going to welcome Traian. She had a major problem with alpha males, bristling the moment they walked into the room—almost as if she had radar. She’d been particularly hard on Jubal as they’d grown up.
She found she could hear conversations whispered in the rooms around her and even as far away as people moving in the sitting room. It took some practicing to turn down the volume, but not before she heard her sister and brother walking down the hall to her door. The cursory knock didn’t at all surprise her, but the sound of a tool scratching in the lock did. She tensed and eased one hand out of the shower enough to grip her weapon until she recognized her sister’s scent as she stuck her head in the bathroom.
“What are you doing, you crazy woman?” Joie demanded. “Were you hoping to get a peek at my man? That’s grounds for shooting you.”
“Ha! You wouldn’t you know. And hurry up. Jubal and I are getting tired of waiting for you two. And you’d better not be doing anything perverted in that tiny little shower stall.” She sounded more hopeful than anything else.
“How did you get into my room, you peeping Tom?” Joie threw a wet washcloth with deadly accuracy. “It was locked.”
Gabrielle squealed when the cloth hit her square in the face. “I’m picking up your bad habits and wanted to show off.” She sounded a little smug. “You aren’t the only one who can pick a lock. In any case, Jubal double-dog dared me. What else could I do?”
“Pretend you’re discreet while I’m trying to land a man. Sheesh, Gabby, he’s going to think we’re all a pack of perverts. You don’t have to accept every one of Jubal’s juvenile challenges.”
“You do,” Gabrielle pointed out, not in the least repentant.
“He only does that to make Mom crazy,” Joie said.
“Are you in there alone? Because I don’t want to see any naked bodies.”
Joie let out a little sniff. “Then what are you doing in here, trying to see through the steam. I’m naked, if you want to know, but Traian already went back to the cave.”
Gabrielle sighed. “I’ve already seen you naked and it’s nothing to get too excited about, but that man of yours is drop-dead gorgeous. I don’t know about this Carpathian business. He likes to be underground so much, he could very well be a troll. What are you going to tell Mom and Dad?” This time there was glee in Gabrielle’s voice.
“I’ve been rehearsing,” Joie admitted. She emerged from the stall, wrapped in a bath sheet. “It has occurred to me to lie to them. And I thought you preferred skinny men. I saw you ogling Gary last night.”
“I don’t ogle,” Gabrielle sniffed indignantly. “I never ogle. I just thought he was rather on the cute side. And you weren’t looking close enough. He’s not skinny, he has plenty of muscle, just not obscenely sticking out everywhere.” She sighed heavily, frowning. “I wish I was one of those really beautiful, stick-thin model types all men fall over. Even if I dyed my hair blonde and learned to flip it around, I don’t think I’d ever perfect the art of flirting.”
Joie glared at her. “You are beautiful, you idiot. You’re just crazy. If this man can’t see your worth, he isn’t as smart as you think he is.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m all about brains and he’s going to be madly intrigued with my intellect and dazzled with my cushy body.” Gabrielle made a face, trying to laugh, but looking as if she might cry.
“Gabby, what’s gotten into you?” Joie asked, stepping closer to her sister, feeling waves of distress pouring off her sister.
“It’s just that I blow it every single time I’m actually attracted to a man. It doesn’t happen very often. Most of the time, I’m bored out of my mind and can’t stay in their company for five minutes. But when someone comes along who makes sense, and can discuss topics I’m really interested in, if I’m physically attracted, I come off looking like an idiot—or next to you and Jubal—the damsel in distress who needs rescuing.” She stuck her chin out. “I’m not, you know.”
“Of course I know. You forget, Gabrielle, Jubal and I climb with you and go into caves. We’ve gone down the Amazon and into the rain forest. You never flinch.”
“I flinched in the ice cave.”
“Yeah, well, here’s a news flash for you, sister, so did I. Anyone who doesn’t flinch