Page 70 of One Night in Alaska
I’d just finished answering a few emails from our suppliers when my phone rang. Looking down, I saw that it was Beau, and my heart began to hammer against my ribcage. He still had that effect on me, even if we had been together for over a year now.
“Hey, baby. What are you doing?” he asked.
“Oh, just finishing up my responses to those suppliers. That woman I was telling you about who makes the soaps that smell like flowers, the one from the Netherlands?” He murmured that he knew who I was talking about. “Well, we were able to come to terms on a price, so she’s going to start working on our order, and we’ll have the first supply by the end of the month.”
“That’s great,” Beau said. “Congrats, baby. I know how much you like her products.”
“Yeah, this is a big win for us. Anyway, how are you? Did you get the boat running?” He’d gone out earlier today to work on the boat, which was acting up. I wasn’t quite sure what the problem was, but I was glad I could keep working while he was able to take the day off. I didn’t mind one bit holding the fort down while he was out in the sunshine.
“I did get it running,” he told me. “I was hoping you would want to come down here and let me show it off to you.”
I checked the time. It was a little after four in the afternoon. Ordinarily, I liked to work a typical eight-hour day when I could because it helped me hold myself accountable for getting all of my work done. But I could live a little. Who was I to deny the boss when he asked me to leave the office and come spend some time with him? Besides, we would surely talk about work at some point while we were out on the bay, right?
“Yeah, okay. I’ll be there in a bit. Just let me change my clothes,” I told him.
“I’m sure whatever you’re wearing, you look lovely.” I could hear that tone in his voice that let me know he was attempting to flirt with me even over the phone.
I chuckled. “I’m in my pajamas, Beau. I’ll just throw on a pair of shorts and be there in a bit.”
“Oh, wear that new dress I bought you,” he suggested. “It’s so pretty.”
“The one with the sunflowers?” I asked. I wasn’t quite sure that was appropriate for a windy boat, but it was a casual summer dress. “Okay.”
I hung up and went into the bathroom to put myself together a little bit. I may have already caught the man, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to impress him and get dressed up for him.
About a half hour later, I pulled into a parking spot near the marina where Beau kept his boat. I got out and headed toward theSeaside Shanty, glad that it wasn’t that windy.
Beau looked up from whatever he was tinkering with when he heard my footsteps. “Hello, beautiful,” he said, coming over to help me onto the boat.
“Hey, you look like you’re having fun.” I stepped down into the boat and kissed him. He wasn’t dirty at all, which surprised me since he usually got greasy working on the boat. Wearing a nice short-sleeved shirt and khaki shorts, he looked nice. It almost made me want to take him down inside the belly of the boat and have my way with him.
“I am having fun,” he assured me. “Why don’t we take this baby out and see what she can do?”
“Sounds good to me.”
He kissed me again, his mouth lingering on mine as if he’d been thinking about the possibility of rocking this boat, too, but then he released me. I found a seat where I’d have a great view, and he started the boat up, taking care of all the things he needed to do before he could pull out away from the dock.
We went slowly until we got away from the shore. Then, Beau sped up. The wind whipped through my hair, cooling my skin. I lifted my face to the sky and smiled, so happy to get to live in such a beautiful place with such an amazing man.
Beau took the boat around the bay, showing me all of the lovely sights and letting me soak in the sunshine and fresh air. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, but it wasn’t hot. It was about eighty degrees outside, which was pretty perfect.
Over the engine, Beau shouted, “It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it sounds great,” I told him, turning to look at him. “I can’t tell there was ever anything wrong with it.”
He gave me a sly smile, and I wasn’t sure what that was about. There had been something wrong with the boat, right? He hadn’t just said that to get me out here, had he?
After about an hour or so, Beau parked the boat a little ways off the shore, dropping anchor in an area where we had some beautiful sights to behold. He came and sat next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
“This is lovely,” I told him, grinning at him.
“Not as lovely as you.” He smiled, and I felt my cheeks flaming. “Thanks for coming out here with me. I know you hate leaving work early.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t that early, I guess. I just really love my job.”
“I’m so lucky you decided to come and work for me, Georgia. I loved my business before you came along, but now, you’ve found a way to make it fun again. We’re helping more people, making our rental homes even better for guests, and we’re able to employ even more people. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. Kissing Beau could never get old. I loved the way he tasted, the way his warm lips enveloped mine, and the way he could get me excited with even a look.
I could’ve kissed him all day, but my stomach was beginning to growl, and he heard it. “Sorry,” I told him. “I didn’t get a chance to eat lunch because I was on the phone. Maybe we should go home so I can make dinner?”