The Adventurer

Gideon?"
    His expression hardened. "We can't risk taking separate motel rooms the way you planned. Someone might notice and start asking why we always take off together during the day but don't sleep together at night."
    "Oh." She tried to absorb that slowly.
    "The legend of the Flowers is not unknown in the region where we're going. Someone with enough curiosity might put two and two together and decide to follow us. If they did, they'd see us head for the old Fleetwood property to dig every day and then we'd have problems."
    "You're suggesting we pass ourselves off as a couple of lovers? You think I'm going to share a room with you? After the way you've been treating me? Forget it, Gideon."
    "Don't get upset. This is business, remember? I'm not saying you have to sleep with me."
    "How very accommodating of you." Sarah crossed her arms under her breasts. "I don't like this cover story. Come up with another one."
    "It's the best one I can come up with at the moment." He glanced at her again. "Oh, hell, Sarah, don't act like I've just threatened your virtue. All I'm saying is that the best cover we can have is to look like two people involved in a relationship who are on vacation in the mountains. Nobody will pay any attention to us."
    "You do this a lot?"
    "Hell, no. What makes you say that?"
    "Old Jess, the motel clerk, said you have a habit of disappearing on vacation at least once a year."
    "A man's got a right to get away for a while."
    Sarah eyed him thoughtfully. Gideon looked annoyed but otherwise innocent of any lecherous intentions. "You're sure that traveling as a couple is the only good way to handle this?"
    "I think it's the best way under the circumstances." Gideon concentrated on watching a car in the side mirror. "Also the simplest. Simple explanations always work best."
    "You sound very knowledgeable on the subject."
    He shrugged. "Just using a little logic. Don't forget this is my field of expertise."
    She chewed on that for a moment. "You guarantee separate beds?"
    "For a woman who was convinced yesterday that I was the romantic hero of the century, you've sure changed your tune."
    "Gideon, I'm warning you—"
    "Sure. Separate beds. I've already taken care of it."
    She sucked in her breath. "You have?"
    "A friend of mine has a cabin up here that's not too far from your property. I called him last night. He said we could use it for a week.
    Sarah felt dazed. She had the distinct feeling that she was somehow losing control of the situation. She tried to imagine what it would be like sleeping under the same roof with Gideon Trace and her mind reeled. If he'd been falling in love with her during the past four months the way she had with him, that would be one thing. But this business of a one-sided attraction was very dangerous.
    On the other hand, the situation was fraught with tantalizing possibilities if she could just keep her head. She would have a chance to work on Gideon, a chance to let him get to know her.
    "All right. I'll go along with your idea for the sake of our cover story," Sarah said with sudden decision.
    He glanced at her and then shook his head in silent wonder. "You really are something, aren't you?"
    "Why do you say that? Because I trust you enough to share a cabin with you?"
    "Uh-huh."
    "This is now a business relationship, right?"
    "Right."
    "Well, I've known you long enough to be quite certain you'll be an honest, dependable, reliable business partner."
    "Amazing. As I said, you shouldn't be allowed out without a leash."
    "Stop complaining. This is all your idea and you are the expert, aren't you?"
    "I keep telling myself that."

4
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    G IDEON RISKED A FEW GLANCES at Sarah's face as he set the luggage on the bare floor of the rustic cabin. He closed the door carefully, unable to tell what she was thinking. He wondered if she was wrinkling her nose in that interesting fashion because she didn't like the looks of the old, run-down place or because she was starting to have a few additional reservations about sharing it with him.
    Personally, he was still stunned by his own daring and astounded by the success of his small coup. He couldn't quite believe he'd pulled it off.
She was here with him under the same roof
. In fact, she'd hardly put up any argument at all.
    He still didn't know whether to be insulted or delighted or irritated by her ready trust, though. It was possible she'd gone along with the idea of posing as a couple on vacation simply because she had written him