A noncommittal shrug relaxed his shoulders as he sank into the leather armchair in the living space adjacent to the bed. “Your choice. Horseback riding? Kayaking? Dinner out, if that’s what you prefer?”
How easy it felt to be near him. Even Paige liked him. Isabeau debated her choices for the outing.
“Any chance we can kayak and whale watch in a way that won’t scare me to pieces?” Being with him made taking a risk easier.
Maybe that was because he was the biggest risk of all.
Damn. She was in deep with this man.
He studied her with that steady look of his. “That can be arranged.”
In the moment, in this moment, Isabeau felt her throat swell up a bit, seeming to stop air and words. His gaze lingered, and her skin heated in response. Though, if she were being honest, her own eyes searched him a moment too long, as well.
Silence passed and electricity built, seeming to hum in the air.
He angled closer. “Is everything satisfactory with your suite?”
“It’s lovely.” She glanced around the room again, toying with a lock of her hair. “There’s everything I could want.”
“I made sure there were snacks available. If you or Paige need something different, just let me know and I’ll arrange it.”
“Thank you.” She chewed her bottom lip. “I know what happened between us at the wedding reception wasn’t planned and I hope it won’t make things awkward. We have to work together. So any outings we take together are all toward that goal.”
“Heard and understood.” He nodded quickly.
Her eyes narrowed. “No secret agenda?”
“I am dedicated to doing my best for my family.”
“That doesn’t sound like an answer.”
“I realize things are tense. Let’s just say that I intend to do my job, and at the same time we should get to know each other better. Just in case.”
Those last three words echoed in her skull. A reminder of why she needed to be professional and focus. If she was pregnant, she would need a successful business life more than ever.
All she could do was nod before he stood up from the chair, a ripple of muscles beneath his cotton shirt. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
* * *
Afternoon sun high in the sky, Trystan sprawled in his kayak, his face tipped to the rays. Summer days stretched long here, and he soaked up as many hours as possible.
The waters off the coast near Juneau weren’t as cold as other parts of the state, and he hadn’t slept much last night. This was a simple outing to share with Isabeau, one he hoped she would find as soul soothing as he did. A low-key way to ease closer to her, learn more about what made her tick.
Because truth be told, every day with her made him ache all the more to have her in his bed. He had to wonder now why they couldn’t use this window of time where they didn’t know about a pregnancy to simply explore the attraction, see where it led them.
He could sense she wasn’t ready to hear that suggestion yet, but he was a patient man. He had her here, now, out on the water on this awesome summer day, a picnic basket full of food waiting for them in his Range Rover parked on the shore.
But that feast waiting for them held nothing to Isabeau’s perfectly curved figure accentuated by the formfitting wet suit, visible even with a life jacket. Despite the warmer waters right now, the wet suit was often a standard part of the kayaking experience in Alaska.
Surveying her for a moment, he watched the way her nose scrunched as she paddled forward, gliding through the water. He had to give the dog credit too. She seemed to take everything in stride, unconcerned by the life jacket and the lack of land in her immediate vicinity. Not even flinching when a pair of wolves had sprinted along the tree line before disappearing into the forest.
He paddled closer, one smooth stroke at a time, steering into the current. “You know everything about me and I know so little about you.” Other than just where to kiss her on her neck to make her sigh with pleasure.
“You didn’t run a background check on me like most of my clients?” She paddled as well, her strokes not as efficient as his, but not bad for an amateur.
With practice, she could fit right into this way of life.
He winked. “I figured if the family hired you, you must be right for the job.”
“That’s quite trusting of you.”
“I have my strengths. They have theirs. But I suspect you’re dodging my question.” He eased his kayak closer to her, bumping the side to adjust the angle so she didn’t drift too far from shore.
“There’s no massive secret. I grew up in Washington, the Seattle area. My parents...divorced...when I was in elementary school. My mother worked hard to give me the best life possible.” She kept her eyes averted, her strokes growing more even the longer they were out on the water.
“Your mother loved you.” He could hear it in her voice.
“Yes, she did.” She blinked fast, her smile wobbling.
“And your father?”
Her smile thinned. “He decided working less meant he could pay less child support,” she said drily. “He went with that plan until he could figure out a way to leave without a trail.”
“That’s wrong on so many levels.” He couldn’t imagine a world where he would walk out on his child. Even the thought of being a father had his mind spinning with the ways he would be there for Isabeau and their kid.
If they had one.
His gaze gravitated to her stomach, hidden by a life jacket. A stomach he’d stroked even when their impulsive connection hadn’t left much time for ditching clothes and seeing each other. That part, he regretted and hoped to rectify someday soon. The sooner the better.
She paddled in long, even strokes, the sun glinting off her red hair gathered in a topknot. “My mother and I
