“Wait, what did you say?” Perry lurched forward in the driver’s seat of his truck and pressed the phone closer to his ear.

“Clyde’s been hurt!” his neighbor, Mr. Dougal, yelled again. “He fell trying to fix the damned rafters of the barn. The stubborn fool acts like he’s pushing thirty not ninety. They think he broke his hip.”

“Goddamn it! I told him I would fix the barn! I’m on my way.”

“The ambulance come and got him already. We’re at the hospital. You might as well meet us here.”

The sun was already low in the sky. Perry started the truck and floored the accelerator, glad he had opted to sleep in the parking lot rather than one of the costly hotel rooms.

Clyde MacAskill was all he had left. When his grandparents died, Clyde took him in and raised him as his own. Now that he was getting up in age himself, Perry often worried what he would do when he lost him.

They ran the business together. Perry taught the classes while Clyde handled bookings and manned the radio. It was easier on his rheumatoid arthritis than the work he was doing before. But, if Clyde was hurt, Perry would have to cancel this class.

Could Survive Anything handle another fallow month?

Perry raced the last few blocks to the medical center and rushed into the building. He was greeted by a familiar face at the front desk, a girl he had gone to high school with. “How are you? I’m looking for Clyde MacAskill.”

“Doctor’s with him. Once he’s out, you’ll be able to see him.” She smiled politely and gestured to the waiting area.

“Thanks,” Perry murmured. He made his way to the beat-up plastic chairs where Mr. Dougal sat. Perry shook his hand in appreciation. “How’s he doing, Mr. Dougal?”

“None the worse for wear, other than he’s mad at himself for slipping. He said you were bringing a class out tomorrow. He don’t want you to have to cancel.”

“He shouldn’t beat himself up. I wouldn’t be able to focus on the training course with him hurt, anyway,” Perry tried to picture the two bumbling urbanites in the wilderness without Clyde at the cabin to provide a link to civilization. He shivered involuntarily at the nightmarish thought. “Especially not with this set of students,” he added.

A nurse stepped through a set of double doors and beckoned Perry. He recognized her, too. Someone else he had gone to school with. “You’re here for Mr. McCaskill, right? He’s asking for you.”

Perry nodded and clasped Mr. Dougal’s hand one more time. “Thanks for being a good neighbor, Mr. Dougal. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Yeah, Sue wants me off the road before it gets dark. Cataracts.”

“A wise woman,” Perry chuckled. “Drive safely.”

He watched his stoop-shouldered neighbor trudge out of the building. Then, he squared his shoulders and braced himself to deal with his stubborn old best friend. He already knew what Clyde would say about a cancelation: Don’t do it.

Still, Perry would sooner watch his dreams for Survive Anything go down the toilet than neglect someone he loved.

* * *

Nadia stood at the hotel window and stared at the full moon rising over the mountains in the distance. Beautiful, she thought. By tomorrow, she would be somewhere in the dense woodlands covering the mountainside, getting up close and personal with nature. Hopefully, I’ll still see the beauty in it. But with a guide like Perry Evans, that seemed unlikely.

She started at the knock on her door, and then opened it to see her disgruntled instructor. “I had some trouble finding you,” Perry muttered. Her eyes skimmed him from head to toe. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach and the spicy scent of his cologne that wafted up her nostrils. He smelled like pine groves and clean mountain air.

Why was he at her room? Her mind exploded with erotic possibilities in that question—images of the sexy instructor throwing her against the wall in a passionate kiss—but the melodramatic thought was so farfetched that she nearly laughed aloud. Never mind her body tingling with misplaced desire. Nadia bit back a smile. “Can I help you?” she asked.

“I need to see you down at the bar in the next thirty minutes. Is that doable?”

“Um, is something wrong?”

“A change of plans. We’ll discuss it at the bar. I’m about to let Lincoln know now.”

“Okay. I’ll be right down.” Nadia closed the door and took a deep breath. “Well, what new fuckery is this?” she whispered to herself.

She took a refreshing shower and changed into a black pencil skirt from the carry-on bag she had smuggled past Perry. She buttoned a ruffled blouse over her voluptuous breasts, and she applied lip gloss and mascara, the only make-up in her purse. Everything else was in the luggage she had sent home.

With a toss of her hair, Nadia checked the time and decided to head downstairs early. She ran into Lincoln as she strolled to the elevators. He had changed into red leather pants and a designer shirt. “You kept a bag, too?” she asked.

He flashed a superstar smile that shot sparks. “Apparently great minds think alike. Looking good, Ms. Marson,” he murmured. Lincoln put a hand to the base of her spine as he ushered her into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby.

Oh, he’s one of those, Nadia thought. The open doors and pull out chairs type. “So, what do you think this sudden change of plans is about?” She moved away from his warm fingertips, sizing him up from the other side of the elevator.

“Who knows? Maybe he’s checking to see if we’ve decided to leave yet. I was this close, but I changed my mind,” Lincoln said with a laugh.

“Same here. I have my reasons for staying, as I’m sure you do, too,” she replied, not bothering to go any deeper. She did not want to give the impression she was interested, although her eyes roamed his body again.

The elevator dinged and bounced slightly as it settled on the ground floor. “After you,” Lincoln murmured. He gestured for her to step out.

Nadia smiled in appreciation and strutted across the lobby to the bar where Perry was waiting for them. She was aware that Lincoln’s gaze followed the sway of her hips. “Reporting for duty,” she announced.

“Is this a do-over of our meet-and-greet? Because I think we got off on the wrong foot.” Lincoln grinned and sat beside her.

Perry held up paperwork, saying, “Actually, I called you here for this. These are cancellation and reimbursement forms.”

“What! We’re both committed to sticking this out, right, Mr. Easley?” Nadia nodded at Lincoln as Perry eyed them both with an apologetic grimace.

“Unfortunately, it’s not up to you. I rely on a friend to help out at base camp while we’re in the wilderness, and he suffered a fall earlier today that will prevent him from doing that.”

“Is he okay?”

“He will be, but if weather conditions get bad or someone gets injured, we don’t have a reliable way to call for help. So, I’m canceling this course. You guys should reschedule.”

“This is the only time I have available,” said Nadia, “and this is important to me. I paid for a unique travel experience. I’ve been through a hurricane, so I’m okay with bad weather.”

“You paid for a unique travel experience and, I suppose, a concierge that bends to your every whim—”

“That’s not exactly what I said,” Nadia clarified.

Perry spoke over her, “—But this isn’t a vacation. It’s serious training. If we proceed under these conditions, you do so at your own risk, and you’ll have to sign off on that.”

“Well, hand over the proper paperwork,” Lincoln said gamely. “Finishing Survive Anything is vital to my career, and like Nadia, this is the only downtime in my schedule. It’s now or never.”

Perry looked disconcerted by their willingness to forge ahead, despite his warnings. Nadia watched his facial expressions transition from annoyance to resolve, but he tried one last time. “Look, no one knows these woods better than me. Based on your level of readiness, I’m not comfortable taking you into the wilderness alone.”

“You can’t change our minds on this,” Nadia stated matter-of-factly.

Perry sighed and pulled out a different set of forms from his battered satchel. “Then, I’ll need you to sign these, and you can get back to your rooms.” He called for the bartender as he handed them the forms. Nadia already felt a tad bit tipsy, but what could one last hurrah with her sexy new travel companions hurt?

* * *

Lincoln got that he was not the kick-ass action star he played in movies. He was a geeky drama kid at heart and he was fully aware that he was biting off way more than he could chew. Perry’s warning rang clear in his ears. But, if Nadia was willing to face the risks, Lincoln had to be bold enough to do so, too. “Another round of drinks!” he shouted gaily, ignoring his own uneasiness.

“Sign the documents first,” Perry chuckled, “while you’re still clearheaded.”

He handed Lincoln a pen, and their hands touched. Lincoln felt warmth spread over his face, but he pretended not to notice the brief skin contact. A holdover from growing up in a small town. Old habits die hard, he thought ruefully. As attracted as he was to the domineering military vet, he could not acknowledge the obvious chemistry.

Lincoln maintained a reputation as an All-American manly man, even along the liberal west coast. He ate fast food in public. He drank beers—not the artisanal shit but real American beer with real American names. His style was eye-catching but never androgynous, and his sexuality was never in question.

He had never acted on his urges.

Thoughts and fantasies were easy to ignore when he was busy with work, but this downtime his agent was encouraging him to take with Perry and Nadia opened a Pandora’s box of desires he was trying his best to ignore. Adding to the dilemma, Nadia was exactly the type of woman Lincoln liked to have draped on his arm. She was classy, attractive and intelligent. What was not to like?

He signed the paperwork with a flourish, agreeing to this three-week torture, and handed the pen off to Nadia. Within minutes, the deed was done. The dark-haired stunner in the pencil skirt smiled seductively as she slid her drink closer. He watched her pink lips wrap around the straw, and his core tightened with arousal.

“So, since we’re stuck with each other,” she said, “at least for the next few weeks, I think we should get to know one another. Tell me about yourselves.”

“You first,” Lincoln suggested. They probably already knew the carefully parsed out personal details handled by his PR team, like where he attended college and how he broke into acting. Very few people knew he had grown up an ostracized, shy young man in a Midwestern town where homogeneity was celebrated and differences were feared and despised.

Nadia took another slow sip which drew his attention to her delectable mouth. With a toss of her hair, she pinned him with her almond-shaped, chocolate eyes, making Lincoln wonder if she was flirting with him. He could never tell. Again, he felt like his old high school self and not a successful actor.

“What do you want to know?”

“Where you from? What do you do?” he prompted with a shrug.

“Born and raised in Texas, studied at Harvard, doctorate in chemical engineering. There’s not much else to me.”

“She’s being modest. You think you’re something, Hollywood?” Perry murmured. Lincoln looked at him in askance. “Ever heard of Marson Oil and Gas? Meet the heiress, Ms. Nadia Marson. You’re sitting beside a bona-fide billionaire.”

Lincoln’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Well, this sounds interesting! How does a billionaire end up in a place like this with guys like us? Why sign up for a survival training course when you can just buy your way out of danger?”

“As I told you,” Nadia said coolly, “I had first-hand experience with a hurricane. Unfortunately, Death can’t be bribed. So, if there’s something I can learn that will increase my odds of getting out of a dangerous situation alive, then I’ll pay to learn it. And thank you, Perry, for bringing to light something you had no business mentioning.”

“Survival requires trust, Ms. Marson. If you need Mr. Evans, here, to ward off the bears while you take a bathroom break, imagine how much more attentive he’ll be to the job, knowing your father has money.” Perry wore a cheeky half-smile as he swirled his drink around.

“I’m kind of a big deal, too,” Lincoln joked. “Just…on a much smaller scale.” He beckoned for a refill. The alcohol was already loosening his inhibitions, which was probably a good thing. It was not every day he sat next to a billionaire and a decorated military vet. They were effectively making him feel like the lesser being at the table and the only one with something to prove.

“And, what do you do, Lincoln?” Nadia asked.

He blinked in surprise that she did not already know. “You’re pulling my leg. You’ve never heard of Vengeance with a Vengeance? Well-worn Suicide Note?” She shook her head, her expression drawing a blank. “Wow! Watch out for my deflated ego as it whizzes by.” He whistled like a balloon losing air as she pulled a face and laughed apologetically.

“Well, I’m sorry! I don’t watch many movies. I have a love-hate relationship with celebrity culture.”

“Lincoln Easley is our generation’s Tom Cruise, minus the creepy Scientology stuff,” Perry teased Lincoln, who just rolled his eyes. “High-impact action movies. Lots of explosions, running aimlessly and posing with gun. Minimal dialogue.”

“Oh! I knew you looked familiar!” Nadia gushed.

“Liar,” Lincoln grumbled.

She giggled. “Okay, you got me, but I’ll be sure to check out your work when I get the chance. Is that why you’re here?”

“As a matter of fact, it is. I’m preparing for a new role in a man versus nature flick. Once I’m done here, Survive Anything will be a household name.”

Perry raised his glass to that. Nadia crossed her legs and turned her attention to him. “And you were a Navy SEAL, a walking lethal weapon. What’s that like?” Her voice held a smoky quality that tugged at Lincoln’s libido, but she seemed drawn to their instructor. Something they had in common.

“I’m still alive, so I guess it’s been good to me.” Perry smiled charmingly.

“No fair. You know more about us than we know about you.” Nadia pouted at his non-answer.

“Well, unlike you and Hollywood, I don’t need money or fame as an incentive for you to cover my ass if a bear attacks. I’ll be the only one out there with the tools and skills necessary to keep you alive, and that’s all you need to know.”

“Point taken.” Lincoln chuckled as he tossed back another shot and thumped the glass on the countertop with a gasp at the fiery liquor burning down his chest. “Why did you get out of the military?”

Perry’s playful smile slipped away. “Injury,” he muttered laconically. He gestured at his shoulder. Lincoln took in his muscular upper body with envy and appreciation. Perry radiated strength and capability, not like someone who would be slowed down by a bum shoulder.

“Couldn’t you have transitioned to something else military-related?”

“I’m not a desk-job kinda guy,” Perry grunted.

It was clear he had no desire to talk about it, and Lincoln let the subject drop. An awkward silence descended as he glanced from Perry to Nadia. Eye candy all around, he thought.

“So…” She drew the word out, flashing a tiny smile because he was staring.

Perry looked at the time and gathered his satchel. “So, it’s getting late. You guys need your rest. We’ll be leaving at eight in the morning, and everything from here on out will be strenuous. Sleep tight.”

“Wait a minute.” Lincoln halted him with a hand on his shoulder. He quickly removed his hand when that zing of electric desire came back. The word ‘strenuous’ only intensified it. He could think of a few strenuous activities he wanted to engage in with the man rising from the barstool. “Don’t you want one more round before we go?”

“I think we’ve had enough for one night,” Perry declined.

Lincoln snorted in amusement. “C’mon! In a few days, we’ll hate your guts. We’re close to that now, as a matter of fact. Tonight, let’s enjoy each other. Have a couple drinks! Sing off-key!”

“Sing off-key? Now, you’re pushing it,” Perry chuckled. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around self-consciously when Lincoln insistently nudged him back to his barstool. “Alright, alright! One more drink.”

Nadia leaned toward him. “Lincoln’s right, you know. You probably have a certain way you handle your students, but I like to think he and I aren’t the usual. You can come out of your cocoon with us.”

“No, you’re not my usual. But, what makes you think I’m in a cocoon?”

“Well, for one thing, you look very uptight right now—stiff shoulders, arms crossed, blank face.”

“This is my relaxed look,” Perry scoffed.

Lincoln and Nadia shared a laugh. “Yeah, he’s loosening up, but I think he definitely needs another drink.” Nadia clapped her hands and summoned the bartender. “What are you having, Perry? I insist, one last round on me.”

“I’ll have a seltzer then.”

Nadia clasped Lincoln’s forearm in feigned dismay. “Did he say seltzer? Oh, no! Somebody, get this man a gin and tonic, pronto!”