Uncle Rhodes gave me the bonus we get for each fire we respond to, but that was it. Korren doesn’t need to know that. “I like throwing away money on frivolous things. I can totally understand why you don’t, but now that we’ve stocked up on essentials, I don’t care if I run out again.”
“I don’t want to be in your debt.”
“It’s a gift, Korren. Lighten up.”
He grimaces, and as we make our way out of the cockpit into the rain, I find an excuse to rest a hand on the small of his back for a moment.
Then we’re all dashing along the pier and up the hill into town, because none of us thought to bring any rain gear given how clear it was this morning.
We’re a bedraggled mess by the time we pile into the restaurant, which is already crowded. Rowan has the fish safe and dry in a cooler under one arm, and he approaches the head chef as if he knows her well, which he probably does given there are only a few eating establishments in Copper Creek.
“Can you cook these up for us?” he asks, showing her our catch.
“Sure thing. What do you want with them?”
“Surprise us.”
We slide into one of the rounded booths, and it’s all I can do not to hook a hand possessively over Korren’s leg. I content myself with pressing my knee against his.
God, I don’t know what’s gotten into me.
Rowan orders us a round of beers, and we nurse them as we wait for our meal.
“Is this summer your first time in Alaska?” Rowan asks Korren.
“Yeah.”
“What do you think so far?”
Korren gives him a guarded smile. “I like how unofficial everything is. And how big the state is.”
“Alaska is fucking huge,” I agree.
“It’s as if wilderness is still winning the race against civilization out here. Like there’s enough empty space for every person in the whole state to get lost without running into each other.”
I snort. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Anyway, I sort of ended up in this job at random, but now I definitely want to stay.”
This time I can’t resist sliding a hand across his leg. It’s not like anyone can see us—the lighting is dim, and under the table everything is in shadow.
To my surprise, Korren slips his hand over mine and tucks the ends of his fingers under my palm.
Is he trying to tell me something? Or is he just enjoying every little touch as much as I am?
I suddenly can’t focus on anything else.
I’m so fucked.
We’re into our second round of beers before our dinner arrives, and all I can think about is how nice it will be to go home and crawl into bed with Korren and pull him into my arms so I feel every inch of his body pressing against mine.
Which is probably a bad idea right now, because I’m so worked up that my cock is already straining against my pants, and there’s no way I’m shoving it against Korren’s ass without getting a massive boner.
Thankfully our dinner is delicious enough that it distracts me, at least for now. Both the salmon and trout are seared lightly with a sprinkling of lemon juice and flaky sea salt, and there’s nothing better than salmon from the Copper River Delta. A good third of the town is involved in small-scale fishing operations, and for good reason—this is seriously excellent fish. Ours is served with a green salad and buttered potatoes, and I’m in heaven. This is the epitome of summer in Alaska.
“Just wait until fall,” I tell Korren. “Then I’ll take you for a berry picking trip, and you’ll be forever ruined for eating food that isn’t fresh out of the Alaskan wilderness.”
“I wouldn’t mind that.”
