by Lynn James
Devon dodged a tree. “Some of the foliage away from the river’s edge is promising, but I won’t really know until I can get some samples back to the lab.”
“When do you head back?”
“I need to have everything finished up here in about three to four weeks.”
“Do you think that’s enough time? The last researcher was up here for almost two months.”
“It has to be.” At Elaine’s inquisitive stare, Devon went on to explain.
“My sister is pregnant and she’s due in about six weeks, but the doctor thinks she might deliver early. There’s no way I’m going to miss that.”
Elaine digested the information. “Congratulations. First time aunt?”
“Yes. I’m so excited. I would have delayed this assignment, but my sister insisted that I come. I’ve learned not to argue with her, especially now that she’s eight months pregnant.”
“I’m a little surprised that you are on this assignment solo. I didn’t think the EPA would let you come up here alone, especially at this time of year.”
Devon arched an eyebrow as her mouth spread into a slow grin. Sarcasm tainted her voice as she replied, “Yeah well, I’m rogue.”
Elaine shook with laughter. The sound filled the trees and reverberated around them. “A rogue botanist!”
Devon gave a toss of the head, a crooked smile showing her amusement and kept walking.
It was some time before she stopped to settle her pack on a large rock. “This is where I need to start. Thank you for the company.”
Devon stood just a step from Elaine. Elaine knew her own lips were slightly parted. The hike was not why her breath was shallow and her eyes unfocused. If she didn’t get it together, Devon would think she was a freak. She couldn’t stop looking at Devon’s lips.
Devon did seem to be breathing hard from the hike. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared back at Elaine. So Elaine did the only thing that made sense. She said, “Have a good day,” before turning and walking off.
Devon worked until the sun set each night for the next several days. Hours of squatting had caused knots in her thighs, but the ground was far too cold to sit on. She could feel the moisture gathering in the air. It wasn’t heavy enough for rain or snow yet, but she knew that it was coming. She wanted to get as much work done before the weather changed and it helped that she saw no more of the captain.
She made sure to call Stacey and Raine on the designated nights. The static from the absence of cell towers and rough terrain made it difficult to maintain a signal, forcing her to keep the calls short and left her wondering how her sister was really doing. If she felt disconnected from Raine, she could only imagine how her husband Phillip felt, getting all his news while stationed in Iraq. She knew the days were getting longer, but the added minute each morning and each night weren’t doing much to help her meet her deadline.
Her work was moving along at a snail’s pace thanks to the hard earth. It was still frozen and difficult to penetrate. Of course, she had expected it, but it made doing research tedious. Still she was able to examine root structures and color. A light mist was forming on the foliage when she finally decided to spend some time in her tent transferring her data to her computer. Her backpacker’s solar-based charging unit would give her well over two hours of battery life.
The graphs and charts that she had made to compare to last year’s samples showed improvement, but the further she worked downriver the worse her findings. The hazmat team had arrived by helicopter within minutes of the reported derailment and worked as quickly as possible to erect a barrier. The one break they did catch was that it was a slow water season and the water level was low compared to other times during the year. In an attempt to prevent the chemical from reaching the Columbia River, they had placed absorption socks along the surface of the water. Luckily they had been successful in restricting the contamination to the South Croix River, but the result was that it had provided a smaller area for the pollutant to collect, causing more intense damage to this area of the river. The accumulation of the toxins had taken a serious toll on the plant life and Devon was disheartened by the data she collected.
Chapter 4
Elaine spent the next four days staying busy and searching for the poachers. But no matter how busy she remained, Devon McKinney invaded her thoughts. How could she even think about Devon when she had decided that a break from women was exactly what she needed, especially after the way things ended with Grace? She had planned on taking some time to be single and free of the complications that women bring. But what she hadn’t planned on was Devon.
Her mind replayed the events of the last time she had seen Devon, standing on the river bank gazing into Devon’s eyes, focusing on those perfectly luscious lips that made her heart race. When she looked at Devon she felt an unfamiliar heat radiate through her body.
Like the previous days, she decided to circumvent Devon’s camp. In order to avoid Devon’s campsite, she was forced to take a much harder trail along the ridge, but it was worth it. Devon was not going to disrupt her thoughts further.
She had decided when she awoke that morning that another dip in the cold mountain spring was definitely in order. God knew that she needed something to cool her imagination and her body. Her dreams had been far too graphic for her liking. Once she regained control of her libido then maybe she would be able to act like the professional she was.
Elaine made her way down the mountainside toward the deep clear pool. Her forearms glistened with sweat and she looked forward to the cold water. She followed the water’s edge down to a large boulder that stood between her and the pool. She had barely reached the top when she froze.
Elaine’s mouth went completely dry as she took in the sight before her. Light shimmered off the water, hiding and then revealing the near perfect body just beneath the surface. Devon was on the far end lying in the shallows of the crystal clear water.
Devon heard the motion on the rock and lay still for several minutes listening for another sound. She finally rolled over and slowly swam toward the bank. The last thing she wanted to do was share the water with an animal. As she lifted herself from the water and began to move toward her clothes she caught a reflection in the water. The image was unmistakable. Elaine stood above, only partially hidden by a tree, in her faded green uniform, sun glistening off her ginger-colored hair.
Devon smiled to herself. If the ranger thought she was going to chase her off then she was sorely mistaken. When she had first met the ranger and noticed her dampened hair, she had been reminded of the crystal clear spring. Although it was bitterly cold, it was invigorating. Devon didn’t consider her lack of clothing as she dove back into the water. As she surfaced, she threw her head back letting her hair cascade down over her shoulders. She stood with the water just under her breasts. Almost immediately, her body had been anesthetized by the cold water and she hadn’t noticed just how erect her nipples were. She glanced down, looking for Elaine’s reflection, when she noticed the state of her breasts. She mentally shrugged. Oh well, there wasn’t much she could do about it now. She had to admit she was flattered. She imagined most women might have been annoyed or even furious under the same circumstances, but she was oddly appreciative that Elaine continued to watch.
She knew that Elaine was still on the rock as she continued her swim and that Elaine didn’t realize that she had been spotted. If Elaine wanted the pool then she could damn well wait her turn, or at the very least announce herself. She was enjoying taking a break from her work and she wasn’t going to be chased away just because Elaine wanted to swim and couldn’t share.
Devon made several more laps around the pool. Using her muscles this way was a welcome change to the positions she held while working. Occasionally Devon would roll over to float on her back enjoying the sun. She knew that she should probably be polite and let Elaine have the pool soon, but she was here first damn it and she was going to enjoy her time. She reminded herself that was her onl
y motivation for staying in the freezing water.
Elaine was careful not to make another sound. She knew that she should leave. It wasn’t right watching Devon this way. If their positions had been reversed, she would be irritated that she was being watched. Wouldn’t she? But her eyes were fixed and she was powerless over them.
Devon’s body was even more beautiful than she had imagined. She was surprised to see just how tan Devon was…everywhere. She was willing to bet that smooth bronze wasn’t from a tanning bed.
As Devon swam around the pool, she couldn’t help but memorize her graceful movements. The fluid motion created a throbbing between her legs as she imagined how that body would feel moving against her own.
When Devon surfaced from the water Elaine felt like she was in a slow-motion movie. She watched as the water dripped from Devon’s face and ran down her neck. She was envious of the beads of water that caressed Devon’s breasts as they made their way back to the pool. Elaine couldn’t help but follow the path of the water with her eyes. One drop clung to Devon’s nipple and she wanted nothing more than to take it in her mouth.
She barely stifled a gasp when Devon finally made her way out of the water. She reached down to pick up a towel when Elaine finally noticed the tattoo on her left shoulder. It was the only mark on her otherwise perfect body. Elaine couldn’t see it clearly, but it definitely made her want to see it close up and in detail. Too soon it was hidden below clothing, but that didn’t stop Elaine from recalling it perfectly.
The last thing she expected was a sudden devilish smile flashed her way, with a cheeky, “It’s all yours, Captain.”
For several minutes Elaine stood stupefied, feeling like a Peeping Tom who had just been caught by the object of her desire. She didn’t know how she would ever be able to look Devon in the face again.
Chapter 5
Elaine continued her meticulous scouring north along the ridge, looking for any signs of poachers while she studiously ignored the existence of Devon McKinney. She spent a couple of days in the observation tower scanning for plumes of smoke, anything that would indicate campers, other than Devon, in the forest. She was due to connect with Donovan at the end of this sweep. She was doing her job, no distractions.
Right.
She resigned herself to the fact that her conscience wasn’t going to leave her alone. She would have to head down the mountain and apologize to Devon for watching her. She shivered at the thought of seeing Devon again.
She had tried to push thoughts of Devon from her mind, but the images of her wet body haunted her. She had memorized every inch and now she was paying the price with utter distraction. She finally gave in and let her mind wander free to fantasize about the sexy doctor.
There had been many women she had found attractive, but Devon was exquisite. Never before had she been so drawn to another woman and never had she been forced relentlessly to fight the desire to keep her distance.
It wasn’t just Devon’s body that attracted her. There was something in her eyes. How could a woman she didn’t even know seem to be staring directly into her? When Devon looked at her, Elaine felt truly seen.
She met Donovan on schedule at the bottom of the service road for supplies and asked for any word that the poachers might have moved on.
“Sorry, Captain, but a couple of hikers found a deer lying in the middle of a field about a half a mile north of here. I checked it out, but I lost the trail.”
“Thanks, Donovan. Keep me posted if you find anything.”
Donovan gave her one of his endearing smiles. She cared for all the members of her crew, but Brad and Donovan held a special place in her heart. They had worked together for years, even before she had made captain and they had been in some pretty hairy situations together. Besides knowing that both of them had her back, regardless of the situation, neither of them tried to bullshit her and they both treated her with the utmost respect.
When she had finally made captain, they were the first to congratulate her. She had been with the service longer than either of the men and she knew their words were sincere.
Donovan looked up at the sky. “I brought you extra supplies. I figure you will be snowed in before too long if the latest weather report is accurate.”
She smiled at him. He was always looking out for her. She was the boss and he acted like he was her older brother. “Thanks, Donovan. I really appreciate it.”
She was almost back to her truck when his voice stopped her. “Hey, Cap?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful up there.”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I will. You do the same.”
She slowly drove back up to the cabin. She would need to check the fuel level in the generator and restock her supply of wood. The food that Donovan had given her would last her for quite awhile. She glanced at what he had brought and smiled. Along with the canned goods, he had made sure to bring plenty of meat. The box included the customary ground beef and deli-sliced lunchmeat, but also included two choice New York Strip steaks and a few pork chops. She was particularly surprised to find that he had even remembered to include applesauce, which she loved to eat with her pork chops. She wasn’t much of a breakfast person, although she loved her morning coffee and he often preached to her about the importance of eating breakfast. She wasn’t terribly surprised to find that he had made a point of adding turkey sausage, eggs, instant oatmeal and bagels to her order of coffee. Real subtle, Donovan. He had even added fresh fruits and vegetables. Leave it to Donovan; she would certainly be eating well! Too bad her meals would be unaccompanied.... Oh, hell, she was thinking about Devon again.
She stopped the truck and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She couldn’t remember ever being attracted to Grace or any other woman, the way she was attracted to Devon. Her hands shook slightly as she held the steering wheel. Even now her body warmed as she thought about Devon. Her body’s response frightened her.
She allowed herself a smile, though, as she thought about Devon’s parting words. Devon had known that she was there the whole time and hadn’t let on. She had been stunned by the flirtatious smile that Devon had thrown over her shoulder. Damn, that woman has a wicked sense of humor, but I still have to apologize for the Peeping Tom act I pulled.
She reached Devon’s camp early the next morning. Everything was quiet and she wasn’t sure if Devon had left already or if she was still asleep. She was flustered by the situation, wanting to apologize and leave as quickly as possible. She was humiliated enough as it was, she didn’t want to have to seek out the other woman in order to accomplish her mission. She couldn’t just stand here and imagine Devon asleep on the other side of the tent wall, hair mussed, face relaxed.
She had decided the only thing she could do was leave, but had gone only a few feet when she spied Devon kneeling on a large rock just up the river. She couldn’t quite make out what the woman was doing, but it certainly looked as though Devon was about to go headfirst into the water. Elaine didn’t think as she instinctively ran toward her.
Devon was reaching for her clipboard as Elaine clamped down on her leg. She swiveled her body around and nearly shouted, “What in the hell are you doing?”
Elaine shook her head. Great, now the woman probably thought that not only was she a peeping pervert, but that she was inclined to accost women as well! She quickly released her leg. “You looked like you were about to fall in.”
“I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much!”
Devon’s angry frown suddenly changed into wide-eyed panic. She wobbled, flailed for Elaine, clipboard clattering down between the rocks.
Elaine grabbed her leg and again shifted her weight back to stop Devon’s forward descent.
“Twist around here and give me your hand.”
Devon did as she was told. Her shirt had slipped up and a fair amount of her stomach was exposed.
Elaine had a flash of her in the pool and damn near dropped her.
Devon looked
alarmed again. “Are you sure we aren’t both going to go tumbling in?”
“Do you doubt me?”
Devon looked back at the water and then back at Elaine, who was now kneeling between Devon’s legs. Her disorientation faded into a teasing smile. “Seems like I’m in no position to doubt you.”
Elaine grinned as she took Devon’s hand. In one swift motion she pulled Devon up while standing to free her legs. Devon recovered her clipboard and they both climbed off the rock.
Once on terra firma, Devon said, “It would seem that I owe you a thank you.”
Elaine managed to say casually, “Just doing my job.”
Devon laughed. “Your job is to scare women off rocks so that you can rescue them?”
“Only on good days.” Elaine hoped she sounded wicked or enticing or anything but stupid. She couldn’t help the flirtatious little wink that she added. She felt her stomach tighten at Devon’s sharp intake of breath.
Devon half turned away to stare at the trail. “What brings you to my home away from home?”
Elaine’s bravado faded. “I owe you an apology…for…uh…for the other day.”
Devon shrugged. “Accepted.”
Elaine’s eyes widened. “That’s it?”
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. I expected you would be mad.” Elaine paused, not knowing what else to say. She certainly didn’t want to encourage Devon to be angry. “I guess I should get going.”
Without another word, Elaine walked briskly away along the trail into the forest. She could feel Devon’s gaze on her back, but it was not the response she had wanted. She wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted. But the end result left her feeling like an idiot.
“Hey!” Devon waited for the man to look up at her. They were across the river and he had been leaning down to fill his canteen from the river directly across from her. It took just a moment for Devon to realize there was someone else with him, an attractive woman who also appeared to be in her mid-twenties.
