Wild Shores

Chapter Twenty-three

Gem dragged a bag of sand to the barricade and heaved it on top. Pressing a hand to the small of her back and stretching her shoulders, she squinted down the beach to survey their progress. The mountain of sand dumped from the FEMA truck still looked like a mountain, but it must be smaller, because the line of sandbags stretching along the high-tide line was higher. She couldn’t fool herself into thinking it would be enough if the surge came ashore ten feet high, but even then the wall would be a deterrent to the coastal washout and the overwhelming flooding in the marshes. A quick look at her watch told her they’d been at it much longer than she’d realized—in another hour they’d be working under floodlights. Some of the FEMA crew were rigging them now. As long as they had power, they’d be able to keep erecting their puny physical barrier in the face of one of nature’s most violent ambassadors.

She grabbed another empty bag, hefted her shovel, and started back to the sand hill. Halfway there she made the mistake of looking where she had been trying not to look for the past few hours, and a glimpse was enough to stop her in her tracks.

Fifteen feet away, Austin stared out to sea as she talked on her phone. She’d shed her jacket and stood, legs spread, in rolled-up shirtsleeves, dark hair blowing in the wind, one arm resting on the handle of her upright shovel. She might’ve been standing on the quarterdeck of a three-masted sailing ship, for she looked like nothing less than a pirate captain, with an aura of loosely chained power warning she could spring into action at any moment. She certainly didn’t look like anyone’s mouthpiece or any of the slick talking heads who so often handled PR at times like this.

Austin didn’t have to be out here in the driving winds with a shovel, bagging sand. There were no cameras, at least not this close, and none of the dozen volunteers filling bags paid any attention to her beyond an appreciative glance now and then from a woman or man. She wasn’t bending her back for good PR, but she was earning it from Gem all the same. Just watching her made Gem want to touch her, and a whole hell of a lot of other things she couldn’t think about now.

Gem should have turned away when Austin tucked the phone into her pants pocket, but she was too slow. They hadn’t spoken since they’d reached the beach and started work, and when Austin caught her gaze and held it, Gem couldn’t look away. They might’ve been alone on the windswept coast. When Austin shouldered her shovel and strode toward her, a wave of longing as potent as pain unfurled deep inside her.

Gem forced a casual smile and ignored the sudden tremor in her legs. “Any news?”

“That was Tatum—he’s the incident commander on the rig.” Austin ran her fingers through her hair, leaving it sexily disheveled. “He’s making some progress running an exterior column down the well shaft to contain the oil.”

Gem tilted her chin toward the two large ships and a smattering of smaller ones that had been moving up and down along the coast for the past few hours. “But you’re going ahead with the booms all the same.”

“We have to, considering the storm coming. If we wait until we see oil, we’ll be too late.”

“That has to be costly for your bosses.”

Austin shrugged. “Not nearly as costly as the oil reaching shore.”

“In more ways than one,” Gem muttered, thinking of the news vans that had set up residence behind the line of FEMA trucks. The camera crews had shot some footage of the sandbag operation and then headed back to the cover of their vehicles. They were here for the oil story, not what happened to the refuge.

“How are things looking from your end?” Austin asked.

“We could use a few dozen more people, but if we keep going as long as we can, we’ll make a difference.”

“When will you evac to the mainland?”

“My team isn’t leaving. We can’t risk being cut off from the island. Time is critical in rescue operations, and if we end up dealing with oil on top of storm damage, we’ll already be behind.”

“Three days of heavy rain closed the causeway before,” Austin said. “You might not be able to get back out here even if you stay.”

“The Coast Guard will get us here.” Gem grinned. “I’ve got an in with them.”

“You’ll be in for a rough ride,” Austin said, her tone cautious.

“This coming from someone who spends her time on top of oil wells out in the middle of the ocean.”

Austin grinned, her rakish expression making Gem’s stomach tighten. “It’s a little like riding a bucking horse. You just hold on and go with it.”

Hold on and go with it. Could anything in life really be that simple? Climbing aboard the roller coaster, strapping into the rocket ship, setting sail without a map? Gem had made a choice to ride the whirlwind when she’d kissed Austin first, when she’d taken her hand and led her upstairs, knowing they’d end up in bed, when she’d abandoned her self-imposed exile from passion. She had followed her desires, and she had surely ended up at sea without a chart. “I made a choice.”

Austin regarded her intently, that dark probing gaze gliding over her face in a silent invitation Gem was finding harder and harder to resist. “What was it?”

“To acknowledge my attraction to you…my desire for you. I wanted to feel what you make me feel. I was a willing partner.”

“I should have stopped you,” Austin said, “but I couldn’t. I wanted you then. I want you now.”

The familiar heat erupted in Gem’s chest, flooded her throat, and rolled lower in a liquid rush of desire and need. “This is the wrong time, the wrong place—just about everything is wrong.”

“Maybe after this is all over—” Austin said instantly.

“Maybe,” Gem said, hesitating while every instinct urged her to abandon caution. She might have, if her feelings hadn’t been so intense, so much larger and more frightening than anything she’d experienced in her life.

Austin must have sensed her uncertainty and smiled wryly. “Not like we have any choice.” She hefted the shovel. “We seem destined to spend our time together in the middle of a storm.”

Gem laughed. No calm center when Austin was involved. Being near her was like standing on the shore in the heart of the hurricane, buffeted by lashing winds and driving rain while lightning flashed across the sky. The wild unbridled beauty filled her, and she had no desire to escape to where it was safe and warm and ultimately passionless. “I don’t mind a little weather.”

“I’m glad.”

“Me too,” Gem said, almost ready to dare the whirlwind again. “When—”

“Hey,” Emily called, jogging down the beach toward them.

Gem sent Austin a wry look and turned away. “Hi, Em. How’s it going?”

“I posted the evac roster as requested. Everybody knows where they need to be and what they need to do.”

“Thanks.”

“You ought to take a break while you can,” Emily said. “By my count, you’ve been out here six hours. Did you have any lunch?”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s going to be a long couple of weeks.” Emily propped her hands on her hips, her tone gentle but unyielding. “That means everyone has to take care of themselves, but especially you. Go. Get something hot to drink, some food.”

Gem knew she was right. She’d skipped lunch, and breakfast had been coffee and a bagel at the center at seven that morning. The early briefing with Austin seemed like it’d been days ago. “All right, I’ll take a lunch break.”

“Make it a long one. I know where to find you.” Emily glanced at Austin. “You should go with her. You’ve been out here as long as anyone.”

“I’m—”

“The FEMA guys have a food truck just over that rise.” She made shooing motions. “Go. Go. Both of you.”

Gem stowed her empty sandbag and shovel and gestured for Austin to join her. “She’s right. Come on.”

“If you’re sure—”

Gem laughed. “I can’t remember the last time I was sure of anything.”

“Then maybe I—”

“Come on,” Gem said, heading up the slope. “It’s only lunch.”

❖

The windows on Gem’s cabin were boarded up, making the interior dark and cave-like. Feeling awkward, Austin halted just inside the door while Gem lit lamps. She glimpsed the alcove and the bed, remembering lying naked there with Gem, a million years ago. Before everything had changed. She stuffed her hands into her pockets. “If I told you why I was coming in the car that day—”

Gem turned, resting her hips against the counter in the tiny kitchenette. “I get why you didn’t. At least, I’m assuming GOP doesn’t want any press around incidents like this unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“That’s pretty much right.”

“And who decides when it’s necessary?”

“There are laws that spell out at what point notification is required and other agencies get involved.”

“And that’s when you get to take the stage.”

Austin grimaced. “I’d rather not be onstage at all, but it’s part of my job, yes. The other part is to coordinate, like I’ve been doing here. And the company likes to have a direct line to what’s going on in the field. That’s me too.”

“Quite a lot of hats to wear. How do you find time to work on your comics?”

“Fortunately, emergencies at the level where I’m required aren’t all that frequent.” Austin rubbed her face with both hands. “Although lately, they seem to be. The more global drilling expands”—she shrugged—“the more ground we need to cover.”

“I think we’ve established your reasons for holding back why you were coming. We don’t need to go over that ground again.”

The remote chill in Gem’s tone made it pretty clear the issue wasn’t really over, at least not to Austin’s satisfaction. Apologies had been made, and accepted. She got that. But a chasm still yawned between them, wide and dark and echoing hollowly in the center of her chest. “If you’d known, would any of this”—she gestured toward the bed—“have happened?”

Gem turned, opened the boxed lunches they’d grabbed from the FEMA truck, carried them to the tiny table, and set them in front of the two chairs. She sat down and opened hers. “Probably not.”

Austin joined her and pulled out a sandwich she had no appetite for. Unwrapping it, she took a bite and chased it with lukewarm bottled water. “Then I’m not sorry I didn’t tell you, even though I wish we were at a different place right now. I’m not sorry about what we’ve shared.”

Gem studied her sandwich as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. She raised it as if to take a bite and then set it down with a sigh. “I don’t regret sleeping with you. I couldn’t, it was too damn enjoyable.”

Austin grinned. “You have a knack for understatement.”

A flicker of a smile grazed Gem’s lips. “All right, exceptionally enjoyable.”

“That’s closer.”

“But here’s the thing,” Gem said. “What happened between us was something almost completely out of my experience. The only time I’ve ever done anything so…atypical…it was a disaster. And this feels a lot like that.”

Austin clamped down on the pulse of temper. “I’m not your husband, who must have been insane to look at another woman when he had you, and I’m not the friend who betrayed you with him.” Austin caught Gem’s hand, slid their fingers together. “I’m the woman who’s been falling in love with you since I turned around and saw you in the airport.”

Gem’s breath caught. “Just like that?”

“Just exactly like that,” Austin said, tightening her grip on Gem’s hand when she tried to pull away. “I can’t speak for what’s right for you, but I can tell you nothing about this is typical for me either. But everything is right. It’s probably one of the truest things I’ve ever done.”

Color flushed Gem’s throat. “You do like taking risks, don’t you?”

“All my life, I’ve been pushed to take risks. It’s the currency my family values most. Most of the time, I think I did it just to prove to them I was worthy.” Austin angled her chair until the table was no longer separating them, resisting the urge to pull Gem closer. That was a space Gem would have to cross herself. “But being with you didn’t feel like a risk. Falling in love with you feels like the safest thing I’ve ever done.”

“I’m not an impetuous person,” Gem said slowly. “I…I need time to absorb what’s happened, to think about it, to know if it’s right or even if it’s anything I want to do again.”

Austin could give her time, but she wasn’t going to just sit by and do nothing. “I don’t mind taking my time with something I want.”

“You must admit,” Gem said, trying for lightness, “we haven’t exactly had a typical relationship. I’ve never gone to bed with anyone before at least having half a dozen dates. Actually, more like a couple dozen dates.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I’d say we’ve had a few dates.” Austin released Gem’s hand and leaned back in her chair. “Let’s see, the first couple hours in the car, exchanging names, a little bit about what we did, where we were from, where we were going counts as the getting-to-know-you date. And then at least two dinner dates, well, one was kind of breakfast, but same difference. I believe we even had candlelight—”

“That’s because there was no electricity for a while at the diner.”

Austin laughed. “Right.”

“We’ve had an afternoon at the beach,” Gem said playfully, welcoming the surge of pleasure that chased away some of the ache she’d carried for the last few days, “and bird-watching.”

“Absolutely. And then there’s the romantic getaway at the beachside resort—”

Gem snorted. “Tell me you’re not counting the Gulls Inn—”

“But of course, that was definitely romantic.” Austin grinned. “I’d say we’ve at least hit your six-date requirement.”

“It feels like we have,” Gem said softly. Pretending they hadn’t shared intimacies, emotional and physical, was impossible. “I don’t want you to think it wasn’t special, and what you just said…” She drew a long breath, wanting to embrace the desire, afraid of the intensity of her own needs. “I think I just need a little time to catch up.”

“Then we’ll take time.”

“You don’t strike me as being a particularly patient woman.”

“I can be, when there’s something I really want. And I really want you.”

The undertow of desire caught Gem so quickly and pulled her under so fast, Gem couldn’t escape. In the next breath she went willingly, shifting into Austin’s lap to kiss her. “Thank you.”

Austin wrapped both arms around her and kissed her throat. “Don’t thank me, when I’m the one who’s feeling lucky right now.”

Gem laughed, surprised by the tremor in Austin’s voice and the swell of joy in her heart. A simple kiss from Austin could undo her in a way nothing else ever had. “I’ve never actually believed in chemistry before, but just touching you does something to me. I’m tingling everywhere.”

Austin groaned, running both hands up and down Gem’s back. “You can’t ask me to be patient and then tell me something like—”

Gem silenced her with another kiss, angling her head to take the kiss deeper, welcoming the heat and the hunger. When she sensed herself falling into the taste of her, seduced by the hard possessive grip of her hands, she pulled away. “You have to be patient. We have to get ba—”

Austin’s phone rang and she jerked it from her pocket, her dark eyes swirling with such hunger Gem bit her lip to keep back a moan.

Holding her gaze, Austin snapped, “Germaine.” She listened for a second, then said, “I’ll need twenty…All right. Tell her to follow the lights.” She closed the phone and buried her face against Gem’s throat, her breathing still uneven. “I have to go.”

Gem’s throat tightened. “What is it?”

“We’ve got oil on the surface.”

“God.” Gem stood to let Austin up. “It’s the middle of the night with a hurricane right around the corner. Can you really do anything now?”

Austin framed Gem’s face and kissed her slowly, as if imprinting the taste and feel of her. “We’ll start the burn as soon as we can get the projected area of spill.”

“I’m the last one to suggest maybe you should rely on the booms closer to shore to contain it,” Gem said, grabbing a fistful of Austin’s shirt as if to keep her in place, “but this can’t be safe.”

“We’re not letting it get to shore.”

Gem slipped her hand inside the collar of Austin’s shirt, needing flesh to flesh. “Promise not to do anything risky.”

Austin laughed softly and kissed her again. “I promise…where the job is concerned.”

Wordlessly, Gem let her go and they started back to the beach. Night had fallen and the wind had kicked up a few knots. The marsh grasses bent and fluttered, emitting a sorrowful sigh. By the time they reached the shore, the blinking lights of the helicopter marked its descent.

Austin jogged toward it, shouting, “I’ll see you soon.”

“Remember, you promised me,” Gem called after her, feeling her words pulled away on the wind.