Page 46 of Heat It Up (Off the Ice)
I secure my life jacket, not taking any chances. To my relief, Kyle does the same. We climb into the small boat. Kyle sits at the stern (or whatever you call the back of the boat), and I sit on the bench, facing him.
Flashing me a reassuring smile, he starts the engine and steers us away from the dock. As promised, he doesn’t go fast, and the tension building in me drains to the point that I don’t have to grip the side of the small boat so hard. Circulation returns to my fingers.
The warm wind blows gently through my hair, pushing loose strands of my ponytail into my face. That, along with the movement of the boat against the smooth waters, calms me to the point where I’m more relaxed than before I got in the boat. A memory of happier times on my uncle’s boat bobs to the surface, and I allow myself to relax more. Kyle’s reassuring smile has a lot to do with that, too.
“True or false,” Kyle says. “You used to be a water-skiing stunt woman in movies.”
I snort. “I think we’ve already established that I’m not good with boats.”
“Water skiing and riding a boat aren’t the same thing. Unless you’re in a James Bond movie. Then I guess they both tend to fly through the air at top speed, pushing the laws of aerodynamics to their limits.”
I laugh. “Yes, there’s always that.”
We arrive incident free at the part of the island where we’re staying. I glance around as Kyle pulls up close to the beach, ignoring the dock a couple of yards away. We’re the only boat in the area, other than the one further down the beach. But that one clearly belongs to the people staying in the other cottage, hidden slightly in the trees.
“If the only way here is by boat, where is everyone?” I ask.
“Good question.” Even though he’s wearing jeans, and not shorts like me, Kyle climbs out of the boat. The water laps his knees when he stands upright, turning the fabric dark blue. “Since it’ll be stormy later, I’ll leave the boat on the beach so it doesn’t end up smashing against the dock.”
I shift my body to the side, ready to climb out and help him. Seeing what I’m about to do, he holds onto the side of the boat and steadies it.
With my body weight low in the boat, I step over the side. Freezing water greets my leg. I gasp.
Kyle chuckles. “Guess I should’ve mentioned it’s cold.”
“It’s not too bad.” I’ve been in worse, although a warning might have been nice.
I climb out of the boat, the brisk water hitting me mid thigh, and help Kyle drag the boat ashore. My legs are a little rubbery from the ride, but it only takes a few seconds for them to switch back to their land-loving form.
Once the boat is far enough up the beach to be safe during the storm, we remove our bags and the supplies Kyle brought with us. We line them up on the sand, then I help him flip the boat over so the rain doesn’t flood it.
He wraps his arms around my waist and plants a soft kiss on my lips. It’s enough to banish any residual fear of traveling by boat. “I told you I’d get you here safely. You okay?”
I nod, not wanting the moment to end, even if a nagging voice in the back of my head warns me the happiness coursing through me can’t last forever. I’ve learned that the hard way.
He lowers his mouth to mine and teases me with feathery kisses. The electric hum is back, traveling through every nerve in my body. I want him so badly. I want to touch him, to please him.
He gives my lip a gentle tug with his teeth, but before I can respond, he steps away and grabs our bags. I crouch and pick up a box with supplies.
“I can get that,” he says.
“I know, but I’m capable of carrying it too.” It’s the other box I’m not so sure about. I peer into it. “Were you responsible for bringing everything?”
“It looks that way, doesn’t it? Maybe that’s why Nik invited me. I’m the pack mule.”
The cottage is farther back in the trees and it looks exactly as I imagined it would. Small. As in, two rooms small, if that. Several yards away is an even smaller building that I know is the sauna. Every summer cottage in Finland has one. It’s like a rule. Okay, maybe not a rule, but no self-respecting Finn would be without one, as Mom used to say.
“How many people are coming?” I ask, eyeing the building.
Kyle’s eyebrows bunch together as he, too, takes in the place. “He said about five, including himself, plus us.”
It will definitely be cozy for seven of us. This is further confirmed after Kyle unlocks the door and opens it. A small eating area and kitchen is located left of where you step in. At the back of the room is a single door. Other than the kitchen, dinner table for four people, a wood-burning stove, and the small couch, not much else fills the space. It’s like it fell straight from a fairy tale. I wouldn’t be surprised if three bears come through the door at any moment and wonder who ate their porridge.
I place the box on the table and open the other door. Inside the room is a queen-sized bed and that’s it. “Are there any sleeping bags?” ’Cause we didn’t bring any.
“Nik said we wouldn’t need any. Why?” Kyle asks behind me.
I turn to him. “Because there’s only one bed.” Surely Nik doesn’t expect us all to sleep in it. Or have an orgy.
