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she murmured, definitely not thanking him. “On the trail. Good Lord.” She sighed. “Definitely not in New York anymore, Dorothy.”
    He laughed, something he’d done far too little of lately—which meant Dr. Emma wasn’t just good for erotic dreams, but maybe…just maybe something more as well.

Chapter 4
    S tone drove with a controlled speed and intensity that rivaled any cabbie Emma had ever met. In the city, crazy driving had never bothered her for some reason, but here in the remote wild, wild west, with nothing but trees, trees and more trees surrounding them, it seemed more than a little terrifying.
    Stone took a hard turn and she slid in her seat against the constraints of the seatbelt. Not her driver. Nope, Stone leaned with the car—though he did wince, probably his ribs—and continued driving without missing a beat.
    She watched him. Actually, she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him. His jeans were clearly beloved old friends, soft-looking and faded. There was a rip over one knee and the opposite thigh, which brought her attention to his long legs folded even in the large cab of his truck. His long-sleeved performance jersey was shoved up to his elbows and read Wilder Adventures over one hard pec. His arms, tanned and sinewy, flexing as he worked the wheel over the roads, still had medical wrap covering the worst of his cuts and scrapes.
    Luckily the dirt roads, narrow and curvy as they were, were at least in fairly decent condition. They’d had a lot of precipitation lately. She’d caught the tail end of an unreal spring firsthand, which had caused all the thick, impenetrable growth on either side of the road.
    A little too Twilight Zone for her taste, even in the middle of the day. The air smelled like fresh pine and dirt, and at this altitude, felt hotter than hell as it blew in the opened windows. Stone glanced at her and caught her looking at him.
    “You’re tough to read,” he said.
    “What are you trying to figure out?”
    “The last time I saw you, you saw a whole hell of a lot of me.”
    “True.”
    “I was just thinking that you must have some reaction to seeing me naked before we’ve even shared a coffee…”
    Yes. Yes, she’d had a reaction. A very private one. “That was my job.”
    He nodded. “And sharing a coffee—”
    “Would be a major mistake.”
    “Why?”
    Because I keep picturing you naked . “Because I don’t mix business and pleasure.”
    “Ever?”
    “Ever.”
    He took a hard right and headed up a narrow fire road.
    “Where are we going?”
    “Up past the summit, which is where TJ took Neely and Lilah, our clients.”
    As they climbed, and as the road narrowed even more, with the wild growth on either side closing in on them, Emma gripped the console as he sped them around a tight corner on the dirt road, nearly getting some air beneath the tires.
    He shot her another glance, his eyes touching on her white-knuckled grip on the dash. “You okay?”
    “I’ll let you know if you get me there alive.” She pried hergaze off the road and studied his face. He was totally at ease, his big, scraped-up hands on the wheel. The wound over his eye was covered with several large Band-Aids, his apparent fix-all for everything. The stitching didn’t appear inflamed or swollen but he had shadows under his eyes. “And you?” she asked. “How are you feeling?”
    “Peachy.”
    “Liar. You look like hell.”
    “Aw, thanks.”
    “Ibuprophen? Icing? Rest?”
    Instead of answering, he pulled his vibrating cell phone from his pocket and pushed TALK .
    TJ’s voice filled the cab. “Where the fuck are you, over?”
    “On my way.” Stone glanced at Emma. “With the doc, over.” He sped up a little, wincing as they took a tight corner and he had to shift.
    Yeah, definitely his ribs. “So?” she pressed. “Advil at least?”
    “Yeah, I’ve taken plenty of good old Vitamin A, not that it’s helped. As for resting? Hasn’t happened.”
    “Why