Christmas on the Last Frontier (Last Frontier Lodge #1)

by J. H. Croix

  Jessa insisted on a toast. “To my oldest brother: here’s to your dream coming true.” She paused and met Marley’s eyes. “And to love.”

  Marley flushed straight through. She didn’t dare look at Gage and tried to control her expression, though her pulse ricocheted wildly. Glasses clinked and the hum of conversation carried on around them. Gage’s hand squeezed her neck softly, his calloused fingers idly toying with the collar of her shirt. A liquid hot shiver raced through her.

  ***

  Gage lifted his glass in reply to Jessa’s toast and kept his expression neutral. Jessa had taken every opportunity since she’d arrived to proclaim how perfect Marley was for him. Jessa was the most expressive of all of his siblings—the emotional weathervane in the family. She knew him well enough to know he didn’t do so well with blatant expressions of emotion, so he sensed she’d decided it was her job to make sure he realized how amazing Marley was. He hadn’t the heart to point out to Jessa she didn’t need to do any convincing. Barely a moment passed that he wasn’t thinking about Marley. He was relieved at how much he had to do during his waking hours, or he’d likely have driven himself to the edge with Marley dancing in his thoughts at all times. His body functioned on high idle around her, always on the edge of arousal with flat-out lust surging whenever she was close.

  For example, right now she sat quietly beside him in the booth. His sisters and Ginger chattered away and the restaurant buzzed around them as it slowly filled with people. For all his body cared, they were in the middle of nowhere by themselves. He couldn’t keep his hands from touching her someway, somehow, so he resigned himself to stroke the soft skin at the back of her neck. Her thigh was warm against his. His cock was rock hard and conveniently hidden by the table. He’d have to dredge up the fortitude to will his arousal away before he stood up. The temptation to rub his hand along her thigh was so great, he had to grit his teeth. The only thing stopping him was that he knew if he touched her somewhere his hand couldn’t be seen, he’d be unable to resist the urge to tease her. He wasn’t opposed to public displays of affection, but he wasn’t about to go there with the close audience of his sisters and Marley’s best friend.

  He dared to glance at Marley and closed his eyes at the sight of the flush on her cheeks and the freckles scattered across her skin. In his mind’s eyes, he could see the patterns of freckles randomly strewn on her body and how much he enjoyed mapping her body with his mouth meandering along the path of her freckles. Jessa had declared she believed he was in love with Marley, and he supposed he was. Love was a foreign language for him. It also hadn’t had any part in his plans. He thought perhaps he needed to find a way to tell Marley how he felt. He was working up to that.

  In the meantime, he was restless because Aidan had no news yet. Impatient, Gage had called him this morning to find out the meeting Aidan had with the lead detective had been rescheduled to this afternoon. Gage had called right before he came to dinner, only to get Aidan’s voice mail. Gage’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of their food. He ate mostly with one hand, reluctant to break the link of his touch with Marley.

  A while later, he walked through the trees with Marley to her cabin. Though it was dark, an almost full moon offered a silvery walk through the forest. The snow glowed softly under the moon. When they reached her cabin, Marley quickly got to work starting a fire after they kicked their boots off and hung their jackets. Gage had arranged for Jessa and Becca to stay in the private apartment at the lodge and set aside some rooms for the rest of his family. He’d actually had to turn away a few reservations, but he didn’t care. He was bound and determined to have his entire family at Last Frontier Lodge for this Christmas.

  Becca had arched a brow when he’d explained he was staying at Marley’s, while Jessa had squealed and hugged him. Becca tended to be reserved and skeptical, particularly when it came to relationships. She’d been burned badly by her last relationship when her fiancée had dumped her a mere two days before their wedding. Gage didn’t know all of the details, but he knew Becca’s skepticism when it came to relationships had grown exponentially after that. He had his own tendency to be reserved, so he’d merely shrugged and insisted he’d be staying with Marley.

  He turned and looked over at Marley. She was bending over to place a log in the woodstove, her lush bottom tempting him. He started walking toward her when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He almost ignored it when he remembered Aidan should be calling. Slipping his phone out, he glanced at the screen. At the sight of Aidan’s name, he answered.

  “Hey, what’s the update?”

  “Hey, nice to talk to you too. I’m doing great, how are you?” Aidan asked sarcastically.

  “Fine, fine. Don’t mean to be rude, but I figured you’re calling for a reason, so let’s get to the point.”

  Aidan chuckled. “Right. The deal is Kent Walker has a problem, namely that he’s been having an affair with one of the higher ups at a main competitor of Tech Synergy’s. That itself isn’t much of a thing, except for the fact that it appears he was leaking project data to her, so they could try to win a few contracts out from under Tech Synergy. Kent doesn’t know we know this, but one of my guys tracked down the data Kent thinks Marley has and it’s got his fingerprints all over it, including his emails with the woman in question. I’m not sure why he was stupid enough to purposefully save the data that would show the trail, but he did. They broke up, and she went to the police when he tried to blackmail her. Problem is, he lost the flash drive. Why he thinks Marley ever had it, we’re not really sure.”

  Gage swore savagely, and Marley closed the woodstove door and swung around to him, her eyes questioning. Gage took a breath and reined in the fury that welled inside. He held Marley’s gaze, mentally warring with himself. He wanted to stay here with her, but he couldn’t keep sitting this out. He needed to get to Seattle. He had to see this through. “Okay, I’m coming down tomorrow.”

  “Figured you’d say that. I’ll pick you up at the airport.” Aidan started to say something else and then paused.

  “What?” Gage asked.

  “Well, the detective asked if we thought Marley would be willing to come in for another interview. They’re pretty sure Kent was responsible for her robbery, but they’re not sure if it was him, or if he had someone else do it. They’d like to question her again to see if she has any details they missed. I’m not sure how you feel about that.”

  Gage’s heart clenched. He glanced to Marley again who watched him silently. Every fiber of his being wanted to protect her from this, to keep her away from Seattle, a place he knew she’d been relieved to leave. But he knew she wouldn’t appreciate his interference. She might decide not to go on her own, but it would be her decision, not his. He forced himself to take a breath. “Let me talk to her about it and let you know. Okay?”

  “Of course,” Aidan said quickly. “How about you text me your arrival time once you have it?”

  “You got it. See you then.” Gage ended the call and tossed his phone on the counter nearby.

  Marley took a step toward him and stopped. “Who was that?”

  “Aidan.”

  “Oh, um, what did he say?”

  Gage found himself fighting to keep his expression in check and his emotions under control. Years of automatic discipline were weak against the depth of protectiveness he felt for Marley. He didn’t want to tell her the police wanted to interview her again, didn’t want to tell her a man she knew was most likely responsible for her robbery and assault, and desperately didn’t want to see any fear flash in her eyes. But he knew this had to be her decision, no matter how much he wanted to shield her from it.

  “The police want to interview you again.” He forced the words out.

  Marley’s eyes widened, the fear he hadn’t wanted to see flickering. But she lifted her chin and held his gaze. “Why?”

  “Because they think Kent is responsible for the robbery and assault, but they’re not sure if he did it himself,
or if he had someone else do it.”

  “What?! I don’t understand, why…”

  Gage quickly summarized what Aidan had shared. Marley leaned against the couch, her arms wrapped around her waist. Gage’s throat was tight, his heart knotted with worry. He hated having to tell her any of this. He wanted to go to Seattle, smash Kent’s face in and do everything in his power to wipe Marley’s memories clean.

  He stepped in front of her and curled his hands on her shoulders, slowly pulling her toward him. Her arms fell and she stepped into his embrace. He could feel the tension coiled in her body. He stroked his hands up and down her back, willing her to relax. The heat from the woodstove gradually permeated the cabin. He felt her slowly ease. She finally pulled back and lifted her head. Her gaze speared him right in his heart. In that split second, he knew what he felt was love and he could hardly bear it. Now wasn’t the time to say something, so he held his silence, his body thrumming with emotion.

  Marley took a slow breath, her expression becoming curious. “It’s funny. There were a few rumors at the office about someone maybe passing code onto that company. But there was always talk like that. There were so many start ups, so many projects in development. I can’t believe it was actually happening. What was Kent thinking, saving all those emails and data on a flash drive? They’re so easy to lose. And why did he think I had it?”

  Gage eyed her, relieved she seemed to be okay. “Damned if I know. Aidan said the two things they don’t know yet are why Kent thought you might have the flash drive and if he did the robbery himself, or had someone else do it.”

  Cold fury knotted in Gage’s gut every time he thought about what happened to Marley. He remembered Don’s description that she’d been pistol whipped before the man tore her apartment to pieces. He closed his eyes and wrestled his emotions under control. Marley didn’t need him punching the walls like he wanted to now. He needed to keep it together until he was somewhere he could actually do something.

  “I’ll go,” Marley said abruptly.

  “To Seattle?” Gage reminded himself it needed to be her decision, but he was unprepared for how much he didn’t want her to go. He wanted her to stay safe here in Diamond Creek.

  Marley was unaware of his internal battle when she nodded quickly. “Yup. Will you come with me?”

  “Of course! I just told Aidan I was going there myself. I was trying to figure out how to explain it to you. There’s no way I’d let you go down there by yourself.”

  Marley reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. “Good.” She paused and tilted her head. “What about Becca and Jessa?”

  “They’ll understand. We’ll go down tomorrow morning and fly back the next morning.” He knew his sisters would understand if he explained.

  Marley held his eyes for a long moment, her expression soft. “Okay.” She stepped out of his arms and walked to her desk. “Let’s make reservations now,” she said, grabbing her laptop and pulling up a travel website.

  Gage rested on the pillows hours later, Marley soft and lush in his arms. He stroked a hand through her hair, marveling at how little control he had when it came to her. He’d climbed in bed tonight, telling himself he could manage one night without the sense-stealing, breathtaking sex that left him gutted at the bare intimacy of it. He was just catching his breath now, his mantra useless against the thread of desire that stitched tighter and tighter between them every day. He glanced down. Her head rested on his shoulders, her auburn hair spread in a tangle. Moonlight cast a beam across the bed, gilding her skin with its silvery light. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, wondering how he was going to keep it together tomorrow. He’d never once questioned his ability to keep his emotions under control in a tense situation. But then, he’d never been in love before.

  Chapter 19

  Marley walked at Gage’s side through Pike Place Market. They’d landed in Seattle late this morning and were scheduled to meet with the police this afternoon. She wanted to spend some time with him in one of her favorite places in Seattle, so she’d dragged him here for lunch and a meander through the market. They were heading back toward the hotel now to meet with Aidan. She glanced up at Gage, her heart squeezing with emotion suddenly. They were having a simple, everyday moment, and yet, the joy she felt at being with him came so naturally that it blew her away. His chocolate hair was damp from the soft mist falling. He’d eschewed a raincoat and sauntered at her side, his warm hand laced in hers. She still couldn’t quite believe he wanted her. As they walked along, plenty of women gave him a second look, some blatant. She couldn’t help the curl of jealousy. She wanted to wave their eyes away and stamp him as hers and hers only. His body was all muscle, his smoky gray gaze sent sparks skittering along her veins with the slightest glance.

  He looked down at her, his mouth quirking before he stopped abruptly and turned to her.Without a word, he leaned forward and molded his lips over hers. In the middle of a busy sidewalk with people parting around them, Gage kissed her senseless. He swept his tongue inside her mouth, cupping her cheek with his hand. As swiftly as it began, it ended. He pulled away, his eyes intent on her. His thumb lightly coasted across the pulse beating wildly in her neck. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, Marley thought she saw a flash of uncertainty in them.

  “Let’s get to the hotel,” he said gruffly.

  Moments later, they walked through the lobby. Marley pulled her raincoat off and gave it a shake while they waited for the elevator. She heard Gage’s name and turned toward the voice to see a man walking in their direction. He was tall, dark and solid as a rock. She figured he must be Aidan, who Gage had explained was a former team member from his Navy SEAL days and ran his own private security company now.

  Gage grinned and tugged Aidan into a swift hug when he reached them. “Hey man, good to see you.” Gage turned and slipped his arm around Marley’s waist. “This is Marley.”

  Aidan’s blue eyes crinkled when he smiled at Marley. He held a hand out. “Hello Marley. Nice to meet the woman who’s stolen Gage’s heart.”

  Marley shook his hand, which was so large it literally engulfed hers. Though she’d never have considered Gage short by any means, Aidan towered over her and topped Gage. With Gage at roughly six feet, she figured Aidan had to have a good four plus inches on him. Gage chuckled softly at Aidan’s comment, while Marley frantically wondered if it was true, or if Aidan was casually teasing.

  “Nice to meet you too. I don’t know how to thank you…”

  Aidan glanced to Gage and back at her. “No need to thank me. Gage is the one who asked me to help, so if you want to thank someone, thank him. I’m happy to help and damn glad we actually got somewhere.”

  The elevator binged and opened. Aidan gestured for them to go in first. “Let’s get somewhere private to talk.”

  After they got to their hotel room, Marley pushed the curtains back and glanced out over the Seattle skyline. Her old apartment was a few blocks away. She’d been worried about how she’d feel coming back here, but her anxiety was lessened significantly with Gage by her side. The skyline was fuzzy in the misty rain, but she could see the Space Needle in the distance and boats in Puget Sound. She took a breath and turned back to Gage and Aidan who were sitting at a small round table. She joined them, and Gage immediately placed his hand on her thigh, its warm heat comforting and stimulating at once. Now was definitely not the time to get worked up over Gage, but his kiss had stirred up the ever-present charge between them. Not to mention that all he had to do was exist in space near her, and that hot, electric charge slid through her veins. She took a breath and focused on the moment.

  Aidan turned to her, his blue eyes sharp and assessing. “How are you feeling about this?”

  “Okay, I guess. I mean, not great, but it’d be weird if I felt good about it. It’s not talking to the police, it’s just the whole thing. Has anyone actually talked to Kent?”

  Aidan shook his head. “The plan is
for the police to interview you and see if anything comes up that might give them some clues about the robbery. Then they plan to bring Kent in for questioning. I can sit with you during the interview with them…”

  Gage cut Aidan off. “I’ll be there too.” His eyes were dark when he spoke.

  Aidan looked at Gage and back at Marley. “Gage, I know you want to be there, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Why?” Gage all but barked his question.

  Marley’s stomach churned. She’d somehow managed to tamp down her anxiety about why she was here most of last night and this morning. She’d shrouded herself in a cloud of denial. Discussing what was coming brought her feelings to the fore. She couldn’t quite believe Kent would have gone so far as to assault and rob her, but the fact was someone had. Her heart raced and her skin got clammy. She remembered what her therapist had told her—to let the feelings happen and find something to anchor her to the present moment. Her therapist had told her that her body would eventually convince her mind that the fear wasn’t coming to fruition in the present moment, but that it would take practice and patience. She focused on the feel of Gage’s hand on her leg and let the feelings pass through her. Right now, she was safe here beside Gage. She glanced at Gage who was glaring at Aidan.

  “Look man, I get why you want to be in the interview with Marley, but she needs to not be worried about how you’re feeling. And I know you’ll be feeling something. You have every right to be furious at the guy who robbed and assaulted her, but the police need to be able to interview her without you unintentionally affecting her.” Aidan paused and glanced at Marley. “Any thoughts on this?”

  Marley appreciated that he was including her. She looked to Gage and reached for his hand. He took a slow breath, but remained silent. “Much as I want you right there with me, it’s probably better if you’re not. I already went through these interviews a few times, unless they plan to do something differently, they’ll basically walk me through what I remember. I don’t want to hold back anything unconsciously. You have no idea how much it means to me that you’re helping with this. But if you start to get upset at what you hear, I’ll be worried about you.”