Alaskan Exposure (8 page)

Kyle gave the pilot a stern look then turned back to her.
“Step on the float and then up into the door, Charley.”

He didn’t remove his grip on her arm until she was safely
seated in the plane. There was something comforting about his concern for her
safety. He was likely just doing his job, protecting her, but she liked not
being the only person concerned for her well-being. It had been a long time
since anyone had taken care of her. Even during her marriage, she had always
been the caregiver. Pete could never be bothered to watch after his wife.

The small craft cut its way across the waves picking up
speed. The rocking of the sea grew less and less until disappearing completely.
They were airborne.

The ship looked even more impressive from the air, bright
white and navy blue, the vessel was a photographer’s dream. Charley started
taking pictures as soon as the plane left the water.

She looked down and watched Ketchikan get smaller in the
window. They flew for about ten minutes with each mountain more beautiful than
the last.

“Seals.” Joe’s voice was casual as he pointed to the right.

Excitement made her heart beat faster as she leaned over
Kyle’s lap to see out the opposite window.

A small iceberg played host to seven seals. One jumped into
the water as they flew by. She snapped pictures. Kyle’s breath on her neck and
ear distracted her, but she just kept clicking off shot after shot. Not that
she could ignore the effect he had on her. Something about him kept all of her
synapses firing whenever he was near.

He didn’t say anything but he didn’t shy away either.

She’d barely finished shooting the seals, when Joe said,
“Bald eagle.” He pointed to the left.

She pushed back away from Kyle and looked out her own
window. An eagle perched in a dead tree, his white head standing out against
the green pines behind him. Charley zoomed in and steadied her shot. The
majestic bird’s stark white head turned to the side and she clicked capturing
the fierce expression of a bird of prey. They passed three different waterfalls
and with each one, Joe made the one word announcement and pointed to the right
or the left.

The plane descended into a cove. “I’ll swing around before
we set down,” Joe said.

“This is it,” Kyle said. He had leaned over toward her and
his mouth almost touched her ear.

Her body burned with desire as his breath tickled her skin.

She watched out the window as Misty Fjord National Monument
came into view. Below lay a calm cove surrounded by snowcapped mountains.
Charley’s finger could not click fast enough. The still water, reflecting
fluffy white clouds, surrounded by steep green mountains and framed by one
giant snow-capped mountain in the background.

She couldn’t breathe. Between the sights in front of her and
the feeling of Kyle’s chest pressed to her back as he too looked out the
window, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to draw breath again. Why did
everything about him arouse her?

Joe circled the floatplane one more time and landed softly
on the glass-like water. There was complete silence once Kyle opened the door
and the engines shut down. He helped her out onto the float. She kept taking
pictures and was shocked when she heard the splash of his boots hitting the
shallow water.

Charley turned sharply at the sound. Kyle stood below her
with is arms raised. “Do you want to go ashore?”

She looked at the water and then at him. “Can we?”

“Come on, Charley. I won’t let you fall.”

She secured her camera’s strap around her neck and stepped from
the float into Kyle’s arms.

He lifted her as if she weighed nothing at all, and she
wrapped her hands around his neck. She couldn’t take her eyes away from the way
his hair curled round the back of his ear. She longed to toy with those curls.

“I really am sorry about this morning,” she said.

His expression remained stoic as he trudged through the
water to the rocky shore. “You said as much.”

“I didn’t get the impression that you believed me.” She was
surprised he didn’t comment on how loudly her heart was beating. It pounded in
her ears betraying her desire to remain calm in his arms.

Kyle climbed up onto the shore but he didn’t put her down
right away. Instead, he stared down into her eyes for a moment. “I believed
you, Charley.”

Without further explanation, he deposited her feet onto the
rocks.

She wanted to drag more information out of him. She hated
that he was being reticent but knew it was her own fault. He was punishing her,
and she deserved it.

The peace and silence of the cove was awe-inspiring. The
sheer absence of sound drew her attention away from her petty issues. A
high-pitched cry pierced the air. Charley jumped.

Kyle laughed. “That’s a bald eagle.” He pointed to the speck
of bird flying high above them.

She took pictures of the cove with the plane floating and no
other movement. “Do you come here a lot?”

“When I can,” he said after a long pause.

“You bring women here.” She was impressed with the lack of
accusation she managed in her tone.

“I have.”

“What do you do with them when you bring them here?” Why had
she asked him that?

“I drag them into the rainforest and fuck them against the
nearest tree.”

She turned sharply and dropped her camera away from her
face. She could feel the blush burning her cheeks. “You’re not serious.”

He smiled. “No, Charley. I’m not serious. I impress them
with my knowledge of the area and then I take them back to the ship and fuck
them.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. Tell me why you acted that way. I thought
we had a good time together and I thought it was your idea. And I thought we
were becoming friends.” He took her hand and led her toward a path in the trees
where they started a shallow climb.

“I don’t really know. I guess you scare me a little.”

He stopped dead. His face was twisted into a deep frown. “I
scare you? Did you think I would stop you from leaving or hurt you?” He pulled
her forward until her chest bumped against his. “I would never harm you.”

She had to strain her neck to look up into his blue eyes.
“Not physically.”

“So you still think I’m going to break your heart?”

She gently pushed against his chest, and he released her.
Looking around, she saw that they were surrounded by trees. She could no longer
see the water of the cove. A smarter woman might have been afraid but she felt
safe with Kyle. He wouldn’t let anything harm her. Of that, she was certain. He
was the kind of man who you wanted around in a crisis. After all, he was
second-in-command of a ship the size of a small city.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I take the same risk.”

“I guess you do.”

He smiled and took her hand before practically dragging her
up the path. Her heart melted immediately. If she hadn’t had to jog to keep up,
the rest of her might have melted as well. Kyle always had something simmering
just beneath the surface. She’d never met anyone so filled with passion.

They reached a small clearing. “Look,” he said.

She turned. The cove lay below them. She could see the
beach, the plane and the islands beyond. Instantly her camera was up and she
clicked off a dozen shots at varying distances.

Finally she turned and let her breath out. “Thank you.”

Leaning up on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his. He
didn’t pull away but he didn’t react for a second.

A deep groan erupted from his chest, his arms wrapped around
her and lifted her off the ground. All the passion of the night before poured
into that kiss leaving her gasping for breath. His tongue plunged inside
searching for hers. If she could have crawled inside the kiss, she would have
stayed there forever. Perfection.

When he carefully returned her to her feet and backed away,
she felt her cheeks warm. She hardly recognized herself when she was with Kyle.
He brought out a side of her she hadn’t seen since before she married Pete.

They started back down to the shore where he picked her up
and carried her out to Joe waiting on the float. Kyle handed her up to the
pilot and he assisted her into her seat.

Once they were all seated, Joe got them back in the air.
Charley never stopped taking pictures. The sights she viewed through the lens
of her camera took her breath away.

“Whale,” Joe said.

She practically jumped over the top of Kyle to see out his
window.

“Easy.” His hand rested on her hip.

Even with the awesome sight of the humpback whale drawing
closer as she adjusted her lens, Kyle’s scent distracted her. His possessive
touch at her lower back gave her a sense of belonging to something. The
sensation was unfamiliar. Her breasts leaned against his upper arm and shoulder
and her ass was nearly in his lap. She wanted to act as if it were just her
enthusiasm for the whale sighting, but as she turned to move back to her own
seat, her face flushed.

The blue of his eyes darkened, and she could see his passion
building just as she felt the bulge in his jeans when she turned and scooted
back to her seat.

* * * * *

He didn’t speak as he escorted her back to the ship.

“Thank you,” she said at the bottom of the gangplank.

He turned causing her to nearly crash into him. “Have dinner
with me tonight?”

She guessed it was a request, though it sounded similar to a
command. “I don’t know, Kyle. I’m supposed to have dinner with Jules.”

“Bring her along. Tell her to bring one of those cops with
her too.”

“How did you know they were cops?”

“I know just about everything that happens on this ship. Will
you come? I’ll make a reservation for four at Qsine.”

She was intrigued by the idea of eating at one of the
gourmet restaurants on board. Her protective instincts told her to run. What
had gotten into her? Nothing but a bad marriage and an empty apartment.

When she hesitated, he stepped closer. He didn’t touch her
but she could still feel the heat from his body. “It was not just about the
sex, Charley. I like you. I want to spend time with you, and we don’t have a
lot of time.”

His voice sent an electrical charge that ran directly from
his lips to her pussy. She squeezed her thighs together and swallowed. “You
don’t want to have sex with me?”

One side of his mouth turned up. “I would not say that. Sex
with you is amazing and I would be a fool to turn it down. It’s just not all I
want.”

She didn’t know what to say. Her heart was in her throat.

“Don’t think so much.” He looked away for a minute, and she
thought he might be reigning in his temper. “Just have dinner with me.”

She should say no. She should tell the captain that she
wanted a different guide for the rest of the cruise. There was no future with
Kyle and she was already falling for the handsome first officer. Her brain
screamed reason at her, but her mouth opened and said, “Okay. What time?”

“Eight.”

“For four people.” A seed of doubt already festered in her
mind.

“I will make the reservations for four.” He ran the backs of
his fingers along her jaw.

It was a whisper of a touch but again her pussy tightened at
the feel of his skin on hers.

“I’ll see you then.”

He gestured for her to precede him up the gangplank. Once
inside the ship, he gave his pass to a security guard and she gave her key card
to another. They each verified that they were supposed to be aboard, and he
escorted her to the elevators.

They were on deck four. When the doors opened, there were
four people already inside. Kyle and Charley entered and turned to face the
doors. Kyle pushed eight for her and nine for himself.

“Do you work here?” A woman with a thick New York accent
asked.

Kyle turned and smiled at the older woman. “Yes, madam. What
can I help you with?”

“My cousin, Lynette came on one of these cruises last year
and she said that they went up on the bridge. I have searched through all the
papers that man left in our door slot, but I can’t find a thing on a visit to
the bridge.

She pointed to a man a few inches shorter than her with no
hair and a look of utter mortification on his face. “Morty wants to see the
damn bridge. I couldn’t care less but I hate to disappoint Morty.”

If Kyle was offended by the brash woman, he gave no
indication. He smiled brighter. “If you will give me your stateroom number and
name, madam, I will see what I can arrange.”

She rattled off the room and name and Kyle jotted it down on
a small pad he produced from his jacket’s inside pocket.

The elevator doors opened at deck eight with a loud ping of
the bell. Charley stepped off without a word. She could hear the woman begin to
ask about foot massages as the doors closed.

It was a casual night in the main dining room, but Charley
wore a cocktail dress to have dinner in Qsine. The carpet was navy, the walls
stark white and the tables a perfectly executed combination of the two. A thin
band of orange ran around the walls and each chair had a matching orange
cushion. Small crystal chandeliers hung above each table.

She followed Drew and Jules into the reception area.
Laughter to her right pulled her attention to a small private dining area
inside the wine cellar. Eight people dined in the intimate setting.

She heard the
maître d’
ask if he could help them.

“We are meeting Kyle…” Jules turned to Charley. “What’s his
last name?”

“Macintyre.”

The man’s face lit up. “Of course. The officer has not yet
arrived but asked that you be seated and he has arranged a bottle of wine to
start.”

“Great,” Jules said. She looked over at Charley and raised
her eyebrows. Once they were seated in the corner of the room with two walls
around them and the least amount of possible disturbance, she added. “He’s really
trying to impress you.”

She ignored the comment.

“You have to give the guy credit for the effort.” Drew
looked around the room and nodded appreciatively.

She had her back to the door but she still knew the moment
Kyle approached. Jules eyes widened with appreciation, and Drew’s mouth turned
down in a frown, noting his date’s perusal of the other man. Even if her
companions had not seen him enter, she would have known he was there. The air
in the room changed when he walked in. She found herself wondering if it was
only her reaction or did everyone feel the intimacy of his presence?

Kyle stepped so that he was in her view before he spoke. He
wasn’t in uniform but the jacket and tie fit him perfectly, showing off his
broad shoulders. Her mouth watered, and it had nothing to do with the fabulous
scents wafting from the kitchen. “I’m glad you made it. I worried that the
reservation would go to waste and I would owe Dmitri a big favor for nothing.”
He gestured toward the
maître d’
smiling.”

“I said I would be here,” Charley said.

He pulled out the empty seat adjacent to her. “You’re manner
of agreement didn’t inspire my confidence.” He took her hand and kissed the
back. A shiver ran down her spine. “I’m glad you’re here.”

He reached across the table toward Drew. “Kyle Macintyre.”

Drew shook his hand. “Drew Tolbert.”

“Nice to meet you. Nice to see you again, Jules.” He shook
her hand as well.

“Hello, Kyle.” Jules had a seductive smile plastered on her
face. She leaned forward exposing even more of her boobs in her straining
spaghetti-strapped cocktail dress. Another half an inch and areola would be
joining them for dinner.

Charley’s annoyance with her friend was uncustomary. Jules
was Jules. She liked to show off the boobs she’d paid good money for. She liked
to flirt with men. She made no excuses for her behavior. She was a “take me as
I am” kind of person. It was one of the things that Charley had always loved
about her friend. Still, Charley didn’t like the way she was looking at Kyle.
If she wasn’t careful she would be clawing at her best friend in the middle of
the restaurant. She took a deep breath.

“How are you enjoying the cruise?” Kyle sat and looked from
Drew to Jules.

“It’s been wonderful so far,” Jules preened.

Kyle had the good sense to smile and turn to Drew. “You’re a
police officer?”

“Yeah, from New Jersey.”

“I saw that you are here with a group. Other officers, I
presume.”

“We all went to the academy together. We try to meet every
so often and catch up.”

“That’s nice. I should try to arrange that with some of the
guys I went through the academy with.”

“Did you go to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy?”

Kyle smiled.

Charley felt that smile down to her toes.

“How did you know?”

Drew shrugged. “The accent, Boston or just outside.
Educated, but it’s still there. I just put two and two together. I’m a cop,
that’s what we do.”

“Well done,” Kyle said.

Charley watched Jules as her attention turned to Drew. She
liked this cop from New Jersey. There was no doubt in her mind. Any flirting
her friend did with another man was strictly to make Drew jealous. Suddenly she
felt much better.

The food was delicious and the conversation throughout
dinner flowed easily. She couldn’t think of a more exquisite evening. She was
surprised by how well Drew and Kyle got along. They both knew a lot about the
military. Drew was well-versed in the law of the land while Kyle impressed with
his knowledge of the laws governing sea travel. It was interesting to hear
where all of those things crossed each other.

An orgasmic
crème brûlée
melted on Charley’s tongue.
It was all she could do to keep from moaning in ecstasy over the sweet, creamy
confection. It was so good she didn’t flinch when Drew asked Kyle if he wanted
to join them in the nightclub for dancing.

He looked at her as if waiting for approval. “If you want
to,” She said.

He cocked his head to one side as if he was trying to read
her mind and decipher exactly what she’d meant. “I’d love to, though I have a
duty shift in the morning, so I’ll have to make it an early night.”

As they were leaving Qsine, she tugged on his elbow to hold
him back where Jules and Drew would not hear her. “You don’t have to come
dancing if you don’t want to.”

He stopped and turned so that his back was to the other
couple as they walked toward the back of the ship. He stepped closer and looked
down at her, forcing her to crane her neck to meet his gaze.

Her heart jumped into her throat. Everything about him was
sexy and overwhelming. Her body trembled.

Kyle touched both of her arms lightly and rubbed from her
elbows to her bare shoulders. “The woman I desire is going dancing in a
darkened room, with hot music. Where else would I want to be?”

“Kyle, I—”

His finger pressed against her lips cutting off her
objection. “You’re thinking again, Charley. Don’t think. Just for a little
while.”

In spite of her resolve not to fall for him, excitement
bubbled inside her. She smiled and nodded saying nothing about the evening
being a big mistake. He took her hand, and she allowed him to lead her to the
nightclub.

The rest of Drew’s friends were already sitting at a table
against the wall. The club was dark. The dance floor filled the middle of the
room, with a stage on either side. Cocktail waitresses made their way around
the room in short skirts and spiked heels. The wall was lined by a bank of
cushioned benches.

Once the introductions were made, she thought she would feel
awkward. It was obvious that Bob had been interested in her and she’d forgone
dinner with him and his friends in favor of Kyle. However, he shook Kyle’s hand
giving no indication he was put out. They sat down on the bench, behind a low
table, with a good view of the dance floor and listened to a classic rock band.

One of the waitresses came over. The tall brunette gave Kyle
a come-hither look. Charley watched him carefully, but couldn’t detect any
sexual interest in the pretty girl. Yet she had looked as if she might rip his
clothes off at any moment. She really couldn’t hold that against the girl. He
made her feel the same way.

“Hi Varinka. I’ll just have water, please,” Kyle said.

Charley might have imagined it, but she thought she saw a
hint of malice in the girl’s hazel eyes before she gave her a practiced smile.

“Vodka martini, please.”

Varinka nodded and walked away.

“Are you dating that girl?” Charley asked.

His eyes opened wide. “No. She’s just a kid.”

“She’s beautiful.”

His shoulders lifted in a casual move. “She’s a nice girl,
and it’s her first time away from home. I meet with all the new crew members
once a week to go over ship policy and the captains instructions. Sometimes the
young ones get attached.”

He turned back to watch the dancers, and Charley watched
him. She could see how a young girl could have a crush on Kyle. Hell, she
wasn’t so young and she was nursing a pretty big crush herself.

They sat holding hands in the dark listening to the music.
Even with all the people in the club, the atmosphere was intimate. Charley’s
face heated with a blush as if everyone could read her thoughts and knew she
wanted to jump Kyle’s bones.

It didn’t take the waitress long to return with their order.

“Not drinking?” Charley asked when the drinks arrived. The
music was loud enough so that she had to get close to his ear to be heard.

He leaned down until his mouth touched her ear. “I really do
have an early morning.”

His lips were warm and soft. His breath tickled the
sensitive skin of her lobe. She took a big gulp of her drink and popped an
olive in her mouth. Her nerves were a bundle of indecision. On the one hand,
the memory of their lovemaking had her pussy wet and ready to repeat. But on
the other, she was already falling for a man who could only break her heart in
another five days. At least on land, she wouldn’t know when the other shoe
would drop. With a merchant marine she was assured that when the ship left port
in Seattle she would never see him again. Her chest clenched. How had she
gotten so attached to him so quickly?

Jules was already dirty dancing with Drew. Her round ass
moved to the music against his crotch.

“Dance with me.” He said it low and close.

Her skin prickled with electricity. It was as if he was
magnetic and she could not resist his pull. She floated out from behind the
table and took his hand as he led the way to the floor. As if on command, the
music changed to an Eric Clapton ballad.

Kyle’s hand slid around her waist. One of his legs pressed
between hers and he moved them round the floor expertly. Her pussy throbbed
from the pressure of his thigh. Her breath caught in her throat. His hard cock
was wedged between them and his mouth just barely touched her ear.

Neither one of them spoke as they made their way around the
floor. Kyle led her skillfully, never letting her bump into any of the other
couples on the crowded dance floor. The heat from his body and the sway of the
music had her soaking wet and her breath coming in short gasps before the
halfway point in the song.

“I want you,” she heard herself saying.

He instantly stopped moving. Pushing her so that he could
look down into her eyes, he smiled. “You say the damnedest things.”

“Do I?”

He squeezed her hand and danced them over to the other side
of the room. “You never say what I expect.”

“I like that.” Being unpredictable was something new to
Charley. She had always been the good girl, the perfect daughter and the
perfect wife. When Pete walked out, she had even been the perfect ex, asking
for nothing.

“Let’s go for a walk. I don’t know about you, but I’m
getting hot.”

She nodded against his cheek. He maneuvered her from the
dance floor, out of the club on the opposite side from where Jules and the men
were sitting.

They climbed up a few flights and went outside to walk along
the railing. The cold air hit Charley as if she jumped into an ice bath. They
had left port a few hours earlier and the wind, sea and pitch of the night were
in stark contrast to the warmth of the club.

He removed his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders
before walking them several hundred yards toward the back of the ship. The
jacket retained his body heat but the wind was still cold against her legs and
face.

“Where are we going?”

A moment later, he pulled her into a small alcove with no
windows facing in. Her back was pressed against the cold steel of the ship. She
expected him to ravage her immediately but his kiss was soft and sweet as he
nibbled her bottom lip.

“Tell me about your marriage.”

“What do you want to know?” She could hear the surprise in
her voice.

He must have heard it too. His smile made her want to hike
up her skirts and let him fuck her right there in plain sight. “How long were
you together?”

“Two years before we got married and four years of
marriage.” She wanted to feel indifference, but the failure of her marriage was
still a sore spot.

He brushed the hair out of her face. His fingers tickled the
skin on her cheek. “What happened?”

“Pete decided being married wasn’t for him.” She answered
quickly. False nonchalance laced her words.

“You said he’d had affairs. How did the marriage end?”

“Pete’s affairs started right after the wedding, maybe even
before. I’m not sure. I ignored his activities. I thought of my marriage as a
safety net, a talisman against being hurt and being alone. It’s not that I was
happy, but I felt secure. It seems crazy to me now, but I would have stayed
married to Pete indefinitely. Part of me thought that since I was not good in
bed, he had a right to go elsewhere. I know that sounds nuts.”

Kyle was frowning but he waited for her to finish.

“One day he woke up and said, he didn’t love me and maybe he
never had. No drama, just, ‘I want a divorce’.” She shrugged as if it didn’t
matter, but telling him about her failed marriage exposed her in a very
uncomfortable way. It also made her think about the way she’d acted that
morning to achieve the same goals. She didn’t know why Kyle wanted to know
about her past or why she had told him anything. Her eyes darted around looking
at anything but him.

He ran his fingers along her jaw. His body pressed against
hers spreading heat to every nerve ending. “That sounds pretty dramatic to me.
Though, if you don’t mind me saying, I think he did you a favor.”

“That’s what Jules says.”