Risking It All

by Jennifer Schmidt

  “Screw you.” She enjoyed the shocked look on his face. “It’s not my fault if you’re so insecure with yourself that you put it all on me and what you think is my inability to stay faithful in this relationship. It’s also not my fault that you see things that aren’t there,” she said, ignoring the twinge of guilt she felt over the white lie. Yes, something was there, but she would never act on it . . . again.

  “Kennedy, that’s not what I meant,” he said, trying to backtrack quickly.

  “That’s exactly what you meant, and I’m so tired of hearing it. If you can’t trust me to be alone with my best friend for a week, then we have a lot more problems than you just being a forgetful, inconsiderate ass.”

  Brooks stared at her, speechless. Kennedy huffed in annoyance that he couldn’t even bother to defend himself, or their relationship for that matter, and shook her head.

  “You’ve given me a lot to think about, Brooks.”

  “So, is that your way of saying, ‘nice to know you, I had fun’?”

  “No, that’s my way of saying you’ve given me a lot to think about.” She was exhausted from their short conversation. “I want you to leave now so I can go to bed.”

  “What?” he asked, widening his eyes. She had never kicked him out before.

  “I asked you to leave,” she repeated. “Consider this the start of my space.”

  “And then what happens when you get back?”

  “I guess that depends on what I decide,” she said, looking up at him. “I’ll call you.”

  “You’ll call me.” He repeated in mockery. “Fine.” He stomped to the door, turned around with a sneer, and said, “Have fun in Alaska,” before slamming the door behind him.

  Kennedy stared at the door; that wasn’t what she wanted to happen, but even knowing that, she forced herself to stay put and not run after him. She had given so much and he so little, she wasn’t about to add to that list. No matter how much it hurt to watch him walk away like that.

  She dropped to the couch and covered her face with her hands as her body shook from her sobs. How could he walk out like that?

  Because you told him to, her subconscious reminded her.

  Yes, but how could he walk out without putting up a fight—for her?

  ~*~

  Kennedy waited the next day for a call that never came. She had gone to bed the night before positive Brooks would make some attempt to reach out to her before she left for Alaska, but he never did.

  Memphis called an hour before they had to be at the airport, telling her he would be there shortly. Despite being upset with Brooks and their fight, she was incredibly excited that she would soon be airborne and on her way.

  She was getting the last of her things together when there was a knock on the door. She opened it, grinning like a fool and launching herself into Memphis’s arms.

  “Hi!” She beamed with excitement, rocking back and forth on her heels, eager to get going.

  Memphis returned her smile and tapped her nose in an almost childlike way.

  “Hi.” He glanced behind her, checking for her luggage. “You ready to go?”

  “Yes.” She spun around, grabbed her purse from the table, and slung it over her shoulder before grasping the handle on the one large bag.

  “Here.” Memphis reached for the bag, pulling it out of her grasp.

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you have everything?”

  “I think so.” She quickly rummaged through her purse and nodded. “As long as you have my tickets I’m good to go.”

  “Let’s go then.”

  Kennedy locked her apartment and hurried after Memphis, still grinning like a fool as they exited the building and loaded her suitcase into the trunk of the cab with Memphis’s belongings.

  “You need to get one of those little carts to pull beside your motorcycle,” she told him, eyeing his back as he tossed in her bag. “You wouldn’t have to rely on cabs to take you to the airport.”

  Memphis chuckled and slammed the trunk closed. He turned to her and smiled wickedly, making her stomach do a flip.

  “You wouldn’t have the pleasure of wrapping your arms around me then,” he said.

  “Yes, riding behind you does have its advantages.”

  Memphis cocked his eyebrows, and she winked before turning away and sliding into the backseat of the cab. Memphis slipped in beside her, sitting a little closer than necessary, she thought, and told the driver where to take them.

  “Did Ryder say how the sales were on the show?” Memphis asked after few minutes of silence.

  “We did well.” She smiled. “Better than I honestly expected to do.”

  Memphis frowned and shook his head.

  “You need to have a little more faith in yourself and your talent, Kennedy.” His playfulness turned gentle as he spoke to her.

  “I think you have enough faith in me to make up for what I lack.”

  He met her eyes, staring at her so intensely she felt as if he could see her soul.

  “Did you talk to Brooks?”

  Kennedy broke eye contact, turning to look out her window.

  “Yes,” she answered simply.

  “And?”

  “And we got into a fight,” she said with a shrug, hoping he’d leave it alone. She didn’t feel like talking about Brooks right now. It would ruin her giddy mood.

  “About what?” Kennedy shook her head and heard him sigh. “Did he at least tell you why he didn’t show up?”

  “He forgot,” she whispered, the words stinging all over again.

  “He forgot?”

  Kennedy looked at him, not surprised by the anger in his voice, but wishing it wasn’t there. She gave him a small, sad smile.

  “Yes, he forgot. Now, please, let’s not talk about it.” He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. “Memphis, please. I don’t want the start of our trip to be about Brooks. I want this entire week to be about us, and the wonderful gift you’ve given me by bringing me along. Okay?”

  Memphis glared but shut his mouth and grunted his agreement. She smiled at him and looped their fingers together as she laid her head on his shoulder.

  “No one has ever done something this great for me, Memphis,” she told him. “Thank you.”

  Memphis put his arm around her shoulders and they rode the rest of the way to the airport in silence. Once there, they checked their bags and made it through security as quickly as possible, which was more of a pain in the ass than Kennedy expected. She held her tongue as they checked and rechecked her purse, snapping at her to remember next time to put her keys in the bin provided and not leave them in her carry-on.

  She snatched her purse back from the guards when they handed it to her and let Memphis lead her to their gate before she could get them both in trouble by letting her tongue loose.

  “You could have warned me.”

  Memphis smiled at her sheepishly.

  “Sorry, beautiful. Sometimes I forget not everyone is as well traveled as I am.”

  “Yes, some of us do still live quite sheltered lives,” she said.

  “That’s mild compared to some airports now,” he told her as he directed them to the waiting area. “Some are very . . . hands-on, for lack of better term.”

  “Oh.” Kennedy flushed, not at all prepared to deal with security that up close and personal, but then she giggled. “On the other hand, if we do run into that I guess I could look on the bright side.”

  Memphis raised his eyebrow curiously.

  “Which would be?”

  “A little pat down is more sex than I’ll be having this week. If it happens, I’ll be sure to try and enjoy it.”

  Memphis’s eyes darkened and they lost their teasing glint. She saw his jaw tense and his nostrils slightly flare as he inhaled. Kennedy swallowed, unable to tear her eyes away from him. There was something dark, something dangerous, about the way he looked right then. The look should have made her wish she hadn’t said anything, but instead she was
shocked to admit that it turned her on. A lot.

  “Don’t be so sure,” he said.

  Kennedy blinked. Don’t be so sure about what? That she should try and enjoy it, or that an airport pat down would be the only sex she’d be having that week?

  The latter made her nipples harden and her sex ache with pure animalistic lust. She clenched her thighs together and folded her arms over her breasts, trying to hide the effect his words had on her.

  Of course he didn’t mean it that way, she scolded herself. He had been uncomfortable enough with kissing her; there was no way he would think like that.

  She peeked at him from the corner of her eye and saw he was still watching her, a small grin on his lips as if he knew what he did to her. What he had always done to her. But because of that damn kiss, it was different. Now she had the truth right in her face and could no longer ignore it or pass it off as just a longtime crush.

  If he kept looking at her like that, and saying things like that, the week was going to be trickier to get through than she had first thought.

  “So, how long is the flight?” she asked, desperately wanting to change the subject and bring her body temperature back down.

  “Roughly five hours. We’ll fly into Seattle and then from there go to Fairbanks.”

  “That’s where the resort is? In Fairbanks?” She glanced at him and sighed in relief when she saw dark and dangerous Memphis was gone.

  “Outside of Fairbanks. It’s in a secluded area, but still not too far from the city, so tourists can still leave the site and wander around in town.”

  “Is the weather really horrible there?” she asked. “Am I really going to need all that stuff you made me buy?”

  “It’s almost the end of November, and we’re going to Alaska. What do you think?” He grinned. “It’s not horrible weather, but it could be cold.”

  “There aren’t going to be twenty-four hours of daylight, are there?” She frowned. “Or darkness, for that matter?”

  Memphis chuckled.

  “We’ll be in the Interior region, beautiful. They have less than ten hours of daylight this time of year.”

  Their flight was called, and they boarded and were settled into their seats before another thought came to Kennedy.

  “Spruce Falls you said, right? What kind of resort is it?”

  Memphis glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he flipped through the magazine he had bought after going through security.

  “Didn’t I tell you?” He tried to dodge the question.

  “No. If you had I would have remembered. It isn’t some kind of hunting lodge is it?” As much as she was grateful to Memphis for footing the bill for the trip, any kind of outdoor-man-hobby getaway would be a disappointment. Although, she was sure if she had to, she could find something to occupy her time without having to venture out into the wilderness with Memphis.

  On the other hand, venturing out into the wilderness with Memphis might not be such a bad idea . . .

  Shit. This had to stop. Now.

  Kennedy shook her head, hoping to clear the naughty thoughts of her and her best friend tangled up in a hot mess in the middle of the Alaskan forest.

  This was all because of her falling out with Brooks and not knowing where they stood. She wouldn’t be having these thoughts if she had left on good terms with him. If she knew exactly where their relationship stood, she wouldn’t be tempted by her raging hormones.

  No, hormones were not going to win. They hadn’t won the battle when it came to Memphis in almost twelve years; they weren’t going to get the best of her now.

  If only she hadn’t kissed him.

  Kennedy sighed. Yes, the kiss had been a bad idea, but no, she didn’t regret it. Not one little bit.

  She felt the plane start to move and before she knew it they were in the air. She settled back into her seat, trying to get comfortable for the short ride to Seattle. She looked at Memphis while he read his magazine, taking in the features of his face: his strong jawline that was scarred from his motorcycle accident. She suddenly wanted to reach out and touch the small dip in his skin that was the reminder of that terrifying night.

  She curled her fingers together, fisting them at her sides, and looked away. What the hell was wrong with her? She never had thoughts of him like this. None of them were good. In fact, she knew it was very, very bad, and if she let it, it would only lead to trouble. Big trouble.

  She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the seat. She tried to relax, only talking to Memphis when he asked a question or opening her eyes to address the flight attendant when asked if she wanted anything to drink.

  They had an hour layover in Seattle, and then were back in the air for the three-hour flight to Fairbanks. Memphis explained that they could have flown into Anchorage but it was a six-hour car ride from there to Fairbanks.

  “The scenery you see while driving is something else,” he told her. “But I didn’t think you’d want to be stuck in the car for six hours.”

  Kennedy nodded her agreement while her leg bounced anxiously the closer they came to landing.

  They arrived in Fairbanks with only a ten-minute delay. They fetched their luggage and Kennedy was going to ask where they could get a cab when Memphis told her there was a car waiting for them.

  “Perks of the job?” she asked with a smirk as he collected the keys from the information desk and led her to the parking lot.

  The first wave of cold air blew over Kennedy as she stepped out of the building. She stood there for a minute, never having felt weather as cold as it was, breathing it all in. She closed her eyes, smiling, as the slight wind hit her face and blew through her blouse, making her shiver.

  “Gotta get around somehow, right?” he said, only stopping when he realized she wasn’t right behind him. “What are you doing?”

  “This.” Kennedy waved her arms. “This is fabulous.” She opened her eyes and saw Memphis playfully roll his eyes at her.

  “This is nothing yet. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and hauled her toward a truck.

  Kennedy rolled her eyes at the oversized truck. Of course if he couldn’t have his bike he’d have to be behind the wheel of something just as impressive.

  He tossed their bags into the bed of the Silverado, making Kennedy cringe.

  “They’re not going to fly out, are they?”

  Memphis laughed and opened her door for her.

  “No, babe, they’re not going to fly out. I’m sure yours outweighs you as it is.”

  She glared at him and hopped into the truck, wrapping her arms around herself as the chill finally set in.

  Memphis started the beast and turned the heat controls up.

  “Ready?” His enormous grin was as wide as the Grand Canyon.

  “Yes!” She smiled just as largely back at him.

  He pulled out of the parking lot and steered the truck into the traffic.

  “You never did tell me what kind of resort is it,” she said, remembering her unanswered question from the plane.

  Memphis grinned, his eyes almost twinkling with mischief as he glanced at her and said, “No, I didn’t, did I?”

  Chapter 6

  Kennedy watched out her window as Memphis drove them toward the resort, taking in the beautiful sight of the trees and ground covered in a light snow. It was so different than what she was used to.

  Memphis had told her October through January was the heaviest snowfall months, but to her, there didn’t seem to be much at all yet. She had expected snow banks and drifts from blizzards covering the road. She couldn’t help but laugh at how naïve she was about other places in the world. She really was sheltered.

  The farther they drove away from the city the darker it became without the streetlights to guide them, and soon she couldn’t see outside her window at all.

  She glanced at the clock and frowned when she saw they had only been on the road for fifteen minutes. Kennedy shifted in her seat, anxious to get out of the vehicle a
nd finally reach their destination.

  “How far is it from the city?” she asked, trying to cover up a yawn and failing. It was almost eleven, and as much as she wanted to explore, it was late and bed was definitely calling her. She wished they had been able to leave earlier so they had time to actually sightsee.

  “Thirty minutes or so.”

  “You’ve been here before?”

  “I visited the site once, before anything was built, just over two years ago.”

  “Why?”

  “I took some pictures for the developer.” He reached over and fiddled with the heat controls. “They wanted before shots for display, and we made a deal if I took those then when everything was complete I’d be back to do the after shots and run their publicity.”

  “So is it open yet?”

  “Not really. It’s all privately owned by some hotshot with too much money and time on his hands, so he’s flown in some people to try it out before it opens to the public.”

  “Like a trial run?”

  “Yeah, I guess. It officially opens in two months, which is why they need to get the shots done now to get their name out there.”

  “How does Hot Spots fit into all this? Or doesn’t it?” Kennedy asked.

  “Bradley, the guy who owns the resort, hired me personally,” he said. “It’s still going to be featured in the magazine, though.”

  “I see.” She grinned at him. “You’ve done well, kid.”

  He snorted.

  “Me? I take pictures, unlike you who create them.”

  “You really need to have a little more faith in yourself and your talent,” she told him, mimicking his words from earlier back to him.

  It was too dark to see his reaction but she was positive she had just received an eye roll.

  “There.” Memphis said after a few minutes of silence, pointing out the windshield.

  Kennedy leaned forward, eager to get a glimpse of where he had brought her. She missed what the sign read, even though it was well-lit for people to see in the dark, as Memphis turned left, driving down what seemed like a long driveway in the middle of a huge forest of snow-covered spruce trees.