Hooked (A Romance on the Edge Novel) (10 page)

She searched for Garrett around the docks where the
Calypso
was tied up. She also tried the mess hall, and the pay phone with its line of callers wrapped around the corner. This wasn’t cell phone country, unless you could afford a satellite hook up. The two phones got a lot of business.

There was no sign of him. She was about to give up when she stopped in at the General Store. A place where you could buy a can of bacon and a marine battery all in the same shopping spree.

“Well, if it isn’t the celebrity of the hour,” Davida greeted from behind the counter. Davida with her multi-colored spiky hair of golds, reds, and deep browns, and her equally spiky attitude, ran the store much like an army general. She was the one person who knew everything worth knowing. “Let me pour you a cup of coffee and you can fill me in on what I’ve missed.”

“Why don’t you first tell me what you’ve heard? Could save time.” Sonya took the cup of coffee, though she preferred tea. Tea was considered a sissy drink out here. She wasn’t going to add to the stereotype.

Davida filled her in, taking her time since the store was empty. There wasn’t much she’d missed. “You didn’t actually cork off the
Albatross
, did you?” At Sonya’s nod, she shook her head and chuckled. “Damn, wished I could have seen that. I like it when bad things happen to Chuck Kendrick. Lord, knows he should be plagued with bad karma, considering all the things he’s done.”

“Agreed.” Sonya changed the subject before Davida decided to visit the many things suspected of Kendrick. Some of those things were against her own family and too raw for casual conversation. “I’m looking for Garrett Hunt. Have you seen him?”

“The new trooper? That is one delicious-looking man.” She closed her eyes and hummed. “Yes, almighty, I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of him this summer.”

Sonya didn’t like the image that picture painted. Davida had a reputation for not only knowing the men, but really
knowing
them.

“He was in here a few hours ago. Bought a bag of trail mix, some jerky, a water bottle. Oh, and some wax.”

“Wax?” What would he need wax for?

“Believe you me, I was hard pressed to find it. Wax isn’t something that’s called for every day.” She leaned her impressive bosom on the counter. “Word is that he brought along a surfboard. You ever heard of anything so crazy?”

Now the wax made sense. “Saw it with my own two eyes.”

“Get out!” Davida shook her head again. Her hair didn’t budge from its sprayed-stiff state. “I really thought he was pulling my leg when he said he was going to ‘catch a wave’ down at the old Diamond O.”

Seeing Davida always paid off. “Why don’t you ring me up a bag of chips and a candy bar?” She needed to borrow some wheels. “Any chance you’d let me use your ATV?”

“You headed to the Diamond O?” Davida tilted her head as though to hear Sonya’s response better.

The going price for a rented ATV looked like firsthand information. “Yes.”

“Now why do you want to meet up with a fish cop with that blustery wind out there?”

Here came the risky part. If Sonya didn’t give enough information, Davida would fill in the lines. Too much, and gossip would spread like fireweed that she was shagging a fish cop. “I have some words to say to him regarding his conduct today.”

“Going to put him in his place, are you?” A twinkling entered her eyes. “You taking on everyone this summer, Sonya?”

“Gotta throw my weight around to be taken seriously around here.”

“Ain’t that the truth. Just be careful you don’t throw out a hip.” Davida handed the ATV’s key to her. When Sonya reached for it, she pulled it back. “You
will
fill me on how it went between you two.”

Sonya hesitated. Maybe she could walk the distance. It was only six miles round trip to the abandoned cannery. The wind slapped against the metal side of the building with a hard gust. At least one direction would have a headwind. “You have a deal.”

Davida smiled and handed over the key along with Sonya’s chips and candy bar. “Happy hunting.”

C
HAPTER
S
EVEN

He was certifiably insane.

Sonya found Garrett right where Davida had said he’d be. Surfing the waves at the abandoned Diamond O Cannery. She parked the 4-wheeler next to a rusted out old Jeep, alongside the remains of the old cannery’s dock. Waves crashed at a height of six to seven feet. Glacial, callous water brutally ate at the rocky beach. Gloomy, heavy laden skies, carrying the promise of rain, gathered overhead.

And the man was out there surfing.

She did have to admire his form. The combination of power and grace she’d witnessed earlier was in high demand now as he rode—no, seemed to command—the wave. His short board sliced back and forth as he carved the water. The temperature had dipped to around forty-eight with the storm, and Sonya knew the water was colder. She’d dressed in jeans, t-shirt layered by a sweatshirt, and a rain jacket and yet she shivered watching him.

Didn’t he know how deadly that ocean could be?

Garrett wore what must be a dry suit, as he was a dark shadow against the gunmetal waves. His board, with its flaming yellows and blues, was a beacon of color on the otherwise colorless evening. At least the Coast Guard would know where he’d gone down. No way would they be able to miss that board.

He rode a wave to shore while white water splashed around him with greedy fingers in an attempt to suck him back into its deadly embrace. Upon reaching the rocky sand, he flipped his board under his arm, and jogged up the beach toward her.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Sonya hollered at him. She’d heard rumors that a group of surfers had formed an Alaskan surfing club, but she really hadn’t believed that anyone would be insane enough to actually surf that freezing water. Until now.

He smiled a grin that had his eyes alight with amusement, the corners crinkling with deep laugh lines. It was a good look on him and had her repressing the desire to reach out and run her hands over him.

He anchored his board in the dark gray sand next to the Jeep, and tore the skin-tight cap off his head. He grabbed a towel from the seat and rubbed his hair, causing it to spike. Again she had to resist the urge to touch.

“I assume you tracked me down for a reason.” His voice was fast and breezy, and if that wasn’t sexy enough, he started to strip out of his dry suit. Smooth, tanned, ripped muscle was revealed as he peeled the tight fabric from his upper body.

Sonya swallowed as she took in every inch of power he uncovered. The need to touch him became a hunger. She’d been skipping this kind of treat for a while.

He must have caught the look she couldn’t hide, for he slowed his striptease. The cold, blustery wind seemed to heat around them.

“Sonya,” he said her name on a groan. Her eyes flicked to his. The amusement was gone, and in its place was fire. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you want to eat me up.”

If he didn’t look so damn delicious, it would be an easier feat to accomplish. He stared at her like he hadn’t treated himself in a while, either. The air sizzled and snapped with suppressed appetite.

She needed to be careful here, remind herself of what he was. It was a lot harder with him out of uniform.

“I’d like nothing better than to do exactly that,” she heard herself say. “But I’m not an animal driven by my baser urges. I can control myself.”

He stalked closer, the top of his dry suit lying loose at his waist. “We’re all animals, Sonya, when you strip us bare. Repressing your natural desires can interfere with your biology.”

“I happen to fancy black raspberry chip ice cream, but I can stop eating it before I make myself sick.”

He cocked a brow as though in a dare. “Afraid too much of me will make you sick?”

“No, not afraid. I know what’s good for me and what isn’t. You definitely aren’t.”

“I could be real good for you,” he said in a rough tone, taking another step toward her.

She swallowed again.

Damn, this was the hottest foreplay she’d ever engaged in, and they were only talking. Conversations like this invariably lead to something else. She ought to end it here and now. Say what she’d come to say and leave.

“Have you ever lived in the moment, Sonya? Experienced what life has to offer, without thinking of tomorrow?” He took another step closer, towering over her. She was above average height for a woman at five eight, but he still loomed over her with his six-foot-plus frame.

“No, I’ve never had that luxury.” She’d been fifteen when she’d lost her parents and her sister, Sasha. Peter had been only two. He’d been a big, though welcome, surprise to her parents in their later years. The load of responsibility Sonya had taken on, at that young age, prevented her from doing just what Garrett tempted.

“Want to give it a try?” he asked. “Forget who you are. Forget who I am. Could you do that?” His voice lowered to a seductive level and stroked dark fantasies to life.

Her fingers itched to trace each line of muscle in front of her that beckoned.

Could she?

What the hell was he doing?

Garrett knew he had no business goading Sonya into taking a bite of what he offered. He was a trooper. She was a fisherman. If they got physical, it would definitely be something he’d have to deal with “tomorrow.” Besides, he doubted very much, that he could walk away from this woman after one night. It’d take at least a couple.

The cold water must have dulled his senses. It had definitely soothed his foul mood. The one she’d been largely responsible for putting him in.

Surfing the Bering Sea had been stimulating, cutting loose and riding a wave that at any moment could have ridden him. There was no way to describe it. Then he’d walked out of that water and seen Sonya standing there under the shelter of the abandoned dock, a log piling at her back, and he’d wanted to take her while the wind screamed around them.

He wanted to make her scream for him.

Garrett watched emotions skitter across her face. Her cheeks blushed from the biting wind, eyes dark and direct as they met his. Was she actually going to pick up the gauntlet he’d tossed her way? It was his turn to swallow as she stepped toward him, her hand pressed against his thudding heart.

“I don’t ever forget who I am. When I give myself to a man, we both remember.” Her hand took a journey down his chest to his abs, which he couldn’t help sucking in. “You wouldn’t be able to forget me tomorrow, Garrett. Even if you wanted to.”

Christ
. Her other hand joined in her exploration of his chest. His breathing was suddenly heavier than when he’d pulled himself out of that freezing ocean. He wasn’t chilled now. Far from it. If possible he felt even more exhilarated.

She broke eye contact and stared at her hands, petting him, as though she wanted to venture over every inch of his skin. He was more than willing to let that happen.

“I didn’t come here to engage in the physical,” she said. “I wanted to thank you for giving us a heads-up today on that hydraulic line.” She paused as though forgetting her train of thought, her fingers caressing his abs, the light, exploring touch sending signals to his lower half he knew he shouldn’t entertain. She took a deep breath, as if needing strength, and stepped back. He felt the loss of her heat like an extinguished flame.

Meeting his eyes, she added, “I also came to warn you. I don’t want you as my protector. You need to treat me like every other fisherman out there on that water.”

He captured her elbows and brought her into full contact with his body. “You aren’t the same as the others, Sonya. I can’t help but differentiate.”

“You’ll have to.” She attempted to pull out of his arms, but he only tightened his hold.

“We might be on different sides of the line, but you enjoyed tying me in knots today.” He caught the twitch of her lips.

“Who’s tying who up?” she asked. “You just don’t like me giving as good as I get.”

Damn right he didn’t.

“Remember when I told you that I don’t play games?” She waited for his nod. “Just because I don’t like to play them, doesn’t mean I’m not good at them.” She smiled, obviously enjoying teasing him.