Page 27 of One More Time

“It’s dark, and you’re walking alone down the sidewalk. I’m not worried about anything, but with the world we live in, most women don’t want some guy appearing like that.”

Her lips curved into sort of a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know you didn’t mean any harm, Jack. It’s just me.”

I wanted to ask who hurt her, but now most definitely wasn’t the time for that.

“Should I walk you home? Or are you parked somewhere nearby? Would you like me to go the other way and leave you alone?”

This time, her smile was a little more than the shape of her lips. “I’m guessing we’re walking in the same direction.”

“I think we are.”

“In that case, please walk with me while I walk home.” When she chuckled, the throaty sound zapped through me like a fiery sizzle.

McKenna reached into me, kicking away the compartment I’d tucked my heart inside. She made me want things I knew weren’t sensible.

I must have delayed a little too long because she prompted, “Jack?”

“Let’s walk together.”

I fell into step beside her. We were quiet with nothing but the sound of our footsteps on the sidewalk. There were a few icy spots here and there, but she deftly dodged them.

She stopped in front of the harbor. “I love it here.”

I glanced over. Electricity shimmered in the air like falling sparks around us. “Even growing up here, you still feel that way?”

She nodded. Together, we looked out over the harbor and beyond into the inky waters of the ocean. A half-moon rose over the mountains behind us, casting a pearly shimmer on the water.

“I do,” she said, her tone almost reverent.

“You hear words like amazing, breathtaking, inspiring, and then you come to a place like this, and you feel those words,” I offered.

I’d seen beautiful places and been in the wilderness before, but Alaska was unique. It felt like nature’s cathedral. It snatched your breath out of your lungs. The world felt like so much more, with its beauty enough to wipe clean all the daily worries of life.

I felt McKenna glance toward me and slid my gaze to meet hers. It literally felt like sparks striking stone when our eyes collided, and heat shimmered in the air.

“It is like that.” Her lips curled in a soft smile. “I’m glad you like it here.”

“Like isn’t adequate.”

“No, it’s not, is it?” she mused in a raspy whisper. There was a splash in the water. “Seal, probably.”

“You can guess that in the darkness?”

She shrugged. “Things sound a certain way. Otters are a little messier and splashier in the water than seals.”

“I bet you know all the best places.”

She considered that before her smile widened. “I probably do. I can show you a few.”

My heart surged in my chest. It wasn’t just lust when it came to McKenna. Warmth curled through me like wisps of smoke.

“I’d like that.”

She curled her arms around her waist again, shifting on her feet.

“Let’s keep walking before you get too cold.” I reflexively reached out, sliding my hand down her back in a coaxing touch. I was relieved when she didn’t leap in fear this time.

When we began walking again, my hand fell away. I wanted to hold her hand, to slide my thumb along the soft skin of her wrist, to feel her shiver from desire instead of cold.

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