by Jill Shalvis
everyone wearing. TJ spoke to the girls in detail before letting them into the water, outlining exactly what he expected, and how they needed to listen and respond to him if he asked them to do something.
“Do you think he’s this alpha and dominating in bed?” Shelly whispered to Kitty, shivering with excitement.
Again Harley had to bite her lip to keep a straight face.
TJ shot her a look as he checked and rechecked the gear, then got everyone into the water, managing to avoid helping Kitty spread suntan oil on her limbs or helping Shelly tighten her vest across her enhanced and expensive breasts. Much to their disappointment, he let Harley do both.
That part of the river was wide, calm, and flat—which was why they were on it. Harley had her camera out, able to both steer and shoot pictures. The water was so clear and deep that they could see fish gliding through the currents beneath them in the sunny spots. It was like a whole other universe existed down there, and the coeds actually fell silent, soaking it all in, absorbing the beauty.
Until one of the fish broke the surface with a splash.
Startled screams abounded, and Tandy accidentally rolled her kayak. Her friends sat watching her attempt to right herself, tears of laughter streaming down their faces.
Harley got it all on digital.
TJ righted Tandy with ease, making the others sigh and look at each other, clearly wishing they’d thought to roll. Tandy was none the worse for wear, though she did have a brief hair crisis.
A coyote appeared on the shore, visible through the bush. “Wolf!” Kitty cried out. “What if it eats us?”
TJ looked at Harley across the water. Obviously, she was to field this one. “Actually, it’s a coyote,” Harley told her. “And he’s not going to eat you.”
“How do you know?”
“There’s been only one fatal coyote attack on record, and that was back in 1981, in Southern California. But to be safe, don’t ever feed one.”
“What if it comes up to us while we’re eating?” Tandy asked.
“It won’t.”
“But what if it does?”
“Then make a lot of noise to scare it off. Wave your hands, yell, throw a rock at it, whatever you have to do.”
The coyote bounded off out of view.
“Holy shit,” Lani said. “That thing’s moving.”
“They can run up to forty-three miles per hour,” Harley told her.
“Shh,” Shelly breathed. “It’ll hear us.”
“It’s already heard us,” Harley said. “They have better hearing than dogs.”
“It’s all alone,” Shelly said. “She needs a sorority.”
The others laughed. “He or she isn’t alone,” Harley said. “They travel in packs and hunt in pairs. You just didn’t see the others, but they’re there.”
“How do you know all this?” Lani asked, looking sincerely interested.
“I study them for my other job as a wildlife researcher.”
“Cool.” Lani smiled at Harley. “I’m a biology major.”
They spent a few minutes talking about that, after which the others seemed to accept Harley slightly better. She snapped more pictures and found herself enjoying it. Probably most of that came from their fearless guide, who happened to look damn fine in the lead kayak, wielding a paddle, his biceps flexing as he steered, the rest of his body relaxed and completely in control.
An hour in, Kitty needed—demanded—a potty break. The girls got out of their kayaks, accepted drinks from Harley, then stripped out of their wet protective gear down to their bikinis and plopped on the rocky sand at the water’s edge. Harley was wet, too, but left her shorts and tank top on over her bathing suit. TJ’s board shorts and performance tee were also wet, but they didn’t seem to bother him any. He once again checked the gear—while the girls checked him, whispering amongst themselves.
TJ’s shorts came to his knees, his shirt loose. While he looked damn good, his clothes were definitely hiding the true extent of how in shape he really was. After checking and rechecking everything, he peeled off his wet shirt and, in just the shorts, bent to his pack, probably looking for a dry shirt.
Kitty dropped her drink. “Sweet baby Jesus,” she whispered.
He wasn’t bulky. His body had been hardened and trained over the years the old-fashioned way, from lots of hard work.
“He’s even hotter than I thought,” Lani whispered.
“I don’t know what I’d do to him first,” Kitty whispered back.
Harley knew. She knew exactly. She’d lick that stomach, then drop to her knees and slowly ease those shorts down over his hips so that she could lean in and—
“Think he’s taken?” Tandy whispered.
“Yes,” Harley said without thinking.
They all turned and stared at her. “By you?” Tandy asked incredulously.
Okay, she was pretty sure that was not a compliment.
Shelly’s eyes were narrowed. Clearly they weren’t willing to believe Harley could catch a man like TJ—which led to a problem.
Harley was a horrible liar, always had been. The fact was, TJ wasn’t taken, not by her, not by anyone. TJ belonged to no one, except maybe the mountain.
“Is he with someone?” Tandy asked again.
“Can’t really say,” Harley whispered. There. How was that for the truth? She couldn’t say because she didn’t know exactly how “taken” he considered himself.
As if knowing that they were discussing him, TJ looked over, eyes unerringly locking in on Harley.
She forced a smile. He paused, then returned it before turning back to the gear.
Shelly was still staring at Harley. “Why can’t you say?”
“Yes, Harley, why can’t you say? It wouldn’t be right.”
Tandy and Shelly exchanged a look. “Why?” Tandy asked. “Are you insinuating that he’s…gay?”
Harley had to bite her lip to keep from letting the gust of nervous laughter escape. She hadn’t thought of that. But maybe if they thought he was gay, they’d leave him alone. “Can’t say,” she repeated firmly.
Lani sighed in disappointment.
Good Lord, they would actually believe that the big, edgy, obviously testosterone-ridden TJ was gay rather than believe that he’d be in a relationship with her.
Finally Kitty shook her head. “No. There’s no way he’s gay.” She narrowed her eyes at Harley. “If you wanted him for yourself, all you had to do was say so. But honestly, I don’t see him reciprocating. You’re not his type.”
The other three looked at Harley in grave disappointment, as if she’d broken some sacred sorority trust. She didn’t care, as long as she did her job, which, as TJ had pointed out with utter seriousness, was to protect him.
What can she say? She’d tried.
They all got back on the river, and an hour later came to a sharp turn where suddenly the water moved faster than half a mile an hour. Like one mile an hour.
Still, the coeds shrieked and screamed as if they’d come to the edge of the world. TJ called out directions, his voice filled with quiet but unequivocal command, which in turn forced the girls to shut up if they wanted to hear how to save themselves. He was calm and utterly authoritative, and they leapt to do his bidding, as if pleasing him was all that mattered.
When Harley found herself doing the same, she had to laugh at herself, then let out a surprised squeak when TJ let the girls pass them and snagged her by the back of her life vest, holding her and her kayak next to his. “You’re grinning like a Cheshire cat,” he murmured, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head to study her. “Explain.”
She looked into his face, then snapped a picture of him, glancing down at her LED screen as the picture flashed there. His eyes readily revealed his intelligence, a sharp wit, and also an inner strength that never failed to give her a flutter. He had a strong face, a beautiful face, though he’d hate that assessment. Did she care to share that he turned her on like no other man ever had? H
ell, no. “Inside joke,” she murmured.
He eyed the girls’ retreating backs, then Harley again. “You know sound carries over water, right?”
Oh, God. What part had he heard, that he was gay, or that she wanted him for herself? She looked into his eyes, but couldn’t see anything but the gleam of promised retribution.
Definitely the gay part. “One of us has to catch up with them.”
“Yes.” He let go of her. “I’ll do it. And I’ll catch up with you later.”
Oh boy.
CHAPTER 23
When they stopped for lunch, TJ handled the kayaks and Harley dealt out lunch, serving the girls Annie’s pre-made sandwiches beneath the shade of a grove of two-hundred-year-old, towering pines.
Harley took herself off to the side, giving the coeds their privacy. Or, more accurately, giving Harley her privacy. TJ ambled over when he was done. “Well, that went well,” she said, handing him a big, thick turkey and cheese sandwich.
With an answer that was more of a grunt than affirmation, he plopped down next to her and dug in.
“Hungry?” she asked, amused at his single-minded purpose of devouring the sandwich.
“Even gay men get hungry.”
Oh, yeah. She’d almost forgotten. “If it helps, they didn’t believe me.”
“I wish they had. I’d rather be gay than the boy toy of the month. You should have just told them that we were together. That would have worked.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. And then went on the defensive rather than figure out why his easy solution irritated her. “Must be exhausting to fend off four beautiful young women’s advances.”
Fend them off he had, with more calm, impassive pleasantry than she could have managed. “I mean sure, they want to eat you up,” she said. “You might have gotten groped a few times getting in and out of the water, but overall, it’s been easy enough to handle, right?”
He just looked at her as he swallowed the last of his sandwich.
She grinned. “How many times did you get groped, anyway?”
“I don’t know, but I’m bruised. You’re supposed to be watching my back.”
Yes, but she’d been very busy watching his ass. “You really don’t feel anything when they come on to you like that?”
He eyed the uneaten portion of her sandwich. “I feel the urge to wrap my fingers around Cam’s and Stone’s neck.”
She laughed again and handed him the rest of her sandwich.
His eyes warmed. His lips curved as he took her in. “I love it when you laugh,” he said simply.
Damn if that didn’t make her go all soft and mushy. “You do know they think you’re God’s gift, that they each hope you’ll go alpha and domineering on them in their sleeping bags tonight?”
“How about you? Do you want me to go alpha and domineering in your sleeping bag tonight?” he asked, his voice low and husky.
Heat slashed through her, and her gaze ran over his body, all sprawled out and gorgeous. He hadn’t put on another shirt. All he wore were those board shorts and a smile. The smile revealed a wicked intent. The board shorts, low and loose on his lean hips, revealed the fact that he could absolutely follow through with that wicked intent.
“See anything you want?” he murmured.
“No. Absolutely not.” She turned her back to him and hugged her knees to her chest, watching the river, letting out a low, shaky breath when she knew he could no longer see her face.
“Okay, let’s recap.” He ran a finger over her shoulder. “You don’t want me—”
“As a boyfriend,” she clarified. Because she did want him. She wanted him bad. She just didn’t want to keep him. She couldn’t. He was a walking, talking, breathing heartbreak. “I don’t want you as a boyfriend.”
“Because…?”
“Because you don’t want to be a boyfriend. Plus, you read my list, you saw—”
“Right. I’m not…what did you call Nolan? Sweet, steady, and stable.”
She closed her eyes. “Yeah.” But the truth was, in spite of the rough-and-tumble readiness, the jagged edges to him, he was those things. Sweet. Steady. Stable.
Which meant that she was another S altogether—screwed.
After lunch, they headed down a relatively easy section of the river, floating so slowly Harley could have gotten out and pushed faster. There were no waves, no tumbling rapids, nothing. The water was so flat that the tip of the kayak didn’t even rise and fall.
TJ was out in front, his kayak gliding sure and smooth. Behind him, the four girls laughed and giggled and talked about whatever flitted through their heads. Taking up the rear, Harley could see and hear all, not that the girls were trying to keep their voices down.
“Look at his arms,” Kitty whispered across the water with a dreamy sigh.
No doubt. TJ had the best arms Harley had ever seen. She’d been taking some pictures and found her lens focused in on them, taut, tanned, and glistening.
“I know!” Kitty said. “Someone rip my top off. That’ll get his attention.”
“No!” Harley said quickly, and all four girls craned around to look at her. “No nudity on the river,” she said. No nudity on the river? Jesus, she needed to think faster on her feet.
From ahead, TJ glanced around and gave them a long look, probably trying to figure out if he needed to be in on the conversation or if he should be thinking about running for the border. Harley gave him a little finger wave. She could handle it.
Probably.
“I’ve got a better idea,” Shelly murmured. “Watch this. Help!” she suddenly shrieked, and flailed in her kayak until she managed to tip it over. “TJ, help me!” she screamed.
TJ was already maneuvering his kayak around. Harley knew it would take him no time at all to get to Shelly and haul her out of the water, where she’d probably crawl over him with her wet, warm, curvy body.
As far as tactics went, it was a good one, Harley conceded. And it might be a lot of fun to watch, except for two things.
One, TJ was paying her to avoid exactly this.
And two, she didn’t want any half-naked wet woman crawling all over him.
Well, unless she was the half-naked wet woman. “Shelly,” she said calmly while holding up a hand to TJ to let him know she had it handled. “Put your feet down and stand up. The water’s only up to your belly button.”
Shelly abruptly stopped screaming and flailing and stood up, sending Harley a pout. “You’re no fun.” She flounced through the water to her kayak. “You just blew my chance for some mouth-to-mouth.”
TJ was wearing his dark sunglasses and his baseball cap, which shaded his face, so it was hard to tell his expression across the fifty feet of water that separated them, but Harley was pretty sure he was amused.
And relieved.
He could thank her later. Maybe with some mouth-to-mouth of their own variety.
They went back to kayaking with no more close encounters of the made-up kind. After awhile, Lani floated up next to Harley and smiled. Harley returned it. “You doing okay?” she asked the coed.
“Yes,” Lani said. “It’s gorgeous out here.”
“It is.”
“You’re so lucky that this is your job. I think this would be the coolest job ever.”
“What are you going to do with your biology degree?”
“I was thinking about teaching, but I know now I want to do something different. I want to do something to help preserve the wildlife.”
Shelly turned back and smiled warmly at her friend. “You can do it, Lani.”
Kitty nodded agreeably. “You can do whatever you want.”
“Easy for you to say,” Lani said quietly. “You’ve both got your
