Stranded with a Stranger by Frances Housden

Author:Frances Housden
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2005-08-29T05:00:00+00:00

They got to Base Camp on the second day. The high winds had brought a lot of climbers back to the tent city. Steam and smoke curled up from myriad cooking fires surrounded by porters and Sherpas making the most of the downtime to sit around and talk.

Almost all the tents were the same dingy yellow color, broken up here and there by a national flag—Japanese, American, German, Swiss—indicating which team had claimed a piece of the rocky landscape. Kurt couldn’t remember if he still had a New Zealand flag amongst his equipment.

Passing the piles of cans and rubbish on either side of the track awaiting transportation back down the mountain, Kurt walked into the camp feeling edgy with frustration and cursing under his breath. “Where in all hell has Rei parked our gear?”

Chelsea tugged on his elbow. “Something wrong?”

Was she never going to learn not to touch him? He shrugged her hand off by pretending to resettle his pack. “Every man and his dog is in camp today. If I can’t catch a glimpse of Rei we’ll have to wander around this lot searching for him.”

He hoped he’d prepared Chelsea for the snickers and sly comments, and that she’d maintain a professional distance. Getting to the top shouldn’t be a competition, but there were those who couldn’t stand knowing that a good reputation for summitting meant more than money. Clients were willing to pay for the best. Well, they’d be laughing up their sleeves that his reputation was in tatters, cut to pieces by innuendo.

“Let’s try this way first. Chances are Rei looked for the space he helped clear when we were here with Bill and Atlanta.” Damn, gruffness clogged his throat with choppy emotions he wanted to escape. He glanced down at Chelsea. She’d walked for a day and a half after a night of strenuous lovemaking.

No good blaming his mistake on the fire and the warmth. Temptation in the shape of her womanly curves had come calling and he’d sunk into its snare without a backward glance.

All he’d wanted was one night with Chelsea, and he’d had his wish. Now he felt as if he’d spend the rest of his life paying for it. He couldn’t see himself finding another like her. Every other woman would be fool’s gold compared to twenty-four karat.

Heads turned as they found a route between the tents, and an occasional Sherpa or porter waved a hand in recognition. Unlike some of the guides who’d turned a cold shoulder his way as if his reputation might rub off on them, the indigenous population didn’t lay blame. If someone was hurt or died, had some misfortune that prevented them reaching the top, it was the goddess’s doing. Man proposes and the goddess disposes.

Kurt caught sight of a South African flag tangled with a twist of juniper smoke from a dying fire ringed by stones. They wended past the site, carefully avoiding sharp rocks that had been removed to create a flat surface under the floors of the tents.

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