Chapter 10 The Unknown

"Shh!" I warn, and then laugh, because there's no one here and I'm talking to myself. I walk down the long path, past the ferry, past a large white boat, the waves gently lapping against its side to make a soft thumping sound, to the end, marked by a tall pole with a light at the tip. Falling to my knees, I lean forward, stretching the tips of my fingers outward. My glasses slip off my nose and plummet into the deep water.

"No!" I cry, stretching my arm away in my futile attempt to grab them.

A sudden pounding of feet behind me is the only warning I get before hands grab my waist and pull me back and to my feet.

"What the hell are you doing?" an angry male voice exclaims.

"My glasses fell!" I cry.

"Forget them. They're gone.

"I can't forget them!" They're my only pair and I can barely see three meters in front of me without them.

Sure, I brought contact lenses because I wear them while working outdoors, but I need my glasses.

"They're gone" he reiterates. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?

"I wanted to see how cold the water was.

His hands are still gripping my waist as if he's afraid I'm going to fall yet. I try to push them away, but they're like vice grips.

"I promise you, it's very cold. Although you almost fall into a nosedive and find out for yourself.

I frown.

"You're exaggerating.

"I've been watching you the whole time. I'm surprised you've made it this far on two feet.

I squint into the light to see exactly who is scolding me, but his back is to the streetlight and his face is in shadow. All I can see is a shock of dark hair and a beard.

"Why are you lurking here in the middle of the night, anyway?

"I wasn't lurking" he mutters. "I was enjoying a quiet night on my boat and I heard you stumble onto the dock.

I frown, looking at the ship in question, now even blurrier than before.

"I didn't notice anyone there.

"I'm not surprised. Come on. You have to go to bed". His hand slides around my lower back and pushes me towards the edge.

A rare defiant streak emerges. I didn't fly thousands of miles away from my overbearing mom only to be scolded and ordered around by a stranger. I poke his chest with my finger. You can't tell me what to do.

"You can't order me around, you're not my boss's person. The boss is my boss's person. And he's the only one who can order me around. _ I'm not sure that made much sense.

"And who is he?" Amusement laces his tone.

"I don't know. According to what is said, he is an arrogant big bad wolf billionaire who sleeps with Victoria's Secret models and changes women like underwear. Sounds like a complete idiot, right? But you're not him. You're... _ I now lean on his chest. A broad and solid chest, his muscles hard against me. I raise the hand that pushed him with to touch the few weeks old growth that covers his face, the tips of my fingers scratching the coarse hair _ A lumberjack.

"A lumberjack?

"Yeah. With this beard and this." I rub my hand over his open, plaid flannel jacket, then over the shirt underneath, delighting in the ridges of his stomach. "Definitely a lumberjack. Did they hire lumberjacks to chop wood for that giant fireplace over there? They've hired people for everything else. I mean, seriously, who comes to Alaska to get their pubic hair waxed and dyed? And yet there's a full-service salon!" His hands have found my waist again. He takes several steps back, dragging me with him. But I dig my heels in.

"I'm not going anywhere until I check the water for my glasses! I have a flashlight!" I shout, earning his silence. He lets out a sigh.

"Will you let me take you back to your cabin right after?

"Once I do that, I'll happily go to bed with you. Not you. I'll go to bed. I'm not sleeping with a lumberjack" My tongue feels thick and slow as it stumbles over my incoherent words.

"But I'm holding on to you the whole time. The owner doesn't need any of his employees drowning. Deal" He pulls me back to the edge and drops to his knees with me "Sit on the floor or you'll end up pulling us both down.

"That's no way to talk to a lady.

He snorts.

"It is when she's as stubborn as a mule and as drunk as an Irishman.

The damp chill of the dock seeps through my jeans as I follow his command. His hands are large and strong and they grip my slender belly tightly as I lean over, shining the small beam of my pocket flashlight against the murky waters below. His hand that's closest to the water slides up to rest beneath my breast. I briefly consider telling this burly lumberjack that he's touching me inappropriately, but part of me doesn't care right now.

"I can't see them". The water level is much lower than I expected. I can't even touch the top with my fingertips. I would have fallen if he hadn't been there to catch me. He lifts me up seemingly effortlessly, the swift movement making the world spin a little.

"Where are you staying?

"Cabin..." My words fade away as I finally see his face for the first time, bathed in a stream of light.

Steely blue eyes stare straight into me. Even with the thick nape of his neck covering his face, I can tell his jaw is strong and angular. And that mouth... I'm completely mesmerized by those full lips. I can't help it.

I reach up and brush my fingertips over them, wisps of hair around the outer edges tickling my skin. They're as full and soft as they come and they part just a little for me, just enough for my fingers to get wet and warm breath to slide across my skin. My stomach erupts into butterflies as my own lips part. I've heard people say that alcohol can change your perception, can make you believe someone is more handsome than they are in the light of day. I think they call it beer goggles. But I haven't drank beer and besides, having my eyes deceive me like that would be a cruel trick from Satan himself. I've never seen a man that handsome in real life.

"You're beautiful," I whisper, and then my face flushes when I realize I said it out loud.

But it's okay that he did, I tell myself. It's true, and he needs to know it. I steel myself and turn my attention from his mouth to his eyes to find his intense gaze weighing on me, sliding over my features before resting on my mouth. He leans in, his lips reaching for mine. My heart starts to race, anticipating the feel of them on me, wondering if they'll be firm or soft, demanding or yielding. How does a man kiss like this? I want to let go, to let this complete stranger do whatever he wants to me. He leans back and gives his head a little shake.

"We're going to take you home. Which cabin are you in?"