Page 13 of Her Wild Coast Refuge

His eyes flash with mischief. “Are you offering?”

I scoff. “I’m not a guide.”

“How would you like to start?”

“Ohmigawd, quit it!” I say with a laugh.

We start up the hill. Quinn has no trouble keeping up.

“Come on,” he says. “Name your price.”

I sneak a sideways glance at him, all designer jeans and fitted t-shirt, his toned physique filling every inch perfectly.

“No, really,” I say. “I can recommend a couple of outfitters. They’ll take much better care of you than I would.”

“Ten thousand,” he says, as if he didn’t hear me.

“Sorry, what?”

“Ten thousand for two weeks of your services.”

I eye him. “Um. Define services.”

His eyes sparkle, like this is fun. “You take us fly fishing, or bear watching, or wildflower hunting, or whatever.”

“Ten thousand dollars to be your tour guide,” I say to clarify. Okay, not that I’m really considering this, but ten thousand bucks is a lot of money—money I could use.

“Twenty?” he continues. “Thirty if you can find us a chef and a driver.”

“You’re insane! Nobody pays that kind of money up here.”

“Fifty, and that’s my final offer,” he says with a grin. Meaning he’s nowhere close to his final offer. Which means…shit.

“Just…stop for a second.” I glare at him over my handlebars. “Why me?”

He peers up at the dusky sky, as if he’s considering his answer, then returns his gaze to me. “Because of all those trophy pictures on the wall, you had the biggest smile.”

My throat tightens. I thought I was the only one who noticed that. “I’m also the only girl.”

He shrugs, like he’s not denying it.

How can I refuse fifty fucking grand? “Okay.”

His smile lights up his whole face.

“But I have a few terms,” I add. “I work nights in the dining room. I can cover some of my shifts, but not all. This is our busy season.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine for a few nights on our own.”

“When we’re fishing, you’ll do what I say. And you gotta pack your own lunches and carry your own gear. I’m not a llama.”

“Understood.”

“And no more kissing.”

He nods slowly. “Probably a good idea. Keep things professional.”

“Good.” We finish climbing the hill. “When do you want to start?”

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