C.J. felt relieved as he tucked Tasha into bed. Tonight had been incredible. She fit right in with his family. “It’s going to be very hard to change your clothes for bed and not touch you.”
“Then touch me.”
Her eyes held so much desire, but Cole had just given her another round of medicine. She had to rest. For their journey tomorrow she would need her strength.
“Believe me when I say it’s killing me, sweetheart.”
He could see the medication taking effect, the drowsiness kicking in. He glanced at the ring on her finger and felt a contentment foreign to him. But he also knew how fiercely independent Tasha could be. He had to pray she’d be okay with her current loss of independence. Right now his job was to take care of the woman he loved till the danger was gone.
It was funny to be back in his old bedroom. His parents had left both his and Jake’s rooms the same as when they’d left home. He could only imagine himself here as a teenager with a girl like Natasha. He wouldn’t have had any restraint.
He began to undress her by removing her boot. It brought back memories of the marathon she’d run just a month ago. Could it have been only four weeks? It felt like a century now. His life had been a cycle of work and pain. Then this angel had fallen into his arms and saved him from all that emptiness and sorrow.
Tasha made a whimper in her sleep. Oh, she was beautiful! That glossy dark hair splayed across the pillow.
Just concentrate on the job at hand, C.J.
He grabbed her leggings and slowly removed them, careful to keep her sweater in place. A man could handle only so much temptation. Once he got her leggings off, he couldn’t help staring at her gorgeous legs. Bad idea! He quickly put on the sweatpants that had been packed for her.
Damn if she still didn’t look sexier than anything. Now the sweater. Protocol, C.J. Just bring the sheet up to her neck and lift the sweater from there.
Tasha was now sound asleep and he wasn’t going to take advantage, especially since they hadn’t yet been together. He got the sweater over her head, but took one look at her lying there in her bra and knew he was in trouble.
For the first time in his life he had to walk away. He headed straight out of the room and called for his mom to finish the job.
The others tried not to laugh, but when she saw his face, Doris ran down the hall and up the stairs. At that point Cole and Doug started baiting him.
“Oh, you’ve got it bad,” his dad said.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to help your mom? As a doctor I’m very—”
“Not a word, Cole.” C.J. eyed his father. “I need to talk to Cole in your office for a moment. Is that okay?”
“I’ll be here if you need me.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
They headed into the office, which was just off the living room. “Thanks for staying tonight,” C.J. told his friend.
“I’m happy to help.”
“I can’t believe the fight Mom and Dad put up to have us stay here.”
“I can. They love you, Chris.”
“I love them, too. That’s why I’m so worried. I don’t think we were followed, but you never know.”
Cole showed him the pistol tucked under his sweater. “We’re all prepared. Your dad is planning on watching the house with his rifle.”
“I’m going to help him.”
“No, Chris. You need to get some sleep. I’m going to be watching the house for intruders starting at four when your dad goes to sleep. Then we’ll fly out after breakfast.”
“You need sleep, too.”
“I’m a doctor. I’m used to no sleep.”
“I’m a captain of a fire station. I’m used to being up all night, too.”
“But you’re hurt. Come on. Let me see the burns. I have some salve to put on, and fresh bandages.” Cole went to work immediately. “These are worse than you told me,” he muttered angrily.
“What’s your point?”
“They’re going to get infected if you don’t take care of them.”
“I know.” C.J. showed him the bottle of antibiotics he’d been carrying around.
“You’ve got to be in terrible pain.”
“I’ve been in worse.”
“When?” Cole’s eyes narrowed.
“When I thought I couldn’t find her in the fire.”
Seeing he’d lost the battle, Cole hurried through his job. As he worked, they discussed their plans for the morning in detail. At last they emerged from the office, to find Doug and Doris snuggled up together on the couch.
With a pang, C.J. realized how much he’d missed them. A feeling greater than love and gratitude filled him.
He crossed the room. “Mom and Dad? How can I thank you for everything you’ve done? I feel like the prodigal son returning to ask for all this help. I don’t deserve what you’re doing.”
“Shh…don’t even think like that, Christopher.” Doris got off the couch to hug him tightly. “Do you have any idea how much we love you?” Her eyes held so much feeling he knew what she said was true. He leaned down and hugged her back.
C.J. could hear his father getting up. “Is there room for one more?”
“Always.”
His dad gave him one of his bear hugs. He was the only man C.J. knew who could squeeze the breath out of him. “No more talk of not deserving. You’re our boy and we love you. You got that?”
He nodded.
“Go on up to bed and get some shut-eye.”
“You need to sleep, too,” he argued.
“This is my house and my rules hold here, right?” Doug wore that stubborn expression C.J. remembered from his childhood. “You’ll have to be extra vigilant up in bear country with them going into hibernation this time of year. You’re not in the city now.”
“Jake’s only mentioned it to me how many times?”
“Son…”
C.J. knew his dad was done talking. As for himself, he was so tired he was ready to collapse. He did need sleep in order to take care of Tasha up in the wilderness.
“Night, you guys.”
He looked in the den to thank Cole, but the doctor was sound asleep on the pullout bed. As C.J. went up the stairs, he wondered how he’d moved away years ago with no thought of what he was leaving behind. It shocked him.
Better change in the bathroom so he wouldn’t wake Tasha. Better not get too excited at the thought of sleeping close to the woman he loved. When he crawled under the covers next to her, he drew her into his arms and fell into a dreamless sleep the second his head hit the pillow.
TO SAY THAT THE VIEWS from the Cessna float plane were incredible would be an understatement. In Tasha’s mind the magnificent Misty Fjords National Monument was a sight every person in the world should see.
Goose bumps broke out over her body as their tiny plane flew near regal mountains that rose from the sea to soaring heights. She felt like an eagle as the craft banked, heading to a hiding place out here among the snowy peaks passing over lush green forests and a tranquil-looking ocean covered with bits of clouds. The striking contrast of this green compared to the grayish-blue water made her feel as if she were entering another realm.
Jake pointed to a steep, sheer cliff rising out of the rain forest. The sight reminded her of books she’d read about fairy realms where once you entered, you never came back.
They flew over a clearing in the trees and saw a brown bear with two cubs at her side. The sight sent chills through Tasha. All her life she’d wanted to see a bear in the wild. How amazing that Jake could spot them so easily. But of course, what kind of ranger would he be if he didn’t have an eagle eye? As far as she was concerned, they were headed into paradise. Nature was God’s gift to anyone lucky enough to see it.
C.J. tapped her shoulder. “Here’s the place called the Punch Bowl. It’s so famous that tourists come here year-round, but especially in the summer. There’s a lot more wildlife to see and the waterfalls are magnificent from the spring runoff.”
“I can’t imagine it being more spectacular,” Tasha exclaimed.
The three men looked at each other and smiled.
“Sammi loves it out here, too,” Jake said. “As a photographer, she sees the beauty in all seasons. She has me fly us to secret lakes no one goes to.”
“I don’t blame her. Do you come here a lot?”
“About once a week until Christy was born. But now, with our little cub, we don’t like to take her too far into the bush.”
“Why not?”
“The bears can smell the diapers and are drawn to the odor.”
“No wonder you’re extra careful, then.”
“With my family, yes.” Jake relaxed and continued his backseat driving of the plane.
Tasha eyed him and then Cole, who was at the controls. “How long have you two been friends?”
Cole chuckled. “With this turkey, too long as far as I’m concerned. Why?”
“I was curious how you put up with someone hounding you while you’re flying. I would go nuts.”
“So you’re a little spitfire, are you?”
“The answer to your question is yes.” C.J. laughed.
“Hey,” Tasha said, “I could take your ‘chick magnet’ anytime.” She was feeling more like herself today.
“No way. My car has more horsepower than yours.”
“C.J., I think the key word here is dependable horsepower. Mine has just over 300. More importantly, I could outmaneuver you on the street in a heartbeat.”
“I’m sorry, but are you comparing your pretty little Lexus to my 1970 Boss 302 Mustang with over 400 horsepower?”
“You betcha.” Tasha smiled sweetly.
Cole grinned. “No wonder he fell for you. I never knew a girl who could talk to C.J. about cars, let alone take on his precious vehicle.”
“His car has a fifty-fifty winning average. The problem is, it’s not dependable! It’s always breaking down,” Tasha said.
At that even C.J. laughed.
“You remember those races?” he asked her.
“What about them?” Cole asked.
“I’ll tell you, Cole,” Tasha interjected. “They have these citizen-class races, and C.J. and Tim of course thought they were the greatest things in the world. So I would sit out there in the hot sun at various racetracks while they’d go get their pictures taken with the team girls.”
“Team girls?” Jake’s mouth dropped open. “What does that mean?”
Tasha could feel the old insecurities come back. “Basically, women walking around in bikinis, supporting whatever big race car team is in the Grand Prix or the Indie series.”
C.J.’s face was getting red by this time. “Hey, you guys, I wasn’t dating Tasha at the time. I was a free man. It was her choice to follow us out there.”
Cole and Jake were silent, waiting to hear what Tasha had to say, but it was C.J. who spoke up. “I’m glad you came along, Tasha. If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t have gotten to know me and I wouldn’t have gotten to know you. I think of it as a blessing in disguise.”
She reached over and rubbed his back. “I love your courtroom rebuttal, Jeremiah, and it’s true what you said. But I can still take you on.”
At that comment the plane filled with guffaws, and more questions about C.J.’s antics that Jake and Cole never knew about.
AS COLE MADE A GRACEFUL landing onto the glacially carved Checats Lake, C.J. felt some of his anxiety fall away. They’d finally made it.
Jake was right. It was beautiful out here. Whether or not he lived here all his life, the sheer grandeur of his home state would always fill him with awe.
The cliffs surrounding the lake protruded through the water into the heavenly rain forest. The air felt and tasted like it was healing his lungs and body. He looked at the mountaintops, and guessed that the amount of snow on the peaks spoke of early fall. The sight of clouds and the smell of rain meant another storm would be moving in. I’ve missed home, he thought with a pang.
In front of him sat the little wooden A-frame cabin they would call home until Tasha’s enemies were found. One more short trip, from the dock to the rustic dwelling. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever slept in before. C.J. hoped she would like it.
Out here, C.J. could be his real self, not the firefighter, or the man he’d tried to be down in San Francisco. Very slowly Tasha had been stripping away all his layers. Hopefully, she would be happy with the Alaskan boy. This time together would prove how she truly felt. He knew she loved him. But could a wealthy, sophisticated heiress really love a small-town boy?
As he climbed the forested slope, he was comforted to know Tasha was safely stowed in the cabin. When he heard a noise, he turned and cocked his rifle, then saw a group of black-tailed Sitka deer prance through the stream and up the slope. He knew he was jumpy, but this was bear country, and they were being hunted. He was glad to know his instincts for survival hadn’t suffered.
The burns on his leg hurt, but that was what kept him going. Danger lurked everywhere. When he felt the pain, he knew he would do everything and anything to keep his beautiful fiancée safe.
He uncocked his rifle and walked into the cabin, making sure to wipe his boots on the mat Jake had put down. How could he ever thank his brother enough for all the help? One day he’d make it up to him.
Jake was already getting a fire going to make the cabin nice and toasty. The shelves were stocked with a week’s worth of food. And there was always the lake, with a bounty of fish to catch.
He had also filled the place with toiletries and every other kind of supply imaginable. He’d gotten the bunks set up nicely, too. The bottom one was made up for two, but C.J. saw the top bunk was also made as per his instructions. He wasn’t sure how well Tasha would be feeling, and he didn’t want her to be rushed or intruded on. Plus, from the top bunk, he could look out the window and keep an eye on the cliffs above the cabin.
Of course, the most beautiful sight was Tasha lying on the bottom bunk, having her IV pulled out. He was glad Cole thought she didn’t need it anymore.
“I’VE JUST GIVEN YOU a large dose of meds and a little painkiller, Tasha. On the table are the antibiotics and pain pills you’ll need to take. Although with C.J. clucking around you, I’m sure he’ll make sure they’re delivered on the hour,” Cole said with a smile.
“Thanks, Cole. I appreciate all your help. When this is over, I’ll make a donation to your hospital for anything you need. You, too, Jake. Please let me know what project needs to be funded and I’ll set up a foundation to keep it going.”
Both men looked at her as if she was crazy. “All right, all right, anything you want. Just go to sleep, Tasha.”
They hadn’t taken her seriously. She sat up angrily, fighting against the effect of the drug. Then it dawned on her. C.J. hadn’t told Cole or his family how rich she was. Was he ashamed?
“C.J.? Do you have a problem with me coming from money?”
He looked surprised. “No. Why are you asking me that?”
“Then why haven’t you told your family about me?”
Cole and Jake looked at him.
“I didn’t think it mattered. I love you no matter what kind of family you come from.”
Jake’s curiosity got the best of him. “What kind do you come from, Tasha?”
“As you know, my father’s a congressman, and before that an attorney. But my family is extremely wealthy.” She could feel her cheeks turning red. “That’s why I work pro bono for human rights. I try to find ways to give our money away. My mom comes from big oil money in Texas and my dad’s ancestors made it big in the gold rush.”
C.J. cut in. “She wasn’t joking when she said she would donate to your hospital, Cole. And fund an entire lifetime of fish projects for you, Jake.”
Both men looked taken aback. C.J.’s brother spoke first. “I’m sorry. I had no idea—”
“Listen, let’s not discuss this anymore,” Tasha said. “No need for apologies. I’ll find out what you guys need and I’ll gift it to you in your names, I’m so grateful for all your help.”
“Absolutely not,” Jake said sternly. “Please don’t. This is the first time I’ve been able to do something for my brother and his soon-to-be wife. I’m doing this out of love. Find a poor person in the Tongass National Forest if you want to donate, but leave me out, please.”
C.J.’s throat thickened. “I don’t know how to thank you, bro.”
“Having you come home like this is thanks enough.” Jake went over and hugged his twin. How different this family has from the world Tasha had come from amazed her all over again.
Jake smiled at her. “Just knowing my brother is happy and in love is thanks enough. You’re an extraordinary woman, Tasha. I can see why he’s crazy about you. He finally met his match.” Jake bent down and hugged her. “You just focus on getting better.”
It was Cole’s turn to speak. “I’ve lived through a tragedy, Natasha,” he said. “Up here in Alaska we take care of our loved ones. I could never accept anything from you. I’m doing this because I love the Powells and I’m already nuts about you. Too bad I didn’t meet you first.”
C.J. bumped his shoulder. “Hey, that’s my future wife you’re hitting on.”
“It wouldn’t matter if I hit on her, Chris. Just like Sammi, you Powell boys have a charm that causes women to fall in love with you and never even look at another man. Lucky devils.”
“Do I hear envy in your voice, Cole?” Jake teased.
Their friend’s brows lifted. “You’ll never hear me admit it, pal.”
Jake shoved him. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I’ve got to get home to check a fish station, then I’ve got a date with Sammi.”
C.J. FOLLOWED COLE AND Jake out of the cabin and stood on the dock while they climbed into the float plane, then stayed there as Jake talked into his satellite phone to him.
“Roger, roger?”
“Ten-four. Over and out. The phones are working. Hopefully, they’ll work during a storm. I guess we’ll see?”
“Nah. We’re going to head out before the storm hits. It should just be rain, but you never know. We’ll fly back in two days to check on you.”
“And do some fishing.”
“Yeah, hope so,” Jake replied.
“You guys took good care, stocking the cabin. We’re going to be fine.”
“I’ll be checking in with you,” Jake repeated.
“Okay. Have a safe flight and thanks.”
The plane started up. The propeller whipped up the water, sending a chill breeze that forced C.J. to back away. Watching them take off from the glacial lake was like viewing a movie. The plane soared up against a backdrop of craggy cliffs and green forest, climbing higher till it flew over the snowy peaks and out of sight. The sound of the plane’s engine echoed for some seconds, then faded to silence.
C.J. chewed his lip. Now came the hard part. How to keep his hands off his fiancée till she felt better.
TASHA PRETENDED TO READ the legal briefs she’d asked the D.A. to fax to Jake’s office in Alaska so she wouldn’t worry about what was going on with her cases. Jake had been thoughtful enough to pick them up for her. Gratitude filled her heart.
Her foot didn’t hurt as much, thanks to the fact she hadn’t been moving since their arrival at the cabin, but the distance C.J. was keeping between them was driving her crazy. He’d barely talked to her before he’d gone out to fish, leaving her to nap and read. As she looked up at the cabin’s skylight now, she saw rain beating against it, yet the place stayed warm and dry.
Talk about a romantic setting! It seemed they were the only two people in the world, tucked away in the forest, with a wood-burning stove for heat. It didn’t matter that rain fell and the wind howled outside. She was safe and sound with the man she loved, the man she wanted to marry. Her sexy fiancé.
Fiancé… She could hardly believe it. But the diamond on her finger was proof.
She loved being with him in his natural habitat. Tasha could see this was the man behind the mask he’d worn in San Francisco. He was so very wonderful. She needed to draw him out and show him how much she loved him.
“THE FOOD SMELLS marvelous, C.J. What did you catch?”
His eyes appraised her possessively. She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. “I caught a nice-size rainbow trout. Jake would have been impressed.”
“Sounds yummy. You’ve set the table beautifully. Thank you.” She found it difficult to talk when he looked at her like that. She wanted to get closer, so put the brief down to reach for her crutches.
“Let me carry you.”
“No. I need to keep up my strength. This is the first time I feel energetic enough to try. Just let me?” she begged.
He stood ready to catch her in case she fell, but she made it to the table easily and sat down on the bench. How fortunate she’d been in shape before the fire. Her arms had strength she didn’t know they’d possessed. “That was easier than I thought.”
His gaze continued to travel over her intently. “You look very tempting tonight, Benny.”
She smiled. “Are you sure you’re not the one taking drugs?”
“Oh, I’m sure.”
Tasha glanced down at herself, trying to figure out how jeans tucked into a boot and a green layered sweater looked attractive. She felt rumpled and put together like a rag doll. No makeup. And her hair…forget it!
“Now you’re the one who has taken me by surprise, Chris.”
C.J. got up and served fish and noodles on a metal plate for her. He also brought her a water bottle. Once he’d fixed himself food, he sat down on the other side of the picnic table.
“I wondered when you were going to ask me about that,” he said.
Tasha took a bite of her fish and couldn’t believe how delicious it tasted. Her problem was C.J. The currents of desire he sent across the table were making it hard for her to function, let alone use her utensils. Her body craved his, but he seemed to be keeping his distance, so she decided to play along, hoping she could lower his defenses.
“So where did ‘C.J.’ come from? No one up here calls you by that name. But to me it seems strange to call you Chris. Would you like me to?”
He rubbed his evening whiskers, which she longed to touch. “I don’t know if I want you to call me that. Chris is a name that belongs to my childhood in Alaska, my past. I left it here and went to the big city to be somebody, to become something.”
“And you did!” Tasha reached out and stroked his other hand, which was resting on the table. He responded by grasping hers, and the touch was electrifying. “You’re a captain of a fire station and a hero.”
“There’s more. I hurt my family badly as a teenager, especially Jake. We both liked the same girl. Jake thought he was going to marry her. Then he found out I was seeing her on the side. It broke his heart and he didn’t forgive me for years.
“I hated it up here. I had no idea Jake loved the girl so much he wanted to marry her. We competed over everything. Jake was the smart one. I was the athletic one. So I took off for California and changed everything.”
Tasha saw the pain in C.J.’s eyes. How sad to think competition for a girl had kept two brothers apart for years. “But you were just a kid then,” she murmured. “You can’t be so hard on yourself, sweetheart.”
“That’s what everyone in my family keeps saying. I thought going by the initials C.J. was a great idea. I refused to be Chris Powell from Alaska. Nope. I was C.J. Powell, a firefighter for the San Francisco Fire Department.”
“What made you pick San Francisco?” Tasha asked as she started to eat. C.J. was finally beginning to unwind.
“It had a cool climate and was on the ocean. And of course, it was far away from home. There was also the allure of just living in California.”
“I can relate to that.”
She felt his body stiffen. “So…what do you think of Chris Powell?”
That question stopped her right in the middle of taking a bite of trout. “Will you let me show you?” Tasha started to reach for her crutches, but he was there picking her up and carrying her to bed faster than lightning. He laid her down carefully so her foot wouldn’t be jarred.
She looked up at him. “No fair, Chris. I need you to lie down. I want to show you what I think of the man I can’t wait to marry.”
He stretched out next to her so she could lean on her elbow and stare at his face.
“First off, I love your hair and the way it curls around your ears.” She leaned over to kiss the hair there, causing him to respond in turn. “Next, your eyes tell so much of what you’re thinking and feeling.”
She pulled away a little to draw her lips across his rough jaw. It felt like heaven. Then she hovered just above his mouth, deciding how to say it. “I don’t care if you use initials or go by the name your parents gave you. To me you’ll always be Jeremiah, anyway.”
His eyes danced in the glow of the wood-burning stove. “Two can play this game, Benny. You just didn’t realize you’re playing with a master.” He rolled her over and stared down at her lovingly.
“A master, huh?” she teased. “I didn’t know you could master anything.” Her comment produced a flash of the competitive C.J. she loved to rile.
“I have my masters in engineering from San Francisco State University, remember?”
“Oh, I know. And it just about killed Tim. He kept rambling on that the only degree that mattered was from City College of San Francisco, where you guys got your fire science degrees.”
“Tim never could get over that I continued on with school,” C.J. said musingly.
“I don’t think he cared. He was happy being an EMT. He didn’t have the dreams you did, C.J.”
“You just called me C.J.”
“I just can’t think of you as Chris. Is that okay? At least for now.”
“With you, anything’s okay.”
“Really?” She was through talking, and brought his face down to hers. She wanted to be kissed in the worst way.
“One more thing, sweetheart.”
“Ugh…what now?”
“You’ve told me Tim was always in competition with me. Why did you say that?”
“Oh, honey, you were better than he was at the academy, at school and you excelled at the department. You have this way that draws people to you. It was a healthy rivalry, but he was jealous.”
“I had no idea. He had your unconditional love—no question, no strings, no liabilities.”
“Except for me, C.J. I paid the price all those years, following him around like a fool.”
“No, Tasha. You weren’t the fool. He was, for not seeing what an exceptional woman he had loving him.”
Tasha drew C.J. closer. “I’m grateful for those years. Without them I would never have met you.”
He began to rub her stomach. Then his hand traveled slowly to her face where he cupped her cheek. “Do you really mean that? Are you over Tim?”
“C.J.!” Her body was alive and her mind barely coherent. In a voice thick with emotion, she said, “I would never have let you into my life and heart if I wasn’t over him. He was a crush. A lasting one, but a crush. With you I’ve finally found out what it means to be loved by a man who’s real, not a friend who can’t give that kind of love.”
He sealed her words with a heart-stopping kiss. Tasha loved the feel of his muscular body on hers and ached to touch him. When she started to unbutton his flannel shirt, he let her. Underneath lay a tight fitting T-shirt, allowing her to explore his pectorals and biceps.
She could feel his body tremble each time her hand caressed him, and finally broke the kiss. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” he answered raggedly. “Why?”
“Because every time I touch your body, you…react.” It worried her.
C.J. drew her even tighter and gazed into her eyes. “I’m restraining myself. My body is shaking from desire, and this contact with you is driving me to the breaking point. I don’t know if I can resist you.”
“Why are you trying?” Tasha felt hurt.
“Because you are hurt physically, and you’re on medication. The last thing I’m going to do is take advantage of you in this state.”
If she thought she couldn’t love him more, she was wrong. All the ideas and thoughts she had about C. J. Powell the playboy had no basis in reality. “I feel fine right now.”
“I love you, Natasha. I can’t wait to marry you one day soon.”
“I love you, too.”
Then all resistance was gone and C.J. took over. He reached for her, sliding his hand up her back to her neck, to tilt her head in a way that made their kissing more intimate and passionate somehow.
He was moving his palm under her shirt, beginning to inch it upward, when the cabin door opened with a bang.