<strong>The First Interlude<br/>White Eagle Inn and Family Lodge, Cortez, CO</strong><br/><br/>Alex led the way to one of the rooms, seemingly heedless of the growing heat of the day as he unlocked the first room and stepped aside to let Irina enter.  Almost at once he let out a sigh.<br/><br/>"Must be the honeymoon suite or something.  Not that I'd think they'd have one of those."<br/><br/>The reason for this was the long painting hanging over the room's double bed, which looked like a vintage Old West saloon decoration--a somewhat Rubinesque and nude red-haired woman, her sex only technically hidden by a strategically placed bouquet of flowers, lounged in a pose that was simultaneously alluring and demure.<br/><br/>Alex just shook his head and grinned, then turned to Irina as he rubbed the back of his neck.  As he did on their first meeting, he made some effort not to gaze too openly at her body, but she now knew that he was merely being respectful of her as a person--after that first, she was quite aware that he liked her, liked looking at her.<br/><br/>"Guess I oughta bite the bullet an' claim this room.  No tellin' what Soph'd do with this...her an' her entourage."  Or,  his tone seemed to say, you could join me here and let the others sort out their rooms on their own.  But again, as if honoring her status as Alpha in her own right, he held his tongue as though she couldn't sense his interest.