Diving In

by Kristina Mathews

“Or you could sleep in. And do me.” His suggestion was not without merit. Although, the way he pressed up against her, she had a feeling the order would be reversed.

  * * * *

  Kyle felt the bed move, but it seemed like they’d just fallen asleep minutes ago. He cracked one eye open and glanced at the clock. 6:02. He opened the other eye and watched Fisher get dressed.

  “Sorry to wake you.” She slipped a T-shirt over her practical yet damn-sexy-anyway bra. “I was trying to be quiet.”

  “What is it about you and early morning escapes?” He sat up even though he wasn’t even close to being ready to get up. Well, part of him was up. The part that wanted to entice her back to bed.

  “What can I say, I’m a morning person.” She shimmied into her shorts.

  “I can think of a much better use of your energy than to hurry on home.” He crawled across the bed to where she was standing. “Come back to bed. I promise to make it worth your while.”

  “Didn’t you get enough last night?” Her cheeks turned a sexy scarlet.

  “Nope.” He grabbed her hips and pulled her down on top of him. “I don’t think I can ever get enough of my strong blonde.”

  “Oh please.” Her blush deepened.

  “If you’re begging, I can’t say no.” He started to slip her shorts down her hips.

  “Don’t.” She grabbed his hands. Her grip was powerful. “I can’t. Please understand.”

  “Okay.” He let go. “So are you no longer satisfied?” She would have to be the greatest actress on the planet if that were the case.

  “What?” She turned to face him, a puzzled look on her face.

  “I don’t think you’re faking it, but if there’s something that’s not working for you, let me know. I’ll do what I can to take care of your needs. Sexually.”

  “Everything’s fine. Really.” She shrugged her shoulders, rolled her neck.

  “Yet you can’t wait to rush out the door.” He joined her in sitting up, the sheet just covering his naked body.

  “I’m just busy. That’s all.” She glanced toward the door.

  “You have plenty of people who can help you out.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I know I’ve only been here a few days, but it’s long enough to know the kind of people you work with. They’ve all got your back.”

  “Yeah, but they’re busy. They’ve got a lot on their plates. And their high chair trays.” Was that longing he heard in her voice? And if it was, why wasn’t he pushing her out the door as fast as he could? Besides the fact that he still hadn’t had his fill of her.

  “You’re scared.” He just wasn’t sure of what.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Yeah. She was scared.

  “Are you afraid I’m going to leave?” He reached for her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward him with a playful grin.

  “I know you’re going to leave.” She tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder. “It’s just a matter of when. I don’t see what the big deal is. Why can’t I just come over, have sex, and then go home to get ready for work? Why do we have to talk about it?”

  “We don’t.”

  “And why do I have to figure out every step of my future? I’m not even thirty.” Ah, the girls’ night out that morphed into wedding planning. And all those babies. That’s what was eating at her. “I mean a little more than a year ago, Lily was sure she was going to have to use artificial insemination to get a baby. And Miranda was busy traveling the world, writing about her adventures for a magazine that no longer exists. They didn’t have everything figured out.”

  “I still don’t have everything figured out.” Kyle would have to ask for permission to apply for the guide’s job. He was pretty sure his boss would grant it, since it would give him more of an edge in buying out the company. “Hell, I’m seriously considering becoming a river rat. I might even grow my hair out—on my head, my face, and my chest.”

  “I knew it. You do wax?” A grin escaped those perfect lips.

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  “No. Not around here.” She laughed and shook her head. “But really, I need to get home. I need a shower and a cup of coffee before I can face the day.”

  “You could shower here. I’ll make coffee.”

  “I have my shampoo and conditioner and stuff back home.” She did give him an encouraging smile. “Thanks for the offer, but I also need a little bit of space. Time to paint my nails, read a magazine, or goof off on the Internet.”

  “That’s fair. If you need space, why don’t you just say so?”

  “Because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” She got up and finished dressing. “And because, well, I like you too.”

  “That’s good enough for me.” He rolled out of bed and helped her to stand. Kyle gave Fisher a good-bye kiss. A long, slow, deep, and meaningful kiss. He would let her go for now, but he didn’t want her to forget just how good it was between them.

  As soon as she shut the door to his RV, he reluctantly headed for the shower. He made it quick and then dressed and made coffee. He opened his laptop and sent a quick e-mail to the boss. Before he had to head to the main camp to start working on breakfast he was given the all clear to do whatever it took to get the job.

  And if he got to spend a little more time with Fisher, even better.

  Chapter 10

  Fisher didn’t paint her nails, read a magazine, or goof off on the Internet. Instead she took a long shower. Long for her, anyway. She didn’t waste water if she could help it, but she may have shampooed her hair twice. She was a little distracted. In all the years she’d been hung up on Cody, she hadn’t been this mixed up.

  She turned off the shower, toweled off, and slathered on the sunscreen. Teeth brushed, hair combed and braided, Fisher slipped into her swimsuit, board shorts, and T-shirt, ready for another day at the office.

  Grabbing a notepad and pen, she headed downstairs to grab a cup of coffee and draw up a list of how she would redistribute the student crews. She would move Kyle and Nolan to Tyler’s crew, Leia and Brett to Brooke’s, while she took on Dana and Chad. Then she divvied up the rest of the twelve total students.

  With her notebook still in hand, she started a different sort of list. She needed to get a handle on this thing with Kyle. She started with the facts.

  Fact: Kyle was in Prospector Springs temporarily.

  Fact: He was a skilled and generous lover.

  Fact: Although not as skilled on the river, he was willing to work hard and learn from his mistakes.

  Next, she listed the unknowns.

  Unknown: How long would he stay? She supposed part of that was up to her. If she hired him on for the season, he’d be here until August or September.

  Unknown: What was he looking for from their time together?

  And the biggest question of them all: What was she looking for from their time together?

  She wasn’t sure. The only thing she knew was that she didn’t want to say good-bye at the end of the week. Regular orgasms were quickly becoming her favorite way to end the day. And she thought he had the potential to be a pretty good guide. He had people skills. Even with their clothes on, he had a way of making her feel comfortable. Everyone else seemed to like him as well.

  Tyler was the first one down. He had a satisfied grin on his face and his hair was sticking up in every direction. “I guess you weren’t kidding about being home by six.”

  “What time did Brooke kick you out of bed?”

  “Quarter till.” He headed straight for the coffee.

  “I didn’t mean you had to get up so early.” Fisher felt bad for disturbing their sleep. “I only warned her so there would be no surprises.”

  “It’s okay. We’re all good.” Tyler flopped into the kitchen chair opposite Fisher.

  “So, is it weird at all? Working together after, you know?
” So much for being a modern woman. She couldn’t even use euphemisms for sex when talking with someone she’d known for years.

  “Nah. When we’re on the river, there isn’t time for weirdness.” Tyler didn’t seem to be bothered at all. “And as for the rest of it, I think it was inevitable, you know?”

  “No, I don’t know.” Fisher sipped what was left of her coffee. “For a while there, you were working on giving Cody a run for his money at being the biggest player in Prospector Springs.”

  “Yeah, right.” Tyler chuckled. “Not even Cody could live up to his reputation.”

  “And now he’s as settled and committed as a man can be.” Again, Fisher expected a tightness in her chest at the thought of Cody happily married, but it didn’t come.

  “Look, I’m not going to do anything to mess things up for Brooke or me.” Tyler’s tone took on a seriousness Fisher hadn’t heard from him. “We both know we’ve got a good thing, and not just with our jobs.”

  “Good. That’s good.” And Fisher hoped she could be as easygoing and pragmatic as her friends. “Well, I’m switching up the crews today. I thought you could take a few students down in an oar boat, and Brooke and I could do an oar/paddle combo.”

  “Sure. Sounds like a good plan.” Tyler would agree, even if she wasn’t his boss now.

  Fisher tore off two pages from her notebook. She wrote a list of the students she wanted Tyler to take with him—including Kyle—and handed it to him. Then she wrote up the new crew for Brooke and folded it up to give to her still-sleeping roommate.

  “I’ll get the breakfast crew started. You can give this list to Brooke when she gets up.” Fisher started for the door but then remembered one more thing. “Oh, I don’t know if you heard, but Aubrey’s getting married and moving away. We’re going to need to fill her spot. And probably one or two more. Be sure to keep an eye out for any potential candidates.”

  “Will do.” Tyler took his coffee cup and headed upstairs.

  Fisher refilled her travel mug with the Swift River logo on it. She made her way to the campsite to get her original crew started on breakfast.

  Just a few steps away from the temporary camp kitchen, she stopped short. There was Kyle, cracking eggs into a stainless steel bowl, whisking them up, and then pouring them into two hot skillets. He added diced veggies to one, and ham and cheese to the other. Scromelets—a riverside special.

  Fisher felt a tightening in her chest. A shortness of breath. The man was gorgeous. She stood rooted in place, watching him cook. Was there anything sexier than a man who knew his way around a kitchen? Well, yeah. When that same man knew his way around a woman’s body. Her body.

  He said something that made Leia laugh, and Fisher could no longer just stand there watching. She had to touch him. “Something smells good.” She placed her hand on his left shoulder, the one without the spatula.

  “Yeah, you.” He turned and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. “The eggs are almost ready. Do you want ham and cheese or veggie?”

  “I’ll probably have a little bit of both.” Her stomach rumbled in anticipation. “Maybe wrap it in a tortilla.”

  “Go find us a seat and I’ll bring it to you.” He smiled and Fisher’s legs went weak. She’d only run a class-five rapid once. The kind where she’d had to get out of the boat and look over the edge to find the river churning, wild and dangerous. Her heart raced in fear and anticipation. As part of her wondered if she was crazy for even thinking about going over it, an even bigger part of her knew she had to do it. She had to dive in and take on the challenge.

  Being with Kyle made her feel the same way. Excited. Scared. Unable to turn back.

  Not long after she found a spot at the table, Kyle appeared with her breakfast. He set a plate down in front of her and grazed her neck with his lips.

  “Mmmm.” Her first reaction was pure pleasure. Then she realized they weren’t alone. “Kyle. You shouldn’t do that.”

  “Why not?” He sat down next to her. “You taste good.”

  “Because. People can see.” She glanced around, expecting to find everyone staring at her, judging her. But they were all busy with their breakfasts, their conversations. No one even noticed. Or else they didn’t care.

  “So what?” He shrugged his shoulders and dug into his breakfast. After swallowing the first bite, he leaned over and whispered, “I’ll wait until we’re alone to kiss you where I really want.”

  “Please. Don’t say things like that.” Her whole body felt on fire, but especially her cheeks. “It makes me regret not coming back to bed.”

  “So why didn’t you?”

  “These people would starve, because we’d still be there.”

  He laughed. A loud, hearty, sinfully sexy laugh, and this time everyone did look up. But she was met with smiles before they returned to their meals.

  They spent the next few minutes eating. Kyle would occasionally brush her arm or press his thigh against hers, sending warmth throughout her body. His touch was easy, comfortable yet incredibly sexy.

  Just before they finished their breakfast, Carson pulled into camp, followed by Cody. They walked over together, and Fisher felt Kyle’s hand snake around her waist.

  “Morning.” Carson stood in the middle of the group, where everyone could see him speak. “I hope you’re all ready for another day of adventure.”

  Most people nodded and murmured in the affirmative.

  “I know it’s only your third day out, but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up.” Carson looked around and made eye contact with his current guides. “We’re going to be hiring in the next few weeks. I think most of you saw last night why Cody and I aren’t going to be available to guide very many trips this summer.”

  That got a few chuckles from the crowd.

  “We are also hoping to expand the number of trips we do each week,” he continued. “So, we’re looking to hire four to six new guides. And, I hope at least some of you will consider joining us for the summer.”

  Cody stepped forward. “Let Fisher know if you’re interested. She’ll give us a list of names by the end of the week, and we’ll see how things shake out.”

  He nodded toward Fisher, his usual cheerful smile fading a bit when he saw how close Kyle was to her. Cody quickly looked away, and she got the feeling that there was at least one person who was bothered by her sleeping with Kyle.

  Kyle felt it too, as evidenced by his stroking her back.

  “You already know I’m interested.” He leaned close to her ear but didn’t take his eyes off Cody. “I’d like to apply for the job, as well.”

  “Thanks for the update.” Fisher stood, smiling at Carson and Cody before turning to face the crowd. “That is exciting news. I’m sure we’ll end up with an amazing crew. Now I know some of you are here just to push your limits, and that’s fine, too. Some of you might even change your mind. Either way, we’re going to mix things up a bit. Step outside of our comfort zones a little.

  “If you’ll meet me at the boat barn by nine, I’ll go over further instructions and our plan for today.”

  She picked up her plate and dumped it in the washtub. She gave Kyle a small wave and headed toward the barn. Kyle was on kitchen crew and would need to stay behind to help clean up.

  Fisher needed to get the gear together. Three oar frames, nine oars, eight paddles, and enough water for a long day on the river.

  “Hey, Fisher, wait up.” It was Cody. Great.

  “You sure you have time to help get the gear out?” She didn’t mean to sound irritated, but she was.

  “Yeah, I can help.” He practically had to jog to keep up with her. “So, what is the plan for today?”

  “They’re going to learn all about rowing.” She didn’t slow her steps, just kept marching up the slight incline toward where the rafts and equipment were housed. “I thought we’d take one oar boat
and two combos down today. And we’re going to mix up the crews a bit. That way Brooke and Tyler and I can all get a look at any potential guides.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.” Cody stopped when they reached the large overhead door. He punched in the code, even though she was perfectly capable of doing it herself.

  “Hey, listen,” he said once they stepped inside. “I don’t know what it is, but I kind of have a feeling about that Kyle guy. I don’t think he’d be a good fit.”

  “Really? And why is that?” A year ago, she would have taken a statement like that as encouragement. But that was before Miranda.

  “I don’t know.” He leaned against the workbench near the door. “I just don’t like the guy.”

  “Well, everyone else does.” Fisher wasn’t going to think about why he didn’t. “And I think he’ll be a good guide.”

  “Are you still sleeping with him?” he asked.

  “Not at the moment. But that’s none of your concern.” Not when he’d slept with more than a few passengers in his day. And he’d been sleeping with Miranda when he’d hired her to work in the store last year.

  “You’re right. It’s just that I don’t want him to use you.”

  “Really? You think he’s just using me to get the job? That no man in his right mind would want to have sex with me unless he got something out of it?” She knew she was a little too defensive, but that’s what years of near celibacy would do to a woman.

  “No, of course not. It’s just that…you’re my friend, Fisher.” He let out a frustrated sigh.

  “Yes. And I’m also your river operations manager, which you and Carson led me to believe meant that I am the one managing the operation of the river activities. That includes personnel decisions, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay then.” She started pulling an oar frame down off the rack. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a river operation to manage.”

  He took a step back. Perhaps it was sinking in that she didn’t have time for his bullshit.

  “Look, Fisher, if you were my sister—”

  “I’m not. And if you keep being such an ass, you’re not going to be my friend much longer.”