She drew an even deeper breath. ‘That’sthe hut?’

‘Uh-huh.’ As he laughed again she felt his chest rumbling against her back.

She smiled too, gazing at the small building, not hiding her amazement. ‘So what are we doing here, glamping?’

Glamour-camping. In by helicopter to a pristine lake and then a little trek to some deluxe boudoir?

‘Hey, it’s hardly five stars—look at the place. It’s tiny and made out of tin,’ he said in mock-defence. ‘But we can get it really warm.’

Oh, she bet they could.

Itwastiny, no more than a couple of metres squared. Two-storeyed and on stilts. A beautiful copper coloured tower. He strode ahead, pulling a set of keys from his pocket. He unlocked the padlocks on each side and pulled up the shades so they became awnings, revealing the massive windows beneath providing a view as far as the eye could see in each direction.

‘Oh, my.’ Ellie peered in the first window.

There was a log burner on the ground floor, with a pot on the top, a rug, a cupboard with a small amount of supplies—survival food, coffee. No sofa, just a wooden floor and a mountain of cushions. But that was what made it so damn glamorous. The wooden floor was polished, the rug hand woven, the cushions covered with the most expensive fabrics.

‘You bring people here often?’ Oh, she suspected him.

He shook his head. ‘No. Honestly no.’ His smile twisted. ‘Let me get the fire going.’

It already was—a roaring inferno in her belly. ‘You’re not going to rub two sticks together?’

‘Well, you only need one when it’s a match.’

She kicked off her boots, as he did, and followed him inside.

‘I’m guessing trampers and members of the public don’t use this.’ Every single item in the place was carefully selected, chosen for both use and quality, neat and tidy and perfect.

‘No, it’s not on any maps. It’s my little getaway.’

‘It’s pretty amazing.’ She turned around, taking it all in.

He waved a hand, encompassing that tiny space. ‘You really like it?’

‘Absolutely.’ How could anyone not?

He looked boyishly, endearingly pleased. ‘I designed it.’ He coughed. ‘And built it.’

‘Really?’

‘Is that so hard to believe?’ He actually looked self-conscious.

Of course it wasn’t. She suspected he was capable of many things, given all he’d achieved in the last ten or so years. ‘You’ve designed other things?’

‘Just this. It was all I wanted just for me.’

He owned several luxury lodges—massive ones— and he’d built himself a tiny annexe up in the wild heights.

‘Have you brought any other women here?’ She shouldn’t want to know this. Knowing this was irrelevant. But somehow it mattered.

He shook his head and too much satisfaction burned through Ellie’s veins.

‘Truth is I’ve never brought anyone here. I like being alone, appreciating the view. It’s peaceful.’

Yes, this place offered serene simplicity. ‘I’m not breaking that peace for you?’

‘You’re part of the fantasy.’ He smiled. ‘I think everybody needs an escape.’ He bent to get the fire going.