by Addison Fox
So here they were.
On a small sigh, she stowed her blouse in her suitcase and crossed to the window, intending to pull the heavy drapes against the still bright sun. The pretty view of mountains in the distance caught her attention instead and she simply drank in the image that perfectly captured the essence of her birthplace.
The sound of the shower stopped, and a few minutes later Jason joined her at the window, his stomach pressed to her with nothing separating them but his towel and her thin nightgown.
“Did you have fun tonight?”
“It was an experience.” She gave him the quick run down of the pre-wedding festivities before turning into his arms. “And you?”
“I had a nice time. They’re good guys. Considering—” He broke off at the obvious, before shifting gears. “Even with our shared history, they’re easy to be around.”
“They are good guys.” She hesitated for a moment, her fingers brushing the tips of his short, wet hair before she pushed forward. “I’m glad you came with me.”
“Me, too.”
The sweet kiss he pressed to her lips turned quickly, as the overwhelming rush of the last few days—their long, multi-leg flight to Alaska, followed by a busy schedule—meant they hadn’t had much time alone. Now that they had it, both gave into the fierce need that seemed to define their moments together.
It always surprised her. How easy it was to be with him, even when confusion about their relationship beat in her veins, keeping her constant company.
Kate knew she had to talk to him about her concerns, knew sex wasn’t the answer to everything. She also knew she couldn’t continue to live with her heart in her throat every time they talked, or went somewhere, or spent time with others.
But at times like this, when it was just the two of them, they could give what beat between them their full attention. The moment could sweep them both up so the other things—all the things they didn’t say—faded away toward the fringes.
When it was just the two of them, she could surrender.
Surrender.
The word floated through her mind and she abstractly let it linger there. She’d never imagined herself as someone who would—or could—fall so completely in love with a man. Her entire life had consisted of equal parts comfortable dissatisfaction and a fear of missing out on something bigger.
Of wanting to be more.
The thought—one she wasn’t entirely comfortable with—flitted from her mind as Jason’s hands moved over her body, gripping the bottom of her thin nightshirt and lifting it over her head. The silky material floated to her feet, the brush of silk against her skin a distant sensation to the brush of his fingers over her breasts.
“Jason.” His name floated from her lips on a sigh before he bent his head, capturing her mouth with his. Pleasure flooded her body, the dual sensation of his fingers teasing the sensitive peaks of her nipples as his mouth moved over hers, in a wickedly carnal seduction.
She shifted the hands she’d settled at his waist, slipping the towel from his hips before moving more determinedly toward the hard length that pressed against her stomach. His sharp intake of breath and the momentary tightening of his fingers on her body let her know without words how he much he liked her touch.
The bright, vivid light that still flooded the room bathed them both in a golden twilight and she took the opportunity to pull back from the kiss and really look at him. His strong jaw was covered in two days’ worth of beard. The look was a rarity as he never missed a day of shaving at home, and she reached up to run a finger over the light bristle.
“You’re scratchy.”
“Am I hurting you?”
“Nope.” She pressed her lips to a small square of his jaw. “I like it.”
“Who knew the unkempt look was a turn-on?”
“Rugged,” she teased as her lips followed a path down his neck, then traveled over the length of his collarbone. “It’s rugged and a little bit elemental.”
“There’s nothing elemental about three piece suits.”
She caught the self-deprecation in his tone and stopped to look at him. “Oh, make no mistake about it, Wall Street. Those are quite sexy, too.”
His slightly narrowed eyes brightened. “Lucky me.”
With deliberate movements, she pressed against him while one hand snaked down between their bodies. “No. Lucky us.”
• • •
Jason braced his feet for the pure assault of pleasure that ran the length of his spine and fought to maintain his control. God, the woman had him twisted up in knots.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and moved them the few steps to the bed, tugging on her waist as they fell into the mattress. She took the shift in their positions to quickly gain the upper hand and his body hardened another notch as her slender form settled over his rigid cock.
The halo of sunlight that had framed her against the window, tugging at his heart as he’d walked out of the bathroom, now backlit her upper body as she rose up above him like a goddess.
With trembling hands, he gripped her hips, settling her more firmly against his body. The long column of her throat drew his gaze as her head fell back, and he lifted up to press a kiss there, the lightly salty taste of her skin a savory treat. Bending his head, he took one of her pert nipples in his mouth, loving how the hard tip grew harder and tighter against his tongue.
“Oh, yes,” he heard her whisper and increased the suction while shifting one of his hands to reach between their bodies. Her reaction to his touch was immediate—he felt it in the hard clench of her thighs against his waist and the press of her body as she rode her pleasure against his fingers.
With deliberate movements, he drove her on. The desperate need to watch her had him increasing the press of his fingers, expanding the width of her body to accommodate more of him.
“Now.” His voice was harsh to his own ears, and he grit his teeth as he fought to maintain his own control, especially as he watched her composure shatter. Her body convulsed around him, her beautiful response a reflection of what he held locked tight in his heart.
How did she do this to him? And how had he come to need her so much in such a short time?
The answers lay quietly in his heart, he knew, afraid to make the full migration to his lips. But in the physical he could give them freely, sharing everything he felt with her without fear or hesitation.
The second wave of their lovemaking came on like a storm as she rose up above him. He felt the lingering aftershocks of her pleasure as she took him into her body, seating herself fully over his straining erection.
And when she began to move, Jason gave himself up to the moment. To her and the fierce need that lived and breathed between them. She was everything good, and he knew he didn’t deserve her.
So he did what he could, desperately drawing pleasure from her body. And as he watched her consumed once more with the power of her orgasm, he finally let himself follow.
He only hoped he could show her with his body what he was unable to set free from his heart.
• • •
Bright, vivid sunlight flooded Mick O’Shaughnessy’s plane as the bush pilot flew them toward Denali. Although Jason had the briefest apprehension when the idea was first suggested he and Kate go up on the mountain—especially with Mick and Grier—he was glad he’d tamped down on the initial flash of concern.
The view was amazing, even if he couldn’t quite shake the slight queasiness in his stomach.
“You all right?” Kate mouthed the words as she touched his hand. She pointed toward a small cooler next to Grier, in between her and Mick’s seats. “Want a Coke?”
“Will it hurt my rugged, elemental rep if I say yes?” He saw the slightest blush cover her cheeks at the innuendo from the night before and couldn’t hold back the smile.
“Nope.”
“Then bring it on.”
In moments, the smooth slide of sugar and carbonation had his stomach calming before he tur
ned back toward the window. Mick had promised them some awesome views on the ride up, but the vivid landscape outside the window was indescribable.
He linked his fingers with Kate’s and let the images before his eyes merge and mesh with the thoughts he’d carried for nearly a year now.
His relationship with Grier had been a positive one—he had cared for her and had thought he was ready to make a life with her. It had only been in those horrible moments of extremely poor judgment when he’d gone against his principles and committed an act he knew he’d regret for the rest of his life.
He hadn’t even known the woman—she’d only been in the New York office for a few weeks—but the come-on had been unmistakable, and he’d followed her to the copy room, blocking the voice in his head that told him this was a bad idea.
The inner voice he didn’t listen to would have confirmed he was his father all over again, and by doing this he’d guarantee himself a straight shot toward the destiny his old man had always wanted for him.
Head of the firm.
Corner office.
Mistress du jour on the side.
That was Thomas Shriver’s life in a nutshell, and he was eager and proud to have his son following in his footsteps.
Jason had stopped things before it got to actual intercourse, but none of it made a difference and he knew that. Even that he had followed the woman into the private room had already confirmed his choice.
It hadn’t taken long for the truth to come out—a relief when it finally did—and Grier had made the right decision by leaving him. It was only when the reality of that loss sunk in that he’d followed her to Alaska to win her back.
He grieved for what he’d done and knew his poor behavior had ruined his relationship with Grier. What he never expected was to find his true destiny in the aftermath of his mistake.
Kate.
He loved her with this incredible combination of joy and need and longing and a deep-seated gratefulness that she’d come into his life.
But in his quiet moments, he couldn’t keep his conscience at bay.
In his quiet moments, he had to admit that he didn’t deserve her.
• • •
“Are you enjoying the trip home?” Grier posed the question as they walked toward a small peak about five hundred yards from the plane. Mick had seen another pilot he knew and had stopped to talk to him, and Jason had stayed behind to help him unload a few things.
Kate was grateful for the quiet moments with her sister, but knew Grier saw more than she let on. “It’s been a good trip and it’s been nice to be home for a few days. I’ve missed it more than I realized.”
“This place does get its hooks in you.”
“So does New York.”
A small smile flitted across her sister’s face. “You like the city?”
“I love it. The pace is everything people say it is and even more. I love it at night, in the quiet, when I just lie there and listen and can hear the cars outside, the constant hub of activity. It’s nothing like here.”
Grier’s gaze roved across the glacier Mick had landed them on. “That’s for sure.”
They both came to a halt and stared out over the bright ridge before them. Snow was still very much in evidence, and Kate suddenly found it funny to feel the crunch under her feet even though she wore a light jacket.
“Are things good with Jason?”
The urge to hide and say everything was fine rose up in Kate’s throat, but something about the pristine environment pushed at her to be more honest. “I think they are. And then there are moments when I don’t.” Kate didn’t miss the narrowing of Grier’s eyes and couldn’t quite fault her for the reaction. “I don’t think he’s cheating, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Actually, I’m not. I thought that incident was less about him being a cheater and more about us not being right for each other. Whatever look you’re reacting to on my face is my concern that you haven’t felt you could say something to me.”
“The two of you do have a history.”
“Sure we do.” Grier shrugged. “A history that got us both to a new place that we’re both happy with. Not only don’t I harbor him any ill will, but I have to say I’m thrilled with how things have worked out. I love Mick more than I could have ever imagined loving anyone. And I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Jason wasn’t the man who made me happy.”
Grier reached for Kate’s hand. “I will, however, kick his ass and harbor a boatload of ill will if he makes you unhappy.”
“That’s the problem. He makes me so happy, and in a way I’ve never felt before. It’s like I’ve spent my whole life waiting for something and then he was there and I wasn’t waiting anymore.” Kate stared at the impressive mountain peaks before her, willing them to inspire the right words.
“It’s like when I’m with him I can’t imagine being anywhere else. And then in my quiet moments, I realize how very far apart he and I are—on everything. I come from Alaska”—she spread her hand wide— “and he comes from steel and concrete and more money than sits in the entire town of Indigo.”
“I’m doing everyone’s taxes,” Grier quipped as she squeezed their joined hands, “and I wouldn’t quite bet on that one. But I do think the folks in Indigo know how to keep their wealth a personal thing instead of a badge they wear for everyone to see.”
“Maybe that’s it. The wealth and opulence is so front and center in New York. When it’s just the two of us I can ignore it. But with his family or his work . . . it’s overwhelming sometimes. It’s not a life I know or understand.”
“One thing I’ve learned through the years—I’ve come to love and accept my mother for who she is, but I’d be mortified if anyone judged me by her. Her thoughts and actions are her own, not mine.”
“You’re saying don’t judge Jason by Thomas and Annette Shriver.”
“Exactly. Jason loves you. It’s so clear and easy to see he practically floats a foot off the ground.”
Kate took heart in Grier’s words. If there was anything she’d learned about her sister in the time they’d been together it was that she didn’t mince words and didn’t sugarcoat things to make a person feel better.
Now it was up to her to believe it.
Chapter Three
“How many times a week do you land up here?” Jason watched Mick check off various things in a log book as they walked the perimeter of the plane.
“Depends on the week. Not nearly as often as I used to. My partner and I did a lot of tourist business for other companies when we first started, but we’ve got enough contracts for cargo transport now we’re not really focused on the tourist stuff too much any more.”
“Seems like it could be good business.”
Mick grinned at that as he closed up his book. “It is if you don’t mind giving up every weekend in the summer.”
“Got it.”
“It’s good to have Kate home for a few days. I know Grier misses her.”
“I know she’s enjoyed being home.”
“You do realize as Kate’s future brother-in-law, I have to keep fighting the urge to ask your intentions.”
Jason glanced around at the austere setting, the ridges and crevices of the glacier taking on a menacing sheen, and pasted on a smile he hoped didn’t look too much like a grimace. “I’m not sure I’m all that comfortable having this conversation on the side of a mountain. Especially since you’re the only one who can fly me off of it.”
“I’m not the one you need to worry about.” Mick pointed a finger toward Grier in the distance. “She’s got enough whoop-ass in that small frame to do some serious damage.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
He didn’t miss the slight narrowing of Mick’s eyes, but the pilot’s next words were free of malice. “It’s no secret the entire town’s been fascinated by what has developed between you and Kate. She’s had a rough go of things and no one wants to see her hurt.”
Jason
stared at Kate’s slender frame, backlit by a spear of sunlight breaking through the cloud cover. “Then that makes the entire town plus one.”
“It’s none of my business and I’m not trying to make it so, but for Kate’s sake, I’m going to say this one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
“She’s had a rough life—not the worst but not easy, either.” Mick scratched at his chin. “I’m not sure anyone’s life is easy, but when it comes to family problems, they leave scars that aren’t quite so easy to get past.”
And wasn’t that the root of his thoughts on the flight up here, Jason mused. Family baggage came in all shapes and sizes and sometimes it was the weight of expectation that cut the deepest. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Look, all I’m saying is that she’s had a rough go and a mother who raised her to constantly lower her expectations. ‘Don’t be too lofty,’ and all that bullshit. Like having goals means you’re dissatisfied with where you came from.” Mick shook his head. “For the life of me, I don’t understand someone who wouldn’t want their kid to follow his or her dreams. But plenty do, I guess.”
And plenty wanted their kid to follow their own dreams, Jason knew, but he kept the thought to himself. Instead, he turned and held out his hand to Mick’s. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
• • •
The smell of bacon, pancakes and coffee assaulted his senses as Jason entered the diner that sat on the corner of the Indigo town square, his arm resting comfortably over Kate’s shoulders. Even at two in the afternoon, the diner’s main staple—breakfast food that stuck to the ribs—was in full form, based on the incredible smells scenting the air.
He remembered the bacon, pancakes and coffee fondly from his last visit and already envisioned a large plate to kick off the last vestiges of motion sickness from the flight back to Indigo.
Which was his only excuse for missing the loud cackle that also assaulted the senses—and not in a good way.
“Kate! Jason!” They both turned to see one of the town’s oddest couples, Chooch and Hooch, shuffling toward them from their standing booth near the windows.
