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Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 34
BOOK THREE: PROTECTING HIS PRIZEGardiner, Montana, United StatesThis isn't the sort of danger I signed up for. Xavier Price took a swig of his orange soda as he stared up at the stone arch in front of him. Deep sea dives? Sure. Long treks through the jungle? Anytime. Pirates? Bring 'em on. But not this. Anything but this.He looked up at the wide stretch of blue over his head. There were only a couple of wispy clouds in the sky above, but despite the bright August sun, a mild chill hung in the air. He told himself that anywhere would feel chilly to him after spending the last few weeks in the Caribbean, that the goose bumps on his arms had nothing to do with the woman who was somewhere on the other side of that arch, somewhere in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park.He stuck his free hand in his pocket out of habit, his fingers closing around the little wooden figurine he always kept there. The ridges dug into his palm, but he tightened his grip. Bracing himself."What do you
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 35
Norris Geyser Basin Museum, Yellowstone National Park"Do you want your own map?" Penelope Vaughn knelt down, smiling at the little girl in front of her. "It'll show you how to get everywhere you're going to visit today. Maybe you can help be the navigator for your dad."The girl nodded shyly, her pigtails bobbing as she reached out. She hadn't said a word since her family approached Penny, but her eyes were sparkling with excitement as her chubby fingers closed around the paper map."There are plenty of signs," Penny assured the girl's parents as she rose to her feet again. "And if you have any questions about anything you see today, just find another ranger. He or she should be able to tell you anything you want to know." Her eyes fell on the little girl again, and her grin widened. "And you'll remember what I told you about the animals, right?"The girl nodded solemnly. Hopefully, she and her parents would listen. Unfortunately, too many tourists treated the park like a petting
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 36
There she is, Xavier thought. All five feet and five inches of her. It was almost shocking how little she'd changed in the years they'd been apart. Apparently she still liked to wear her auburn hair in a long braid. Her eyes still shone like a pair of sapphires over her freckle-dusted cheeks. And she still had a body that could make anything look good, even high-waisted, army green uniform pants.She also, quite obviously, wasn't over the way things had ended between them.The look in her eyes was murderous. More than that - she looked like she wanted to rip his heart right out of his chest, stomp on it, and then toss it into one of those steaming geysers nearby.Honestly, that's kind of what it felt like already, just looking at her."What are you doing here?" she demanded.She still had her temper, too. Fuck, he'd been on the receiving end of that temper a number of times, and he didn't want to relive the experience. The girl was a viper.Of course, that had also made the sex b
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 37
Penny had never been able to resist a good secret.Despite all of her lingering negative feelings about Xavier - and there were many - she wanted to know what was going on. Whether she liked it or not, he was here, and she wouldn't be satisfied until she knew why. And why his business associates thought she could be of any help to them.It's too bad he didn't lose all his teeth in the years we've been apart, she thought woefully. Or go bald. Or grow a bunch of hair on his arms. Anything to make him less like the hotter-than-sin man she'd stupidly fallen for years ago. Not that his appearance changed anything. But it would have been easier to see him again if he'd lost something in the looks department in the past few years.He hasn't changed at all. Not in appearance or in other ways. Xavier had always been good at finding trouble - it was a natural extension of his balls-to-the-wall approach to life. When she'd first met him, he'd said he wasn't afraid of anything. He was always lo
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 38
This was impossibly good luck. And bad luck, considering Xavier had been secretly hoping that Penny would know nothing and he could walk away from her again sooner rather than later. There was only so long he could face down the reminder that he was a complete and total jackass, that he'd ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him."You're lying," came Roth's voice from the front of the car. "If you think you can make wild claims and we'll just - ""I'm not lying," Penny insisted. "I met Vincent when he came to the park last year. He was fascinated by this place. Trapped me in a corner for half an hour asking me questions, then tried to tip me a thousand dollars for my trouble." She shrugged. "He was a character. And he had this leather-bound notebook with him that was full of notes and nature sketches, like he was on the Lewis and Clark expedition or something. He had a lot of fancy equipment with him, too. That and the massive tip he tried to give me tipped me off that he
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 39
"You sure you're okay?" Eric asked Penny again.Penny nodded, smiling even though she knew her fellow ranger could see the unshed tears in her eyes. "I'm fine. Thanks again. And I'll make it up to you, I promise. Seriously, anything you need."Eric gave a dismissive wave. "I know you will. Go take care of yourself."Penny hadn't meant to start tearing up when she approached Eric to ask him to cover for her. She'd managed to hold it together from the moment she left Xavier on the path until the moment she opened her mouth, and then all of the emotions she'd been stifling tried to rush out at once.Maybe the tears helped her case. But she'd have rather been stronger, more composed. She'd formed some great friendships with her fellow rangers here, but she didn't talk about certain things with them. And she didn't plan to. She wanted to keep the past in the past.Why is Xavier here? she asked herself for the umpteenth time. Why now? I have a new life. A different future ahead of me. W
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 40
He couldn't tear his eyes away from Penny.She was pointedly looking away from him, staring out the window at the scenery as they followed the Great Loop Road toward this Prismatic Spring she'd mentioned. But even though Yellowstone was beautiful - he'd always had a soft spot for the country's national parks, ever since his first visit to Yosemite as a kid - it could never compare to the woman next to him.He'd thought her anger, her pain, would be a buffer. That he could use it to maintain the wall he'd spent years building up in his mind. But he should have known better. He'd never been the sort of guy who was easily confined by walls. Or any restrictions, for that matter. Yeah, okay - when he was competing as a motocross racer, or during his brief stints in a couple of other extreme sports, he'd always followed the rules of the game. He didn't want anyone questioning his skills or his victories. But in all other parts of his life, he'd always prided himself on being a rebel. It ha
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 41
Penny's heart was racing. Xavier didn't even have to say anything. She already knew they'd found something important.His eyes were locked on the symbol. "This was Rinaldi. I know it was."There was a sharp determination in his voice, and she wasn't sure whether he was certain or just desperate. She'd seen his face as that wooden elephant had tumbled down into the crater below. And she'd felt the loss deep inside her, in places she hadn't realize could still feel at all.But that feeling was fading again, lost beneath the beating of her heart. She knew that wild look in Xavier's eyes. And she wasn't sure she was ready for what would come next.Xavier's hand skimmed over the plank, his fingers following the same invisible line hers had just drawn."There has to be something here." He looked up and down the rail. "Another clue, or..." He knelt down, looking underneath.Penny dropped down beside him. She wasn't sure what they were looking for. Xavier had said that they were looking
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