Chapter 10 Out of Control
Out of Control
Three days later, Nyree was still thinking about their kiss and how her knees had buckled. She’d participated in the kiss with too much eagerness.
She hadn’t intended to kiss him again or let him touch her at all. He’d taken her unawares, and the gleam in those sexy eyes of his had told her he’d known what he wanted.
It seemed men had changed little across the generations.
“Nyree!” The sharp note in Carolyn’s voice told Nyree this wasn’t the first time Carolyn had tried to grab her attention.
“I’m sorry.” Nyree shoved the sexy Tāwera from her mind to focus on right now—the museum where she and Carolyn had met this morning and the day’s schedule.
She gripped her duster a little tighter.
Nyree loved this job, and she’d hate to put it in jeopardy.
It was bad enough that she was hiding Tāwera.
She didn’t want Keith or Carolyn to brand her as unreliable.
“I want you to take the tours today,” Carolyn said. “I have a sore throat, and I’m not feeling well. A woman on the tour three days ago coughed and spluttered all over me.”
“Carolyn, why don’t you go back to bed and catch a couple of hours of sleep?
” Now that she studied Carolyn, her paleness and the shadows under her eyes were noticeable.
“I can take care of the preliminary stuff. I’ll take the morning tour and open the shop once I’ve finished.
It’s more important for you to rest and get better. ”
“That’s what I told her,” Keith said, appearing behind Carolyn. “My wife is very stubborn.”
“I can cope with this, and if I run into problems, Keith will be around. Please, Carolyn, rest. The shadows under your eyes show your restless night.”
“She lay awake half the night,” Keith said. “Love, Nyree is right. You’ll get better faster if you relax now. Besides, we don’t want Nyree or the scientists to get sick.”
Carolyn retreated to their quarters, still arguing, but Keith mouthed a silent thank you over his shoulder as he escorted his wife away.
Nyree hustled to the shop and wished she’d taken the time to restock the previous day. She glanced around for Tāwera. When she couldn’t see him, she silently hailed him.
To her surprise, he answered her telepathically.
“You called?” Tāwera asked, his tone teasing.
She frowned even as she thrilled at the intimate rumble of his voice curling into her mind. Manu still hadn’t replied, and this was yet another thing to communicate to her tribal leader. He’d be sick of her by the time she finished this assignment.
She’d noted Tāwera had picked up more modern slang from his reading. At present, he was devouring detective novels and books detailing the history of New Zealand.
“If you’re not busy, could you help me stock the shelves at the shop? I should’ve done it yesterday evening, but exhaustion got the better of me. Carolyn is sick, and Keith has escorted her back to their quarters.”
“I was walking on the beach. The cruise ship staff have come ashore already, so I don’t stand out. They think I’m a scientist, and the scientists think I’m one of the crew.”
“Thanks,” Nyree said.
She started dragging boxes of T-shirts from the storage room.
“I’ll take those,” Tāwera said, appearing in the doorway. “You bring the lighter stuff. Don’t argue. I know you’re strong, but this will be faster.”
With practiced ease, they refilled the shelves and readied the store for the incoming passengers.
“I’m taking the tours, and I’ll open the shop once I finish,” she said.
“Can I take your tour?”
“Yes, but you’ll be sick of listening to my voice soon.”
“Never.” He leaned closer and kissed her cheek, retreating before her mind kicked into gear. His decadent soapy scent and a hint of the green pine that clung to his skin filled her nostrils and tormented her because she wanted to inhale more.
Disappointment surged through her. A problem.
For her, at least. She was falling for Tāwera in a big way.
It didn’t help that it was the full moon tomorrow night, and every part of her skin sizzled with awareness.
If she couldn’t fly tonight, her vibrator would have to make an appearance, and she imagined that’d cause embarrassing questions because Tāwera’s hearing was even better than hers.
She locked the store and went to meet the first boat heading ashore.
This one contained passengers rather than staff or guides because the occupants wore the distinctive bright orange jackets the cruise company gave their passengers.
The wind had changed direction, and she got a hit of penguin poo.
It’d never be a designer perfume, but it was growing on her.
She stalked over to the arrival point and pasted a smile in place.
Slowly, the passengers drifted to a stop, and Nyree introduced herself.
“Good morning. My name is Nyree. Welcome to Grytviken. I’ll give you the quick down-low on the things you can do during your visit, then you’re free to use your time however you wish.
You’ve probably already noticed the cemetery.
There, you’ll find Shackleton’s grave, along with those of sealers and soldiers.
If you head in this direction, you’ll come to the Grytviken church.
Feel free to go inside. I’ll be leading a tour in exactly one hour, which will leave from outside the post office.
I’ll give you an overview of the whaling history and take you around the station here. ”
“Where is the post office?” A blonde girl bounced on her toes, enthusiasm shining on her round face. Her ponytail jerked from side to side, and Nyree hid her smile.
“If you walk past this shed, you’ll see the sign.
You’ll find the museum near there too. The shop will be closed during the tour, so if you want to mail a letter or purchase a T-shirt, do it before the tour or afterward.
The tour goes for around half an hour. Do you have questions?
No?” Nyree smiled. “Remember, the tour will start at eleven prompt. I’ll go through the island’s history, and you’ll hear a lot about the whaling industry. Enjoy Grytviken.”
The passengers dispersed, and Nyree hustled to the shop. Tāwera loitered outside. He’d dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt advertising a brewpub in Los Angeles, and a pair of old gumboots. He carried an orange jacket over his arm and wore a black cap.
“Where did you get the jacket?”
“I acquired it from the scientists. I overheard them discussing cleaning out an old building to make way for new arrivals. The man in charge told them to heap all the unwanted clothing together, and he’d get rid of it. I grabbed several items to make me blend.”
“Excellent thinking. We were lucky to find jeans to fit you. Oops, looks like a line is forming. I’d better open up before they break down the doors.”
Tāwera kept pace with her. “They would do that?” he asked, his brows drawn together.
“It’s a figure of speech,” Nyree explained. “Go. Eavesdrop on our visitors. You’ll hear accents from different parts of the world. It will help you learn to fit in with different people.”
“I thought I would help you.”
“You’ve already done that by stocking the shelves, and I’d love your aid later. Right now, I think you’ll learn more by listening to different men and women. Just don’t flirt with the women,” she added with a wink.
“I only wish to flirt with you.” He leaned closer. “Your lips are perfect for kissing.”
Nyree’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at him. “Where did you learn that?”
Tāwera grinned—a full-out smile that took him from handsome to mouthwateringly sexy. “I’ve been listening to the scientists.”
“The scientists are talking about me?”
“Yes, but they said nothing to make me hit them. They were polite and behaved as if their mother was present.” Tāwera winked at her, but he hadn’t quite got the hang of it. Both of his eyes flicked closed before he opened them, and a hint of mischief peeked back at her.
Her heart beat in double-time, and she bit back a sigh at his unconscious charm.
Nyree’s gaze dropped to his mouth, and as she did this, his lips quirked upward.
Her gaze jumped to his. Caught in the act.
Even as her cheeks heated, she made a shooing motion with her hands and ushered him away.
“Listen to the new arrivals. The scientists are weird. You want to learn from a wide variety of people, and this is the perfect way for you to study modern behavior. No flirting. No drawing attention to yourself. This means if someone upsets you, don’t react.
You must walk away, but you can tell me about them later, and we can swear up a storm together. ”
“We will gosh-golly them?”
Nyree spluttered. “Where did you learn those words?”
“From the missionaries.”
“Oh.” It was a struggle not to laugh, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “I’ll teach you a modern curse later—one you can insert into a relevant conversation so you’ll fit in better.”
Tāwera nodded, eagerness in him now.
“If you come across something you don’t understand, save your questions until we’re in private.”
Tāwera nodded a second time and strode away. Nyree spared a second to study his rear end before she plucked a shop keys from her pocket.
“Is he your boyfriend?” the blonde from earlier asked.
Nyree jumped. Despite her taniwha senses, she hadn’t heard the girl’s approach.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. That man is fine. His facial tattoos are distinctive. He’s from New Zealand, right? I visited there last year and read lots of history before I arrived.”
“Yes,” Nyree said. “Come in and browse. Let me get the lights.”
The next hour was the busiest she’d ever been, and shutting the shop to start her tour took so long, she ended up five minutes late.
“I’m so sorry,” Nyree said. “Let’s move. Back in the early 1900s, whaling started here in Grytviken. See that bay out there? It’s not huge, but there were so many whales that the men hunting them didn’t need to leave this area.”