Page 27 of Falling for the Recluse

I round the counter to approach him at the sink. “But I also know what an incredible leader and collaborator you are. It makes me a little nuts that you’re not using those qualities. They’re so rare, and you could influence so many other people. You could show them how to do fieldwork and research by leading internships and mentoring programs. Even by accepting a position on a journal review panel or consulting with science institutes. Have you everthoughtabout those things?”

I fully expect him to say he hasn’t with zero hesitation. Instead, he’s silent as he washes the bowls and sets them in the dish drainer.

“Gavin?” I nudge him in the side. “Your silence is like the ice. A whole bunch is going on under the surface.”

He dries his hands on a dish towel and turns to face me, his expression pensive. “When I was an undergrad, I went on a two-week trip to Antarctica on a Danish polar research vessel. It was pretty amazing. Scientists from all walks of life participated, from emeritus professors to others just getting started, like me. Marine biology, glaciology, atmospheric sciences, geology. Everyone had different interests and projects, but there was so much interdisciplinary discussion. The equipment and electronics were state-of-the-art. That was actually when I decided I was going to be a glaciologist. And I loved the idea of working from a boat, a mobile research center that could take you anywhere on the ocean and to any glacier you wanted.”

I lean back against the counter and study him. “But if you loved that idea, why have you lived alone on an island for so long?”

He shrugs and tosses the dish towel aside. “I guess I fell in love with the Castille glacier. No better place to do long-term research than from here.”

“Have you been back on a research vessel since then?”

“A few times, yeah. But it was nothing like that first time.”

“Well.” I arch an eyebrow at him. “I agree that the first time is often pretty mind-blowing. Nothing else ever quite measures up.”

“I don’t know about that.” He pulls me closer, settling our lower bodies together. “There’s something to be said for experience too.”

“Agreed, sir.”

His eyes crinkle with a smile, and he lowers his head to press a warm kiss on my lips. Though my body responds immediately, he breaks away from me all too soon and taps my nose.

“You were almost nodding off on the way back,” he reminds me. “You need to sleep. Keep up your energy for the penguins tomorrow.”

I slide my arms around his waist. “Can I sleep with you?”

He rubs his cheek on my hair. “Absolutely, even if you’re going to be a tough test of my self-control.”

“I have faith in you.” I pat his flat belly. “And if you lose control…well, then, lucky me.”

He chuckles and scoops me up into his arms. He carries me out of the kitchen, making a quick stop in my bedroom to grab Oswald before going to his room. We tumble onto the bed in a tangle of warmth and blissful exhaustion.

I tuck Oswald under one arm and nestle against Gavin’s wide chest. His heartbeat sounds as if it could outlast time itself. I love him wildly. I never want to leave him.

And he admitted he fell in love with a glacier. Surely that means he can also fall in love with me.

ChapterFourteen

GAVIN

“Areyou sure this is a good idea?” Josie eyes me warily, her hands tucked deep into the pockets of her parka. The air is sharp and cold, the sky bright blue, the sun reflecting relentlessly off the expanse of ice and snow.

“I’m sure.” I finish prying the cover off the metal tube, a couple of feet in diameter and buried deep in the ground. I set the cover aside and look down at the runged ladder descending to the bottom.

“Aren’t we better off staying on the surface of the ice?” Josie approaches the tube and peers into the depths. “I get that this is a super-cool science thing, but I’m really happy above ground level.”

“I’ll be right there with you.” I pull her in for a hug and kiss her forehead. “I’ll go first. Put your gloves in your pocket. Take it slow, and be careful at the bottom. You’ll switch to a rope ladder the last few feet.”

Letting her go, I grab the metal ladder and climb into the observation tube. The hole was drilled into the ice shelf years ago and extends past the sea ice to the ocean. I stop halfway and look up to see Josie following.

At the bottom, a small, plexiglass-enclosed chamber—just big enough for two people—hovers in the ocean, providing a 360-degree view of life underneath the ice. The colors and light hit me before I reach the rope ladder.

“You okay?” I call up.

“Yes.” She descends another few rungs. “Just catch me if I fall.”

“Always.” I wait until she reaches the rope ladder, then put my hand on her back to steady her as she descends the last few rungs.

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