turned her head to look at him and his face was so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek and see the dark stubble shadowing his hard jaw. He looked sexy and strong and she’d never been so pleased to see anyone in her life.
Then she glanced down at the drop beneath her and thought of Lizzie. ‘Oh, God, Jack,’ she whispered, and she felt his grip on her tighten.
‘Don’t even say it,’ he said harshly. ‘I’ve got you and there’s no way I’m letting you go.’ He glanced up the slope and shouted something to Sean, who was holding the other end of the rope. ‘They’re going to take you up now, sweetheart. Try not to do anything blonde on the way up.’
She gave a weak smile and he smiled back. ‘Go for it.’
And gradually, with the aid of the rope and her ice axe and crampons, she managed to climb back up the slope, aware that Jack was behind her.
Finally she reached the top and Tom rolled his eyes. ‘Thanks for the adrenaline rush.’
‘Any time,’ Bryony said lightly, but she was shaking badly now that the danger had passed, and Jack must have known that because he pulled her into his arms and held her until his warmth and strength gradually calmed her.
He didn’t speak. He just held her tightly, talking all the time to Sean and Tom as they reassessed the best way to get safely down the increasingly treacherous slope.
Bryony stood in the circle of his arms, wishing that she could stay there for ever. There was no better place in the world, she decided, closing her eyes and breathing in his tantalising male scent.
And when he finally released her she felt bereft.
She looked at him, trying to keep it light as he checked the rope at her waist. ‘I didn’t know you were into bondage.’
He smiled down at her as he pulled on the rope. ‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Blondie,’ he drawled, his blue eyes teasing her wickedly. ‘There’s no point in learning to do all these fancy knots if you don’t put them to good use.’
She smiled and then her smile faltered. ‘Thanks, Jack.’ Ridiculously she felt close to tears. ‘I would have done the same for you.’
He winked at her, maddeningly self-confident. ‘I wouldn’t have fallen, babe.’
She gasped in outrage. ‘You arrogant…!’ Words failed her and he smiled and flicked her cheek with a gloved finger.
‘That’s better. At least you’ve got your colour back. Let’s get moving.’
He turned to Sean and she realised that his inflammatory statement had been a ploy to rouse her to anger. Which meant he must have guessed how close she’d been to tears.
She gave a reluctant laugh, acknowledging once more just how clever he was.
It was much easier to get down the mountain feeling annoyed and irritated than it was feeling scared and tearful.
In the end it took several hours to get down safely and the two women were immediately transferred to A and E in the MRT ambulance.
Jack drove Bryony home, the swirling snow falling thickly on the windscreen. ‘If this carries on we’re going to be busy in A and E,’ he said, his eyes searching as he glanced at her.
‘I’m OK.’
He nodded. ‘Thanks to your ice axe technique. You did well. That’s if you overlook the fact that you fell in the first place.’
She gaped at him. ‘I did not fall,’ she protested. ‘The mountain slipped out from beneath me.’
‘It wasn’t my fault I crashed the car, Officer,’ Jack said, mimicking her tone. ‘The road suddenly moved.’
Bryony pulled a face. ‘What’s it like being so damn perfect, Jack?’
‘I’ve learned to live with it,’ he said solemnly, ‘but I realise it’s tough on those who struggle around me.’
‘You can say that again,’ she muttered darkly, dragging off her hat and scraping her hair back from her face. ‘One of these days I’m probably going to shoot you.’
‘Is that before or after I save you from falling over a cliff?’
She groaned. ‘You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?’
‘Probably not.’ He pulled up outside her house and switched the engine off. ‘So are you going to invite me to supper tomorrow night?’
There was a gleam in his eyes and she felt butterflies flicker inside her stomach. ‘I have a date with Toby,’ she croaked, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
‘Of course you have.’ He was silent for a moment and then he smiled. ‘Another time, then.’
He leaned across to open the car door for her and she fought against the temptation to lean forward and hug him. He was so close—and so male…
Suddenly she wished she didn’t have the date with Toby. She would rather have spent an evening with Jack.
But then she remembered Lizzie’s Christmas list. She shouldn’t be spending her evenings with Jack. It was a waste of time.
‘Lizzie and I are going to choose our Christmas tree tomorrow,’ she said, telling herself that spending time with Jack during the day didn’t count. ‘Do you want to come? She’d love you to join us, I know she would.’
Jack grinned. ‘Will I have to play Weddings?’
‘Probably, but you’re getting very good at it now so I don’t see the problem.’
‘All right, I’d like to come.’
‘Goodnight, then, Jack,’ she said softly, undoing her seat belt and gathering up her stuff. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’
And she scrambled out of the car without looking back.
‘I WANT the biggest tree in the forest.’ Lizzie clapped her hands together and beamed at Jack, her breath clouding the freezing air. She was wearing pink fleecy trousers tucked into pink fleecy boots, a bright, stripy scarf wrapped round her neck, and she was bursting with excitement. ‘The tree has to be big if Santa is going to fit my present under it.’
Bryony chewed her lip and exchanged glances with Jack. ‘You know, sweetheart,’ she said anxiously, ‘I’m not sure we gave Santa enough notice to find a daddy. That’s a pretty big present.’
‘He’ll manage it,’ Lizzie said happily, stamping her feet to keep warm, ‘because I’ve been extra good. Sally stole my gloves in the playground and I didn’t even tell.’
Jack frowned. ‘Someone stole your gloves?’
‘They were new and she liked them.’
Jack looked at Bryony. ‘Another child stole her gloves?’
‘It’s fine, Jack,’ Bryony said hastily, knowing just how protective Jack could be of Lizzie. ‘She’ll sort it out.’
‘You should speak to her teacher.’
‘It’s fine, Jack!’ Bryony shot him a warning look. ‘Now, let’s go and choose this tree, shall we?’
Jack sucked in a breath and smiled. ‘Good idea.’ He took Lizzie’s hand in his. ‘We’ll get you some new gloves, peanut. Any pair you want. We’ll choose them together.’
They walked amongst the trees and Lizzie sprinted up to one and tilted her head back, gazing up in awe.
‘I like this one.’
Bryony