“Good,” Axel said. “Lesson three. You don’t walk straight, as you do normally. Watch me.” He took a few rather awkward steps. “You have to swing your foot out and forward, and make sure you clear your other ankle or you’ll bruise yourself. You’re not crosscountry skiing or pushing straight forward, and you have to make sure you lift your foot up out of the snow. You’ll know what I mean when we get onto the fresh stuff, not this packed down snow on the road.”
Dakota tried a few careful, tentative steps, using her arms for balance. She made a full circle around the turnaround area and was pretty proud she stayed on her feet.
“That’s great!” Axel said, with a little too much enthusiasm. Then she reminded herself she probably wasn’t the first klutz he’d ever had to train. “Try to step with the pressure landing on the balls of your feet.
It’ll be easier on your muscles in the long run. Why don’t you practice a little more here, and then we’ll head up the mountain?”
“’Kay.” She did a couple of more circuits around the clearing, swinging her leg as he’d shown her, concentrating on keeping her feet apart and stepping on the balls of her feet. It felt weird, but by the third time around, she had her balance.
“Ready?”
“Yep.” She grinned. As ready as she’d ever be.
The sky was even lighter now, and Axel’s grin was so handsome it made her sigh. She wondered what his company’s policy might be on getting involved with a client. Not that she wanted to be “involved.” She’d be heading back to Vegas in less than a week. But Dakota wouldn’t mind adding a nice vacation fling to her Adventure List.
He picked up the smaller of the two packs and stepped behind her. “Arms back,” he instructed. Axel put the pack on her and reached around her sides to fasten the straps below her breasts.
Oh, damn, did he smell good. She closed her eyes and inhaled. His arm brushed the side of her breast.
Too bad layer upon layer of winter clothing kept her from really enjoying the light graze.
Falke’s purr changed to a deeper growl, which made her blink and stiffen. As soon as her gaze met the cat’s, the growl quit and it meowed, making her snicker.
“You don’t fool me,” she muttered. “Pussy cat, indeed.”
Axel chuckled and tugged on the pack lightly, adjusting a strap here and another there, but no longer reaching around her to do so. “Okay, Dakota. Let’s go.”
Her name sounded really good in his deep voice.
“You did eat a hearty breakfast this morning?”
She nodded. “I had room service send up eggs and ham and orange juice.”
“Good. We’ll stop often to rest. I’m carrying the canteens. Anytime you’re thirsty, let me know. And I want you to eat the power bars in this pocket—” he patted the side of her pack, “—at least one an hour. If you start to sweat, you need to peel off a layer of clothing. You need to stay dry but warm.” He moved to her side and waited until she looked up into his eyes. “If something’s wrong, tell me. You signed your life into my hands, and I really don’t relish the thought of hauling a body down the mountain.”
She sobered at that visual. “Right. Will do.”
“And, the most important thing of all…”
She waited as he paused.
“I tell you to jump, your only question better be, ‘How high?’ Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” she said seriously. Her life really was in his hands, and she trusted him. However, Dakota knew dangers lurked in the wilderness, especially when the temperature hung around ten degrees Fahrenheit.
“That’s a good girl.” He winked. “Falke, take the tail.”
“What?” Dakota asked.
“Falke will watch our backsides for any danger. I’ll lead.”
“What kind of danger?” She’d been thinking hypothermia and frostbite.
Axel shrugged. “We’re in bear country, though they should be hibernating. Elk, moose, deer. They mostly take off when they hear humans, especially since it’s not mating season, but you can’t be too careful. Falke will make sure nothing sneaks up on us at any rate.”
He hefted his pack and snapped the fastenings into place over his chest. “Call out if you have any problems. We’ll take it slow.”
She nodded at him. “Okay. Thanks.” And then they were off.
Dakota didn’t care for the cat being behind her. She kept envisioning him getting bored and using her as a chew toy, but if he’d ward off things with big antlers that could impale her, she’d put up with it. Every deer or elk she’d seen in the woods pretty much either ignored her or took off when they heard her, so she couldn’t imagine they’d be any different here.
“Damn,” she whispered.
Axel instantly stopped and turned to look at her.
“What’s wrong?” They hadn’t even reached the trail yet.
“I don’t have a camera.”
Axel chuckled. “In your pack, next to the power bars. It’s just a disposable, but we supply them too, just in case.”
She grinned. “Thanks. Let’s go!”
It might have been fifteen minutes according to her watch, but it felt like five hours before they reached a clearing and Axel stopped in front of her. Already she felt the strain, in her thighs especially and in her shoulders from carrying the pack.
“How you doin’?” he asked.
“Good.” She wasn’t about to start complaining less than an hour into the trip. She held in a little groan thinking she had six hours to go, and smiled.
“Turn around.” He motioned behind her with his chin. “Take a look.”
She looked down at her feet to carefully maneuver the snowshoes so she didn’t topple on her butt, and did a one-eighty. When she looked up again, she gasped in awe.
The sun was just below the mountains opposite where they stood, a bright yellow glow over the tips of the snowcaps. The sky was a brilliant pink that bled into lavender and purple as she looked up above her.
“Oh, wow.” She sighed. A crunch on the dry snow and a tug on her pack had her turning her head to look at Axel. He’d pulled one glove off with his teeth, where he still held it clamped between them, and reached into the side pocket of her pack. He came out with a yellow disposable camera.
He grinned around the finger of his glove then backed up and held the camera up to his face.
“Cheese,” he teased as she twisted around to see him.
Dakota grinned as he clicked the camera, the flash bright and quick. The sunrise would be behind her. She couldn’t wait to see that shot. Axel held the camera out toward her. “Beautiful,” he whispered. But he wasn’t looking at the sky.
Dakota melted a little and sure didn’t feel the cold air, even though little plumes of white escaped with every breath she exhaled. “Thanks,” she murmured, tugging off one glove and reaching for the camera.
He clung to it, placing his other hand over hers. Her gaze collided with his. Her lungs froze as they stared at each other. Pinned between his hands, her fingers brushed over his warm skin.
After a pause, he released her hand and the camera, and said, “Might want to tuck this next to your body instead of in the pack so the batteries don’t freeze.”
“’Kay.” She took the camera and found the inside pocket of her down jacket. “Thanks.” Searching for something to say next, she glanced around. “Where’s the cat?”
“Just checking out the area. Probably marking territory.” He shrugged and pulled his glove back on.
“You doing okay, though? Your breathing’s a bit heavy.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Could maybe use a sip of water, though. But I’ll make it.” She bared her teeth in a grin.