by J. H. Croix
They started walking again. Once they stepped off the stairs, the industrial floating docks rocked softly in the waves under their feet.
“Cliff’s the guy I met the other day, right?” Jessa asked.
“Yup. He works for me. Ryan’s my little brother. He’s here for a visit.” Eli had considered how to explain Ryan before and figured the basic truth was the simplest explanation. He wasn’t ready to go into more details with Jessa just yet. Since Cliff had known him for a few years and Ryan had never visited in that time, Eli had offered him a little more detail, but he wasn’t too fond of talking much about his family. All these years, he’d hoped geographic distance would allow him to keep a barrier between his childhood and his adulthood. With Ryan showing up, he was struggling to come to terms with what that might mean for that barrier.
Minutes later, they were at the boat. Ryan quickly jumped onto the dock and took the coffees and pastries from Eli. “Anything for me?” he asked with a grin.
“Something for everyone. There’re two hot chocolates in that tray of drinks. One for you and,” he paused and turned to the couple with a smile “and an extra in case your son wanted one.”
The woman in the couple smiled broadly and held her hand out. “Donna Canton. You must be Eli.” Donna had an athletic, outdoorsy quality to her and was dressed for the day in a yellow windbreaker and jeans paired with black rubber boots. She had short dark hair and bright brown eyes.
Eli shook her hand. “You got it. If the hot chocolate is a no, don’t worry about it. Otherwise, I trust these guys have taken care of everything you need?”
Donna grinned. “You’ve just made Aaron’s day! He loves hot chocolate, and it’s definitely a bit chilly this morning.” She rubbed her hands together quickly and gestured to the man standing beside her. “This is my husband George.”
George reached over to shake Eli’s hand. “Great to meet you. We’re looking forward to catching some halibut today.” George was essentially a male version of Donna with short dark hair and eyes and in matching jacket, jeans and boots. He had a laidback, easy quality to him. He lifted his chin in the direction of their son. Ryan had climbed back into the boat and was patiently helping the boy set his fishing rod in the row of holders along the back of the cabin in the boat. “That’s our son Aaron. He’s beside himself about this fishing trip, so be prepared for tons of questions.” Aaron shared his parents’ hair, eyes and outfit, although he had a fluorescent orange life jacket on over his yellow windbreaker.
Eli relaxed slightly. He was accustomed to taking completely inexperienced people out to fish, however it was always a relief when they came sensibly dressed and appeared to have an idea of what the day would entail. He glanced to Jessa who stood quietly at his side. “This is my friend Jessa. She’s never been out for a charter trip in Alaska either, so she’s joining us for the day.” Eli hadn’t thought ahead about how to introduce her, but he settled on ‘friend.’
Jessa quickly struck up a conversation with Donna and George, while Eli went into action with Cliff and Ryan to get the boat ready to leave the harbor. He continued to be impressed with Ryan, mostly because he didn’t hesitate to work, asked for help if he wasn’t sure how to do something and then carried on. Within a few minutes, they were motoring out of the harbor, one of many boats in a slow parade out into Kachemak Bay.
“Hey, stop it!” Jessa demanded as she wrestled with the halibut she’d just reeled in. The halibut was rather docile, so she supposed she was talking to the fishhook, which she couldn’t seem to get out. She heard a low laugh and glanced up to find Eli kneeling down by her side.
“Need some help with that?”
She brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. “Is there a trick to this?”
Eli shrugged and reached over. With a quick twist, he eased the hook out. “A little practice helps.”
The subtle brush of his hand against hers sent a wash of heat through her. When she glanced over at him, his green eyes were inches from hers. With his sun-burnished skin, chiseled features and just all around rugged sexiness, she wanted to kiss him so badly it almost physically pained her to hold back. For a few seconds, the air around them came to life. Eli’s eyes darkened, and she heard him take a sharp breath. A loud thump nearby snapped the moment. Jessa turned to see Ryan laughing as he helped George with the halibut he’d just dropped when he brought it over the side of the boat.
She stood up with Eli following. His eyes caught hers again, and her breath hitched at the bare desire she saw there. With a subtle shake of his head, he turned away and strode to Ryan’s side, quickly engaging in an easy banter with Ryan and George. The rest of the day passed with many similar moments. Not that she needed much to amp up her attraction to Eli, but watching him work did just that. He was clearly in his element—moving through the day with an easy, rugged confidence. He was friendly and funny with the charter customers and patient with their young son who had so many questions, he could have easily annoyed a less patient man.
As the day wound down, Jessa leaned against the railing and watched the boat’s wake ruffle in the water behind them. She glanced down at her hand and flexed it. She’d finally felt okay to remove the bandage covering the last of her burns yesterday. The skin was pink, but all healed up in the area along the outside of her wrist and on the back of her hand. With the heavy-duty rubber gloves Eli insisted she wear, she hadn’t even worried about it today.
A gust of wind blew and she looked out over the water again. It was early evening and they were headed back to Otter Cover Harbor. The sun had started to dip down in the sky, its light softening. The day had been beyond fun. Between the actual fishing—she’d managed to catch two halibut—the company and the breathtaking view, she’d had a banner day. At the moment, she was watching the mountains on the far side of Kachemak Bay recede. As Eli had suggested, they’d had a quick lunch in Seldovia, a quaint, small and charming village that could only be reached by boat or small plane. The mountains were dark against the sky, their hulking forms casting long shadows on the water. She scanned the horizon, pausing on the volcano in Cook Inlet, just outside the mouth of Kachemak Bay. Mount Augustine sat by itself in the water, a small cluster of clouds circling its peak. She took a deep breath and turned to face forward.
The second her eyes landed on Eli, her breath hitched and flutters twirled in her low belly. Dear God, that man was just…flat sexy…and nice and smart and funny and all kinds of much too good. Jessa had never been much for dating. She couldn’t say she’d had her heartbroken or anything like that. She’d just yet to meet a man who ever made her feel anything even remotely like this.
She couldn’t say why, but he appeared slightly uncertain at moments in his interactions with Ryan, almost as if they didn’t know each other that well. That was the other thing about Eli—he made her curious. She wanted to know all about him. She had gleaned a bit today. Namely, that he’d been born and raised in Juneau and moved to Diamond Creek about ten years ago to start his business here.
She’d savored every second of incidental contact with him—when he reached his arm around to steady her while she held her fishing rod to reel in a halibut, when his hands brushed hers as he helped her unhook the halibut. She smiled to herself when it occurred to her she was ridiculously turned on while they were surrounded by others and dealing with fish all day.
Not much later, Jessa leaned her hips against the boat railing and watched while Ryan and Cliff helped the Canton’s carry their cooler and other gear down the docks. Ryan and Cliff were heading out for burgers afterwards with Cliff’s promise he’d drop Ryan off at Eli’s house later. That left Jessa and Eli on the boat at the dock. Eli had stepped down into the boat cabin to put a few things away. She couldn’t help the curl of anticipation that rolled through her to realize she might have a few minutes alone with Eli.
Within seconds, he was climbing the stairs out of the cabin and stepping onto the deck. He’d removed his fishing gear and changed into another
pair of faded jeans and t-shirt, both of soft, worn fabric that molded to his muscled body. She’d already had her turn in the tiny bathroom where she stripped out of her fishy clothes and changed into a clean pair of clothes, which were essentially her uniform—leggings and a t-shirt with the only variation in color. For now, she had on a pair of charcoal gray leggings and a red long-sleeved t-shirt that fit snugly.
Eli stepped to the railing and leaned against it beside her. His brown hair was tousled from the wind. His green gaze caught hers, his mouth hooking at one corner. “So, what do you think now that you’ve had a day of fishing in Alaska?”
“It was perfect! I see why so many tourists come here. You can’t beat the view and it’s a blast out on the water. Thanks for taking me.” She left unsaid that the best part of the day was being with him. While she might not know quite what to do with the strength of her attraction to Eli, she knew she enjoyed just about every minute in his company.
He shrugged. “Anytime. We run charters almost every day some weeks, so if you ever want to go again, just let me know.”
“You’re out almost every day? Really?” She couldn’t help but ask because it seemed like a dream life.
He chuckled. “Really. Fishing’s to my business in the summer like skiing is to your brother’s in the winter—all day, every day.”
“I suppose it would be. Well, it was awesome, so I’ll probably take you up on that.”
Eli nodded and looked out over the water. She followed his gaze to see the setting sun had created a watercolor in the sky over the mountains with layers of gold, orange and red. A gust of salty wind came off the bay, blowing her hair wild since she’d brushed it loose when she changed. Eli’s gaze traveled from the water to her, just as he rested one elbow on the railing and angled toward her. In a flash, the air around them came to life.
Her belly clenched and heat streaked through her. Another breeze came off the water with enough chill to elicit a shiver. His eyes locked with hers, he lifted a hand and brushed a loose lock of hair away from her face, turning fully toward her as he did. He tucked it behind her ear, the subtle touch sending a hot shiver through her. He didn’t drop his hand and slid it around her nape. His thumb brushed across the beat of her pulse, sending it skittering wildly.
9
Eli looked down at Jessa. Her windblown brown hair, her flushed cheeks, and her silvery eyes held him transfixed. All day long, he’d been thankful for how busy he had to be on a fishing charter. The constant flow of activity kept him distracted enough that he wasn’t fighting a hard-on all day. He’d walked out of the cabin a few minutes ago and just stopped fighting it. Jessa was too damn sexy. She’d also shown herself to be a quick learner when it came to fishing. She seemed undecided about whether she’d be eating the halibut she caught, but she’d called one of her brothers after she reeled it in to announce what she was bringing home for dinner. A fishing charter was fun, but it was also a lot of work. She hadn’t shied away for a second, even from some of the less savory tasks involved with cleaning the decks. A stellar day on the water with a woman who seemed imbued with a magic power to make him forget any reservations he ever had meant he couldn’t let the chance to kiss her again pass by.
The air felt charged and heavy. Her silvery gaze went smoky. Her pulse beat rapidly under his thumb as he brushed across the soft skin along her neck. His eyes dropped to her lips—so soft and full—right when her tongue darted out to moisten them. He dipped his head and caught her lips. She didn’t hesitate and sighed against his mouth, the breathy sound sending a jolt of lust through him. He experienced something with Jessa he’d never experienced before—a need that burned so hot, he could barely contain it, yet the moment he gave in, he could slow down and take all day. Just now, he could kiss her for hours. He traced her lips with his tongue, interspersing kisses in between, until she stepped closer and slipped her hand up around his neck.
He dove into the warm sweetness of her mouth and their kiss took on a life of its own. Her tongue tangled sinuously with his—bold and playful. He stroked through her hair, savoring her low moan when he slid his hand down her spine and cupped her bottom. The soft give of her curves under his palm sent his heart to battering against his ribs. The wind gusted again, and he turned to shelter her from it, bringing his back against the railing and her into his arms against him. He felt drugged between her hands traveling up his chest and feeling the rise and fall of her breasts against him with each breath she took. He tore his lips free, desperate to taste more. He blazed a wet path down her neck, her skin hinted with vanilla and honey.
She slipped a hand up under his shirt. The simple feel of her touch against his skin sent need spinning tighter inside of him. He lifted his head to look down at her. Her hair fell in a loose tangle around her shoulders. Her lips were kiss-swollen and her cheeks flushed. When she opened her eyes and he found her smoky gaze upon him, dark with desire, it was all he could do not to tear her clothes off right then and there. His thoughts a haze of desire, he dipped his head again, unable to consider anything other than needing to taste her again.
This kiss was hotter and deeper, a tangle of lips, teeth and tongue. Jessa flexed against him, and he tugged her closer, one palm cupping her luscious bottom and the other shoving her t-shirt up. He couldn’t hold back a groan at the feel of her soft skin as he stroked up her abdomen to cup one of her breasts. Her nipple was a tight bead through the thin silk of her bra. He flicked a thumb at the clasp between her breasts, biting back another moan when her breasts tumbled loose. He tore his lips free and looked down again.
He suddenly became aware of where they were. The bustle of sounds at the harbor, to which he was so accustomed he usually tuned it out, broke through the fog of lust. Yet, the feel of Jessa against him made it hard for reason to cut through. She arched closer. Before awareness knocked sense into him, he had to know if she wanted him as much as he wanted her. With a stroke of his thumb across her taut nipple, he dragged his hand down, straight past the waistband of her leggings, to stroke between her legs. The silk of her panties was wet. Without a thought passing through his mind, driven solely by need, he shoved the silk aside and stroked into her cleft. Hot, wet, silky folds pulsed against his fingers. Her breath came in ragged gasps. He slid one finger into her channel and then another. Even though he knew he wouldn’t find his own release now, all he wanted was to make her come. He stroked into her channel, savoring every clench and throb around his fingers.
When she gasped his name, her voice raw with need and reflecting the depth of his, he circled his thumb over her swollen clit. Her head fell against his chest on a soft cry, her body going taut and her channel convulsing around his fingers. When she relaxed against him, he slowly dragged his fingers out and tugged her clothes back into place. Rock hard and desperate for much more, he leaned his head back and took several gulps of the chilly, ocean air. The sound of a boat nearby seemed to nudge Jessa into awareness. She lifted her head from his chest, her eyes widening.
“Oh my. I can’t believe I forgot where we were.”
Her cheeks flushed deeper, and she bit her lip, which only served to make him want to kiss her again. He kept an iron grip on that impulse and aimed for light.
“I can believe we forgot,” he said bluntly.
That elicited a giggle from Jessa. After a moment, her smile faded. He knew she could feel every inch of his cock in the cradle of her hips because he sure as hell knew how hard he was. “This doesn’t seem fair,” she said. While she didn’t state what wasn’t fair, he knew precisely what she meant. He might go home unsatisfied, but feeling and watching her find her pleasure was about the best thing he’d ever experienced.
Jessa leaned against the counter in the corner of the lodge restaurant kitchen. In the short time she’d been here, she’d developed the habit of rising early and helping Delia with the morning baking. They’d just finished prepping cinnamon rolls. Delia had stepped into her office and shooed Jessa over to get some coffee. The espres
so machine tucked in the corner where she stood beeped. She turned and poured the two shots of espresso into a mug and added hot water. After a dash of cream, she took a welcome sip and sighed. She pushed away from the counter and through the swinging door into the restaurant. It was still early with only a few customers at tables. She made her way to a small table by the windows and sat down.
It was barely past six and the sun was cresting the mountains. She’d yet to see much darkness since she’d been here. The sun didn’t set until after ten at night and the glimmers of dawn broke as early as four in the morning. As she sipped her coffee, Eli strolled into her thoughts. Well, it would be more apt to say he’d been pretty much camped out in her mind since last night. After he’d sent her flying into a shattering orgasm with nothing more than a few strokes of his fingers, she’d somehow pulled herself together and walked down the docks with him like a normal human being. All the while, her body had been reverberating with aftershocks.
Half in a daze, she’d somehow driven herself back to the lodge. She’d fallen asleep with nothing but Eli on her mind. In the span of a few body-melting minutes, Eli had brought her to the most explosive climax of her life. Again and again, the dark desire flickering in his green eyes flashed through her mind. A bolt of heat streaked through her. Beyond that though was how much she simply enjoyed being around him. With her limited experience with liking someone this much, she didn’t quite know what to do with it. Complicating matters was the fact she didn’t quite know what to do with her life. She took a gulp of coffee, savoring the rich flavor. The sun fully crested the mountain ridge rising up behind the lodge. Its rays instantly brightened the grassy ski slopes and filtered through the spruce trees. Within minutes, a mist rose off the trees and ground, the dew from the chilly night dissipating under the instant heat of the sun.