Instant Temptation (Wilder #3)(47)

“TJ? Line two,” Katie called from down the hall. “Prospective hiree.”

They’d had the ad in the paper for weeks, and so far they’d gotten no serious contenders. This guy was no different. Within two minutes TJ figured out he’d never hiked or climbed above seven thousand feet and had no winter experience. That wasn’t going to work, not in the Sierras, where most of their climbs were well over seven thousand feet—try ten thousand—and in certain years, winter could last for six months out of the twelve.

TJ hung up and went back to the Mt. Everest of paperwork in front of him. It wasn’t even noon and already he was bored off his ass. By evening he’d be in the loony bin.

Stone came in and dropped into the chair in front of TJ’s desk. “Little glitch. In two days, Cam and I each have a trek.”

“So?”

“So someone let Annie answer the phone, and she accepted an unscheduled two-day kayak trip down Snake River.”

“And?”

“And you’re going to have to take it.”

“Why is that a glitch?”

“Because it’s the sort of trip that probably we should send Cam on so that Katie could go with him, but he’s already inked on a project, and he was specifically requested.”

“Still not seeing the problem.”

Stone’s eyes were laughing, but his mouth didn’t so much as twitch. “It’s four sorority girls. Cal Berkeley students looking to experience nature on the river. They want to see deer, rabbits, and wildflowers, that sort of thing.”

“Disney does Snake River?”

“Not exactly Disney. Sorority sisters. Which means it’ll be more like Girls Gone Wild in the Wild.”

Ah, hell. They’d been down that road. “You mean they want to be scared shitless while living their version of the Blair Witch project in the big, bad, wild Sierras.”

“Yep.” Stone stopped trying to hide his smile. “And have a big, bad wild trek guide there to protect them.”

“Christ.” TJ shook his head. Those trips had been lots of fun several years back, but somewhere along the way they’d lost their entertainment value. “I’m not taking that one alone.”

“Agreed,” Stone said, opening his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Booking you a co-guide. A biologist and a photographer. Harley,” he said when TJ just stared at him.

TJ opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again. “Just two nights?”

“Surely you can handle four coeds for that long.”

“Yeah.” Except it wasn’t the coeds that worried him.

Harley was once again attempting to balance her bank account when her cell phone vibrated. It’d been buzzing on and off all day. Seemed she and TJ had been seen coming off the mountain together and word had gotten out. Just about everyone she knew had called her to ask if TJ Wilder was as good as women claimed.

Since she happened to know he was even better than good—try amazing—she wasn’t in a great mood. So when her cell buzzed for the dozenth time, she picked it up and said “I’m not talking about the time I spent with the Wilder sex god, and you can’t make me.”

There was a beat of silence, then “Hey, Beautiful.”

Oh, God. Perfect. It was Stone. The sex god’s brother. She winced and set her head to the table.

“Anything you want to tell me?” he asked.

“No.” Most definitely not.

“Okay, but for future reference, I’m the sex god in the Wilder family.”

“Good to know,” she said weakly in tune to his laugh. “Everything okay?”

“No complaints. Got a favor, though.”

How many scrapes had Stone, or any of the Wilders for that matter, helped her out of over the years?

Too many to count. “Anything.”

“Glad to hear that. You still love to kayak?”

“Yes. Why?”

“We have a group of students coming in from Cal Berkeley. They want a two-day kayak down Snake River. They’re hoping to experience some wildlife and get pictures of them doing it. Think you can go along as a co-guide and photographer?”

“TJ put you up to this, right?”

“No. Actually, it’s Emma. She’s afraid the coeds will eat me up for lunch.”

She laughed. Stone was one of the most easygoing guys she’d ever met, with an utter will of steel. He loved Emma more than his next breath. He wasn’t going to stray, ever. “I don’t have any guiding experience, Stone. You know that.”

“No, but you’re an advanced kayaker and you know the wildlife. Plus, you’re a great photographer.”

Much as she loved Stone, she didn’t really want to spend two days listening to him wax poetic on his love life with Emma. Or that, apparently, he was a sex god, at least in his own mind. Plus, she needed to put some hours in at the garage for the sake of her checkbook.

“We’re paying,” Stone said. “And trust me, it’ll be worth your while. Let me bring over the employment app and papers I’d need to hire you, and you can think about it, okay?”

“Okay.” She had to admit, the “we’re paying” had been a pretty good argument. “I’d think Emma would want to go with you on this one, and keep you safe from the scary coeds.”