I part my lips hesitantly, letting Jonah slide it in, his watchful gaze on my mouth as I tear off the tiniest piece between my front teeth. I let the intense flavor build on my tongue for a moment. “Not bad,” I admit as I chew and swallow, and then burrow into his side with a shudder, the air cool against my bare back.

“Give me a minute.” He presses a kiss against my forehead and then deftly maneuvers me off him.

I huddle under the covers and watch him grab another log from the small pile in the corner and carefully fit it into the woodstove, completely unabashed by his stark nudity. There’s certainly nothing left of that skinny teenaged boy from the picture. He’s all broad muscle and strength, perfectly proportioned, his thighs solid and thick. He makes Corey look like a gangly teen, and Corey’s only two years younger than him.

“Do you go to a gym around here?”

“Not in a while.”

“Then how—”

“Crazy good Norwegian genes. You should have seen the forearms on my grandfather. And I stay active.” The flames begin to grow, adding light to the dim cabin and reflecting off his eyes, making the blue in them dance.

“Active like the past hour active?” Because the way Jonah was moving over me, his muscles corded and straining, his skin slick, he definitely got a workout. My thighs tighten reflexively at the thought. I can still feel him inside me.

Sharp eyes flicker to me before shifting back to the fire. As usual, he’s figured out what I’m really asking and he’s deciding if he’ll make me drag it out of him or offer it up freely. “I was seeing a pilot from the coast guard for a while last year.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. She transferred back to the Lower Forty-eight.”

“Do you miss her?” What was she like? Did you spend a night on a dirty cabin floor by the fire with her, too? Would you still be with her if she hadn’t left?

He grabs the poker and jabs it into the stove. “I knew she wasn’t sticking around, so I never let myself get attached.”

I fidget with the slider on the sleeping bag’s unfastened zipper, trying to push aside the dour thought that springs up. Just like you won’t get attached to me because I’m leaving. Another selfish thought quickly follows, that admits I want Jonah to grow attached to me. To pine and hurt for me after I’m gone. To care that I’m not there.

Because then I won’t be alone in it.

But I’m guessing he’s too smart to let that happen. “Are you always so honest about everything?” I ask mildly. Brutally so, sometimes. Though, I think I’m beginning to admire that quality. It’s painfully refreshing.

I watch his face as it hardens with thought, his perfectly groomed jaw—the hairs mussed but still sexy—tensing. The mood in the cabin has suddenly shifted.

And then he sighs and, tossing the poker to the stone pad next to the stove, moves for the door, pushing it wide open. He simply stands there and watches the deluge of rain as it beats against the valley floor, his hands hooked on the wood above him, his naked silhouette framed by the doorway, cooler air flooding in.

I sense the need to stay quiet and let him work through whatever’s on his mind, so I sit up and hug the sleeping bag tight to my body. And I selfishly admire his firm body. That ass I couldn’t see in those styleless baggy jeans? It’s there, alright. Round and rock hard, with two long red marks. From my nails, I realize. Several more marks span his back. I don’t even remember getting that rough with him.

“My dad was like that. He’d come right out and tell you what he thought of you, and a lot of the time, it wasn’t anything you’d want to hear. But he’d say it anyway. Couldn’t help himself. It was like he’d explode if he didn’t get it out.” He chuckles. “When I met Wren, I didn’t know what to think of him at first. He was this quiet man who kept his head down and seemed to just let things happen. Didn’t yell about anything. He was about as opposite to my dad in every way as you could get. I don’t think he knew what to think of me, either. I was pretty sure he was gonna can my ass within the first week. But George said I needed to come work for Wild, and I trusted George.”

I smile, thinking back to my dad’s words. “He said you were full of piss and vinegar when you started.”

Another chuckle. “Definitely not sugar and spice, that’s for sure.”

“He knew you were a good pilot.”

“It’s funny, you know, my dad may have taught me how to fly a plane, but Wren was the first one to ever tell me I was any good at it. Maybe if he had, I wouldn’t have bailed on the air force. Maybe I would have cared more to please him. I mean, I’d do anything for Wren.” He pauses. “I know he doesn’t have the best track record with you and God knows he has his faults, but he’s up there with the best guys I know. I’m . . .” His voice drifts with a hard swallow.

“I’m really glad Agnes called me. And that I came to Alaska,” I admit. That’s the first time I’ve actually said those words. It’s the first time I’ve truly felt them, deep down inside.

He turns his head, giving me his profile. “You mentioned staying in Alaska longer today.”

“Uh . . .” Yeah, in a moment of blind jealousy. “I wasn’t really thinking when I—”