High Seduction (5 page)

He ignored the belts and snatched up a headset instead. “Critical-care paramedic reporting. You can toss me anyway you want—I'm experienced.”

Not even a flicker on the chopper as Erin maintained perfect control. “Tim?”

“Right in one, love. Give me a yo-yo ride like a good girl, and we'll get this rescue finished so we can all go have a hot shower.”

A masculine laugh carried over the line as the solidly built man across from him passed over a small ear set and microphone. “Anders here. I'll be the one dropping the string for you, and I promise no yo-yos. Only don't distract me with talk about hot showers right now. I think my ass is frozen to the chair.”

Conversation paused as Tim switched to the battery-operated headset that would make it much easier to stay in contact during the rescue.

“I'll go first to open the door,” Alisha offered.

“Let's drop together,” Tim suggested. “Saves the time, and I'm sure Erin is more than capable of keeping us level. If you're up for it, Anders?”

“Erin, what do you think?”

“In these conditions—no problem.”

They were tied together, harnesses checked even as they'd discussed it. Anders lowered them smoothly, and they were outside the gondola, worried faces staring at them through the fogged-up glass.

Alisha cranked open the door and Tim grabbed the sturdy metal frame, using one arm around her to help as they carefully pulled themselves aboard.

“Stay very still,” Alisha cautioned the eight people clustered in the tight carriage quarters. “I'm going to get you down, and while we do that Tim will take care of your friend there.”

Concerned faces shone back from all the occupants. A couple of teens and a group of older skiers—looked like a family out for the day.

The older man sitting on the floor was pale and breathing uneasily, and Tim went straight to work. He talked soothingly as he took heart rate and pulled out supplies. Glimpses of Alisha behind him were impressive. She had the rest of the family slowly putting on shoulder harnesses while she worked to buckle the hip and waist sections securely.

A sudden jolt went through the carriage, and one of the women shrieked.

“Ah, love. It's only the cables giving a bit of a stretch.” Tim moved faster, stabilizing his patient and easing a harness around his shoulders before slowly rising to meet Alisha's eyes. “I can help you double up your lifts, if you'd like.”

“Belaying them down would be faster,” she suggested.

Around them worried faces grew even tighter. “What are you doing about my father?” one of them asked.

“We're going to get you all down,” Tim promised. “Alisha, rig a harness for three. You can belay from the ground. I'll harness them from here.”

Talking in code around the people they had to rescue, moving as quickly as possible without moving much at all. It was enough to get his blood pumping for the first time that day.

“Tim, channel three,” Alisha ordered.

He flipped channels for his earphone even as he did up the last of the buckles on the heart attack patient. “Yes?”

“Erin says she can stay in place, and Anders will help with the belays. If you can rig your patient for winching up, she'll take you and him straight to the hospital once we're all down.

An ominous creak sounded from above as the cables ground through the metal clasp supporting the cabin. “If we can do it fast, yes. Tell her to drop you far to the side. If the gondola falls, you don't want to be under the path—you or the civilians.”

Alisha reached out the door and pulled the cable in, hooking it rapidly to the other two people. She stepped back to back with them. “Ready in three, two, one.”

Tim nudged them off the platform, and everyone still around him stiffened with worry as the cabin swung hard. “Next set, get ready. Alisha will be helping you down like riding an elevator. All you have to do is hold on to the rope by your chest.”

Anders already had a new line outside the open doors, and Tim grabbed it, slipping the hooks into place, double-checking buckles. He placed the woman's hands on the cable and covered them briefly with his own. “Like that. Perfect. You're ready to go.”

Her eyes were wide with fear.

“Not a worry, love,” he insisted. “That's my lady on the other end of the rope. She's the best there is. Just give me your hand and I'll help you step out.”

“You can do it,” the gentleman on the floor whispered, barely audible over the noise of the props.

“Take care of my dad,” the woman said, staring at Tim.

“As soon as you're gone, he's the next one I'm taking flying.”

He eased her out the door, the cable from above stretching taut as she swung away from them, and once again the gondola rocked.

In his ear Anders spoke rapidly. “Tim, how many more?”

“Two and my case. I'm getting them in position right now.”

“Roger. Work fast, man, you're running of time.”

The world fell three feet, and the man across from him shouted in surprise. His arms stayed steady around his father, though, and Tim nodded encouragingly.

“We'll be out of here in less than two minutes.”

Another horrid noise, and another jerk.

“Tim, rush it. I can see the tower up the hill and it's swaying.”

Dammit. “Toss me all the lines you can,” he ordered. “Now.”

He'd put a harness on his patient, and the other two had slipped on the ones they'd been handed. Tim gestured them forward, hands flying over the buckles to lock them in place.

“Keep sitting on the floor. Your ride is here. One second and I'll get you out the door. You'll be bunched together, but hold on tight and let the team get you to safety. There's no time to hesitate, understand?”

They nodded, and Tim hooked a carabiner to the harness on the older man then pushed the others into the clear.

Ignoring the shuddering metal around them, he twirled, grabbed the line, and yanked the man out the door with him, trusting that Anders had control of the other end.

They'd barely hit free air when a screech of metal fatiguing screamed out. Up the hillside above them, the tower that had been leaning ominously folded with a sudden jerk. The bottom leaned toward them while the top third bent, and the cabin fell away, dropping toward the snow-covered rocks too many feet below them.

Tim breathed a sigh of relief to be out of what would have been a death trap. Or at least he was relieved until he glanced over his shoulder to check Alisha and the other passengers. A thick strand of the support cable had snapped apart, the loose end writhing upward like a cobra about to strike.

The deadly projectile was being pulled down the hill by the runaway cabin, and the loose end reared again, now headed straight in his direction.

CHAPTER
5

The shouting in her ears was hard to sort out—all of the team were going at it at once. With multiple cables dangling under the carriage of the chopper, the last thing Erin wanted was to make any sudden moves.

But having Alisha, Anders, and Tim all making noise was a clue something huge was off. And the only clear word in the midst of the chaos was a deep-toned order to “lift” repeated again and again.

The urge to respond instantly to Tim's command shouldn't have hit so hard. There was no better reaction anyway, not with the trees close on either side and the deep drop under them. She hated to take the civilians any higher but figured there was a good reason for the order. She adjusted height instantly, rising straight up. “Everyone, quiet. Anders—give me the all clear.”

She eyed the screen showing the undercarriage camera view, shocked to see a thick line reaching toward them like an octopus tentacle. It snapped to a halt only a few feet away from Tim and his group as she pulled them skyward.

The order came from Anders, a breathless, relieved tone clear in his voice. “You're good. Stop rising. Holy
shit
, that was close. You okay, Tim?”

“I might need to change my underwear, but other than that, no worries.”

His dry comment dragged a moment of laughter from Anders. “Okay, then. Let's head to the emergency base.”

Erin wasn't sure exactly what had happened. “What the heck was that?”

Tim came back on the line. “A loose end, but it's all tied up now. You did good, pilot lady. Lifted us sweetly out of trouble. My thanks.”

“You're welcome.” She'd get the full details when they weren't still in the middle of an op. “Alisha, what about you?” Erin asked.

“We're good. There's another group of Ski-Doos approaching. The patrol will take us down, and I'll meet you at base.”

“Tim, how is your party doing?” Anders asked. “We'll have you at ground level in under five minutes.”

“We're good, but ready to get acquainted with the ground again.”

“Roger that.” A very calm response for hanging under the chopper, but she didn't expect anything else from Tim.

Erin focused on her task, following Anders's verbal cues as he helped guide her toward the landing pad. He winched up two lines simultaneously, and in the end he had their passengers in the perfect position as she hovered and allowed time for the ski hill SAR team members on the ground to unhook the civilians and clear her path.

The quiet in her ears as she shut down the rotors seemed too loud.

She stepped from the cockpit, cursing herself as she instantly looked around for Tim.

A red-coated SAR ran up. “You good to transport a couple people back to Banff who need to hit the hospital ASAP?”

“Anytime. Let me check in with the rest of my team, and we'll be good to go.”

Erin flipped open her mic and put out a call for information. “What's your location, and who's ready to come home with me?”

“Alisha here. Devon and I are staying to help with some ground recovery. Don't worry about us—we'll get a ride back with some locals.”

“Tripp is with a couple of the people you need to transport,” Anders shared. “We'll take his group plus the paramedic and his heart-condition patient with us. Can we leave in five?”

“No problem.” Erin headed back to get ready. “Everyone else okay?”

“No worries.”

The return flight to Banff was quiet. Erin turned down her headset as the guys in the back were busy looking after the five passengers they'd brought with them for the hospital.

Now that the rescue was over, the rush of all the other emotions she wanted to avoid loomed far too large. Already she was dreading having to talk to Tim.

It was crazy, the knots she'd been tangled in. He was only a man. One she had a past with, yes, but that didn't make any difference now.

She was a professional and so was he, and if he got assigned to the team, they could work together. They'd just proved that.

An inkling of an idea struck. Maybe she needed a dose of him to get him out of her system. It had been so long ago, and they'd been young. Perhaps all the nervous energy growing from lingering over her memories was more from her imagination than reality. She'd built up their issues in her head until they'd become a disaster, and a dose of real life would knock some sense into her.

Or maybe she was deceiving herself and getting together with him was a really bad idea.

Tempting beyond belief, though.

The hospital staff met them at the helipad, taking charge of the people needing medical attention. Tim handed over his patient, then returned to the chopper to flash his deadly smile her way.

“Very nice, Erin. Fine bit of flying.”

Erin smiled grudgingly. “Thanks. What I want to know is how you managed to end up in the middle of trouble.”

“Like usual? Isn't that what you want to say?” His eyes glittered brightly a second before he shivered, tugging his coat closer around himself. “You know me—trouble calls my name like a sweet siren, and I'm helpless to resist her.”

There were all kinds of innuendo in that sentence, and temptation poked Erin again.

Would getting him out of her system work as an inoculation? Or would it give her a full dose of the fever?

She was saved from having to decide as Tripp patted her on the back. “Great job, but I'm nearly frozen. Take us back to HQ, then I'll treat you all to a trip to the hot springs.”

Oh lord, yes. “You are a gentleman and a prince.”

Anders turned to Tim. “You coming with us?”

She had to give him credit. He didn't check her reaction. Ignored the potential danger—brave man—and answered Anders. “I'd love to.”

Marcus eyed Tim as he paced into HQ with the rest of the team. “You again. Did I hire you in my sleep, or something?”

“That would be a first.” Tim grinned. “Nah, I was out at the hill for an interview and to take in a little skiing, but it seemed the fates had other plans.”

“He did great,” Anders commented. “He, Alisha, and Erin stayed very cool under pressure. Very impressive, actually.”

“Credit where it's due,” Tim offered. “Erin did her job, and Anders knows his stuff. Makes it easier to step off into the unknown when the support team is strong.”

Marcus looked volumes at the mutual back-patting going on, then let them off without a long debrief. “We'll talk about the rescue tomorrow, once Alisha and Devon return. You guys look like human icicles. Go get warmed up,” he ordered.

They ended up at the Banff Hot Springs, Tim getting a ride over with Tripp. Erin distracted herself from thinking too hard by examining Banff with new eyes, trying to see it as a newcomer would. The decorative river rock covering all the buildings. Old-fashioned light posts lining Main Street. The mountains rising around town as a backdrop to the historic manors and castlelike hotels. It was beautiful and unique. A kind of medieval oasis mixed with rustic wilderness, the two meeting within inches of civilization.

Even the pool entrance featured thick rockwork on the walls, steam rising invitingly from the water's surface beyond the observation deck. It truly was a fascinating and beautiful location.

By the time Erin had changed and persuaded herself to get her ass in the water, the three guys were already gathered in the deepest section of the pool, hanging on the wall and chatting. The curved surface in the northwest corner formed a semicircle for them to see each other's faces while they floated.

She stepped in slowly, the heat making her toes tingle as the cold in her extremities leached away. The icy-cold air was pleasant now that there was hot water surrounding her.

Anders spotted her and gestured her forward, and she paced through the chest-deep water, relaxation wrapping around her physically and easing a little of the mental tension as well. It was hard to stay uptight when her body was melting.

“So we've already got the line in place to drop the kid, but he's suddenly all panicked.” Tripp paused his storytelling to move aside to make room for Erin at the wall.

“We put you in the cabin with the shortest drop.” Anders frowned. “Was he that afraid of heights?”

Tripp shook his head. “We had them harnessed up, but we'd told them to leave their backpacks in the corner to be recovered later. His reaction only got worse when I told him he could reclaim his bag from the base camp, and that the RCMP would be around to make sure nothing got stolen. I thought he was going to pass out right then and there. I had to promise to send it down when I could.”

“Uh-oh. I see where this is going.” Anders rolled his eyes. “What was in the bag that he didn't want found?”

A grin escaped Tripp. “Some of BC's finest-grown pot. He didn't have that much—he wasn't dealing, but yeah, if the kid had smoked that much pot all by himself he could have flown down from the gondola car without being rescued.”

“Crazy kids.” Anders rested his head on the lip of the pool, nearly submerging himself. “What the hell do they need drugs for when they're in the middle of that kind of terrain?”

“Who knows? Maybe the adrenaline rush of stepping off a vertical cliff with a snowboard strapped to their feet isn't enough.” Tim slipped off the wall and stood in the open space in front of them, working his fingers over his shoulder muscles.

Erin couldn't look away.

“Like I said, crazy kids.” Anders chuckled. He cracked open one eye. “You put something out during the rescue today?”

“Just tight. Been a while since I did that many buckles and lifts in a row.”

“Move over here,” Tripp offered. “If you're not squeamish about a guy giving you a rubdown.”

Tim slipped in front of the other man. “Hell, no. I'm not an idiot.”

The hot water had already taken the edge off the dreaded cold that had settled in Erin's veins during the time they'd spent in the air. The changing expressions Tim offered as Tripp dug his thumbs into tight muscle spots, the occasional groan of affirmation as Tripp hit tender spots—

Erin wiggled in one spot and tried to put a name to what was rolling inside. It wasn't that she wanted to be the one squeezing Tim's biceps. She didn't want to be easing a thumb along his neck muscle as he tipped his head to one side and Tripp traced the long, strong line.

Liar.

Jealousy? Of Tripp touching Tim?

She joined in the conversation as it continued, but what she wanted was to face away instead of being tormented as the realization sank in that yes, she was feeling a little of the green-eyed monster.

Turning away, though, was impossible. There was something mesmerizing as strong masculine fingers drifted over the sculpted curves of Tim's upper body. He moved in obedience to Tripp's tugs and direction, muscles flexing smoothly, bulging and elongating in a finely choreographed dance. The slick of water clinging to his skin only highlighted the shadows, making the cuts deeper, harder, his lean body showcased like some exotic production.

“What do you think, Erin?”

She blinked herself alert only to discover his gaze fixed on hers, laughing blue eyes catching hold and freezing her in position. She had no idea what the guys had been talking about.

Was it too much to hope she hadn't been noticeably drooling?

To cover her tracks she deliberately yawned, stretching her arms overhead. “Sorry, I was snoozing on my feet. What are we discussing?”

Tim's gaze dropped from her face to trickle over her body as she stretched, and once more the urge to get up close and personal with the man rode her hard. He wasn't hiding his admiration even as he pressed into the massaging hands on his shoulders. “You're a miracle worker, Tripp,” he breathed. “Thank you.”

They separated, floating into more distant positions as Tripp shrugged. “Years of cross training—I bet we're all pretty good with our hands.”

Tim's hands are fabulous in all sorts of ways.
Erin caught the flash of fire in his eyes as his lips twisted into a secretive grin. As if he'd heard her private thoughts.

“We were talking about Tim joining the Lifeline team,” Anders offered.

“She already put in a good word for me.” Tim pushed himself up on the deck edge, water streaming off his torso and tight abdominal muscles. “I'll wait to see what Marcus thinks.”

Tripp nodded. “Well, you get my vote of confidence, if you can face other rescue call-outs as well as you did today. That was a scary situation that developed out of the blue with that snapping cable, and you got out just fine.”

“Thanks to Erin and Anders.” Tim gestured toward them. “I call it like I see it. Nice to know I could drop in and instantly feel the confidence I did working with you. You should be proud of that.”

There was such magic in the man's charisma. There was no denying its strength as both Tripp and Anders beamed. Erin enjoyed a good pat on the back as much as the next girl, but Tim's comments were made even better because they were sincerely meant.