by Kate Tilney
“Technically the blue whale is the biggest, and we don’t see many of them this far north or this close to land.”
“But humpbacks are huge.”
“They’re not going to flip us over.” The look he gives me plainly says I should drop the subject.
If he says whales won’t flip the boat, then they won’t flip the boat. From the sounds of it, he’s spent most of his life out on a whale-watching boat. As far as experts go, he’s certainly qualified. Still, I can’t change the subject now that it’s on my mind.
“What would happen if we did hit something else?”
Annoyance flickers on his face. “We won’t.”
I throw up my hands in silent surrender. “I’m not doubting your crew’s capability. But, you know, things can happen.”
“Is this for your article?”
“Just my curiosity. We can go off the record.”
Sighing, he tugs the beanie off his head and scratches the cropped dark blond locks under.
“First things first. If the boat were to hit something or take on water for some reason, I’d make sure everyone on board was protected.”
I nod. “Protection. Like, covered in rain gear.”
“Like wearing life preservers.”
“Oh.” Duh. My cheeks flush hot with embarrassment at how dumb I must sound. “So we’re all in preservers, where are they?”
“I keep them stashed all over the boat. I always make sure we have more than we’ll need.” He reaches under one of the benches and pulls one out.
“You weren’t kidding.” I bite on the inside of my cheek. “Could I try one on?”
He snorts. “Silas was right. You are a damn curious woman.”
I shrug off the remark because he isn’t wrong. Curiosity is what led me to be a reporter. It seemed like the best way to make a living asking questions and telling everyone the answers.
“So”—I point to the preserver still in his hand—“may I?”
Chuckling, he crosses the short distance between us. “Hold out your arms.”
“Like this?” I make a T formation.
“Exactly like that.” He lifts the padding over my head to drape over my shoulders. Then, he adjusts the lengths on the buckles before snapping each into place. It’s a snug fit, but not unbearable.
“Can you breathe?” he asks.
I nod dumbly. Because as I stare into those hazel eyes with the gold flecks in them, I’m not sure I can breathe. Not properly. And it has nothing to do with how the preserver fits.
Moistening my lips, I force myself to draw in a breath slowly and deeply through my nose.
“What happens next?”
His eyes flicker for a second and he swallows hard. “If we take on water?”
I nod, though, right now it’s not as much about questions and answers. It’s about hearing the deep rumble of his voice.
“Next, I’d put out a distress call. We never get so far out that there isn’t hope we can get another ship out to help us.” He absently toys with the ends of one of the straps on the buckles. “While I’m doing that, the crew will get resourceful. They’ll do whatever they can—as long as they can—to seal up the leak.”
“To buy more time?”
“You’re not just curious, you’re perceptive, too.” He gives a lopsided grin. “Yes, it’ll buy more time. We also have a bilge pump, which we can use to get some of the water out. It’s not a fix, but it might be enough for what happens next.”
“What happens next?”
“Some captains will try to beach the boat.” Seemingly anticipating my follow-up question, he explains. “That’s where we try to get the boat to wash up on shore.”
“Which would be okay?”
“If you can make it happen safely. Unfortunately, the beautiful rocky coastlines we have here can make that a problem. In any case, it’s usually best to stay on the boat as long as you can. We have rafts if it should come to that.” His face takes on a sharp edge, and it’s pretty clear he doesn’t like the direction our conversation has taken. He clears his throat. “I should probably go and check with my on-duty crew before we call it a night.”
He releases the strap and takes a step back. I instinctively grip onto the front of his sweater.
“Thank you,” I say. It comes out breathy, and I’m probably blushing again. “I know you’ve gone to a lot of trouble.”
“You’re no trouble.” He traces the line of my jaw with his finger. “Just don’t make any more popcorn.”
I choke on a laugh as he leaves the cabin. My skin tingles where his finger has just been. As I unstrap myself from the life jacket, I wonder just how in the heck I’m supposed to get any sleep knowing that hunk of a man is in the bunk above me.
3
CALEB
The next morning, I spend a little extra time in the shower than necessary. After catching sight of Lily in her pajamas, I needed it. Long-sleeved, shapeless flannel shouldn’t look sexy on anyone. Yet somehow, she makes it look good. Like wrapping paper on the outside of a particularly appealing package.
A package that’s getting harder and harder not to unwrap.
By the time I step out onto the deck, a handful of guests are out there as well. And so is Lily. She’s leaning over the edge so far, it makes my heart skip a beat. I race across the deck and grab her by the back of her shirt as she starts to slip forward.
She gasps as I pull her back, but releases a breath when she sees it’s me.
“You scared me half to death.”
That makes the two of us. It takes all of my control not to yell some sense into her now. “Just what were you trying to do exactly?”
“I thought I saw another humpback.”
“So you thought you’d take a swim.” I fold my arms across my chest to keep myself from reaching out and pulling her close to me. So no one or nothing can hurt her. “I hate to break it to you, but these waters are never good for swimming.”
“Too choppy?”
“Too cold.”
She nods in understanding, and I can practically see her file that tidbit away for future research. The look of interest in her sky blue eyes is like a dart to my belly—or my dick.
Reaching into her tote bag, she pulls out an iPad. “If you don’t mind, I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”
Suddenly I’d like to disappear back into the bridge. But she did come on this excursion for a reason.
“Go ahead.”
“How long have you worked on this boat?”
“Coming on thirty years.” I can’t help but grin at the surprise on her face. “My parents didn’t have me doing chores officially until I was five. But my mom says I was helping with tours by the time I could walk and talk.”
“So it’s a family business?”
“My grandfather started it before my dad was born.” I clear my throat, wondering the wisdom of sharing these next words. But oddly enough, I don’t want to hold anything back from her. “I was named for him.”
“So Jonah is a family name?”
“Family name, family business.”
We go over some of the details of the ship and how our tours operate. I also throw out some random facts about the kinds of whales we tend to see out on these tours. She’s just asked how big humpback whales can be when one of them surfaces not far from the boat.
Gasping, she drops the iPad into her tote and reaches for my hand. She squeezes it. I like how well her hand fits in mine.
We watch shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand. The whale breaches high in the air and comes crashing down, sending a wave of water over us. Everyone on board claps in delight. Even Lily, who is drenched from head to toe.
Before I can think the better of it, I reach out to push a lock of wet hair from her face. My fingers trace the smooth lines of her cheek before I drop my hand to my side.
“I probably should’ve brought you a rain poncho.”
“It was my mistake.” Her breath comes out in a shaky laugh. “That was worth
it. It was . . . I don’t have words for it.”
“A reporter without words. That has to be a first.”
She nudges me playfully in the ribs. “You know what I mean. It was incredible. A once in a lifetime experience.”
“It wouldn’t be once in a lifetime if you lived here.” I could kick myself for saying that. But the words are out.
“I have to say, I thought Portland was the prettiest place in the world until I got here.” She flashes me a smile so bright, it nearly stuns me. “I can’t imagine waking up every day and seeing this.”
The urge to kiss her hits hard. Instead, I bring her hand to my lips. “We should probably get you inside and warmed up before your freeze.”
LILY
In a fresh pair of clothes, and drying off my hair with a towel, I grin as Jonah appears with a mug. I look inside and gasp with delight.
“Hot cocoa.”
“With marshmallows.” After a moment of hesitation, he sits next to me on the lower bunk. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Never better.” Though my teeth chatter as I say it, giving me away. “I’m a little cold, but it was worth it.”
He just grins and raises his cup to his lips. Following his lead, I take a sip and let out a sound that borders on scandalous. I cover my mouth in shock but catch his grin.
“I’m not bad at making hot chocolate.”
I wonder if he’s bad at anything. Allowing myself a moment to recover, I glance around the room drinking my cocoa. This time, I keep my sounds of pleasure to myself. A photo on the wall draws my attention. It’s a picture of Jonah and a man who has to be his father next to the most beautiful rowboat I’ve ever seen.
“Is that another one of your boats?”
“It is. I made it.”
“You make boats?” I turn to gape at him. “Like with your bare hands?”
He lifts a shoulder. “It’s a family hobby.”
“Family hobby, family business, family name.” My heart clutches at the thought. “You must be close.”
“We are. My parents are mostly retired now, so they stay in their cabin near Denali. They’ll occasionally come out to help.” A grin plays at his lips. “You can take a man off the ocean, but you can’t take the love of the ocean out of the man.”
“Did you just make that up?”
He shakes his head. “My grandpa used to say that.”
“Do you have any siblings?”
“I have a sister who works in finance down in Seattle and a brother who’s a firefighter in Chicago. He and some of his buddies usually come to spend a couple of weeks here every summer.” He snorts.
“What?” I ask, smiling even though I don’t get the joke.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking, one of his buddies was out here a few weeks ago. And now he’s marrying the woman he bunked with.”
“Seriously?” Okay, I’m going to have to get some more information on that. It could be a real selling point. “So you’re saying Camp Mountain Man works.”
“On this occasion, it would appear it did.” Jonah looks at me over his mug. “So, what do you like to do when you aren’t reporting?”
“Well, I live in Portland. I like to go to concerts and art galleries when I can. Though, that’s usually work-related.”
“And what do you do for fun?”
I shake my head. “Honestly, I never really had time for fun. This assignment has probably been the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Well, we can’t all make boats for fun.” I nudge him playfully. “Do you think . . .” I cut myself off before the words are out.
“What?” When I shake my head, he nudges me back. “Come on. I said you could ask me anything.”
“I just . . . when we get back to the lodge, do you think I could see your workshop?”
He gapes at me in surprise. “You want to see it?”
“Well, sure. I’ve never seen anyone make a boat before.”
He studies me a moment before nodding. “Sure. I’ll fly you back myself in the morning.”
My eyes widen. “Wait, you have a plane?”
His lips twitch. “I’m born and raised Alaskan. For lots of us old-timers, flying a plane is like driving a car.”
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
He shrugs off the question, but I refuse to let it go. “Seriously, you can drive a ship.”
“We don’t call it driving.”
“You know everything there is to know about whales.”
“I’m sure there are scientists who know more. But I try to keep up.”
“You make the best cup of cocoa in the world.”
“The secret is to use whole milk with the powdered mixture.”
“You fly a plane.”
“As I said, a lot of us do up here.”
“And you can catch an ax with one hand.” I hold up one of my own before he can explain that one away. “I don’t care if you think it was a fluke. You still did it.”
“I’m just a man, Lily.”
“That’s true.” And, unable to resist, I run my hand up over his arm, pretending to pick off a piece of lint. A shiver of delight runs through me as his muscles ripple under my fingertips. “But you’re one of the most captivating men I’ve ever come across.”
4
JONAH
By the time we reach my workshop, I’m regretting the decision to let her come see my work. Because I’m not sure how much longer I can keep my hands off her. Especially not with her here, in my space. A place I’ve shared with so few others. Yet it feels right to have her here.
After spending three days and two nights in her company—not to mention being enclosed in an airplane wrapped in the fragrance of her peach shampoo—all I want to do is pull her up against me and make her mine.
“Wow.” She runs her hands over the smooth wood of the boat I’m currently working on. “This is incredible.”
“It still has a long way to go.” I shove my hands in my pockets to keep myself from reaching out and touching her the way she’s touching my boat.
“Did you take classes?”
“Just from my dad and grandpa.”
Her fingers stroke a panel, and I swear, it’s like she’s stroking my cock. She nibbles on her bottom lip, and I imagine doing it myself.
Clearing my throat, I reach for a sanding block. “Want to try your hand at it?”
Her eyes go wide? “Seriously?”
“You like to investigate by doing, right?” I hold out the block. “Have at it.”
Delight lights her eyes as she takes the block. I move closer to her, watching as she slides the wood. She makes one swipe when I reach forward to cover her hand.
“Go with the grain,” I say as our gazes meet. We slide our linked hands together over the wood, our stares never parting. In her eyes, I see the same heat I feel radiating through my body. It’s too much to resist.
Releasing her hand, I turn her body around as she drops the sanding block and links her hands behind my neck. Our mouths crash against each other. It’s not a soft gentle meeting. It’s hot and hard. As she bites down on my lip, I grunt, digging my hands into her hips.
When I pull apart, our chests are rising.
“Can I touch you?”
Excitement lights her eyes as she releases her hold on me. “Please. And don’t stop.”
Dropping to my knees, I reach for the button on her jeans. Flipping it open, I lower the zipper and tug her jeans and panties down in one swift movement. I pull the panties separate and hold them to my nose. I close my eyes and inhale as she sucks in a breath.
“You smell even better than I imagined.” I tuck the panties into my back pocket. “You’d better believe I’m holding onto these for safe-keeping.”
Her hands dive into my hair as I nuzzle the hair between her thighs. My hands glide up her smooth skin. I pull back and part her fold with my thumbs.
“Don’t worry about being
quiet.”
Then I lean forward to slide my tongue against her. She whimpers and her grip on my hair tightens. Encouraged by her response, I continue to play on her pussy with my fingers and mouth.
Her thighs clench against my ears, and I know she’s close. I increase the speed and pleasure, and I hear her scream out my name. I stay with her through the end, lapping her up, savoring the flavor.
When I feel her quivers stop, and she collapses against me, I rise to my feet to hold her up.
I pull her close to tangle my tongue with hers again.
“I want you inside of me,” she says. “Now.”
“With pleasure.
5
LILY
Lifting me like I don’t weigh anything, Jonah lays me down on the inside of the boat. His hands rove up and down my bare hips, stoking more tingles from the aftershocks of the orgasm he just gave me.
“You’re fucking gorgeous,” he says, lifting the hem of my shirt. “I can’t wait to touch every inch of your body.”
“Touch away.”
I lean up so he can pull my top over my head. His work-hard hands move up over the curves of my body. With his short words of praise and the gentle but firm caress of his fingers, he makes me feel like a goddess.
As he tugs aside my bra and reaches for my breasts, I still his hand. He meets my gaze, shock in his eyes.
“I think one of us is still a little overdressed.”
Giving me that charming half-grin of his, he tugs off his clothes in record time. Once he’s naked in all his glory, he cocks his eyebrow. “How’s this?”
“Perfect.” I reach up to touch the hard planes of his body. My insides quiver with a need to feel him inside of me. “Normally, I’m all about the prelude before the big show, but . . . do you think this once we could skip the foreplay and get straight to fucking?”
He chokes on a laugh but leans down to nuzzle my nose with his.
“Honey, you’re a never-ending surprise.”
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes, ma’am.” He reaches for the wallet in the back of his jeans and slides out a foil wrapper. “Just give me a second to get dressed.”