Page 104 of Tangled up in You

This would be infinitely easier if he wasn’t so damned attracted to her. She was smart, and adorable, and feisty.

And she was a rich, spoiled princess.

At least she hadn’t turned out to be a drug mule.

Then again, if she was, she’d already be arrested and out of his hair and his life could go back to what passed for normal. “Can’t you take motion sickness medicine?”

“Oh, gee, it’s not like I’m an engineer with a doctorate and a functioning brain. Or that five different riding instructors at two boarding schools didn’t try every trick in the book over severalyearsto help me overcome it because I desperatelywantedto learn how to ride likeliterallyevery other classmate.”

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, held it for a four-count, and slowly let it out again. Without opening his eyes, he asked, “How long has it been since you last tried?”

“Two months ago.”

He looked at her. “What?”

“Yeah. Because believe it or not, Ididtake horseback riding into consideration. And yes, I took meds. And also yes, it was with a Western saddle. The instructor was very patient, worked with me for three hours, even after I nearly puked on her several times. And also, yes, she was certain she could help me. She admitted at the end of our lesson that while she’d heard of someone getting queasy on a horse walking slowly, she’d never seen someone projectile vomit at a trot or canter unless they were hungover. Which I was not, I can assure you. Also, yes, I did puke at a slow walk.”

He threw his head back and groaned. “It will take us twice as long to do this on foot.”

“Which is why when I set this up with Dr. Fornier-Thomas I scheduled it the way I did and for the length of time. I don’t understand what you don’t understand. If you amended the permits to shorten the timeframe to horseback, I suggest you re-amend them.”

He literally threw his arms up, turned, and walked away.

It was that or he would blow his top, and that definitely wouldn’t be good for his career.

CHRISTOPHER

Jesse focused on him. “You have any smart-assed remarks you want to contribute?”

He slowly shook his head and prayed his erection wasn’t visible from the way he stood leaning against the truck. “Nope. I was thinking I need to pack more socks and an extra blister kit.”

“I can’t help it I get sick,” she added, obviously defensive and feeling she needed to explain, to justify.

She didn’t, though. Not to him.

And Mark’s reaction to her was nearly identical to Mark’s reaction to him countless times during their early days.

Poor neurotypical bastard.He suspected this was his opening and prayed he was right.

“I thought Dr. Fornier-Thomas explained this when she arranged the staffing substitution,” she added, more a question than a comment but obviously it’d been her expectation.

“She did not,” he evenly said. “We were told she needed two experienced backcountry guides to escort a scientist. And that we’d be paid triple time. She’d already set it up with our supervisors before contacting us, and it was a done deal by then.Not so much a request as an ‘FYI, this is what you’re doing.’ Dr. Fornier-Thomas has a lot of pull in Yellowstone. At the state and federal levels, too. Fortunately, she is a benevolent dictator,” he added with a smile, hoping she took it as a joke.

She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, unconsciously mirroring him. “Oh.”

He glanced at Mark, who now stood about thirty yards away with his back to them, his hands on his hips as he stared at the stone arch.

Obviously trying to regroup and not lose his cool.

Any worse than he already had, that was.

Normally, Mark was the most patient, steady man imaginable.

But Jesse was throwing him for a loop. And he could tell Mark was attracted to her, too.

Not that they could do anything about that. This was work and that would be unprofessional.

“Why doesn’t he like me?” she asked, drawing Christopher’s attention.

---