Frozen Hearts (Beyond Reality Book 3)

by Stoker, Susan

  When Roger had himself under control, he pulled back and kissed her on the cheek and made his way back toward the other men and Shannel. Kina cleared her throat and reached for her camera, which was still in Jonathan’s hands. She risked looking up at him, not knowing what his reaction would be. She had no idea if he’d be pissed or upset or what.

  She watched as he leaned toward her and said in a low voice. “I’m so proud of you, Kina. If this wasn’t going to be shown to millions of people right now, I’d kiss the hell out of you.”

  Kina blushed and couldn’t say anything. Wow. Just wow.

  She picked up the camera and filmed the rest of the ceremony. Nothing remotely as exciting as what happened to Roger had gone on with the other two contestants. They had funny stories to tell about braiding the rope and on trying to get the scales off of the fish. When Shannel finally read off the times for each of the contestants, Kina wasn’t surprised to hear that Roger had the slowest time overall.

  Roger didn’t seem to mind either. His final words for the show said it all. “Even though I’m leaving the show today, I’m leaving with my life, so I feel like I’ve won anyway.”

  Because they were on a glacier, Roger couldn’t leave the same way the other contestants had. They all had to hike off the glacier to get to the van. Jonathan didn’t even flinch, which Kina appreciated more than she could say, when Roger took hold of her hand and held it the entire way back to the van. They didn’t exchange any more words about what had happened up on the glacier, but Kina knew they’d created a bond that would never fade.

  Kina thought about how close she and Sam were, and understood what Roger was feeling. She could feel Jonathan walking close behind her, keeping watch over her and it warmed her heart. He was letting Roger hold her hand, but she was still aware of him. It was like he’d warned, even though another man had her attention and was close to her, she knew he was there, knew she was his and his alone.

  Kina exchanged contact information with Roger before he left the production house. She knew she’d always keep in touch. It was like the old Chinese proverb, if you saved someone’s life, it was yours forever. She didn’t even startle when she felt a hand curl around the back of her neck. Jonathan. She’d missed that.

  “Are you all right, hon?” He seemed to know how emotional she was over what had happened. “You want to talk about it?”

  “I’m good.” At his skeptical look, she turned toward him and looked up. “I swear, I’m okay.”

  She fell even more for the man standing in front of her, when he simply nodded. He pulled her toward him and gathered her close. She loved when he did that. It made her feel so cared for, so safe, so loved. Holy cow. She didn’t want to go there, not yet.

  “Would you rather spend a month alone with your lover in a cabin high in the mountains surrounded by snow, or on a deserted tropical island?”

  Kina laughed and didn’t take her head from his chest as she answered, “If that was an invitation, my answer is that it doesn’t matter as long as we’re together.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  This was it! The final competition for the show was here at last. Kina knew everyone was ready for it to be over. The weather had gotten colder and the daylight was getting shorter and shorter. Kina had the utmost respect for anyone who chose to live in Alaska year-round. She knew it was beautiful in the summer, with the long summer light and the mild weather, but staying there all-year-long took a special kind of person. She knew she couldn’t do it.

  Darius and Nash also seemed ready to be done with the show. They were nervous about what they’d have to do for the final competition, but ready to be done with it. Kina didn’t think either really cared if he was named the “Extreme Alaskan,” but it was more that they wanted to get home to their own space and friends and family again.

  She and Jonathan had worked out an easy camaraderie. They hadn’t spent the night together again, knowing what it would lead to if they did. Kina wanted to make love to Jonathan more and more each day, but she also liked that they were taking it slow. It was great getting to know him without the pressure of being naked thrown in.

  They did spend the evenings in each other’s arms watching TV or just hanging out with the others. They shared some scorching kisses, but tried to keep it at that. They both knew the end of the show meant some decisions would have to be made.

  Kina still hadn’t decided what to do. On one hand, she wanted to be with Jonathan, but she was honestly scared to death to think about giving up her job. She hated not being able to make a decision one way or another. She didn’t want to be a camera operator for reality shows anymore, but she did want to stay in the business. She didn’t know how that would work if she moved to Arizona to be with Jonathan. If she started at a new television station, she knew she’d have to start at the bottom and work her way up again, and that definitely didn’t appeal to her.

  She knew Taylor and Carl were ready to go home as well. They’d started talking more and more about their adorable little girls and she knew they missed their spouses as well. Taylor had been with his partner, John, for over fifteen years and Carl had been married to his wife for ten. While they understood the life of a camera operator meant a lot of time away from home, it was never easy.

  Eddie had worked hard to make sure the final competition between the two men would be dramatic. He’d chosen to have another overnight adventure, but this time it would be on Bear Island. Bear Island was located southwest of Anchorage in the Katmai National Park and Preserve. It was an actual island on Kukaklek Lake. The best, and quickest, way to get to it from Anchorage was by helicopter.

  The island was known to have a large population of brown bears, it wasn’t so far from the mainland that the bears couldn’t easily swim to it. They found the island to be a perfect place to nest and raise their young. Part of the reason was because the food was plentiful and the predators few. The brown bears had mostly been stuffing themselves with food during the summer, but the danger of an attack was never really gone. The men, and subsequently the camera operators, would have to constantly be on the alert for the massive animals.

  Native Alaskans knew to keep clear of the bears, especially this time of year. They were unpredictable and many people were killed each year from bear attacks. Because it was so dangerous, Eddie brought in an Alaskan ranger to talk with both the camera operators and the contestants to go over some basic bear safety.

  Kina listened intently as the ranger explained how brown bears were able to run in short bursts up to forty miles an hour and they were also very good swimmers, so it was unlikely a human would win in a foot race. Darius and Roger were both given bear boxes, which were bear-resistant containers and they were instructed to put any leftover food in, to string up in trees to prevent the bears from entering the campsite after smelling food.

  Basically, the ranger told everyone that bears don’t like being surprised, they should never be crowded, and they’re always looking for something to eat. Kina looked around and saw everyone was paying close attention to the ranger. They all knew Bear Island could be dangerous and they wanted to stay safe.

  Kina muffled her laughter when Jonathan leaned over and asked quietly in her ear, “Would you rather be mauled by a hungry bear or a hungry lion?” She shivered as he nipped her ear quickly before facing the ranger again and pretending he hadn’t just made her quiver and wish those teeth were nipping somewhere else.

  The plan was to drop off the two contestants with two camera operators filming each man on either side of the island. They weren’t supposed to interact with each other, but Eddie and the production crew would be stationed on another part of the island. As long as they kept their interactions with each other off camera, it wouldn’t be an issue. Each pair of camera operators would have a radio for safety purposes.

  The contestants would spend another two nights on the island, in much the same time frame as their last overnight contest. They’d be dropped off around noon and picked up aroun
d the same time on the third day. This time the difference was that each man wasn’t given anything to eat, it would be up to them to find their own food. They were to make their own shelter, find their own food, and generally just survive while out on their own. They were given one match, one fishing hook and they were allowed to dress as warm as they’d like.

  Kina didn’t know what the actual competition was from Eddie’s brief explanation, and obviously the men were confused as well. Most of the activities in the past had been based on time or some other type of quantifiable outcome. Finally, Eddie got to the point.

  “In order to win and be called the ‘Extreme Alaskan’, you’ll be judged by one of the local rangers. Whichever of you is deemed to have the best campsite, will win. The ranger has a checklist of things she is going to use to see if your site is deemed ‘Alaska-worthy.’ She’ll check to make sure your shelter is solid, you have a good food supply, you have a good place for your fire, etc. We can’t tell you all of the criteria. It’s up to you to figure out how to make your site a place you, or anyone else, could actually survive in if they were there for a long period of time. Use what you’ve learned over the course of the last weeks and what you know from your previous experiences. Be safe, have fun, and we’ll see you in a few days.”

  Eddie broke everyone up into their groups. Kina wasn’t surprised she and Jonathan were together again. While she was a bit embarrassed, she was also glad. Obviously Eddie wasn’t dumb, and after his talk with Jonathan about Jeff, he’d obviously figured out they were together. He could’ve been a jerk and separated them deliberately, but he hadn’t. Another surprise.

  Taylor and Carl winked at Kina as they set off with Nash. Kina would’ve been happy being with either of the other men; luckily, they all got along extremely well, especially now that Jeff was no longer with them.

  Kina and Jonathan set off after Darius. He was given instructions on how to get where he was to set up his camp. It started out as a quiet trek because Darius didn’t have another contestant to talk to, but remembering what the ranger had said about bears and how they didn’t like to be surprised, he started to whistle while he walked. Making noise was a great way to let bears know you were there so they could keep their distance.

  Kina would’ve loved to have been able to make some noise of her own. She was a bit paranoid about the whole bear thing. She had no desire to run into a bear in her lifetime. But since the cameras would pick up any extra noise they made, both she and Jonathan had to keep silent.

  After a forty-five minute walk, they arrived at Darius’ spot on the other side of the island. It was breathtaking. They were looking south over Kukaklek Lake and the sun was hitting the lake and glistening off it like a million diamonds sparkling on the water. It was beautiful. Kina thought if it was only about fifty degrees warmer, it could almost be a tropical paradise and a place she’d like to come to. Almost.

  Darius got right to work. Kina almost felt sorry for him. As a chemist, he hadn’t had too much need to run around the woods collecting firewood and trying set up a camp according to some obscure standards he’d be judged by.

  Jonathan leaned over and tapped Kina on the shoulder. She stopped filming so he could talk to her.

  “Do you want to set up our camp, or continue to film Darius?”

  Kina smiled.

  “What are you smiling for?” Jonathan asked running his index finger down her cheek lightly.

  “Because you asked me which I’d rather do,” Kina answered honestly, loving his hands on her. “Most men would’ve just assumed they’d have to put up the tent while I filmed.”

  Ignoring her sexist comment, Jonathan instead chose to concentrate on two words she’d said. “The tent? We did bring two, you know.”

  “I know,” Kina said blushing. “You can set up the tent; I’ll follow Darius for a while.”

  Jonathan looked around to see where Darius had gone. He was across the clearing, not paying any attention to them, instead he was trying to set up a lean-to with some branches. Jonathan hooked his hand behind Kina’s neck and pulled her toward him.

  Kina loved that it seemed to be his favorite way to bring her toward him for a kiss. His palm on the back of her neck was like an instant aphrodisiac for her. Her brain knew what was coming and she was instantly ready for him. The kiss, as usual, was intense. It was way too short for Kina’s liking, but they both knew they were working and had no time to make out like two horny teenagers.

  Stepping back from her, Jonathan said, “Okay, I’ll set up our tent. You follow Darius, but be safe.”

  Nodding, Kina headed toward Darius to get some good close-up shots of him setting up his camp.

  The rest of the day went by relatively smoothly. Darius managed to get his lean-to set up and miraculously, he was able to start a fire. Kina almost laughed out loud at the victory dance he did after he got it to a safe level. Watching him hoop and holler and skip around the area was just too funny. Kina thought once again how great his actions would be for television. He also managed to catch a small fish in the lake. He didn’t have to worry about any leftovers because he ate the entire thing. She was actually pretty impressed at how well he’d done. She knew she wouldn’t have been half as successful as he was. Thank God, she was filming and not on the show itself.

  After Jonathan and Kina ate and the sun went down, it was still way too early to head to bed. They’d gotten some good nighttime shots of Darius lying under his shelter gazing up at the sky and other generic nighttime shots that could be edited into the show wherever Eddie would like to put them in. Both Jonathan and Kina were more than happy to sit around the fire Darius had built and relax for a bit.

  They’d all gotten to know each other pretty well over the last weeks, not to mention the recent drama with the strip club, so they were all comfortable hanging out for a while. Kina was going to start the ‘Would you Rather’ game, but then decided she liked it being just between her and Jonathan.

  They sat around and talked about nothing important, just the weather, what Darius had planned for the next day and what he’d do when the show was over.

  “Maybe after the show airs, you’ll be so famous some hot chick will look you up.”

  Kina and Darius laughed at Jonathan. Kina picked up where Jonathan left off.

  “Yeah, even though this wasn’t a dating show, it could still work out for you.”

  Darius laughed. “I’ll just be glad to go back to my nice, plain, boring life. I think I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen to not apply to be on a reality show. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

  They all laughed. After about two hours or so, Jonathan stood up.

  “Thanks for letting us share your fire, Darius. We’re going to hit the sack. We’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”

  Darius nodded at them and didn’t even make any comments about the two of them having only one tent set up. Kina figured after Jonathan’s talk with him there was no way he’d chance being disrespectful in any way toward her. It was obvious they were “together” and Darius didn’t seem to have any issues with it.

  Climbing into the tent felt awkward this time. The last time they were on site outside it seemed more natural. Kina figured it was because there was more sexual tension in the air now and they were more aware of each other.

  She settled down on the sleeping bag Jonathan had put down and waited for him to join her. Jonathan had taken the ranger’s words to heart and had put their MREs inside the bear-proof container and strung it up over a tree about fifty yards away. He didn’t want to take any chances of a bear wandering into their tent looking for food. That was one of the most dangerous situations people could get into with a bear. The ranger told everyone several horror stories about campers who’d either been in their tent when a bear got curious, or who’d gone into their tent, believing it would protect them from a bear. There was nothing to do but fight if that happened. Kina didn’t want to have a fight a bear in such close quarters as this little
tent.

  Jonathan zipped up the door flap and shut off the flashlight, leaving them in total darkness. It was intimate in a way that being in a bed together hadn’t been. Kina felt him take off his boots and then strip off his jeans. She sighed as he gathered her into his arms and drew the second sleeping bag over them. God, she loved being in his arms like this.

  After a moment of silence Jonathan said softly, “I’ve missed this.”

  Kina had too, but they both knew why they hadn’t been sleeping in the same bed. It was the big hairy gorilla in the room they’d both been ignoring. He’d said he wanted them to get to know each other before making love, but he’d also said he wanted to wait until she was ready to give herself to him. To be with him. He wanted her to be able to say with one hundred percent conviction that she wanted to be with him.

  “I’ve missed it too,” was all she could say in response.

  Jonathan didn’t let the subject drop as Kina hoped he would.

  “Have you thought anymore about coming to Arizona with me, once the show is over?”

  Kina shifted in his arms until she rested her chin on his chest. She could just make out his face. As much as she wished they didn’t have to have this conversation, she knew it was time. Hell, it was past time to have it. “I’ve thought about it,” she hedged, still not knowing what she’d tell him.

  “What’s holding you back, hon?” Jonathan asked tenderly. “Talk it though with me, let me help you, ease your fears.”

  “But you’ll find reasons for me to move, no matter what I say,” Kina said in frustration. “How can I talk it through with you when I know you’ll try to convince me to move down there no matter what reasons I come up with for not wanting to?”

  Jonathan was silent for a long while. Kina turned back on her side and rested her head on his shoulder again, keeping her arm thrown over his rock-hard abdomen.