RONAN

by Nina West

  Then again, I’m not doing anything for Jed anymore. Still... “I’d have to be drunk.”

  She clanks her glass with my bottle of water. “Well then, cheers to that.”

  “Hey, Abbi. I’m turnin’ in for the night. We have to be up in a few hours.”

  Few hours? “What time is it?” I squint at my watch; the hands are blurry.

  “It’s two. Training starts at nine, and if you don’t want to wait in line for a shower, you need to get in there before seven.”

  Shit. How am I even still up? Especially with the time-zone change. “Okay. I’m coming.”

  Katie squeezes my thigh affectionately, the simple touch making me feel all the more comfortable in this group of strangers. “We’re not too far behind you. Night.”

  I stand. And take several stumbling steps into a tall guy.

  He wraps his arms around my waist to steady me, but he doesn’t let go. “Whoa there, little lady. You okay?” He sounds like he’s from down south. He has that charming southern drawl, but it’s different from Tillie’s.

  I tip my head back and peer into smiling emerald-green eyes. “Yup. But thank you for saving me anyway.”

  He grins at me. “You sure are a cute little thing.”

  “I don’t want to be cute,” I grumble. “Cute gets left on the sides while “hot” gets bent over the couch by my boyfriend because he can’t control himself.”

  That wasn’t meant to be spoken out loud.

  “Whoa.” The guy holds his hands in the air, palms out. I peel myself away from him and stumble to Tillie, my face burning, whispering, “I blame you and your devil juice for this.”

  “I’ve got your water. You’re gonna need it.” She hooks an arm through mine and leads me out the doors and into the night.

  “It’s warmer out here than it was before. How did it get warmer?”

  Her chuckles float into the darkness as we make our way down the path, lit with lampposts every twenty feet or so. “The magic of Jim Beam, that’s how.”

  “I love your accent. You know that? Like, I could kiss your accent if it were an actual thing. It’s that hot. Isn’t it beautiful out here? I mean,” I let my head tip back, “look at this sky. You don’t get this kind of sky just anywhere.”

  “I keep readin’ about those northern lights. I’m hopin’ to see them before I leave.”

  “Aurora Borealis,” I murmur, closing my eyes and smiling, letting her lead me. That would be a sight.

  Voices and laughter ahead catch my ear.

  “Damn...,” Tillie murmurs appreciatively, and I follow her eyes to see what has caught her attention. Three guys stroll out of the men’s shower room, the white towels wrapped around their waists glowing in the dark. Each one of them is broad and hard and rippled with muscles.

  I’ve only ever had eyes for Jed. Since February, I’ve had eyes for no one at all, uninterested in giving anyone a second’s thought. Maybe it’s the distance or the foreign world up here, or maybe it’s the alcohol, but I am appreciating this view. The alcohol is definitely giving me the confidence to ogle them shamelessly.

  “And that would be your Outdoor crew.” A few steps closer, Tillie calls out with, “Good evenin’, gentlemen. It’s a little bit cold to be prancin’ ’round half-naked, don’t you think?”

  The one closest to her, a blond with a casual swagger in his step, slows. “You offering to warm me up, Tillie?”

  I guess they’ve already met.

  “That’s what the robes in your cabin are for.” She flashes a deceptively sweet grin back at him. It must be a southern thing, because all the women from the south have that smile down pat.

  He steps into her personal space—and, by default, mine, since our arms are still linked—but she stands her ground. “But you’re so much warmer.” His pretty blue eyes turn to settle on me. “And who’s this lovely young lady?”

  “This is Abbi from Pennsylvania.”

  “She another roommate?”

  “That’s right.”

  Turning his gaze back to Tillie, his eyes settling on her perky chest, he murmurs, “What I’d do to get into that cabin of yours.”

  I can’t tell if he’s talking about literally coming to our cabin, or if he’s being figurative, but I do know that either way, it involves sex.

  “Like a fox in a hen house, right? Y’all have a good night, now.” Tillie leads me around him and farther down the path.

  I glance over my shoulder and see them still watching us. The blond winks at me and I can’t keep the stupid grin from taking over my face. “How do you know them?”

  “I met Connor last night. He’s as smooth as freshly churned butter, that one. Watch out for him, if they sort out your job situation. He’ll charm the pants right off of you by lunch hour.”

  “Maybe that’d be a good thing. Jed is taking his pants off for the jezebel every day now and he wants me to cross my legs until he’s ready to come back. Why should he get to have all the fun?”

  “Jed? The ex-boyfriend?”

  “Ex-fiancé.” I’m still numb to the earned title of “ex.” “He cheated on me and broke my heart, but I’m supposed to wait for him to get her out of his system. That’s why I’m in Alaska.” The knot that normally springs up in my throat at the mention of Jed stays down and out of sight for once. That’s a relief. Maybe this is the trick to getting over him. Alcohol and scantily clad hunks.

  “Ouch.” She gives my arms a squeeze. “Well, don’t you worry, hun. There is plenty to choose from here to make you forget about Jed and the jezebel.”

  “Jed and the jezebel. That could be the title of a play or something.”

  “I’d rather watch the ‘Abbi Gets Even with A Hot Dude’ play.”

  I laugh. Tillie’s so sweet, and caring. I really like her. And I feel the urge to wrap my arms around her and give her a giant hug, so I do.

  Her melodic laugh carries through the night. “Oh, dear Lord. Maybe not so much Jim Beam next time. You may regret it in the mornin’.”

  “But it’ll have been worth it, because I had so much fun tonight.” Mama clearly hasn’t ever drunk before, because if she knew how much fun it is being drunk, she wouldn’t want to deprive me of it. I’ve become so comfortable around the other Wolf staffers so quickly.

  “Yeah, we’ll see. Make sure you finish that water before bed. And maybe take some Advil.”

  Cabin seven arrives too soon, and I’m feeling alive for the first time in forever. “I’m going to hang out here for a few more minutes, enjoy the fresh air. It’s helping me clear my head.”

  “All right. But be quiet when you stumble in, you hear? Lorraine went to bed already.” Tillie swipes her key card and disappears inside.

  I want to go for a walk. The staff village is behind the lodge and separated from the guest section by a thick cedar hedge and decorative fencing. It’s a bit like a secret garden. I’d like to investigate it during the daylight. Right now, though, I wander along the path, pocket flashlight in hand in case I need it, my sneakers crunching beneath the gravel. Even in the middle of the night, it’s beautiful. The paths are well lit, and there are security cameras everywhere. I feel safe. I’m not normally so comfortable with walking around alone at night. I’m sure once the hotel opens in a few days, I won’t have the luxury of this absolute quiet.

  A squirrel leaps from its branch and runs across the path in front of me, giving me a moment’s pause. Do I have to worry about coming face-to-face with a wild animal? No. Belinda mentioned the electric fences around the perimeter.

  I make my way past the hedge and over to the main guest area, eyeing the honeycomb of balconies above me. Each will be alive with guests soon. Apparently they all have hot tubs. I’ve never been in a hot tub before. These ones are for guests only, though. As are both the indoor and outdoor pools, and the hot springs. Basically it sounds like the only thing the staff is allowed to swim in is the bay, at the small staff beach I haven’t yet seen.

  I wonder how cold th
e water is. Is it warmer than the air?

  I could dip my fingers in and check...

  Before I can think it through, I turn down the path toward the docks that I arrived on earlier, stumbling over a rock before I manage to regain my footing. I’m drunk. I need to be more careful if I’m going near the water.

  The dock at night is picturesque, marked at the edges with lanterns, as well as several coach lights. Beyond that is nothing but darkness and stars.

  My feet hit the cedar planks with a thump. “Shh!” I warn, and then laugh, because no one’s out here and I’m talking to myself. Down the long path I go, past the ferry, past a sizeable white boat, the waves lapping quietly at its side to make a soft thumping sound, to the end, marked by a tall rod with a light on the tip.

  Dropping down to my knees, I lean forward, stretching my fingertips outward.

  My glasses slip off my nose and plummet into the deep waters.

  “No!” I cry, stretching my arm far in my useless attempt to grab them.

  A sudden pounding of feet behind me is the only warning I get before hands seize my waist and yank me back and to my feet.

  “What the hell are you doing?” an angry male voice exclaims.

  “My glasses fell in!” I cry.

  “Forget them. They’re gone.”

  “I can’t forget them!” They’re my only pair and I can barely see ten feet in front of me without them. Sure, I brought contacts because I wear those while working outdoors, but I need my glasses.

  “They’re gone,” he reiterates. “What on earth are you doing out here, anyway?”

  “I wanted to see how cold the water was.” His hands are still gripping my waist as if afraid I’m still going to fall in. I try brushing them away but they’re like vise grips.

  “I promise you, it’s freezing. Though you almost took a nosedive in and found out for yourself.”

  I scowl. “You’re exaggerating.”

  “I was watching you the entire time. I’m surprised you even made it on two feet this far.”

  I squint into the light to see exactly who is scolding me, but his back is to the lamppost and his face is cast in shadow. All I can see is a dark mop of hair and a beard. “Why are you lurking out here in the middle of the night, anyway?”

  “I wasn’t lurking,” he mutters. “I was enjoying a peaceful night on my boat and I heard you stumbling up the dock.”

  I frown, peering over at the boat in question, now even blurrier than before. “I didn’t notice anyone there.”

  “Not surprised. Come on. You need to go to bed.” His hand slides around my lower back and prods me toward shore.

  A rare defiant streak surges. I didn’t fly thousands of miles away from my overbearing mama only to be scolded and ordered around by a stranger. I jab his chest with my finger. “You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not the boss of me. The boss is the boss of me. And he can boss me.” I’m not sure that made much sense.

  “And who is he?” Amusement laces his tone.

  “I don’t know. Some arrogant big bad wolf billionaire who sleeps with Victoria’s Secret models and changes women like underwear. He sounds like a complete jerk. But you’re not him. You’re...” I’m leaning against his chest now. A broad, solid chest, his muscles hard against me. I reach up with the hand I used to poke him to touch the few weeks’ worth of growth covering his face, my fingertips scratching across the coarse hair. “A lumberjack.”

  “A lumberjack.”

  “Yes. With this beard and this,” I rub my hand over his flannel checkered jacket, sitting open, and then to the shirt beneath, reveling in the ridges of his stomach. “Definitely a lumberjack. Did they hire lumberjacks to cut wood for that giant fireplace in there? They’ve hired people for everything else. I mean, seriously, who comes up to Alaska to get their pubic area waxed and their hair colored? And yet there’s a full-service salon!”

  His hands have found my waist again. He takes several steps backward, pulling me along with him.

  But I dig my heels in. “I’m not going anywhere until I check the water for my glasses! I have a flashlight!” I yell, earning his shush.

  He heaves a sigh. “Will you let me take you back to your cabin immediately after?”

  “Once I do that, I will happily go to bed with you. Not with you. I’ll go to bed. I’m not going to bed with a lumberjack.” My tongue feels thick and slow as it trips over my rambling words.

  “Fine. But I’m holding on to you the entire time. The owner doesn’t need any of his employees drowning.”

  “Deal.”

  He leads me back to the edge and drops to his knees with me. “Sit your ass right down or you’ll end up pulling us both in.”

  “That’s no way to speak to a lady.”

  He snorts. “It is when she’s as stubborn as a mule and as drunk as an Irishman.”

  Damp cold from the dock seeps through my jeans as I follow his order. He has large, strong hands and they grip my slender middle tightly as I lean down, shining the small beam of light from my pocket flashlight against the murky waters below. His hand that’s closer to the water slides up to rest underneath my breast. I briefly consider telling this burly lumberjack that he’s touching me inappropriately, but a part of me doesn’t care right now.

  “I can’t see them.” The water level is much lower than I expected. I can’t even skim the top with my fingertips. I would have fallen in, had he not been there to grab me.

  “No shit.” He hauls me up with seemingly no effort, the quick movement making the world spin a bit. “Where are you staying?”

  “Cabin...” My words trail away as I finally see his face for the first time, bathed in a stream of light. Steely blue eyes stare down at me. Even with heavy scruff covering his face, I can tell that his jaw is strong and angular. And that mouth... I am utterly riveted to those plump lips. I can’t help myself. I reach up and graze them with my fingertips, wisps of hair around the outside edges tickling my skin. They’re as full and soft as they look and they part for me slightly, enough that my fingertips get wet, and warm breath skates across my skin.

  My stomach bursts into butterflies as my own lips part.

  I’ve heard people say that alcohol can change your perception, can make you believe that someone is better looking than they are in the sober light of day. I think they call it beer goggles. But I haven’t been drinking beer and, besides, for my eyes to deceive me like this would be a cruel trick by Satan himself.

  I’ve never seen such a handsome man in real life.

  “You’re beautiful,” I whisper, and then my face flushes when I realize that I said that out loud. But it’s okay that I did, I tell myself. It’s true, and he needs to know.

  I gather my nerve and shift my attention from his mouth up to his eyes to find his intense gaze weighing down on me, skating over my features before resting on my mouth. He leans down, his lips reaching for mine. My heart begins racing, anticipating the feel of them on me, wondering if they’ll be firm or soft, demanding or yielding. How does a man like this kiss?

  I want to let go, to let this complete stranger do whatever he wants with me.

  He pulls back and gives his head a small shake. “Let’s get you home. Which cabin are you in?”

  “Seven.” I pause, peering up again, my eyes roaming that handsome face. “Seriously, do you know how beautiful you are?”

  “All right, let’s get you home fast.” He hooks an arm around the backs of my knees, one around my shoulders and hoists me up into a cradled position, earning my surprised yelp.

  “I can walk!” Though, being in this man’s arms, with my arm wrapped around this big, strong neck and my body pressed against this chest, is so new and exciting.

  “Slow and stumbling and blind, yeah. But I need to be rid of you now.”

  “Be rid of me? Am I that awful?”

  His focus is locked on the path ahead of us. “You’re drunk and I know exactly where this is heading. It can’t, that’s all. Don’t t
ake it personally.”

  “And where exactly is this heading?” Was he seriously about to kiss me? No, that’s not possible. A guy who looks like this doesn’t try to kiss a girl like me, lumberjack or not.

  His dark, low chuckle fills the night air. “I can’t tell if you’re playing coy right now, or if you’re actually that clueless.” When I don’t answer, his gaze flitters to meet mine for a second. “To places a girl like you shouldn’t go tonight.”

  I snort. “Great. You’re protecting my virtue, too, now? Did my mama call you?” I stare at him as he walks on, ignoring me. “How old are you?”

  “Thirty-one.”

  Ten years older than me. Thirty-one and a face like that; I’ll bet he has slept with lots of women. I’ll bet he’s experienced. I’ll bet he could teach me all kinds of things with those fingers that are currently clutching my body tightly. Things that Jed couldn’t, or didn’t want to. Thoughts of Jed make my stomach tilt. I quickly push them away. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

  He seems to hesitate. “No.”

  “Neither do I. A boyfriend, I mean. I had a boyfriend. Well, a fiancé, actually. His name is Jed. We were going to get married next summer, but he cheated on me with the jezebel.” The gravel crunches beneath the lumberjack’s feet as I ramble on. “That’s what my mama calls those kind of women—jezebels. I saw her. She’s beautiful and sexy, so I guess I know why he’d leave me for her. Anyway, I’m supposed to wait for him to sow his wild oats. He asked me to wait, said he’d come back. Our families are so sure he’ll come back to me.”

  “And you’ll take him back, won’t you.” His tone mocks me, as if he’s both unsurprised and repulsed by the idea.

  “No. I mean, I don’t think so.” I sigh. Who am I kidding? It’s the reason I held on to that ring instead of casting it into the deep waters. “I can’t help but hope that he’ll realize what a mistake he’s making and come crawling back, begging for forgiveness.”

  “And you’ll give it to him.” Again, not a question.

  “No!” A moment later, I admit with a grumble, “Maybe.” Not because I forgive him; not because he didn’t hurt me so badly. “He’s all I’ve ever known. He’s been a part of my life for so long. We had everything planned out. Now, I’m lost.”