Stay With Me, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 5) (7 page)

She couldn’t say why, but he appeared slightly uncertain at moments in his interactions with Ryan, almost as if they didn’t know each other that well. That was the other thing about Eli—he made her curious. She wanted to know all about him. She had gleaned a bit today. Namely, that he’d been born and raised in Juneau and moved to Diamond Creek about ten years ago to start his business here.

She’d savored every second of incidental contact with him—when he reached his arm around to steady her while she held her fishing rod to reel in a halibut, when his hands brushed hers as he helped her unhook the halibut. She smiled to herself when it occurred to her she was ridiculously turned on while they were surrounded by others and dealing with fish all day.

Not much later, Jessa leaned her hips against the boat railing and watched while Ryan and Cliff helped the Canton’s carry their cooler and other gear down the docks. Ryan and Cliff were heading out for burgers afterwards with Cliff’s promise he’d drop Ryan off at Eli’s house later. That left Jessa and Eli on the boat at the dock. Eli had stepped down into the boat cabin to put a few things away. She couldn’t help the curl of anticipation that rolled through her to realize she might have a few minutes alone with Eli.

Within seconds, he was climbing the stairs out of the cabin and stepping onto the deck. He’d removed his fishing gear and changed into another pair of faded jeans and t-shirt, both of soft, worn fabric that molded to his muscled body. She’d already had her turn in the tiny bathroom where she stripped out of her fishy clothes and changed into a clean pair of clothes, which were essentially her uniform—leggings and a t-shirt with the only variation in color. For now, she had on a pair of charcoal gray leggings and a red long-sleeved t-shirt that fit snugly.

Eli stepped to the railing and leaned against it beside her. His brown hair was tousled from the wind. His green gaze caught hers, his mouth hooking at one corner. “So, what do you think now that you’ve had a day of fishing in Alaska?”

“It was perfect! I see why so many tourists come here. You can’t beat the view and it’s a blast out on the water. Thanks for taking me.” She left unsaid that the best part of the day was being with him. While she might not know quite what to do with the strength of her attraction to Eli, she knew she enjoyed just about every minute in his company.

He shrugged. “Anytime. We run charters almost every day some weeks, so if you ever want to go again, just let me know.”

“You’re out almost every day? Really?” She couldn’t help but ask because it seemed like a dream life.

He chuckled. “Really. Fishing’s to my business in the summer like skiing is to your brother’s in the winter—all day, every day.”

“I suppose it would be. Well, it was awesome, so I’ll probably take you up on that.”

Eli nodded and looked out over the water. She followed his gaze to see the setting sun had created a watercolor in the sky over the mountains with layers of gold, orange and red. A gust of salty wind came off the bay, blowing her hair wild since she’d brushed it loose when she changed. Eli’s gaze traveled from the water to her, just as he rested one elbow on the railing and angled toward her. In a flash, the air around them came to life.

Her belly clenched and heat streaked through her. Another breeze came off the water with enough chill to elicit a shiver. His eyes locked with hers, he lifted a hand and brushed a loose lock of hair away from her face, turning fully toward her as he did. He tucked it behind her ear, the subtle touch sending a hot shiver through her. He didn’t drop his hand and slid it around her nape. His thumb brushed across the beat of her pulse, sending it skittering wildly.

E
li looked down at Jessa
. Her windblown brown hair, her flushed cheeks, and her silvery eyes held him transfixed. All day long, he’d been thankful for how busy he had to be on a fishing charter. The constant flow of activity kept him distracted enough that he wasn’t fighting a hard-on all day. He’d walked out of the cabin a few minutes ago and just stopped fighting it. Jessa was too damn sexy. She’d also shown herself to be a quick learner when it came to fishing. She seemed undecided about whether she’d be eating the halibut she caught, but she’d called one of her brothers after she reeled it in to announce what she was bringing home for dinner. A fishing charter was fun, but it was also a lot of work. She hadn’t shied away for a second, even from some of the less savory tasks involved with cleaning the decks. A stellar day on the water with a woman who seemed imbued with a magic power to make him forget any reservations he ever had meant he couldn’t let the chance to kiss her again pass by.

The air felt charged and heavy. Her silvery gaze went smoky. Her pulse beat rapidly under his thumb as he brushed across the soft skin along her neck. His eyes dropped to her lips—so soft and full—right when her tongue darted out to moisten them. He dipped his head and caught her lips. She didn’t hesitate and sighed against his mouth, the breathy sound sending a jolt of lust through him. He experienced something with Jessa he’d never experienced before—a need that burned so hot, he could barely contain it, yet the moment he gave in, he could slow down and take all day. Just now, he could kiss her for hours. He traced her lips with his tongue, interspersing kisses in between, until she stepped closer and slipped her hand up around his neck.

He dove into the warm sweetness of her mouth and their kiss took on a life of its own. Her tongue tangled sinuously with his—bold and playful. He stroked through her hair, savoring her low moan when he slid his hand down her spine and cupped her bottom. The soft give of her curves under his palm sent his heart to battering against his ribs. The wind gusted again, and he turned to shelter her from it, bringing his back against the railing and her into his arms against him. He felt drugged between her hands traveling up his chest and feeling the rise and fall of her breasts against him with each breath she took. He tore his lips free, desperate to taste more. He blazed a wet path down her neck, her skin hinted with vanilla and honey.

She slipped a hand up under his shirt. The simple feel of her touch against his skin sent need spinning tighter inside of him. He lifted his head to look down at her. Her hair fell in a loose tangle around her shoulders. Her lips were kiss-swollen and her cheeks flushed. When she opened her eyes and he found her smoky gaze upon him, dark with desire, it was all he could do not to tear her clothes off right then and there. His thoughts a haze of desire, he dipped his head again, unable to consider anything other than needing to taste her again.

This kiss was hotter and deeper, a tangle of lips, teeth and tongue. Jessa flexed against him, and he tugged her closer, one palm cupping her luscious bottom and the other shoving her t-shirt up. He couldn’t hold back a groan at the feel of her soft skin as he stroked up her abdomen to cup one of her breasts. Her nipple was a tight bead through the thin silk of her bra. He flicked a thumb at the clasp between her breasts, biting back another moan when her breasts tumbled loose. He tore his lips free and looked down again.

He suddenly became aware of where they were. The bustle of sounds at the harbor, to which he was so accustomed he usually tuned it out, broke through the fog of lust. Yet, the feel of Jessa against him made it hard for reason to cut through. She arched closer. Before awareness knocked sense into him, he had to know if she wanted him as much as he wanted her. With a stroke of his thumb across her taut nipple, he dragged his hand down, straight past the waistband of her leggings, to stroke between her legs. The silk of her panties was wet. Without a thought passing through his mind, driven solely by need, he shoved the silk aside and stroked into her cleft. Hot, wet, silky folds pulsed against his fingers. Her breath came in ragged gasps. He slid one finger into her channel and then another. Even though he knew he wouldn’t find his own release now, all he wanted was to make her come. He stroked into her channel, savoring every clench and throb around his fingers.

When she gasped his name, her voice raw with need and reflecting the depth of his, he circled his thumb over her swollen clit. Her head fell against his chest on a soft cry, her body going taut and her channel convulsing around his fingers. When she relaxed against him, he slowly dragged his fingers out and tugged her clothes back into place. Rock hard and desperate for much more, he leaned his head back and took several gulps of the chilly, ocean air. The sound of a boat nearby seemed to nudge Jessa into awareness. She lifted her head from his chest, her eyes widening.

“Oh my. I can’t believe I forgot where we were.”

Her cheeks flushed deeper, and she bit her lip, which only served to make him want to kiss her again. He kept an iron grip on that impulse and aimed for light.

“I can believe we forgot,” he said bluntly.

That elicited a giggle from Jessa. After a moment, her smile faded. He knew she could feel every inch of his cock in the cradle of her hips because he sure as hell knew how hard he was. “This doesn’t seem fair,” she said. While she didn’t state what wasn’t fair, he knew precisely what she meant. He might go home unsatisfied, but feeling and watching her find her pleasure was about the best thing he’d ever experienced.

* * *

J
essa leaned
against the counter in the corner of the lodge restaurant kitchen. In the short time she’d been here, she’d developed the habit of rising early and helping Delia with the morning baking. They’d just finished prepping cinnamon rolls. Delia had stepped into her office and shooed Jessa over to get some coffee. The espresso machine tucked in the corner where she stood beeped. She turned and poured the two shots of espresso into a mug and added hot water. After a dash of cream, she took a welcome sip and sighed. She pushed away from the counter and through the swinging door into the restaurant. It was still early with only a few customers at tables. She made her way to a small table by the windows and sat down.

It was barely past six and the sun was cresting the mountains. She’d yet to see much darkness since she’d been here. The sun didn’t set until after ten at night and the glimmers of dawn broke as early as four in the morning. As she sipped her coffee, Eli strolled into her thoughts. Well, it would be more apt to say he’d been pretty much camped out in her mind since last night. After he’d sent her flying into a shattering orgasm with nothing more than a few strokes of his fingers, she’d somehow pulled herself together and walked down the docks with him like a normal human being. All the while, her body had been reverberating with aftershocks.

Half in a daze, she’d somehow driven herself back to the lodge. She’d fallen asleep with nothing but Eli on her mind. In the span of a few body-melting minutes, Eli had brought her to the most explosive climax of her life. Again and again, the dark desire flickering in his green eyes flashed through her mind. A bolt of heat streaked through her. Beyond that though was how much she simply enjoyed being around him. With her limited experience with liking someone this much, she didn’t quite know what to do with it. Complicating matters was the fact she didn’t quite know what to do with her life. She took a gulp of coffee, savoring the rich flavor. The sun fully crested the mountain ridge rising up behind the lodge. Its rays instantly brightened the grassy ski slopes and filtered through the spruce trees. Within minutes, a mist rose off the trees and ground, the dew from the chilly night dissipating under the instant heat of the sun.

Jessa took another sip of coffee and leaned back in her chair. Even with Eli sending her body, heart and mind into a tailspin, she was finding that Diamond Creek soothed her soul. She hadn’t known she needed this respite before the fire, but she was discovering the slower pace here was doing wonders for her. For the last few years, she’d worked herself to the bone. She loved her art—building furniture and making it fun and whimsical with painting—but she hadn’t found a way to make enough money to keep from barely staying afloat. She wasn’t naturally competitive by nature, so the marketing and self-promotion she needed to do to make a splash in the art world she inhabited in Seattle wasn’t easy. She still struggled with the lingering doubt that what she was doing was silly and pointless.

Before her apartment building burned down, she’d worn herself out in the months prior getting ready for a regional furniture market. The market had been scheduled the weekend following the fire. She’d been smart enough to store some of her stock in a shared storage space, but roughly half of what she’d intended to sell at the market had burned to ash. The fire had wiped out more than her spirit. Reeling, she’d pulled herself together and cut her losses. All she could think was she needed to be with her family and she desperately needed a change of scenery. Her older sister Becca had hugged her close and insisted Diamond Creek would be exactly what Jessa needed. Jessa had packed what little she had left into Blue and taken off for Alaska after a quick stop to see her parents in Bellingham. Once she crossed the border into Alaska, after almost three thousand miles of driving through the wilds of the Canadian Yukon, she’d purchased a tiny Alaskan flag. It was blue to match her truck with its pattern of stars—the Big Dipper and the North Star. Tucked behind her rear view mirror, the little flag lifted her spirits on the rest of her drive to Diamond Creek.

Here she was now with coffee, amazing quiet mornings, friends and family…and an unexpected man who tipped her world sideways. She wished she could be one of those people who knew what she wanted and had a plan to execute. Gage was like that—he always had a plan. Marley was probably the first person in his life who hadn’t been part of a plan. Actually, all of her siblings were planners. Becca and Garrett, twins who were so different and so alike at once, were brilliant lawyers. Sawyer had followed Gage into the Navy and onto become a Navy SEAL as well. Then, there was her. Jessa always felt like her hopes and dreams were a tad too, well, dreamy. She loved building and loved making her furniture fun. The combination of practical and whimsical called to her. Yet, she was flying along by the seat of her pants, and she damn well knew it. The fire had illuminated just how shaky her financial position was. Her apartment was home and work to her, and it all burned up together. Her lingering doubts about whether her career choice had been worthwhile came roaring back with a fervor. It was hard not to look at her circumstances and wonder if she’d been a fool.

She shook her head sharply, bringing her mind back to now. She looked outside again to see a stellar jay fly past the windows and land with vigor on a bird feeder mounted on the deck railing. It swung wildly for a moment, the jay entirely unperturbed. Once the feeder slowed its’ swinging, the jay began pecking at the bird seed, scattering it on the deck below. The jay’s black crown bobbed up and down as it ate, and sun struck sparks off its blue wings.

“Thanks for helping out again.”

Jessa glanced up to see Delia pulling out the chair across from her. Delia set her coffee down and sifted her hands through her honey blonde hair, efficiently tying it in a knot.

“No problem. I love getting up early. Seems like Alaska was made for early birds. The mornings here are so beautiful!”

Delia grinned. “I know, right?” She paused and took a sip of her coffee. “So, how was fishing yesterday?”

Jessa felt her cheeks heat and tried to ignore it. “It was great. Eli was an awesome host, and I caught two halibut!” A swell of pride rose inside at that. She hadn’t fished in years, so it was fun to actually succeed at it.

“I know. Marley told me they tossed them on ice in the fridge for us to grill tonight. Speaking of fish, did I remember you’re a vegetarian?”

“You could say that, but I’m not the best vegetarian around. I’m opposed to mass food production, so that’s why I call myself mostly a vegetarian. Most places aren’t like Alaska where it’s easy to find fresh, local foods. There’re some markets in Seattle that are pretty good, but it’s practically a fortune. Fresh halibut that I caught myself though? I’ll be eating some of that,” Jessa replied with a soft laugh.

Delia grinned. “Have you had fresh halibut from here yet?”

Jessa shook her head. “Not yet. When we were up for your wedding, it was a king salmon extravaganza.”

“Oh, you’re in for a treat!” Delia paused, her gaze thoughtful. “So, tell me what’s up with you and Eli?”

Jessa felt the blush race up her neck and cheeks again. She tried and failed to will it away. She took a gulp of coffee, glancing out to the mountains and back again. She shrugged. “Um, I don’t know. He invited me to go fishing anytime and I wanted to see what it was like out on the bay, so I went.”

Delia nodded slowly, her eyes warm and kind. “Sure. Who wouldn’t want to do that? I’m not asking what you did. I already knew that. I was wondering how come you blush whenever his name gets mentioned. Let’s be honest, it’s not like Eli gets mentioned all that much. I know him, but he’s only up here once in a while. He works like crazy. Gage has started getting supplies from Eli for customers. We always need gear for people who forget things when they pack for their trip. But it’s funny, you had your little fender bender with him, and it seems like you might like him. That’s not a bad thing, you know.”