“This sounds like high school,” Eve commented wryly.

“Maybe that’s where we should start.”

“I think we’ve gotten a little ahead ourselves. What we’ve been doing wasn’t even a possibility in high school. I was a very naive girl. I didn’t even know that tongues were involved in kissing until I was a junior in high school.” She paused. “But then, I suppose you were quite the Casanova.”

Charlie shook his head. “Actually, no. I didn’t lose my virginity until I was a sophomore in college. I didn’t spend a lot of time with girls in high school. I was too busy climbing rocks and kayaking down rivers. Girls really didn’t like to do that stuff, so until I had my first sexual experience, I didn’t have much use for them.”

“And then?”

“And then I realized how much fun they were,” Charlie said.

“And then you had a lot of sex,” she said.

“And then, I realized that a lot of sex wasn’t necessarily a good thing. When I came back to Boulder, I realized there’s a lot more to like about a woman than what you experience in the bedroom.”

“And what do you like about me?” Eve asked, turning to face him.

He slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “I like that you want me to eat better. And that you fold up my clothes when I throw them on the floor. I like how you look when you wear my T-shirt, and only my T-shirt, to make us breakfast. And I love the way you smell when you come out of the shower.”

She seemed taken aback by his rhapsodizing. A pretty blush stained her cheeks and she turned away to stare into a shop window. When she turned back to him, she smiled. “I’m hungry. Are you?”

Maybe he had been a bit too open about his feelings for her, but Charlie was sick of playing games. He liked Eve, a lot more than he’d ever liked any woman before. Hell, he might even love her, though he wasn’t sure he’d recognize the feeling if he did. There was absolutely nothing wrong with telling her what was on his mind.

“Eve!”

A man’s voice brought them both to a stop at the entrance to the farmer’s market. He heard Eve’s voice catch in her throat and she cursed softly.

“What?” Charlie said.

“It’s Dave,” she said. “My ex.”

“Matt,” Charlie corrected.

“Dave, Matt, it doesn’t make a difference what I call him. He’s coming over here right now. I really don’t want to talk to him.”

“Then don’t,” Charlie said.

Charlie had never formally met Matt, though he’d seen him once, five years ago, chatting with Eve in front of her restaurant. The guy looked like an accountant, all buttoned-up and business-like, his hair trimmed short and his shirt pressed perfectly. Charlie didn’t like him for a myriad of reasons, the primary one being that he’d swooped in and married Eve when she’d been most vulnerable. Charlie cursed inwardly. But then, whose fault was that?

“Hello, Eve,” Matt said.

“Hi.” She forced a smile.

“I’m glad we ran into each other. I just wanted to let you know that I met with my lawyer yesterday. I’ve decided to move ahead with what we discussed.”

“Discussed?” Charlie said, glancing between the two of them. “What did you discuss?”

“Nothing,” Eve said.

Matt sent Charlie a dismissive glance. “Who is your friend?”

“I’m not her friend,” Charlie said. “I’m her boyfriend. Charlie Templeton.” He didn’t bother holding out his hand in greeting. He was afraid to move his arm, afraid he might just deck the guy right in the middle of a crowd of onlookers.

“You didn’t mention you were involved, Eve,” Matt said, an uneasy look on his face.

“It’s none of your business,” Eve said. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to lunch.” She grabbed Charlie’s arm and pulled him along the sidewalk. “Ugh, he just makes me so angry.”

“What was that thing about his lawyer?”

“He wants to renegotiate our divorce settlement. I bought him out of his share of the restaurant. Now that the restaurant is making money and I’ve got some other things going on, he thinks he was cheated. He thinks he deserves more.”

“Would you like me to go punch him in the face?” Charlie asked, hoping she’d agree.

“No. Don’t bother. He’s not worth it.”

“There is one good thing I can say for the guy,” Charlie murmured. “He was too stupid to realize what he had when he married you. If it wasn’t for that, you two might still be married. And I wouldn’t have a girlfriend.”

“And there is the fact that he thought the restaurant would fail without his considerable skills as a businessman. He thought he was getting the better end of the deal when we settled.” She pointed to a small stand. “There it is. Come on. You’ll love this place. The food is healthy and your insides will thank you.”

Charlie wanted to question her more about her ex, but he could see how eager she was to change the subject. There would be plenty of time to learn all the details later. And if the guy got too pushy, Charlie would just have to invite him out for a beer and a little talk.

He smiled to himself as he listened to Eve order the corn tamales. There was a certain pleasure in watching over her, in protecting her. Though Eve could certainly take care of herself, he wanted to be there, to give support when she needed it.

After all, that’s what a boyfriend did. And he was now, officially, Eve Keller’s boyfriend.

“HEY, CHARLIE!”

Charlie glanced up from his notes to see Kevin Martin strolling down the aisle of the lecture hall. He’d just finished the first of his talks and it had gone better than he’d expected, considering he hadn’t spent a lot of time preparing. The lecture hall had been full and the crowd enthusiastic.

Kevin was a friend he’d met on his climb of Mount Vinson in Antarctica. Now he ran a sports marketing firm and had been booking Charlie’s speaking engagements and media appearances for the past two years.

“Kevin. What are you doing here?”

“I’ve got the family over at Breckinridge for some spring skiing and I thought I’d drive over and see your presentation. And, I’m bringing some good news.”

Charlie gathered up his laptop and his notes and tucked them under his arm. “What kind of news?”

“I got a call a few days ago from National Geographic. I sent them a reel of some of your appearances and they want you to host a special. About the ecological impact of climbing expeditions on Everest. It’s all part of a yearlong push they’re doing on the environment. They’re funding the whole thing. You’ll prep with the production company in Boston starting next week and then spend a month on site filming in May.”

“Why so soon? How are they going to put it all together that quickly?” Charlie paused, then nodded. “I’m not their first choice, am I?”

Kevin shook his head. “No. They had Dirk Phillips but he had to back out at the last minute. He broke his leg mountain biking and hasn’t fully recovered. Your climbing permit is still good, so you made an attractive substitute.”

“I don’t know,” Charlie said. “I just got back from Everest. I’m still recovering from jet lag. Two climbs in one season is crazy.”

“You’ll have a huge support staff. And they don’t expect you to summit. You’ll film around base camp and advance base camp, interview the Sherpas, the local government officials, the climbing guides. You’ll do most of that in Katmandu as they come off the mountain.”

Charlie knew this was an incredible opportunity. National Geographic was the pinnacle of the industry. Their expeditions were perfectly run, with personnel who knew exactly what they were doing. And if he took this job, there might be others in the future.

As much as he wanted to stay with Eve, he had to find a way to make a living. He couldn’t depend upon her to pay the bills. And this was only for a month. “Do I have some time to think about it?”

Kevin held out a piece of paper. “Take a look at this. It’s the compensation package they’re offering. I don’t think you need to think. This kind of salary puts you in a whole different ballpark.”