Stars Over Alaska

by Jennifer Snow

  Either way, this new source of conflict was Leslie’s fault.

  Nope, he wouldn’t apologize and he wouldn’t suck up to her...

  “Look, you’re the man,” Selena said, “and whether you’re right or wrong, it needs to be you who caves first, because Leslie won’t and this elephant in the room will just spiral and grow bigger until we are all grumpy and ready to kill one another.”

  Unfortunately, she was right. The tension in the cabin was nearing an unbearable level already. “Fine. I’ll apologize to her,” he said through clenched teeth. And tell her straight out that their actions were a mistake; she didn’t have to tell him that. And that he could control himself in the future and give her the space she’d been asking for all along. It wouldn’t be happening again. Despite how badly he wanted it to.

  “That’s not enough. You need to do something nice for her,” Selena said. Her own attraction to him obviously fading, was she now moving on to matchmaker? He wasn’t sure which Selena he preferred. Both were slightly irritating.

  Levi sighed. “Leslie’s not the type to want a big elaborate gesture...” She hated flowers and surprises and didn’t like jewelry. She’d be only more annoyed at him if he groveled.

  Selena rolled her eyes. “Just because a woman doesn’t come across as needy and demanding and soft doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to feel appreciated. Feel like she matters.”

  Leslie was so appreciated and she definitely mattered. Given the chance, he’d show her that she was the only thing that ever had to him. “Well, what do you suggest I do?” he said tightly.

  Selena seemed motivated by having something to plan. “You should make her a nice dinner. She hasn’t eaten much in days...stressed out and all.”

  “Dinner here?” The cabin wasn’t exactly a five-star restaurant and definitely didn’t give off a romantic vibe. Besides, Selena and Chad were there as well and if they needed to talk, Levi knew neither of them would want an audience.

  “Yes. But not in here. Out in the yard, surrounded by a view of the mountains. It’s a clear sky out there, so a picnic would be perfect.” Selena was obviously as romantic as the characters she played in movies. Her eyes had taken on a dreamlike quality as she talked.

  But reality check. “A picnic in minus-four-degree weather?” He wasn’t a genius when it came to women, but he could confidently say that he doubted most wanted to freeze to death while trying to eat.

  “Not completely outside. In an igloo. I saw one in the supply closet when I was helping Chad put new gear away earlier today.”

  Levi frowned, then realization dawned. The inflatable igloo that Chad had bought to sleep in on nights when the aurora borealis was at its clearest in this part of Alaska. It was completely transparent and would shelter them from the elements while still providing an amazing view of the scenery and night sky. Still, he hesitated. “I’m not sure...”

  “I’m telling you, it’s perfect. These dinner-under-the-stars dates are all the rage in LA. They pop up all over the city and within hours, it’s impossible to secure reservations. And the scenery is hardly as breathtaking as it is out here.” Selena refused to be deterred.

  Levi wasn’t sold. Would Leslie like that? She had been avoiding him as much as he’d been avoiding her since they’d come back inside. Would she agree to have dinner with him? A real dinner, just the two of them, alone, under the stars? “She might be too pissed to agree to it.”

  “Then we keep it a surprise until everything is set up. She’ll come around. Trust me,” Selena said with a confident smile.

  He saw no point in arguing. He was fairly certain the star was used to getting her way in the end and he was just relieved she was no longer suggesting the dinner for the two of them. “Okay,” he said, reluctantly.

  “Great! I’ll go distract Leslie and you get the igloo ready.” She opened the door to leave, then turned back. “Remember—don’t say anything until it’s ready.”

  Levi nodded but unfortunately, he knew his best friend better than Selena did and he wasn’t sure this surprise dinner was what she wanted. Then again, he had no idea what she wanted and he refused to even give himself the glimmer of hope that someday it could be him.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  SELENA HAD LOCKED her out of the cabin. She’d literally pushed her outside and shut the door when Leslie had refused to go outside to see the full moon.

  She banged on the door now. “Selena, open the door. I’ve seen the moon a thousand times.”

  “Look again because I don’t think you’re really seeing it,” the star called out, shooting her a pointed look through the tiny glass windowpane.

  What the hell did that mean?

  She was in no mood to figure out what Selena was talking about. She looked up at the night sky, which was clear and full of stars, but the moon was far from full. “You need to check your astronomy chart again—that’s not a full moon.” And even if it was, staring at it wouldn’t provide any clarity to her conflicted state. All afternoon, she’d barely seen Levi. They were clearly avoiding one another and the longer the silence went on, the harder it was to find a way to talk. She’d tried to focus on the case, but her mind kept wandering to their rendezvous in the shed and even calling Eoghan hadn’t helped as he hadn’t answered her call. She was desperate not to read too much into that, but she sensed she was losing her eyes and ears in LA. “Selena, let me in!”

  Instead, Selena just waved.

  Levi cleared his throat behind her and she jumped. “Oh thank God,” she said, turning to face him. “Can you unlock...?” She stopped, really seeing him then. Showered, hair gelled back away from his face, his beard trimmed so it was neat and tidy... He was dressed in jeans and his winter coat, a black crew neck sweater visible underneath and he looked gorgeously nervous.

  Like he was up to something.

  She glanced back at Selena and saw her wink at Levi.

  Great. They were both up to something.

  “What’s going on?” she asked cautiously. Had Levi told Selena about their time together in the shed? Had he convinced the star to help him try to...what? Seduce her? Too late for that. She hadn’t exactly needed much seducing to attack him earlier that day.

  “Um... I was hoping you’d join me for dinner,” he said, looking unsure.

  Ah, so this had been Selena’s idea. Had her client felt the energy shift around her and Levi that day? “Dinner?”

  “Yeah, out here...well, actually,” he gently guided her around the side of the cabin, “in there.” He pointed to an inflatable igloo structure set up in the yard behind the cabin. Inside, she could see several blankets set up and cushions from the couch. Tea lights illuminated the space in a romantic glow and a picnic dinner sat in the middle of it all.

  Her heart raced.

  A picnic under the stars. With Levi.

  “You did all that?” For her? Holy shit, her emotions were going wild. It was the nicest thing a man had ever done for her. Ever. Dawson hadn’t exactly been the romantic wine and dine type.

  Neither was she. She’d never been the type to want wooing and a man to put in effort to impress her, but her reaction to this was betraying. Obviously some part of her did want someone to make an effort.

  He nodded. “Selena suggested it, but I put it together, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “If it’s a bad idea—if you’d rather not...”

  “No!” She forced a calming breath. “It looks...really nice.”

  He smiled and it simultaneously eased some of the tension that had been simmering between them all day and increased it tenfold.

  He looked so good and she was a mess. Not having expected this.

  Thanks for the heads-up, Selena.

  Though no doubt the secrecy was so that she couldn’t preemptively refuse. They both knew her well and she was grateful they hadn’t told her.

  Levi led the w
ay to the igloo and unzipped the door. He held the flap open for her to crawl in and she did, ignoring the way her pulse was racing. This was just a dinner. Their actions earlier that day had been far more intimate. Though not really. That day had been impulsive and physical, this had been planned and held a lot more meaning.

  She took a seat, cross-legged on one of the cushions, and was surprised that it was actually quite comfortable. The temperature inside the igloo was just right. She’d expected it to still be either cold or humid, but it was big enough inside that it was neither.

  Levi zipped the door and joined her, sitting on the cushion across from her.

  “I’ve seen a few restaurants in LA do something like this,” Leslie said, desperate to keep the mood and conversation light.

  Only in the city, it was nothing like this. In LA, the neon lights shone so brightly, you couldn’t see the real stars and the city was so alive and vibrant that the slow serenity that this kind of experience was supposed to provide just didn’t happen.

  Here, the starry sky above, the snow-covered mountains and wilderness all around them, the glistening of the ice on the lake in the distance, the igloo illuminated by just candlelight was almost magical. Definitely the most romantic setting she’d ever experienced.

  And she wanted to blame Selena and all her rom-com talk for the way she was feeling in that moment, but she knew it was all because of Levi.

  What she didn’t know was what to do with that just yet.

  She glanced across at him quickly, taking in their surroundings, and her chest tightened and she wiped the palms of her hands on her lap. “This is really nice,” she said again.

  He looked relieved as he reached for a bottle of champagne. “I wasn’t sure you’d be into it...”

  Into it? Or into him? Was he trying to gauge her feelings? Or was she reading too much into his words. “I think it’s one of those things that I didn’t realize I’d like until it happened.” Damn, now was she doing it too? Intentionally or was the subtext just coming out unconsciously?

  He seemed to catch it too, but a second later, the cork popped on the champagne bottle and they both jumped. “Champagne?” he asked, pouring a glass.

  “Thank you,” she said, accepting it.

  He’d removed his jacket and the sight of him in the jeans that fit tight across his thighs and the black crew neck sweater that accentuated the muscular body made her hungry for something other than whatever they were about to eat.

  He’d always been attractive, so how had she never felt this attraction before?

  Was it just their shared history and the magic of the moment messing with her head and her heart?

  No. That should only be making her feel guilty or sad or anxious.

  In that moment, she felt none of that. She just felt a desire to be with him, to let go of the what-ifs and what-comes-next and what-it-all-means questions that continued to surface. She needed a break from conflict and drama and he was giving her that. And for right now, she’d take it. This dinner didn’t have to mean anything more than two friends eating together. She knew he wouldn’t push for anything she wasn’t willing to give.

  She took a deep breath and released it slowly, catching his attention.

  A look of concern flashed in his dark eyes. “Is this too much?”

  She shook her head. “It’s really amazing...thank you.” He was making an effort—for her. He was opening himself up when she knew it must be just as hard for him as it was for her to push aside all the reasons they shouldn’t be doing this.

  He finished pouring his own glass of champagne, then raised his glass in the air. “To...reconnecting,” he said.

  Such an understated way to put what was happening between them, but she would be hard-pressed to define it any better, so she clinked her glass to his and took a sip. The liquid tasted sweet on her tongue and warmed her as she swallowed. A few more sips and maybe her pulse would start to settle down a little.

  Levi sipped his own drink, his eyes locked on hers over the rim of his glass.

  Okay, nope. Pulse was just increasing.

  “You look really beautiful...can I say that?” He looked like he was afraid of spooking her and she understood. She’d been so on edge since arriving and it hadn’t taken much to switch her moods from hot to cold.

  She nodded. Compliments were okay, right? Friends complimented one another. “You look nice too.” More than nice.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “I’m not in a rush to eat.” This rare moment of letting go and forgetting about the mess she was in wouldn’t last long enough, so she didn’t want to hurry it.

  Levi smiled and leaned back against his cushions. “So, life in LA—how is it?”

  Of all the questions he could have asked, this was probably the most complicated and difficult to answer. “It’s different.” Growing up in Wild River wasn’t exactly as secluded as other parts of Alaska, but it still wasn’t busy, fast-paced California. “It took a little while to get used to. The traffic and crowds and the noise. The city always seems to be in motion—day and night. There’s an overall feeling of hustling.” That part she did enjoy; being busy kept her from being alone with her thoughts and feelings too often, but she kept that part to herself.

  “The heat must be nice though,” Levi said.

  “The heat is definitely a perk. I live close to the beach, so I run every morning along the pier and swim in the ocean almost all year round. The workout scene in LA is no joke. Rollerbladers, cyclists, people working out on the equipment on the public beaches. It’s definitely a community vibe in itself.”

  “Well, the city is definitely full of beautiful people,” he said.

  “Yeah...it’s almost a little too much. Like here, you see an attractive person and you can appreciate the beauty, but in LA, everyone is beautiful, and in a way, it dims the appeal of outside appearances.” And unfortunately, it took too much time and commitment to invest in someone long enough to see who they truly were...and if she was being honest, she wasn’t ready to.

  Was she ready to see Levi?

  He nodded. “And your job...you enjoy protecting the rich and famous?”

  Another tough one. “I do.” She’d leave it at that.

  Unfortunately, in true Levi nature, he pressed for more. “But you could have specialized in other aspects, right? Property? Events? Why pick personal security detail for Hollywood?”

  She sighed. “I think I was attracted to the idea of film, being on set,” she admitted. “I actually enjoy that part most—watching the camera crew and sneaking peeks at the takes and sometimes getting to watch the postproduction editing of the footage.” Selena had zero interest in the behind-the-scenes work of her movies, but it was a perk of the job for Leslie.

  “That makes sense. You always loved being behind the camera.” He sounded nostalgic and she too couldn’t help but remember those days when she’d make her own movies starring him and Dawson and her siblings. She’d never fully commit to her hobby as a career—doing what she loved to survive would dim the passion she had for it—but she did miss her time behind the lens.

  He sipped his champagne and studied her. “Do you keep in touch with your family...friends back here?”

  Was he asking because he’d felt her avoidance over the years and wanted to know if it was just him? She shook her head. “Not often. Mostly through Facebook...and in cases of emergency like Eddie getting shot or Grandma getting married again.” The last few months there had been more contact with them than usual. Would there be after this was all over? And would it take another extreme circumstance to get her back to Wild River? Staring at Levi, she really wished she knew the answer.

  “I’m sorry things are still what they are with your mom,” he said softly.

  Her too, but she’d come to accept that things would always be that way. People didn’t mak
e amends until both parties were willing and accepting and she wasn’t sure if she or her mother needed to reach that place but they weren’t there yet.

  But they’d been talking about her for far too long and she wanted to avoid where the subject might lead.

  She cleared her throat. “So, how’s your life? You were promoted to full-time, clearly. That’s really great.” Smoke jumping was for the elite and highly skilled. Only the best firefighters made the cut and Levi making it as far as he had in this career spoke volumes about his abilities and dedication.

  It didn’t surprise Leslie that he was excelling in his chosen career. He’d never half-assed anything in his life. She thought maybe it was his military upbringing that had made him so diligent and hardworking.

  “The year-long position is definitely what I’d been working toward,” he said. “Hoping for. So yeah, it’s good. Things are slower this time of year, but we stay busy inspecting gear and going out on training missions, that kind of thing.” He grinned. “Rescuing women in towels.”

  Her cheeks flushed. “We are never to discuss that again,” she said.

  “Hey, I said I wouldn’t tell anyone. Doesn’t mean I can’t think about it,” he said, winking at her.

  The simple, casual gesture had her nearly spilling her champagne. He’d winked at her a million times. Why was this any different? Why had this set her heart pounding again?

  He was sexy as hell. How was he still single? He’d never really dated much in the years that she’d known him...

  He was in love with her. Had that been the reason he hadn’t gotten involved with anyone else? Were his feelings for her that strong?

  But obviously, he dated. Angelica...Tracey...just two women who sprang to mind.

  “Is there anyone special?” She coughed. “I mean any women in your life?” Why had she asked? That was none of her business. Although after that day’s events, maybe it was?

  He grinned. “I tend to strike out a lot in that department.”

  The women he dated must have something wrong with their eyesight. “Have you tried online dating?” She was curious, but mostly she just wanted to see if he’d been actively trying to find someone.