Chapter Seventeen RUSSELL
Chapter Seventeen
RUSSELL
I should have thought this through. Driving in my truck with Paisley made me acutely aware of the space inside my truck cab more than anything ever had.
She was right here. I could reach across the console and touch her if I wanted.
Her scent drifted around me, and she smelled a little sweet.
She was looking out the window as I drove, and I caught myself sneaking glances of her—again and again and again.
I loved the lines of her profile, the sweep of her cheekbone, and the way her nose tipped up at the end.
My eyes tracked the smattering of freckles on her cheeks, looking like gold dust in the filtered sunlight cast through the window. She turned, almost catching me looking at her.
“Can I roll the window down?”
I glanced her way again. “Sure, but it's a little chilly out.”
“I don't mind. I love the smell of the ocean.”
I felt my lips tugging into a smile. “Go for it. If you get cold, we'll just blast the heat.”
Paisley laughed, and I was glad to see her relaxing.
I couldn't help but worry about whatever the hell was going on with her brother, but I kicked those worries away for now. This was the second time he’d called the house phone, which, in all honesty, was odd.
That house phone was there only because my parents had put it there years back when they built the place.
That was well before cell phones were commonly used.
The house had been modernized, but we still had that phone line. As my dad pointed out the year before he passed away, cell reception was sometimes questionable. It was just strange that her brother didn’t call her cell phone. Even my mom rarely called that landline when she called me.
Autumn air swirled into the truck when Paisley cracked her window.
The air was bracing and cool, but I didn’t mind.
I loved the smell of fall. The air was crisp, carrying the scents of evergreen, hints of woodsmoke, and the rich, earthy feel of everything falling back to the ground to be covered up by the snow.
“Oh, I can see the ocean!” Paisley was pointing in the distance, where Cook Inlet was visible through the trees.
I smiled over at her. “Give it a few, and you’ll have a better view.”
Only moments later, we rounded a curve in the highway cresting the top of a hill.
The view of the inlet spilled out in front of us.
Alaska was abundant with its natural beauty.
Growing up here, I felt spoiled sometimes.
I’d never tired of it, and I’d even missed it while I was gone in college.
The jagged peaks of a mountain range in the distance were dark against the skyline, and the sunlight glittered on the water like hard diamonds.
“Where are we going?” Paisley rolled up her window, the last word of her question loud once the wind stopped.
“There’s a viewing area where we can park and walk along the beach.”
She actually bounced in her seat. “Really?”
“That’s what I said.” I chuckled, adding, “You rolled up the window.”
She shrugged. “It is chilly. I’m glad I wore my jacket and my boots.” She bounced her heels on the floor. She was short, her feet barely reaching the floorboard in my truck.
Of course, because my mind had a problem when it came to Paisley, that thought was followed by the memory of how she fit perfectly against me. My body recalled the visceral feel of her legs curled around my hips. I mentally groaned. Fuck me. I needed to get a handle on this.
I kept my eyes on the road and was relieved Paisley seemed content to look out the window. A few minutes later, I slowed down and turned off the highway. We drove down a narrow gravel road through a cluster of trees that opened up to a clearing and a rocky beach.
Paisley practically leaped out once I parked. I turned off the engine and pocketed my keys, making sure to lock my truck. Crime was low in Alaska, but parking in secluded areas sometimes led to people helping themselves if the opportunity offered itself.
I followed Paisley as she hurried down a slope to the rocky beach. She stopped, lifting her head and glancing around. “It's so beautiful.” Her eyes were wide when she looked over at me. “Does it ever get old?”
An eagle screeched in the air, and she looked away, her eyes scanning the area. I pointed down the beach. “See that outcropping of trees on the bluff? They usually nest right there.”
An eagle proved me right by flying out of the trees and screeching again as if it had heard me. “It never gets old.”
"Wow." Paisley’s tone was reverential as she watched the massive bird take flight. "I've seen plenty of eagles in Willow Brook, but I’m still shocked by how big they are."
I chuckled. "Have you been to the town transfer station yet?"
Her head whipped my way, questions swirling in her eyes. “The transfer station?”
“Yeah, it’s the best place to see them. It's open tomorrow. You can go with me. I need to swing by anyway.”
She blinked at me. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. They're scavenger birds and not picky, so the transfer station offers them easy dining. They also love to hang around the cleaning stations near the fishing areas and docks.”
“Cleaning stations?”
“Tables where people fillet the fish they catch.”
Paisley laughed. “Eagles are so majestic, but that makes them sound lazy.”
I shrugged. “They’re smart and opportunistic. No sense in making more work when it's not necessary.” I gestured for her to follow me. “Come on, let’s walk.”
We meandered along the shoreline, and I promptly discovered she loved rocks.
Alaska's beaches had excellent rocks. While the gray rocks dominated, they were mingled with colors—red, green, purple, pink, orange, and the occasional lava that had fallen in the ocean and formed into almost weightless shapes.
Paisley filled her pockets and then mine.
The sun was giving its bow in the sky when I glanced over at Paisley. “We should probably head back.” I looked at my watch. “I want to get back to the truck before it gets dark. We're pretty safe here, but we are in bear country, and moose are always nearby.”
Paisley's eyes widened, and she immediately turned, picking up her pace as we began to walk back toward the parking area. When I heard a splashing sound, I glanced over to see a seal rising out of the water. I tapped Paisley on the shoulder, pointing toward the seal.
She clapped her hand to her mouth. “Oh, my god! It's a seal. They're so cute.” Her eyes glittered with excitement when she looked back at me, and my heart twisted sharply in my chest.
Not only had that night with her been the hottest night in my life but she also got to me. My reaction to her had shifted from one of irritation and lust to like, and perhaps more than lust. I danced away from those thoughts like a horse shying when startled.
“Cute, aren't they? They're also curious. I wouldn't be surprised if this one follows us all the way back to the parking area.”
Her brows hitched up in question as she cast me a doubtful look.
“You watch.”
Just as the eagle had earlier, the seal proved me right.
It dived under the water and repeatedly surfaced again as we walked, always glancing over as if to check on what we were doing.
We reached the parking area just as the sun touched the top of a mountain range in the distance.
The bright orange ball in the sky left a wake of colors swirling behind it.
An owl called nearby, and I breathed in the crisp ocean air before glancing down at Paisley.
Her green eyes blinked as she looked up at me, and it felt as if she sent a dart to the corner of my heart. The need to kiss her slammed into me so fiercely it stole my breath.