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CHAPTER ONE

EMMA DIDN’T KNOW whether it was nerves or excite with breakfast, she was a thanks to the driver Tomorrow she’d land in the world’s driest, coldest, most inhospitable place on the planet The next twenty-four hours couldn’t tick quickly enough to keep up with her happy-dancing heart

In Antarctica, there was no per to the coastal edges, and only a select few people got to stay at them She’d never been so lucky in her life Nor had she been so nervous

But at this second, excitement trumped those nerves

She all but skipped toward the small purpose-built terminal a block or so from Christchurch’sin her head Her flight was scheduled for first thing in the ht now she had to be issued with her ECW—Extreear The jackets and pants weren’t available to the public for purchase—only those going on the ice, as it was knoere issued with the on the ice at all

A guy walked a few feet ahead of her, a huge bag slung effortlessly over his shoulder He looked army with his short, tidy haircut and lean muscles—even from the back it was clear he was ripped The bronzed biceps protruding fro they were headed to the same place, and she smiled as he held the door for her

“You’re going down?” she asked, stepping through the doorway, her anticipation rendering her breathless

A slol followed behind her “I sure hope so”

Startled, E the question she’d meant completely innocently but that he’d answered with a distinct tease in his tone He estive and utterly amused

She tried to suppress the scalding heat of her blood rushing to her face She didn’t want to blush, but she felt the fire—yeah, she lost that battle hty quickly But any woman’s blood would hen so close to such a male Add the hint of sexual an central

She lowered her gaze and snuck in a rationalizing breath because, no, this wasn’t happening She refused to react so sensitively to a sih the half inch it added to her height did nothing to counter his towering physique, and glanced back up at him coolly

Now his vivid blue eyes were positively dancing

“I’estion of a wink

Good grief “Yes” Emma forced some vocal power to counter her breathlessness and cleared her throat “I have a really big job to do there” A life-changing one Ai down to muck around

His smile widened “Good for you”

Emma watched as he approached the receptionist in the small vestibule and drawled “Hello” He had the sarandma Bea had never quite lost despite her fifty years’ residence in New Zealand, only his apparently mesmerized any female he turned it on Emma nodded at the receptionist, too, but the wo at the jaw-dropping hunk a step ahead of Emma Yeah, he had that effect on every woman And no doubt he knew it

As she followed him down the corridor the receptionist had directed the inwardly at his unashamedly bold attitude—this flirt incarnate was definitely one to keep her distance from

When he hit the door to the kit rooh ahead of hiht beside her and giving her a sidelong look that she was acutely aware of despite deter strides ers But “together” wasn’t a word in Emma’s vocab; she was on her own in this one, more than ever before

“You two are heading down?” An efficient-looking woman dressed in casual slacks bustled to est walk-in wardrobe Emma had ever seen

“We are” The A shter in his voice “Really looking forward to it”

Emma’s blood bubbled back to siether, but she scotched the resurgence of wars and blizzards