Alaskan Adventure (Destination: Desire)

by Crystal Jordan

  He snorted. “You’re an awesome friend that way.”

  “I am.” She laid a hand over her heart. “They fought over having me as their attendant at the wedding.”

  A roguish grin answered that. “Who won?”

  “Well, Finn’s having his dad as his best man, so I volunteered as head usher to even up the sides.” She couldn’t resist the urge to touch him, so she slid her foot out from under the sheet and set it against his knee. “Not that Mr. Walsh wouldn’t have been happy to escort all three of Meg’s besties up the aisle, but I think this works better. Meg and Finn are happy with the arrangement, and as long as they’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

  “Some super-hot guy is your date, of course.” He spoke lightly, but that hint of jealousy was back, and more intense too.

  Unfortunately, he had no reason to be envious. “Nah. Being the bridesmaid or usher or whatever at a wedding means you’re running around trying to make sure everything runs smoothly for your friend’s day. Dates tend to be pains at times like that. Like at the hemorrhoid level. I don’t need any extra pains in my ass.”

  He laughed hard. “Not all men are pains at weddings. Some know how to entertain themselves.”

  “When they don’t know anyone else?” She huffed out a breath. “Unlikely. And to be fair, that’s a crap situation to put someone in. This will be my eighth time as a bridesmaid or usher—yes, I’ve been an usher and a best woman before—and I’ve only taken a date to a wedding twice. The second time was only because my boyfriend was invited too.”

  “So he was entertained.” His fingers encircled her ankle, his thumb brushing over the joint.

  “More or less.” She grimaced. They’d broken up a week later. “He was still an ass-pain about not having me at his side every second.”

  “You’ve been dating the wrong guys,” Gabe chided. “The good ones know how to take care of themselves. You don’t want a guy like your mother, who expects you to pander to every whim and be on beck and call duty ’round the clock. You deserve better.”

  That seemed to be everyone’s line for her lately, and it was getting annoying. It wasn’t like she was some pathetic doormat who let everyone walk all over her. True, she’d had to play that part occasionally in the name of domestic tranquility, but only for her mother, not for any of her lovers. She stared down her nose at Gabe. “I’m not sure if I should be complimented or insulted.”

  “Complimented.”

  “Of course you’d think so.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  With lightning-quick speed, he yanked her ankle so she slid down the bed and ended up flat on her back. He was on top of her in a split-second, his green eyes intent on her mouth. “Do that again, I dare you.”

  She did.

  They didn’t come up for air again for over an hour.

  Luckily, Gabe didn’t have to lead a trip until after lunch. So, the fact that Anne and he had missed the breakfast serving because they couldn’t get out of bed mattered to no one except themselves. Well, his parents had teased them privately, but that was par for the course. He loved that Anne could take the ribbing without getting upset. Some of his previous girlfriends didn’t care for the Warren brand of affection, but Anne gave as good as she got.

  It had taken some wrangling, but he’d managed to get his parents into a couple of kayaks to join the trip he was leading now. He dipped one end of his oar into the water, then the other, propelling himself through the icy current. The wind ruffled his hair and his sleeves, but his torso was covered with a life vest. He let a breath ease out, relaxing into the familiar rhythm of his shoulders bunching as he leaned into every stroke.

  They were exploring interesting rock formations and some floating icebergs today. It was an easier journey than the ice climbing and hiking, so talking his parents into it was fairly simple. Getting them into the kayaks without capsizing had been another story, but he’d managed.

  They paddled side by side, laughing and chatting. He smiled, glad they were having a good time. His kayak was just behind theirs, bringing up the rear of the group, as usual.

  Mark rode herd on his three boys, so when the youngest two started horsing around, he put the kibosh on it before Gabe had to say anything. Nice. He liked it when people made his job easy for him.

  “This is fun,” Peggy enthused, splashing way too much as she rowed. “I wouldn’t want to fall in that water though. I’d freeze my ass off.”

  “We can’t have that,” Vince said gravely, an impious sparkle in his eyes.

  She flashed him the kind of look that Gabe absolutely never wanted to see on his mother’s face. Though he’d been seeing it often enough his entire life. His parents had never hidden their attraction to each other.

  “It’s amazing I didn’t need more therapy as an adult,” he commented to the world at large.

  “Poor baby.” His mother glanced back, mockery dripping from her words.

  A boisterous laugh floated across the water, and he looked over to see Anne joking around with the Danish twenty-something couple who’d been on the ice climb yesterday. Outrageous didn’t even begin to describe Anne, but she also drew people like a magnet. He hoped she never lost her rougher edges—it made her unique. Irresistibly so.

  His mother noticed where his attention had wandered. She flicked a bit of water at him, and the droplets hit his face. She cackled. “I like her. You have my permission to marry her.”

  “I needed your permission?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “Well, yeah.” She gave him a blank stare. “Obviously.”

  He glanced at his dad, who just shrugged and grinned. “I like Anne too, so…enjoy. Though I’m very certain you’re already doing that.”

  Yes, he was. No, he wasn’t discussing it. Especially with his parents. His feelings for Anne were deeper and more complex than he’d ever expected them to become. He didn’t know yet if that was a good thing or a bad thing—he just knew he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. Maybe even after the cruise was over. He didn’t know if she was thinking along those same lines, but she seemed to want to be in his company all the time as well. Even now, she was letting the Danish couple pull ahead of her, slowing down so the Warrens could catch up.

  He glowered at his parents when they beamed. Yep, they’d noticed Anne was waiting for them too. “The two of you are insane. Did you do this to David when he met Raquel?”

  “Well, yeah. Obviously.” His father managed the same uncomprehending stare his mother had given.

  Gabe fought the need to roll his eyes. “Big bro has a higher tolerance for pain than I ever gave him credit for.”

  “Have you talked to him lately?” Peggy asked slyly.

  No, but he had exchanged emails and text messages, which were David and his preferred forms of communication. So he knew what his mother was alluding to. He gave her a saccharine smile. “You mean about how he’s going to give me my first niece or nephew in about eight months?”

  “You take all the fun out of surprising you.” She huffed.

  His grin widened, which he knew would annoy her more. “Luckily, David got to surprise me with that. Since it was his good news and all.”

  She wagged a finger at him. “Don’t try to be all tricky with your logic. I see right through you.”

  Then she squeaked and lost her grip on her paddle. It splashed in the water, and she gasped as droplets hit her. She muttered curse words under her breath, tried to reach for it, and almost overturned her kayak.

  “Whoa! Stay right where you are,” Gabe barked. “I will get it. Do not tip yourself over.”

  Luckily, the oar floated and he managed to maneuver his kayak around so that he could snag her paddle and hand it back to her. She looked from him to the oar, a bit of disgruntled censure in her expression. “You’re not supposed to snap at your mother, Gabriel.”

 
Dead serious, he met her gaze. “I would rather snap at you than fish you out of freezing cold water and hope you don’t end up with hypothermia.”

  A reluctant grin quirked up one corner of her lips. “That’s cheating. Undermining me with love. Bah.”

  He winked.

  “Whoa, you almost capsized, Peggy.” Anne came alongside his mother. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, honey.” She tilted her head. “At least I’m not going to look like I peed my pants. After yesterday’s Havana omelet incident, no one would believe I’m not incontinent.”

  “They sell Depends in the ship’s gift shop if you need them, dear,” Vince replied helpfully, a devilish twinkle in his gaze.

  “Why on earth were you looking at—no.” Peggy held up her hand. “No, I really don’t want an answer to that. After forty years of marriage, I know better than to ask.”

  Anne’s mouth quivered while she tried not to giggle.

  Gabe looked her straight in the eyes. “All of my weirdness? I come by it honestly.”

  That was when she lost it entirely, hunching over as she laughed. A smile creased his face, loving the sight of her going to pieces. She was a lovely woman, but her smile made her breathtaking. A few people glanced back, smiling at them. Gabe gave them a jaunty wave, and several waved in return. His gaze swept over the kayaks, doing a quick headcount, making sure everyone was accounted for. Everything looked good. This group was large, so there were two other guides along. Still, Gabe had the most experience, so he needed to make sure everything stayed on track. The other guides nodded to him, letting him know all was well on their ends. Excellent. The one in the lead gestured to the left, indicating they would turn toward a rock outcropping that had been carved into odd shapes by centuries of ice freezes and snow run-off.

  The day went by in a blur of laughter and good cheer. There was a constant flow of chatter and joking between his parents, Anne, Mark, the boys, the Danish couple and anyone else who paddled within earshot.

  More than once, his gaze met Anne’s and he saw heat and awareness flash in her golden eyes. He wanted her. Now. Again. Always. He liked spending time with her, but if they’d been alone, he’d have pulled up alongside her and leaned over to steal a kiss. He couldn’t do much more in a kayak, but he craved the taste of her. Since he was working, he refrained, but he wanted. And she knew it.

  They were almost back to the ship when his dad paddled over to him. “There’s a movie marathon playing on TV during dinner. Some of your mom’s favorites.”

  “What, on one of our six channels?” It was a good thing Gabe had never been much for television, because the selection on a cruise ship was pretty limited. No sports channels, a movie station or two, and then a few of the basic broadcasting options. That was it.

  “Yep. We’re thinking about grabbing a tray at the beginning of the dinner service and going back to the room,” Vince commented casually. “In case you had other things you wanted to do for dinner.”

  Great, his parents were trying to help him with his love life. That was touching, weird, and kind of pathetic all at the same time. He decided his best bet was to play dumb and mess with his father. Because that was how his family rolled. “Oh? What other things were you thinking about?”

  “Smartass.” Vince sniffed. “If you need me to explain it to you, you’re not the son I raised.”

  Gabe chuckled. “Don’t worry. You and Mom did a great job with the birds and bees lessons.”

  “Glad we could help. A well-rounded education is important.” Vince nodded, a shit-eating grin on his face.

  There was no comment Gabe could make that wouldn’t take the conversation in a direction he’d rather not stray. On the one hand, he was glad his parents had always been open about their love for each other. They’d been a good example of what his brother and he should be looking for in a long-term partnership. On the other hand, they were his parents. Enough said.

  Vince sobered as the Alaskan Adventure loomed large before them. “You realize there’s only nine days left on this trip. You’re down to single digits.”

  “I know.”

  He tilted his head, his gaze probing deeper than Gabe was comfortable with. “All teasing aside, if you like her—”

  “She hates my job, Dad.” He sighed. “She thinks it’s irresponsible.”

  “She’s not the first. Change her mind.”

  “How?” It was an honest question, and he looked at his dad, hoping for some wisdom that would make the woman who fit him so well in all other areas a candidate for more than a three week mini-relationship. He honestly couldn’t call it an affair or a fling anymore, not with the way he felt.

  How she felt, he had no clue.

  “Does she know you still do some freelance programming?”

  “Yeah. She thinks leaving the security of steady employment behind was irresponsible too.” He grimaced. “In all fairness, that seems to be what her mother does. Take temporary jobs and mooch off of Anne when she can’t pay the bills. Her mom lives with her. Parasitizes her, I should say.”

  “She’s scared you’d be more of the same.”

  “Yeah.” And that hurt. He hadn’t realized how much it stung when she’d assumed his brother’s financial management was actually donations to the Feed Gabe Fund until he couldn’t forget about it and the pain nagged at the back of his mind. That her assumptions hurt so much told him how serious his feelings for her were.

  His dad cast him a sidelong glance. “So she doesn’t know how much you make with your freelance work?”

  “We haven’t exchanged stock portfolios, no.” Frustration tightened his muscles, making his paddling less smooth, so his kayak rocked in the water. “Does it matter how much is in my bank account? I wouldn’t use someone I cared about like that, even if I was dead broke.”

  “I know.” Vince’s chin bobbed in a nod. “But she’s been burned by someone she loves before. It’s not unreasonable for her to be wary. The question is, are you prepared to overcome her fears? Is this thing you have worth the work it would take to build real trust? Think about it. If it’s just sex, then have a good time. But I think you know it’s not just sex. I’ve seen you with other girls before. She’s different. You’re different with her.”

  “I’ll think about it.” And that was all Gabe could say now. He needed to sort himself out, decide what he wanted with Anne, before he could talk to her about those wants.

  “You do that.”

  Vince and Gabe were at the rear of the group, and those at the front had already started clamoring back onboard the ship. Gabe would need to help the other guides stow the kayaks, but then he was free for the evening.

  A half an hour later, he managed to charm the head chef into letting him take two servings of dinner out of the dining room before they were officially open for evening service. The chef was a notorious stickler for the rules, but having been on the ship every summer for five years gave Gabe leeway most didn’t enjoy. He slipped away and headed for Anne’s room. After they returned from the kayak trip, they’d separated to shower in their cabins, and Gabe thought a little dinner in bed sounded like just the way to wrap up a fantastic day.

  He balanced the tray on one hand and knocked with the other.

  “Just a second!” Anne called.

  “No problem, but your food is getting cold.”

  The door whipped open. “Food? What food? Gimme!”

  Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she danced around him making excited little noises as he walked in and set the tray down. He laughed, turned, and dragged her into his arms. He had to kiss her. He just had to. She hummed and melted against him. Their lips met, tongues twined, and the tart-sweet flavor of her filled his mouth. Desire wound through him, an unstoppable, undeniable heat that gripped him any time she was near.

  He could rarely find a private moment do this when he was on d
uty, and the need to hold back somehow sharpened the experience when he did get his hands on her. She still challenged him and argued with him about every damn thing, but the context had changed. Now it wasn’t just to piss him off. Half the time, it was foreplay, revving them both up for what would come later—he’d spent every single night with her since the day they’d gone to the El Capitan Cave.

  Releasing her reluctantly, he licked his lips, savoring the lingering taste of her. She patted his cheek, turned, and pulled the covers off the plates. Something painful tightened in his chest just watching her. He didn’t even want to think about what it was going to be like when she left and took all her sassiness and fire with her. The more he had of her—in and out of bed—the more he hated the very idea of losing her. But they’d gone into this without any intention of there being more than these few weeks. It was too late to renegotiate, wasn’t it?

  His dad’s words echoed in his head, a reminder that everything was different with Anne, in the best possible way.

  “Oh, you brought chocolate cake too.” She clasped her hands over her heart and sighed. “You really do love me.”

  Love. The word hit him with the subtle force of a sledgehammer and he stumbled back a step to sit down heavily on the bed. He knew she was joking. Her eyes sparkled merrily and a grin curved her lips. But for the first time in his life…maybe. The L-word didn’t feel wrong. That should freak him out, but it didn’t.

  Dear God, he wasn’t just in lust or in like or whatever other vapid term he’d used before now. He was falling for her. And that was when he did panic, because it was one thing to be in love; it was another thing to be in love alone. He was pretty damn sure he was falling and there wasn’t a safety net to catch him. He usually liked a little danger to his adventures, but risking life and limb was entirely different than risking his heart.

  He sucked in a steadying breath, and then startled when Anne waved a hand in front of his face.

  “Earth to Gabriel.”

  “Yeah.” He blinked, shaking himself. “Sorry.”

  “Wrestling with some kind of coding in your head?” She smiled and handed him a loaded plate. “That’s the only other time I’ve seen you so zoned out of reality.”