of swallowing a man’s cum, especially if he was doing it at the back of her mouth. With most men, Finn had found she who gave the blow job controlled the blow job. Not with Croft. He held her in place and fucked her mouth. In the same way, he had steadied her hips, so he could hammer her pussy the night before, he held her head as his movements became more frenzied. She felt his precum on her tongue as he rammed himself to the soft space at the back of her throat, pumping his creamy essence down her gullet and into her belly, grunting with animal satisfaction.

When he was done, Croft helped her to her feet, pressed his thumb hard against her clit, and pushing his hand up under her shirt and bra, so he could fondle her nipples before pinching them and pulling her jeans back up over her rump and closing them.

“No,” she cried in frustration.

“Yes. There’s more than one way for me to punish you. Administering the spanking you deserve here and now would take more time than I’m likely to have before the chopper gets here, so you can be horny for the next little while like I’ve been for you all day. You be a good girl, and after the meeting, I’ll take you home, get between your legs, and ride you so hard, you’ll go hoarse from the screaming. Avery and Gus should be here any time.”

“It will take longer than that, even by helicopter.”

“Regular civilian chopper, yes, but we have special dispensation to have quasi-military ones. Not only are they armed, they fly a hell of a lot faster. You behave yourself.”

“Can I come to the meeting?”

“Yes. You may have answers to questions I don’t, but you’d best lose the attitude and come clean about everything you know. I think we’ll get Christian back alive and relatively unharmed, but we need to know everything you know to ensure nothing goes sideways at the last minute. Besides, Fariq wants your brother to be able to speak to you, and I want that done at headquarters. I want the people I work with to meet you and get a feel for who you are before we decide whether it’s better for you to stay back at the base with a heavily armed guard or take you with us to the exchange.”

“You’re going to let me come to the exchange?”

“I haven’t decided, and believe me, I will be the one who decides. Fariq wants you there. He thinks your brother will be more inclined to go along and take the deal if you are. I think he’s probably right, but there will be ground rules if I let you go.”

“I would think your superiors would make that decision.”

“You obviously don’t know John or Mac. John’s the only one here right now, but once he knows you answer to me, what you think about putting yourself in harm’s way won’t mean anything. Don’t try me, Finn. While spanking is a good way to correct a naughty girl’s behavior, there are other ways to humble her wild spirit and remind her who is dominant.”

“Wh-What do you mean?” she stammered.

“Remember that back door you say you don’t want me to use? I found a bit of ginger can provide a ready remedy for a bitchy attitude and bring the lesson home quite effectively.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I?” he said, looking at her levelly.

Finn had no doubt not only would he dare, he was quite capable of doing not only that but any number of even more diabolical things. She wanted to hate everything about his idea, but there was something about it that made her private parts tingle. She couldn’t figure out Croft or her feelings for him. One minute, she was madly in love and wanted to plan a life with him, and the next, she wanted to run like hell and tell herself she never wanted to see him again. The prospect of the latter made her catch her breath and fight back tears.

Croft must have recognized the upset in her face and body. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, and instinctively, she clung to him.

“We’ll get Christian one way or another,” he said softly. “I’ll take care of you, Finn—always and forever.”

“Croft, I don’t want to mislead you, but I’m not sure I can do this or that I even want it.”

“You’re just scared, sweetheart. Remember when we were coming down from the North Rim? I led, you followed, and we made it just fine. I won’t lie to you. You’re going to mind me, Finn.”

“No, I’m not… not always. It’s not in my nature.”

“Then you’ll get punished. Fair warning, I’m going to deal pretty harshly with anything that could get you seriously hurt or killed, but never doubt my feelings for you or that I’ll love you just as hard.”

Oh God, he’d said it. He’d used the word love. She wasn’t ready to hear love. She needed to focus on getting Christian back safe and sound. She truly believed Croft and his firm was the best way to do that, but she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. What happened afterward… that was something yet to be decided.