“She attempted phase five today.” Tank removed Diva’s leash and hung it on a hook near the door. The dog immediately passed out on her cushion near the front window.
“Really? That’s great,” Cassie said, barely glancing his way. Her attention still on the window.
Closing the blinds, Tank moved her away from it, lifting her into his arms and off the chair. He set her feet on the floor. “You have to stop stressing. That company is opening whether we want it to or not.” Not that they hadn’t tried to prevent North Mountain Sports Company from buying the building across the street the year before. They’d started petitions and talked to the mayor, but ultimately it had been decided that the big chain adventure company was a positive addition to the community.
Even if it meant driving out some of the smaller competitors, like Cass.
Cassie sighed. “I just wish they weren’t being so secretive.”
Part of their grand opening launch depended on a great storefront reveal. Therefore, no one other than the work crews renovating the building were allowed inside, and everyone involved had signed NDAs. Large black tarps draped over the exterior and big fences blocked any external views of the construction.
“Look, your company has survived competition before. You have a great reputation. Stop stressing.” He rubbed her arms and her expression changed.
He’d wanted to comfort her, but damn if the feel of her arms beneath the thin fabric of her sweater didn’t make him long to keep touching her. Everywhere. This was the problem with being alone with her. Without anyone around, he felt his guard slipping a little. He forgot that he had responsibilities to Kaia…and to Cassie, not to act hastily and put the situation they had working for them at risk. An impulsive kiss could throw off the balance they had in their lives.
Could being with her make things better? Absolutely. As long as everything worked out, but he wasn’t prepared to take the chance that it wouldn’t.
“Would you be feeling as confident if there was an internationally well-known bar moving into that space?” she asked.
Competition for his own bar on Main Street, The Drunk Tank? Absolutely not. “I feel you, I do.” More than was safe, really. “But the locals here have your back. I have your back.”
Damn, her blue eyes were mesmerizing. Most days they held him captive because of the excitement there that never seemed to die, but today, they held a concerning hint of worry.
“Listen, they are a chain store. They might have a big flashy opening that draws a crowd for a few weeks, but it won’t take long before everyone realizes that they are simply selling overpriced name-brand equipment and clothing and that the tours they offer aren’t up to your standard. You’ve gotten permits from Wild River to explore backwoods areas this company has never even heard of.”
“That’s true…”
“And their guides are probably some pretty boys from Aspen who have never experienced wilderness like this.”
Cassie cocked her head to the side. “Some tourists like pretty boys from Aspen… I can’t compete with the eye candy.”
Tank laughed. That just might be the other company’s edge over her. Cassie’s male guides were Alaskan-tough with mountain man beards and muscles built for function, not fashion. If tourists were looking to fulfill some romantic fantasy on their vacation, they’d best stick to North Mountain Sports Company, but if they wanted an authentic outback experience, they couldn’t do better than SnowTrek Tours.
“Unless, of course, you and I cross-promote and I send them into the bar for a free cocktail, served by Alaska’s hottest bartender,” she said.
Damn, when she flirted, it erased every cautionary reason he relied on for keeping things PG between them. Instances like now, when they were alone, Kaia wasn’t around and he was touching her, it was hard as hell not to take the plunge and let everything work itself out.
At first, when they’d met, he’d had Reed as enough of a cockblock not to act on his crazy lust-filled attraction to Cassie. They were on the search and rescue team together, he was Reed’s boss at the bar…there were far too many lines that would be crossed, but over the years Reed had more than given his blessing for Tank to go for his sister. It was like that here in Wild River. No bro codes broken when one guy fell for another guy’s sister…or ex-girl… Love was love and they could all act mature about things.
After that, his hesitation was Kaia. And his daughter’s best interests were more than enough for him to put on the brakes. Kaia loved Cassie, but he wasn’t sure how his daughter would feel about having Cassie in their life full-time. Having to share his attention with someone else. And if things fell apart, his daughter would be devastated to lose Cassie as well.
There was too much at stake.
“The free cocktail I’ll happily provide, but you can’t be pimping me out to tourists,” he said.
“Why not? I mean, how long is your vow of celibacy anyway?” The teasing glint in her eyes should have had him retreating, but his betraying body just stepped closer.
“Don’t tempt me, Cass…”
She stood on tiptoe and still only came below his chin, but her attempt at intimidation was cute. “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do…” Her glaze flitted between his lips and his eyes as she slowly raised her arms, wrapping them around his neck.
“Cassie…” It came out more as a groan, his entire body tensing. Hard. Could they cross the line to physical without actually entering into a real relationship? Best friends with benefits sounded like the perfect situation to him…but he knew she wanted more and he couldn’t give her that. He was already taking so much from her and not giving nearly enough back.
Diva’s bark alerted them to the presence of another person before the door chimed.
Tank cleared his throat and stepped back as Bobby Taylor entered, struggling to carry the large, awkwardly shaped Slush Cup trophy that Cass had naturally secured that year. No other competitor had even been a challenge. The woman had a no-fail drive to succeed. “Where do you want this, Cass?”
“Oh…um…” She looked annoyed at the interruption, but Tank was relieved.
“How about right here next to the Business of the Year Award?” Tank suggested, raised eyebrows implying she was giving North Mountain Sports Company far too much power. Wild River didn’t give out the Business of the Year Award for arbitrary conditions or who spent the most in advertising in their monthly newsletter.
Cassie should know that based on how many years she’d come up just shy, one year losing it to his bar.
That had certainly made things interesting for a while.
Bobby set the award on the shelf near Cassie’s desk. “Don’t get too attached. It’s headed back to Bobby’s Delicates next year.”
Tank didn’t doubt that it would. Bobby’s Delicates had claimed the Slush Cup title for six years running. Cassie’s unexpected win that year had been an upset. While Bobby had inherited the lingerie store from his mother—also named Bobby—his true passion was his mechanic’s shop, and he stayed as far away from women’s underwear as he could. Both professionally and personally.
“She’s all yours again next year,” Cassie said. “I just needed to borrow her for a while.”
He actually looked teary-eyed as he glanced at the trophy before leaving the store.
“So that means we’re not entering again next year?” Tank was hopeful.
Cassie turned her office chair around to show him the soft, inflated donut she was using as a cushion. “Not unless someone else is flying over that pond. The bruises on my ass are no joke.”
“That’s a hard pass, then,” he said with a forced laugh.
Unfortunately, now all he could think about was how much he’d like to kiss away her injuries.
Under an Alaskan Sky
by Jennifer Snow
Look for it May 2020 from HQN Books!
Copyright © 2020 by Jennifer Snow
ISBN-13: 9781488078156
The Marriage Ri
sk
First published in 1995. This edition published in 2020.
Copyright © 1995 by Debbie Macomber.
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises ULC. 22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor Toronto, ON M5H 4E3 Canada.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
The Marriage Risk Page 17