Ensnared (The Accidental Billionaires #1)(31)

I looked around the supposed “tent” we were sharing. I raced through the large space, taking in the glamorous setup. Our luxury tent included two bedrooms, a spa-type enormous bathroom, and just about every amenity a person could find in a five-star hotel. It might have been designed to look like a tent from the outside, but the inside was full of glorious luxury.

We’d set off right after finishing breakfast with my brothers. I’d boarded Eli’s jet without a clue where we were going, and I’d been kept in complete suspense until I’d gotten a chance to take in my surroundings once his jet touched down at a small airport.

On the drive here, I’d pretty much realized we were in a fairly remote area, judging by my surroundings, but it had been a toss-up for me as to exactly where we’d flown.

The time and direction of the plane trip had given away that we were still somewhere in the West, but it could have been one of several states.

I stopped in front of him, still stunned. “We’re in Montana?”

He nodded.

Before I could think about my actions, I threw myself into his arms and squeezed him as hard as I could. “I’ve always wanted to come here. It’s been my dream since I was a child.”

My emotions swamped me as I recognized that Eli was making one of my dreams come true.

Maybe I had the funds to do my own trips now, but I would have never thought that I could stay comfortably in the middle of the wilderness. Most of my research trips were spent in a real tent with no running water, and bathroom facilities that were far from ideal.

His strong arms wrapped around my waist, and he held me tightly against his hard body. “If I would have known you’d be this happy, we would have come here on day one,” he said in a teasing, hoarse voice.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with Eli’s scent, a masculine, pheromone-filled aroma that completely intoxicated me. “No. I love this. And I wouldn’t have wanted to miss Vegas and Disney. I’m just happy that we’re here in Montana, but what exactly is glamping?”

“Glamorous camping,” he answered, his warm breath wafting sensuously over my ear. “I jumped on board as a partner in this project with some friends, and I’ve actually been here a couple of times. I had a feeling you’d like it. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and this area is loaded with wildlife. I was pretty sure you’d enjoy staying here. There are plenty of activities available to keep you entertained.”

“How could I not love it?” I replied with a laugh, not the least bit surprised that Eli was one of the owners of a campground with all the luxuries. “We’re camping with all the amenities. Are we really going to hike?”

“As much as you want, Butterfly,” Eli answered readily. “We’re not all that far from the north entrance to Yellowstone. It would have been better if we’d come during the summer so we could actually see all of the park, but we’ll see what we can while we’re there. The weather has been unseasonably warm.”

I estimated that the temperatures were in the sixties when we’d come into the luxury tent. So it was very nice weather for Montana in the fall.

I fell into his powerful body and wrapped my arms tighter around his neck.

While it was exciting to be in Montana, being here with Eli made it really special.

It was strange, but being plastered against him felt natural, even comforting. But I had to hold back the primal urge I had to explore every inch of his body.

I pulled back to look at his face. “I hope you won’t be bored.”

He’d dedicated so much of his rare vacation to me, and I was grateful. But I wanted him to enjoy himself.

“Like I said, I’ve been here before. I wasn’t able to stay long, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. We might be in the middle of nowhere, but there’s plenty of entertainment if you like to fish, hike, horseback ride, and most other outdoor stuff. And the food is good.”

I’d noticed that the resort was small, probably more like a boutique place for the super-rich, but I wasn’t complaining. I loved to be out in the wilderness, but I personally hated not being able to take a real shower. And being exposed to the elements pretty much sucked.

It was one of the less likable parts of my job. But I’d learned to deal with it, since it put me outside so I could observe the wildlife firsthand in their natural habitat.

But I had no problem leaving the crappy part of camping out in a tent behind.

During my fieldwork, I hadn’t had much of an opportunity to get outside California, so I was ecstatic about having new territory and different species to observe.

“Will you hike with me?” I asked.

“That’s my plan,” he answered with a smirk.

“I’m not sure I have everything I need,” I said sadly. “I pretty much came with nothing.”

“Although I’d very much like to see you with nothing, I think I’ve got us covered as far as hiking clothes and equipment go,” he told me in a husky voice.

We stared at each other, Eli’s hungry eyes devouring me. Heat shot through my body and landed squarely between my thighs.

His hand was stroking up and down my back, and his possessive expression seemed to suck out every primitive instinct I had to crawl up his body, touching and tasting every powerful muscle as I went.

“Why do you have to be so damn attractive?” I said breathlessly.