Stars Over Alaska (Wild River #4) - Jennifer Snow Page 0,124

and night fell over the frozen lake, bringing the weekend closer to its end. The couples had opted for dinner inside their individual huts and Maddie was grateful for the extra alone time with Mike.

As she finished the last bite of the rainbow trout she’d caught that day, she sat back in her chair and said, “Well, this was one of the most unexpectedly fun weekends I’ve had in a long time.” Fun but also disappointing that their time together couldn’t last.

He nodded. “Me too. And you were right when you said this excursion wasn’t really my thing. The fishing part of course, but the whole romantic thing is definitely not my strong suit.”

“I don’t know. I mean, I think there’s different kinds of romance. You might not be the big gesture guy, but small gestures are the way to some women’s hearts.” Like hers. His bringing her breakfast that morning, or the way he’d refilled her coffee every time it was low or too cold, or the way he’d given up the bigger cot... His silent, unassuming way made him far more appealing than any lavish, over-the-top show of affection ever could.

“Well, it takes a very special kind of woman to appreciate that,” he said with that same soft gruffness that appeared in his voice whenever the conversation moved to emotional territory. Oddly enough, his struggle with vulnerability only made him more endearing. The effort counted for more and there was a level of sincerity that she hadn’t seen in other men she’d dated.

“You said you were raised by your dad?” she asked.

“Yeah. Growing up it was a house full of testosterone. I have three brothers,” he said, sitting back in his chair and crossing one ankle over his other knee. His thick, broad thighs captured her attention and the memory of sitting on his lap that afternoon had her cheeks warming.

“What are they like?”

“Exactly like me. Only hairier,” he said with a grin.

She laughed. That explained why he’d assumed she and Jade were alike.

“And now that I know your type, I’m never introducing you to them,” he said teasingly, but she suspected there was truth in the words.

She smiled but the ache in her chest grew. She’d never met anyone like him. She didn’t want to meet anyone else like him. She liked him. Far more than was safe for her heart.

He sat forward and reached across, taking her hands in his. He lowered his head and stared at their joined hands, gently stroking hers. “Maddie, I haven’t had a connection like this in... I don’t think ever.”

She swallowed hard.

“The hardest part is knowing we have to leave here tomorrow morning and you don’t want to explore this further.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to.” She paused. “I wish things were different.”

Choosing her sister over a man she barely knew was the right thing, so why was it so hard?

Mike’s gaze held hers for a long moment. He looked ready to argue but respected her enough not to. He slowly released her hands and stood. “We should probably call it a night?”

She didn’t want to, but it was after ten and all the other huts were dark and...not exactly quiet, but definitely out for the night. They were packing up and leaving for the drive back to Wild River first thing the next morning. “Yeah, we probably should.” She stood and collected their plates, but he took them from her.

“I’ll take care of all this if you want to get ready for bed.”

She nodded and she desperately wanted to tell him how she was feeling, but the words refused to surface. Why make this harder by confessing that she was falling for him? What good could come from that?

He put on his coat and left the hut with the dishes and Maddie changed into her pajamas...but instead of the big fleecy shirt, she pulled on a light-colored tank top with her pajama bottoms.

Then immediately second-guessed the decision when Mike returned and his gaze took in her body. He didn’t say a word, but the look of desire in his eyes had her heart pounding out of her chest.

“You sure you don’t want the bigger cot?” she asked as casually as possible.

“Only if you’re in it too.”

Her pulse raced as her mind came up with all the reasons that was a bad idea.

Their attraction for one another was obvious. There’d been more kissing than fishing that day. No talking about what it all meant. They’d agreed that it was