Alaskan Exposure (7 page)

“We’re in Ketchikan today?”

“Yes. The captain will be docking the boat in about an hour.
You can get off about twenty minutes after that.”

She jumped from the mattress and he watched. His cock
reacted immediately to her nudity. It was going to be a long day.

“I have to get my equipment ready. I want to see the town
and I had a list of things to photograph if the weather cooperates.”

He didn’t take his eyes off her curves while she tugged on
her dress. He walked up behind her and did up her zipper. His body pressed
against her back. He thought for a moment she leaned back into him. Light
perfume and her warm feminine scent filled his nose. His cock ached to be
inside her again.

He had to restrain himself from grabbing at her when she
stepped away and started collecting her underwear and purse.

He shook himself mentally and told his shaft to stand down.
“It’s rare, but the weather looks good for today. Usually it rains. In fact
Ketchikan has rain about three hundred and sixty days of the year. You’re
really lucky. By early afternoon, the clouds are expected to be out of here and
we should have bluebird skies.”

The smile that lit her face had him thinking of missing his
shift for the first time in his career.

“Great. I have to go.”

She was at the door in two steps and he practically had to
leap over the bed to stop her before she darted out into the passage.
“Charley?”

She looked shocked at his hand firmly pressing the door
closed. “What? What’s wrong?”

He wanted to kiss that stunned expression off her face. He
yearned to see her passion return. “You are running out the door without so
much as a ‘have a good day’.”

Her cheeks were bright red when she turned toward him. She
didn’t look him in the eyes. “Sorry. Have a good day, Kyle.”

“Will I see you later?”

Her eyes drew together and the most adorable confusion
crossed through them. “Do you want to?”

He maneuvered so that his back leaned against the door and
there was no way for her to exit unless she wanted to jump over the balcony
rail. He was not entirely sure she wouldn’t do just that to get away from him.
His stomach churned and hunger was not the reason. “I think I’m getting
insulted again. What is it that you expect? That we would make love most of the
night and then I would never want to see you again?”

“I don’t know what I expected. We had a good time. You were
right. I wanted you. I just figured you would want…” Either she wouldn’t or
couldn’t finish her thought.

Either way, rage that he would not have believed he could
feel for a woman, erupted inside him. “What? You thought I’ve had sex with you
and now I’m going to move on to my next conquest?”

Her eyes scanned the floor and she wouldn’t meet his gaze,
but he could see that was exactly what she thought and his gut twisted.

“I didn’t say that.”

He tried not to say something terrible and then leave her
standing in his cabin. He failed. “Congratulations, Ms. Ballantine, you have
managed to make me feel cheap, and I didn’t think that was possible. Why don’t
you go ahead and leave me a few dollars on the nightstand? That way we can call
this what is was, at least what it was to you. You see, I thought we had a
mutual attraction and had a pretty nice evening together. While you were
evidently a horny cruise guest who used me for sex. No problem. The sex was
great. You have a nice day.”

He caught a glimpse of her horrified expression as he
turned, opened the door and stormed out of the stateroom. He continued walking
and he must have looked furious because the crew members who passed him didn’t
even say good morning. By the time he reached the bridge, his temper had cooled
but his feelings were still a bit sore. He thought he understood women, but
Charley Ballantine was a complete mystery to him.

He distracted himself with work. The captain docked the ship
with amazing skill and the efficient crew secured them to the dock, lowered
gangplanks and made announcements to the guests about visiting Ketchikan.

Kyle was sitting with another mate tracking weather, other
ships and plotting the course for the next leg of the journey, when Captain
Cristou came over and slapped him on the back.

“Kyle, you are required to spend the day in Ketchikan.”

“What? Sir, I didn’t see any change in my duty schedule.”

“No. You will remain on duty. The corporate office has
instructed me to have Ms. Ballantine guided by the most knowledgeable people. I
have determined you have the most experience and can be spared for a few hours
today.” Cristou smiled and puffed up his chest.

“Am I allowed to decline this assignment?” Kyle asked.

Cristou’s eyes narrowed. “Of course not.” Then he smiled.
“What can be so terrible about showing a beautiful photographer where to get
the best pictures?”

The entire bridge was now listening to the conversation. He
definitely didn’t want to let everyone know about what had happened the night
before or that morning. “No, Sir. I’m happy to play tour guide.”

“Good. I have sent her a note that her guide will meet her
on the dock at ten o’clock. The clouds should be moving off by that time.”

“Very good, Sir.” He didn’t want to see her again. He kept
telling himself that even though his heart beat faster at the thought.
Dammit,
how did she get under my skin?

It was early, so very few people were in the corridors,
elevators and common areas that Charley navigated through to get to the
stateroom she shared with Jules.

Every room was marked with a bronze number plate that also
served as a mail holder. The crew would put the daily schedule and any other
pertinent information in the slot for each room. When she arrived at 8088, she
took the envelope from the door as she quietly entered.

Jules no doubt, had a late night with her new friends. Maybe
Charley could sneak in, shower and sneak out without being interrogated.

No such luck. The minute the door shut, her friend sat up.
With her hair in a nest and her eyes barely focusing. “Where the hell have you
been all night. I want details.”

“Do we have to do this?” Charley sat heavily on the end of
her bed.

Jules pushed her covers back and sat beside her. “What
happened? Did that first officer hurt you?”

She sighed. “No. I think I hurt him.”

“What? How?” Jules’ eyes narrowed.

Charley told her everything, leaving out the details of the
sex itself. When she finished the story, Jules sat wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

“I would never have believed that story if you had not told
it to me yourself. You are always so concerned about everyone else’s feelings.
I’m always trying to get you to worry about yourself and not let people walk
all over you. But that was pretty insensitive, Charley. Why’d you do it?”

For Jules to find her actions offensive meant that she had
really gone too far. “I don’t know. It never occurred to me that he would get
so angry.”

“Because you thought he was just some dumb sailor out for an
easy lay?”

When she put it that way, it sounded terrible. The guilt
that had begun to gnaw at her in Kyle’s cabin settled in the pit of her
stomach. She was a bitch. “No. Maybe. I didn’t really think at all. I was
embarrassed and I wanted to get away.”

Jules got up, opened the sliding door to their veranda and
pulled on a robe. “But from what you told me, he was a perfect gentleman and
actually having sex was your idea. Did I get that wrong?”

“No, he was so sexy and charming and I wanted him.”

“I don’t understand your reaction this morning. What was
there to be embarrassed about? How was the sex?”

“Jules,” Charley whined.

“What? If the sex sucked then you might not want to see him
again anyway. I think it’s kind of a shit way to getting rid of a lover, but it
probably worked.” She sat on the couch, crossed her legs and waited for an
answer.

“He is a very generous lover. He was kind and thoughtful. We
even talked about Pete. The entire night was amazing and intimate.” Just the
thought of their lovemaking had her nipples and clit tightening all over again.

“This doesn’t make any sense, Charley. You must have had a
reason to be so cold to him this morning.”

She gave it a lot of thought. It was all she had thought of
ever since Kyle slammed out of his stateroom. She put her head in her hands. “I
think I got scared. I should never have shared so many intimate details of my
life with a stranger. There’s no future with this guy, Jules. He’s a merchant
marine. He’s at sea all the time. He probably has a different girl at every
port and a new one on the ship every week. I’m still trying to figure out why I
find him so damn irresistible.”

“Look, I’m no expert on making relationships work. My last
one turned into a disaster, as you well know. I’m also completely on your side.
If you don’t want to have anything to do with Kyle, then you just move on. But,
this guy was kind and you had a good time together. It seems to me, you owe him
an apology at the very least.”

Jules stood up and came over to the bed. She gave her a
squeeze. “Plus, I know you. You’ll beat yourself up about it for the rest of
your life if you don’t make amends.”

“I guess you’re right.” Her gut twisted. “Next time I see
him, I’ll tell him I’m sorry. He’ll likely avoid me as if I have the plague.”

“I had no idea you were such a coward,” Jules said shaking
her head.

Charley sighed. “Me neither.” The idea of facing Kyle after
their argument made her so uncomfortable that taking the coward’s way out
didn’t seem so bad.

The cold air from Alaska’s summer felt good. Jules shivered
and jumped back into her bed. “Drew and the others are going fishing today. I’m
having a spa day. I’ve got a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure all booked.
I figured you would have pictures to take, so I didn’t book you anything.”

“I do have to work. You like that cop, huh?”

Jules kept her eyes closed and smiled. “He’s a nice guy. His
friends are a lot of fun. I haven’t had as good a time as you yet, but yeah, I
like him. After the fiasco with Robert, I deserve a good wholesome fling. Don’t
you think?”

“Definitely. Did you tell Drew about that asshole running
off with his secretary two weeks before your wedding and leaving nothing but a
note and a stack of bills?”

Jules’ pretty face turned down in a frown and her eyes opened.
“I didn’t give him quite so much detail. When he asked about relationships, I
told him I got dumped recently. He doesn’t need to know more than that.”

Charley shrugged. “I guess not. Go back to sleep. I have to
shower and get ready to go ashore.” She opened the envelope containing a note
from the captain. She was meeting her guide on the pier at ten. She looked at
the small clock in the stateroom. She had time for a workout.

She changed her clothes and quietly left the room. Climbing
the steps three decks up and all the way forward brought her to the spa and
fitness center. Blue glass separated the reception area from the spa treatment
rooms and soothing music filled the hall. Charley walked past the spa and
entered the fitness center. It stretched the entire expanse of the front of the
ship. Rows of aerobic equipment faced forward allowing one to run on the
treadmill and gaze out at the ocean or the port. Part of Ketchikan spread out
in front of her. Behind the treadmills and elliptical machines, a large wooden
floor was already filling with participants for the upcoming yoga class.

Grabbing a towel from a stack, she got on one of the
treadmills and set it for a brisk walk to warm up. After five minutes she
increased the speed and ran until she could no longer see Kyle’s hurt
expression or hear him telling her she was cruel.

Gulping for air she slowed the treadmill after a mile and
walked again.

“Wow, you had that thing really going. I thought you were
going to hurt yourself,” Bob said. He smiled up at her from the floor just in
front of the equipment.

“I’m okay. I thought you guys were going fishing today.”

Bob looked at his watch. “We are, but it’s early yet. I
thought I’d get a quick workout in. What about you? What are your plans for the
day?”

“I have to take some photos of the area. I’m meeting a guide
a bit later.” Her breathing was more regular.

Bob smiled. “I’ll bet you’ll get some great shots. I know
the view from my cabin this morning was awesome. The guide should be able to
show you some terrific stuff.”

“I hope so.”

“Will we see you tonight?”

She stopped the treadmill and wiped the sweat from her neck
and face. “Sure. I’ll be at dinner.”

“We’re going to the nightclub after if you’d like to dance.”

She shrugged and tried to block the image of slow dancing
with Kyle from her mind. What would it be like to move slowly around a dance
floor with his arms wrapped around her? “I’m not sure what my plans are, but
thanks for the invitation.”

He frowned for a moment but then smiled. “Have a great day,
Charley. Catch you later.”

Bob made his way to another machine and never looked back at
her.

You sure have a way with men today, Charley.

* * * * *

Ketchikan was situated in an inlet. It was surrounded by
mountains the likes of which Charley had never before seen. She’d read in the
brochure that fishing and tourism were how the small village survived. Being
from Florida, she was used to flat land and warm weather. Alaska was the
opposite. She tugged her coat tighter around her and looked up through her
camera lens at the snowcapped peaks.

Storefronts lined the streets and people swarmed in every
direction. Looking down the length of the ship, she could see two other cruise
ships from different lines docked in a row. That accounted for the amount of
people she saw. Each ship had more than two thousand guests.

Charley slowly descended the gangplank, while stopping to
shoot different angles of the town and the mountains. When she reached the
wooden dock, she looked around. Her stomach sank and her heart beat wildly.

Kyle strode over, his frown deepening with each step. He was
not in uniform. He wore jeans, boots and a fleece jacket with the cruise line’s
insignia. She could see the hint of a navy-blue golf shirt beneath. “I have
been ordered to act as your tour guide. I’m sure you would prefer someone else
but I can’t gainsay my captain, so you’re stuck with me for the day.”

“Fine,” she managed to choke out. She wanted to say more.
She knew she should be asking him to forgive her, but she couldn’t get the
words past the lump that had formed the moment she’d seen him walking toward
her.

He nodded. “I have arranged for a seaplane to take us out to
the Misty Fiords National monument in one hour, which should give us enough
time to see Ketchikan, if you like.”

“I would.”

He turned and never stopped walking. They passed jewelry
stores, galleries, eateries and tourist shops. She was able to take a few
pictures. After a few blocks, she turned back and looked at the ship, stark
white against the still cloudy sky. Patches of blue sky had started to replace
the gray. She took a few shots. The streaks of gray across the blue with the
ship below and the snowcapped, island mountains in the background took her
breath away.

She hadn’t seen him turn back but she felt his breath on her
ear when he spoke. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Her breath caught in her throat. “I’ve never seen anything
like it.”

She wanted to apologize for insulting him. She knew she’d
been out of line. Instead, she lifted her camera and clicked off a few shots of
the ship with the stunning background.

After a moment, she turned, but he was already moving up the
street. She had to chase after him and caught up several hundred feet away as
he crossed Steadman Street. He walked up Creek Street and pointed to a bubbling
river. “This is Ketchikan Creek. The town was named for it. Sometimes you’ll
see bears fishing for salmon. We can take a look a bit further up for them.”

Along the river, stores and restaurants bustled with the
business the ships brought. Kyle explained that the original residents of the
river houses were prostitutes. Some of the buildings actually hung over the
rushing creek. They went to the end of the wooden sidewalk, passed a native
Alaskan gallery and she watched in amazement as large salmon jumped up the rocky
stream.

Shooting picture after picture, she was constantly aware
that Kyle was only inches away watching her. She lowered her camera and sighed.
It had started to warm up and she shrugged out of her coat. Kyle immediately
took the outerwear from her so her hands were free to take more shots.

“Thank you.” She turned and looked at him.

His frown was firmly in place but he nodded once,
acknowledging her thanks.

Ten minutes later, she turned to find him still standing
inches away. “I think I have what I need from here.”

Without a word, he turned and moved away from her down the
walkway. He crossed a small bridge. A few trees blocked the view and she lost
sight of him. A moment of fear tightened her chest. Had he left her? Then she
saw his broad back and ran to catch up.

She touched his arm, and he flinched as if burned.

“Kyle, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I acted that way this
morning. I feel terrible. You were a perfect gentleman and my behavior was
unforgivable.”

He turned and looked at her. It was as if he was analyzing
her apology. If he’d accepted it, she would not have known.

“We have a plane to catch.” He lightly took her elbow and
didn’t say another word as they made their way back to the port.

It was the first time he had touched her since they had hit
land and even though it was a casual touch, she felt the heat of his fingers
from her elbow to her toes. He continued to carry her coat as they walked back
through town to a small pier next to where the ships were docked. Her
imagination ran in every direction. She wondered what their meeting might have
been like if she’d never married Pete. Maybe Pete wasn’t the problem. She was
the one who stayed even after she’d known the marriage could never work. If
she’d left after the first affair, she might not be such a mess and she and
Kyle might have had a chance.

She shook her head.
He’s a sailor and you will be heading
back to Florida in a week.

A white floatplane bobbed next to the pier and a gray-haired
man stood waving on one of the floats.

“Kyle, I thought you were going to be late.”

“Have I ever been late, Joe?”

Joe shrugged. “First time for everything.”

“This is Charley Ballantine. She’s a photographer for the
line. Think you can get her a few good shots?”

Joe stepped onto the dock and put his hand out.

Charley liked the pilot’s easy smile and direct gaze. She
took his hand. “Nice to meet you, Joe.”

“Pleasure’s mine,” he said.

The handshake lasted a bit longer than was strictly
necessary.

Kyle took Charley’s elbow again. “That will do.” He guided
her toward the floatplane.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Joe gave a sharp laugh.