Alaskan Adventure (Destination: Desire) (2 page)

Okay, so maybe that crossed the neutral line, but if you can’t look out for yourself at fifty-seven, it’s probably not a good sign.

“Annie.” The whine in her voice grated on Anne’s last nerve.

She looked at her mother squarely. “You know I don’t like to be called that. My name is Anne.”

Dinah flinched as if Anne were a monster who’d kicked a puppy. The older woman’s chin trembled, and her voice dropped to a throbbing whisper, “This house will be so big and empty without you.”

“The trip is non-refundable, Mom. It was a sale.” Anne took in a slow breath, steeling herself, and her tone hardened. “Even if it wasn’t, I’d still go. There’s absolutely nothing you can say or do to stop me. Period.”

Her mother’s lips parted in shock. As mouthy as Anne was with everyone else, more often than not, she did whatever she had to do to appease her mother. It had always been necessary in order to save her sisters from more drama. But there was no one left here except the two of them.

Dinah gave an offended huff. “You…you…”

“I…what?” Anne pulled her favorite hiking boots out of the closet. She needed to inspect her pack, sleeping bag and all her footwear to make sure they were still in good shape for the trip. Her gear was well-used, so if she needed to replace anything, she wanted to have time to break the new piece in before she left. She grabbed her rock-climbing shoes to check them over, trying to ignore the quivering indignation emanating from the doorway.

“How can you just abandon me like this?” Dinah snapped, going from pathetic sniveling to towering fury in the blink of an eye. “You’re supposed to think about your mother!”

“You’re the mother, and I’m the child. Your child needs this vacation. You should think of your child’s needs.”
For once.
“You’ll be in your own home. You can visit your friends. You can throw extra make up parties. Do whatever you want, Mom.
I’m
going to Alaska.”

Okay, so that last bit came out more fiercely than it should have, but Anne tightened her jaw against the urge to give in to whatever her mom wanted in order to head off a meltdown at the pass. Not today. She was not giving up this trip. She’d been eying these excursions to Alaska for
years
, wishing she could go, wishing she could manage more than a long weekend away without worrying about her sisters’ health and safety. Not that their mom had ever been abusive, but she had no problem with giving the girls cupcakes for every meal. Not to mention how often she didn’t bother with or remember to pay the bills. Assuming she’d held a job long enough that she could afford to pay them.

Anne was tired of being the adult in this relationship. Seriously, was this all she had to look forward to? Being her mother’s keeper?

Is this it?

That was the question that had been plaguing Anne lately. She’d watched her sisters move out of the house, seen her best friends find love…everyone was moving on with their lives and Anne was still here. Going to the same job every day, still living in the same house with her mom. She felt trapped. Stuck.

Was this all there was to her life? Day in and day out, year in and year out? Was she going to grow old, look around and still be asking herself:
is this it?

“I’m going to Alaska,” she reiterated, the words colder than the climate she was heading for.

“Fine. If you feel like you have to get away from me.” Her mother’s voice wobbled, sliding back to pathetic, and Anne was entirely unmoved. It was exactly the kind of emotionally manipulative thing her mom always said to get her way, but Anne didn’t think she could give in this time without losing a little bit of her soul.

She’d always found peace and rejuvenation on her trips out into the wild. This time, she needed as big a dose of that as she could find.

Chapter Two

Juneau, Alaska

The cold bite of air hit Gabe’s skin as he left his cabin and stepped out onto the deck of the
Alaskan Adventure.
Even in late June, the temperatures could dip to freezing at night. The day was headed toward sunset, so the thermostat was dropping fast. He tugged on a hoodie over his thermal shirt and walked over to the rail. Most of the crew would be gathered in the dining room socializing and sipping coffee, and he’d join them soon. Caffeine was a necessity, but he wanted a few minutes of quiet solitude before the next group boarded for their cruise. He wouldn’t have much peace for the next twenty-some days.

“A new day, a new set of tourists.” Oliver grunted, slumping against the railing beside Gabe.

“Yep.” He grinned over at the ship’s captain. The two had been friends for the five years Gabe had spent his summers leading the off-boat expeditions on the
Alaskan Adventure
. He stretched his arms over his head, loosening up his limbs.

Oliver scratched his bearded jaw. “Maybe there’ll be hot babe in this bunch.”

“Right.” Gabe slapped his friend on the back. “And she’ll be traveling with her new husband on a honeymoon trip, so all you can do is drool and wish you were him.”

The other man snorted. “Only the crazy ones come on their honeymoons. Hubby can keep the crazy. I don’t need it.”

Gabe laughed. “That’s the spirit.”

The men lapsed into silence, gazing out over the harbor. Though the
Adventure
was a cruise ship, it was a small one. They had the berth space for forty passengers, plus the crew. Considering the big cruise liners could hold over twenty-five hundred passengers, the
Adventure
was a tiny canoe by comparison. But Gabe liked the smaller operation, liked that he got a chance to know people during the weeks onboard. Of course, that closeness also meant it was harder to avoid the annoying characters, but he generally got along well with everyone.

A satisfied grin stretched his lips. He’d spent far too many years in the Silicon Valley rat race, making buckets of money as a programmer, but slaving away until he was practically living in the office. His bosses had approved of his work ethic, but after the first flush of success wore off and the grind never seemed to get any easier, he’d started to hate every minute of it. On his thirtieth birthday, he’d looked around, realized life was too damn short to spend it miserable, and walked away without a backward glance.

That had been five years ago, and he didn’t have a single regret. He’d signed on to guide every kind of backpacking, hiking, biking, rock climbing, paragliding, ziplining, sailing, rafting outdoor adventure all over the world. He made pennies compared to his previous salary, but he was more content than he’d ever imagined being. It was a trade-off that had been well worth it.

Oliver’s brows drew together. “Isn’t this the tour your parents are coming along for? Or is it the next one?”

“This one. They should be with the group boarding.” Gabe’s grin spread. His older brother had come along on several of the excursions he’d led over the years, but this was a first for his parents. While they’d all been worried about his career switch, after they’d gotten over their initial shock, they’d been remarkably supportive.

He was a fortunate man on so many levels. Great job, great family. Yeah, life was good.

With his mom and dad along, this should be an awesome trip.

“Here they come.” Oliver straightened, glancing down at his watch. “They’re early.”

A trail of laughing, bouncy people were headed toward the gangway. Some had already thrown themselves into the vacation mindset, and he could see an almost giddy freedom in their expressions. Gabe could easily pick out those who were still wound too tight, who
really
needed a break from their lives.

Well, they’d come to the right place.

He hadn’t spotted his parents yet, so he leaned forward to try to find them. He ran his gaze along the line of tourists. A tall woman who towered over her companion caught his eye, and he blinked. He took in her willowy length. She had a shock of hair so red it looked like living flame as the strands danced in the breeze. A laugh burst from her rosy lips, and her mouth formed into a wicked smile.

Wow.

That smile was enough to send equally wicked thoughts spinning through any red-blooded man’s mind. She had slight curves, but the wind flattened her top against her and cupped every one of those curves like a lover. He could almost see the outline of her beaded nipples, and while he knew it was a reaction to the cold, he couldn’t stop the automatic response of his body.

Damn, but he hoped this particular hot babe wasn’t here on her honeymoon. Because he wanted to meet her.

Oliver nudged him in the ribs, bringing reality back into focus. “That guy looks like an older version of you, so if that’s not your dad, I think your mom was lying to you about the mailman.”

“Yeah, that’s my dad.” Gabe raised an arm and waved.

He had to fight a wince as he realized he’d been so focused on the redhead that he’d overlooked the fact that it was his mother trotting along beside her. His father walked a few strides behind the women.

“I’m going to the bridge.” Oliver slapped him on the back and turned away. “Enjoy the family reunion.”

The moment they boarded, his mother dragged the redhead along to come greet Gabe. It looked like he’d get to meet her immediately, but with his parents watching the interaction. Good news, bad news.
Ah, well.

His mom glanced up at the redhead. “See, I told you I made good-looking sons. My older boy is just as hot, but he’s married already.”

The tall woman laughed and the sound was smoky and sexy. Nice. She looked even better up close than she had from a distance. Her eyes were sparkling with mirth, and they were so pale a brown they were almost pure gold.

He held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Gabe Warren. Nice to meet you. And don’t let my mom fool you. She has to be diplomatic, but I’m much better looking than my brother.”

His mother chortled and his dad rolled his eyes.

“Anne Kirby.” Those golden eyes crinkled at the corners, and as she took his hand, her gaze did a quick flick over his body. Oh, yeah. That was interest flittering across her expression. Nice. A little grin tilted up one side of her mouth, a hint of flirtatiousness, but nothing overt. Since his parents were standing right there, he appreciated her restraint. Her skin was amazingly soft, but her handshake was firm and no-nonsense, and he liked that too.

“I’ll be leading the outdoor excursions on this trip.” He flashed his best smile at her.

Her voice was just a little throaty. “Well, I’m planning to take advantage of those.”

Maybe it was completely unprofessional to be thinking it, but he was hoping she’d be taking advantage of a lot more than his guide skills. The cruise company didn’t have a non-fraternization policy with co-workers or guests, thank God, though it was awkward as hell to be considering that in front of his family members.

“I’m going to go find my cabin and get settled.” She gave an easy wave to his parents. “Peggy, Vince, I’ll see you both for dinner?”

“I think we’ll see you at the ship orientation session first.” His dad pulled the itinerary out of his pocket to show her. Always on top of every detail, that was Dad.

“Great. I’ll meet you there.” Anne bumped her shoulder into his dad’s.

The three Warrens watched as she disappeared into the ship. Then his mom swung around, her expression full of the devil. “So you like her, huh? I totally called that. Your dad owes me ten bucks.”

Gabe arched a brow. “You were betting on this?”

Dad grinned unapologetically and shrugged. “Like you didn’t hop right into the betting pool with us when we were guessing when your brother would finally pop the question.”

“True enough,” Gabe agreed. He scooped his mother up, lifting her off the ground for a moment and rocking her. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, you.” She squeezed him tight. “It’s so good to see you, baby.”

“You too.” He set her down and ruffled her hair like she was a kid. She ducked away and swatted at him. He chuckled and turned to his father, who hauled him in for a back-slapping bear hug. “Glad you’re here, Dad.”

His dad leaned back and gave a pointed glance at the door Anne had just gone through. “Yeah, though we may be messing with your game plan.”

Gabe shook his head. “No plan. No game. I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while and nothing will mess with that.”

He meant it too. As attractive as Anne Kirby was, his family had always been a top priority. He wasn’t going to ignore them in favor of a woman he’d just met. With any luck, he could multitask. He’d have to, considering he was onboard to work.

Interesting times ahead. His favorite kind.

Well. A sexy guy as a tour guide and she already knew she liked his parents. Anne had never had that mystery solved so fast. Then again, that information was usually only useful after a few months of dating to see if she liked the guy enough to bother finding out if she liked the parents.

Of course, said tour guide was also a little on the scruffy bum side of life with his stubbled chin and a job that wouldn’t last past the end of the season. She winced at that. Exactly the kind of guy her mom would
love
—just as big a flake and just as unable to hold down a real job as she.

Too bad.

Gabe Warren was attractive, Anne would give him that,
and
he’d managed to make her laugh within two minutes of meeting him. He looked like a big, sleepy lion, all shaggy sun-bleached golden hair, tawny skin and cat-green eyes. The way his thermal shirt and jeans had fitted his body told her he was ripped. Like, holy mother of God, let-me-see-you-naked-please because that was the hottest bod she’d ever laid eyes on. If nothing else, he’d be some exceptional eye candy on this voyage.

She grinned as she stowed her stuff in the tiny postage stamp of a room. It was actually one of the ship’s larger cabins, where she had a queen size bed and a room all to herself. Many of the cabins were shared and only had two twin size beds crammed into the same space. But that was pretty typical for a cruise ship—boats had limited square footage to work with.

She didn’t want to stay cooped up in her room though. All her tension had started stripping away the moment she’d hopped off the plane in Alaska. The cool air filling her lungs had a sharper bite than the ocean breeze from the California coast she called home. There was the scent of lingering snow on the wind—something she never dealt with in Half Moon Bay. It was so different, such a nice break from the pressures of her life. She hadn’t been able to stop grinning, and when she’d heard Peggy making a dirty joke to Vince as they disembarked the shuttle to the harbor, Anne hadn’t been able to hold in a chuckle.

Peggy had glanced back and winked and, well, Anne was pretty sure she’d made a friend for the trip. And the quiet humor in Vince’s gaze made her like him on sight. She’d also noticed a couple of other athletic women on the shuttle, so she was guessing they might be joining her on the more physical activities and would be less into the nature walk, bird-watching stuff.

It would be nice if she wasn’t the only woman going on those off-boat excursions. Not that she couldn’t keep up with the guys, but a little gender balance made for a better trip.

Never one to sit still long, she finished putting everything away, grabbed her camera, and left her cabin to trot up the stairs to the main deck. Her friends and sisters would want some pictures of day one, so she might as well snap a few before she had to go to orientation.

She worked her way around the small cruise liner, taking a few photos of the harbor, the city skyline and the channel that would connect the ship to a series of inlets and islands along the way. The boat rocked a bit, and she braced her legs apart to remain balanced, but kept her eye on her camera’s viewfinder so she could get the angle she wanted.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

Gabe Warren’s deep voice rumbled directly in her ear, and she startled, her heart slamming against her ribcage. She whipped around and clapped her free hand over her chest. “Fuck! Sneaking up on people is not cool, dude.”

“Sorry.” His eyebrows rose. “I didn’t mean to sneak.”

Considering he’d been practically nibbling on her earlobe before he spoke, she sort of doubted his sincerity. And the thought of him nibbling any part of her body sent a little shiver down her.

He’s a deadbeat like Mom, Anne. Get a grip.

After a beat of silence, she said, “Don’t worry about it. Did you want something?”

When his grin went absolutely naughty, she realized her wording mistake.
She
was usually the one with a wicked comeback. That he’d managed it without saying a word sent a dart of annoyance through her, especially since her pulse was still galloping. From being startled or from being this close to the hot, disheveled tour guide? She didn’t think she wanted to examine that too deeply.

Dredging up the no-nonsense tone she used with her students, she said, “I’m sure you have work to do, Mr. Warren. Don’t let me keep you from it.”

Turning away, she refocused on getting a good picture.

“Nope, I’m pretty free at the moment. And I’m Gabe—Mr. Warren is my father.”

Awareness prickled between her shoulder blades as he continued to stand there, just close enough that she felt the body heat coming off him in waves. Why was he so close? Why did that awareness turn to warmth in the pit of her belly? Damn. She sighed and lowered her camera.

“Am I bothering you, Anne?”

Yeah, like she could admit he bothered her. That would certainly give him an advantage. Though she wasn’t even sure how this encounter had become competitive. Other than she was always competitive. Maybe he was too, which meant pursuing even a mild flirtation with him was out of the question. Fighting to keep the upper hand would not help her relax and be all zenlike on this vacation, which she desperately needed. Though it
was
too bad. She’d enjoyed their little back-and-forth when they met. And he was damn pretty. His earlier comment about his brother meant he knew it too, more’s the pity.