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Intoxicated by You
Chapter One
Alexa
“Pick up your phone,” I whispered, peering into the window. The entire town of Skagway was in the Red Onion Saloon celebrating Mayor Richmond’s reelection. I’d arrived in Skagway two days earlier and so far had managed to go unnoticed, which was quite a feat for such a small town. But I wasn’t going to go unnoticed today. Oh no, Teagan had insisted I meet her here to get the keys for the property I’d bought. And I needed to start cleaning up the place.
Inside the bar, people cheered while the mayor stood on a chair in the middle of the room. Drake was inside—I could feel it. Whenever he was near, my body came alive and excitement danced along my skin.
But I wasn’t ready to see him. I’d hoped these feelings would have disappeared over the last two years. But if my current state of awareness was any indication, they hadn’t in the slightest. Which sucked. Drake Foster was the one person I couldn’t be with. It had been my father’s last piece of advice before he died.
Teagan knew this. She knew it. She just thought it was bullshit that I would make myself miserable. Drake had probably moved on, but I’d refused to ask. If he’d found someone else, I didn’t know if I could face it. The thought caused my chest to ache. I knew at some point it would be necessary to see him. Face what I had done. But not today. Not today. I needed to get myself grounded and face other demons from my past.
Facing Drake would happen, of course. I’d returned to my hometown to open a clinic with my friend Hollis. Well, technically, he’s Dr. Hollis Fritz. Skagway didn’t have its own doctor. For major medical crises, the injured had to be airlifted to another town with a doctor. With a minimum fee of ten thousand dollars after insurance, that alone could put severe financial stress on a family here. Plus, waiting for the chopper delayed treatment for critical cases. That was the reason my father had died two years ago after a logging incident. The chopper couldn’t make it in time. With a focus I’d never had before, I’d gone back to college my sophomore year and buried myself in my studies to finish my nursing degree in record time.
My phone vibrated, and I crouched down lower to answer Hollis.
Hollis: Decided to come up a day early. I’ll be there later today.
Me: Want me to pick you up?
Hollis: Nah, my car is being delivered to the airport. I’ll get settled. We can meet up tomorrow. You still going to the clinic?
Hollis had always been a bit of a loner. That was why we’d clicked two years ago. He was a trust-fund baby who wanted a break from the leisurely life of the rich and famous. Our little town of Skagway, Alaska would provide that escape.
I hunkered down a little lower to ensure my head wasn’t visible above the windowsill.
Me: Yeah, that’s the plan. I’m currently standing on a crate outside the Red Onion trying to get Teagan to give me the keys. She’s holding them hostage.
Hollis: Umm… is that normal for Skagwayians?
I laughed. Hollis and Alaska were going to be an interesting combination. His mother was livid that he even considered wasting his talents up here. He’d graduated first in his class. We’d met during clinical while he was working on his residency. Even though he was four years older, we’d hit it off as friends instantly.
Me: No… this is Teagan’s way of forcing me to see Drake.
Hollis: Oh… good luck with that. It’s about time the two of you talked.
Me: I need to go. My calves are starting to hurt.
Hollis thought I should tell Drake everything. For two months after I left, Drake tried to contact me. Finally, I’d changed my number and moved in New York so I would be unreachable.
I am such a bitch.
Drake hadn’t deserved that. He was a good guy—the best. Before the logging incident, I’d planned to spend the rest of my life with him. I’d loved him. I still loved him.
I rang Teagan again and held the phone up to my ear. “Come on, Teagan. Pick up.”
Voice mail again. Damn it. She had a good heart, but was sometimes a little self-absorbed. But underneath it all, she had a good heart. Sometimes it was a little misdirected.
The crowd cheered inside. I felt like a serious creeper, standing on a shaky wooden crate with my head just above the windowsill. Teagan was in the back with her boyfriend, Donnie. I’d have to walk through the whole bar just to get to her. With a frustrated sigh, I blew out a breath.
“Hey, Lex. Who are you spying on?”
I jumped, screaming, and fell off my perch. Pain shot through my ankle. “Ouch!”
Why me? Why?
The situation looked much worse than it was—an innocent situation gone terribly wrong. All I’d wanted was to avoid the man who still affected me in more ways than he should. And now that man was standing less than two feet away. My skin danced with the familiar electric current that left my head buzzing.
Be strong.
The crate had given me a nasty scrape on my calf. Damn it. It was superficial but bleeding nevertheless. I knew I shouldn’t have worn shorts today, but the weather was unseasonably warm. I looked around to make sure no one else heard, buying some time to pull myself together. Judging by the racket inside, I had most likely escaped additional embarrassment.
I gave a quick scan around us to make sure no one else was around. Skagway had a local gossip newsletter that went out on a weekly basis via email. The Twiner Sisters ran it like world-class paparazzi. Sometimes, for red hot news, there were even special editions. They had a knack for being in the “worst” place at the “best” time.
Every. Single. Person. Was. On. The. Subscription. List.
The people of Skagway enjoyed the gossip. Hell, even I read it. When my email pinged with the newsletter each week, it was like a beacon.
Jeans-clad legs I was all too familiar with stepped closer. “Need a hand?”
The deep timbre of his voice still made me weak in the knees. It was deep and husky and took manly to a whole new level. The men in New York City weren’t like Drake. They were too refined, lacking the edge the wilderness of Alaska infused in the men here. Drake was savagely protective, romantic, strong, and loving all wrapped up in one ridiculously hot package.
I glanced up, meeting those warm chestnut eyes I remembered all too well. I swallowed. “Drake.” My voice cracked.
Yeah, I sound affected. Stay calm. Drake knows you. He knows you better than anyone.
I cleared my throat. “I wasn’t creeping. I was waiting for Teagan.”
“Why not come in? She’s inside with Donnie.”
That was the million-dollar question. “Umm… I… You know…” I gave up and stood. I felt the blood trickle down my leg.
Ugh. I need to get this cleaned up.
Drake leaned against the post. “Let’s get you fixed up. I’ve got a first aid kit upstairs at my place. We can take the back stairs.”
I took a step back. “I’ll be fine. I can walk.”
Drake looked at my leg. “Old Man Rooster is talking with the Twiner sisters out front. You’ll pass right by them.” He shook his head. “I’m sure that’ll give them something to talk about for a while. You’ll be the star of the weekly Twiner’s Tellings newsletter.”
His smirk caused me to take a deep breath. He knew I hated being in the newsletter. Hated it. And in the two years I’d been gone, Drake had only been in it once. Secretly, I scoured it for any news. Was he seeing someone? Don’t think about that. It doesn’t matter.
Lurking outside the Red Onion was not how I wanted the Twiner sisters to find out I was back in town. The rumors would fly rampant.
“Lead the way.”
Drake handed me a towel from his back pocket. When working at the bar, he always had one tucked in his jeans. “It’s clean. Hold it to your cut, and I’ll carry you. We don’t want you leaving a trail of blood up the stairs.”
Without an argument, I took the towel. Drake’s strong arms wrapped around me, and he easily picked me up.
I yelped. “It’s—”
“I don’t remember you being this jumpy.”
I clamped my mouth shut. I was a nervous wreck around him. What do I say? Any kind of explanation would only make the situation look worse than it was. “I promise I wasn’t lurking.”
“Then why not come inside to see Teagan? You nervous to see me?”
Of course, Drake was straightforward. He always had been. We’d known each other since we were babies. When I was a junior in high school, he’d stopped to help me change a flat tire on the side of the road. From there, we started hanging out. With my father’s blessing, Drake took me out on our first date. He was two years older and had wanted my father’s approval since I was still in school.
Why did Dad change his mind?
Drake shifted his hold on me as he climbed the stairs, which brought my thoughts back to the oh-so-familiar feeling of being in his arms. Goosebumps formed along my skin where he touched me. Two years apart from him did nothing but amp up my desire for him.
He paused at the door. “Why are you nervous, Lex?”
Lex. He was the only one who ever called me Lex, and it still did things to me—made me feel like I was his.
Outside the door, we stared into each other’s eyes. “You know why I’m nervous. It’s been two years since we saw each other, spoke to each other.”
“Don’t be. I’m still just me. The same man I was two years ago.”
Regret surged through me, and I blinked a few times. “Yes, of course. I figured a large crowd would be awkward after what I did. I deserve it if you hate me.”
He opened the door and walked inside, still holding me. “I could never hate you.” The softness in his voice brought me up short, and I blinked several times to clear my thoughts. Gently, he set me down. “Let me get the first aid kit. It’s in my room.”
“Thanks.”
My body instantly missed his touch. If only I could be back in his arms. He deserved to know what happened two years ago. But the knowledge that my Dad didn’t approve of him might hurt him more. Drake had loved my dad. They’d been close. Which was why my father’s last letter telling me to end things with Drake had gutted me. How could I even consider spending the rest of my life with a man my father didn’t approve of? Dad and I had been close, and I respected his opinions above anyone else’s.
I shook my head and tried to get my thoughts straight. Drake’s place was just as I remembered—manly. The furniture was solid wood and handmade by Drake’s father, Ike. Things were tidy-ish as usual. The shirt he wore yesterday was on the back of the couch where he probably removed it to watch T.V. And a beer bottle sat on the table. I had so many memories of us here together; cuddled on the couch as we watched a scary movie, making love by the fireplace, celebrating when I’d been accepted into college. It had taken me three years to save up enough money to go to college at twenty-one to study nursing. Being a nurse had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl.
Drake reappeared in the doorway and paused while our eyes met. Time had been good to him. His T-shirt hugged his muscles and showed off how broad he was.
With a quick shake of his head, Drake snapped out of it and brought the first aid kit to me. Quickly, I set to work cleaning the cut and putting a Band-Aid over it. “Good as new. Thanks, Drake.”
“Anytime.”
A few moments passed as we stared at each other. I knew I should leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Finally, Drake said, “Teagan told me about the clinic.”
I smiled. “Yes, Skagway is going to finally have a doctor. Hollis is amazing.”
Something shifted within Drake, and he expelled a breath, taking a few steps back while raking his fingers through his hair. “Welcome home, Lex. It’s a good thing you’re doing.”
My throat grew thick. “Thanks. Maybe Dad… well, you know.”
He grabbed my hand, and the fierce protectiveness I always associated with Drake came rushing back. “I know. He’d be proud.”
I had made a terrible mistake leaving Drake Foster.