The Simple Wild: A Novel by K.A. Tucker

Author:K.A. Tucker [Tucker, K.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2018-08-06T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

I stir to the distant sound of someone knocking.

A moment later, the knock sounds again, only it’s more like pounding.

And it’s on my bedroom door.

I push off my eye mask and squint against the glow of sunlight from around the edge of the curtains. “Yeah?” I call out, my voice hoarse with sleep.

There’s no answer, only more knocking. It’s an urgent sound, and it puts me on edge.

I wrestle with my covers to free myself and stumble for the door, throwing it open.

Jonah is filling the doorway.

“What’s wrong? Is my dad okay?” I ask in a panic, searching the hall for any signs of him.

He stares hard at me for a long moment, his gaze skating over my features.

“Jonah?”

He blinks several times. “So this is what you look like, without all that shit on your face.”

I sigh with exasperation. “I’m not in the mood for your crap this early. What do you want? Where’s my dad?”

Jonah’s eyes drop to my chest, reminding me that I’m in a cotton tank top, braless. And the air is crisp.

I fold my arms across myself reflexively, even as a strange shiver dances along my skin.

His gaze snaps up. “He had to fly to Anchorage. I thought you’d be up.”

I study those glacier-blue irises for a moment. They look somehow darker. Heated. Is he . . . turned on? “We stayed up late to watch a movie and then I couldn’t fall asleep. What time is it, anyway?”

“Seven. Get dressed. You’re flying today.”

That pulls me out of whatever fog I’m trapped in. “I’m what?”

“It’s a clear day and your dad wants you to see more of Alaska. You’ve been here three days already. It’s time you get in a plane.”

“With you?” I say doubtfully.

He smirks. “Come on. You can get some pictures for Wild’s website. You said you wanted to do that, right?”

Anxiety is quickly rising in my belly like a twirling windstorm at the thought of getting into a plane—with Jonah—again. But with it is a strange sense of excitement. Besides, I don’t want to spend the day sitting around, looking for ways to kill time until my dad comes home. “Fine. Give me an hour.”

He barks out a laugh. “You have five minutes.”

“Yeah, right. I can’t get ready in five minutes. I’m not you.”

I get a flat look in return. “You’re in Alaska. Throw on some clothes, brush your teeth, and let’s go.”

“Half an hour.” If I skip showering and rush my makeup, I can do that.

“Five minutes.”

“Twenty,” I barter.

His normally icy gaze slides over my mouth, my throat, my chest, and farther, before coming back up to meet my eyes. His hard swallow fills the silence. “You don’t need all that to look good, Calla. Seriously.”

My words falter. Was that a compliment?

From Jonah?

And why is this heated gaze I’m seeing not making me uncomfortable?

Why does it seem to be doing the exact opposite, sending a small thrill through me? Am I . . . ? No, even if the top half of his face is attractive and his body is impressive, I can’t be attracted to him.

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