Alaskan Exposure Read Online Free PDF Page A

enough to drive him mad.
    She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “The captain said
he’d be right back.”
    Kyle nodded. He was sure his captain had disappeared to give
them time to flirt. The man could be a bit too obvious. “Would you like to sit?
Breakfast will take a little while to arrive.”
    She sat down on one of two couches. “Where are you from?”
    The personal question surprised him. He took a seat across
from her. “Massachusetts, just north of Boston.”
    “Were you in the navy?”
    He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees while
shaking his head. “No, I’m a merchant marine. I went to the Massachusetts
Maritime Academy.”
    “Oh, is this what you wanted to do then? Work on a cruise
ship?”
    He couldn’t tell if she was intrigued or disappointed. “I
wanted to be at sea and I wanted to see the world. I get all of that and more
working on these ships.”
    “What about family?”
    “What about them?”
    She rolled her pretty eyes and flipped her hair back out of
her face. “Do you have one?”
    “My parents and my sister live in Massachusetts. I live
there when I’m not on a contract.”
    She seemed to be processing the information. Her eyes
drifted to the carpet.
    “Where do you live, Charley?”
    She looked back up at him. “Near Tampa, Florida.”
    “How did you get this job?” He found that he really wanted
to know about her.
    “I have a small studio and I did a shoot for the local
cheerleading team. One of the parents is the Vice President of Marketing for
the cruise line. Apparently, the photographer who was supposed to shoot the new
catalogue became ill and couldn’t make the trip. She told me this was the last
Alaskan cruise of the season and asked if I might be interested.” She shrugged
as if it were no big deal.
    “You must have done a great job on those cheer photos.”
    “I did my best and I think they were a bit desperate to get
the photos taken.”
    “The cruise line is an enormous corporation. I doubt she
would have hired you out of desperation. She must have been impressed.”
    She blushed under all that gorgeous red hair. His fingers
literally itched with desire to touch her skin and see if it was as warm as it
looked. “I hope she’s happy with what I shoot.”
    “I’m sure she will be.”
    The door opened and Captain Cristou entered wearing a big
smile. “Did you order some food?”
    Kyle stood. “Yes, Sir.”
    “Good. What are the two of you talking about?”
    “Miss Ballantine was just telling me about her work.”
    “Excellent!” He straightened his white jacket and removed
his cap. “You must see the seafood buffet that the kitchen builds on Thursday,
madam. It’s quite exquisite. I’m sure you will want photographs.”
    Charley’s eyes widened. He could see the excitement building
behind them. “Actually Captain, I was hoping to be able to get into the dining
room just before dinner tonight. It was so beautiful last night, I would love
to take a few shots before the guests arrive.”
    He was already nodding. “I will call the executive chef and
see if it is possible. Steven is usually very accommodating.”
    Immediately, he stepped into the next room to make the phone
call.
    She looked nervous. “Have I asked too much?”
    Kyle watched her. “I don’t believe so.”
    “I don’t want to burden anyone. I’m sure the executive chef
is very busy. I thought that perhaps I could just sneak in for a few minutes.”
    He laughed. “Don’t worry. Steven is a nice guy. He’ll say no
if it’s too much to manage. He’s from New York and has no fear of the captain.
Besides, you have a job to do. He understands that.”
    “I don’t think taking a few photos can be compared with
running all the restaurants aboard this ship. How many are there anyway?”
    “Five.”
    Shaking her head, she closed her eyes. Her face pinked up
again. “This guy is going to hate me.”
    He couldn’t help chuckling at her discomfort. “The minute