Page 48 of Changing Tides

“Mommy, do you see them?” she yells.

“I do.”

Sebastian’s patience and warmth are evident as he continues to tolerantly answer her endless stream of questions, his deep voice carrying above the hum of the engine.

“Is the water going to get calmer?” Amiya shouts as she clings to her wide-brimmed sun hat.

“We’re taking you guys to a sandbar a few miles offshore to fish. We’ll be there soon,” he replies.

“So, we’re not going out very far, then?” I ask, slightly disappointed.

He raises an eyebrow at me. “You want to go deep sea fishing?”

Before I can answer, Amiya interrupts. “No, sunbathing on a sandbar while you guys fish sounds amazing.”

His eyes come to me.Another time, he mouths.

I grin up at him.

“Fishing off the bar will be a little more Leia’s speed,” he explains.

“Yeah, you two will have to do an adult-only fishing trip next time,” Amiya says as she waggles her eyebrows at me.

We arrive at the sandbar, the boys secure the boat, and we make our way to a spot by the water.

Parker and Anson set up a tent while Sebastian unloads the fishing gear.

Amiya and I carry the cooler and beach bags to the tent, where we spread a large sand-proof Turkish blanket. I help Leia out of her vest, and she slings her sandals off in the sand. Then, I force her to let me reapply lotion to her neck and face, much to Minnow’s dismay.

There’s only a couple of hours left before the sun starts to set, so Amiya and I peel off our cover-ups and lather with tanning oil before settling in to watch the boys and Leia.

Sebastian drives four PVC pipes into the beach, about six feet apart, while Parker and Anson come behind him with rods, and Leia and Minnow supervise.

Once everything is in place, Sebastian leads Leia to one of the rods and bends down to show her how to attach a lure. The bright, spiky contraption makes me nervous, but he’s careful as he helps her handle it safely.

“You can stop holding your breath. They are professionals,” Amiya notes.

She’s right. I’m sure they have taught children to fish many times.

I relax back onto the towel I’ve rolled up to use as a pillow and close my eyes, enjoying the sound of the waves and the way the salty breeze kisses my sun-warmed skin. Trusting them to look after my young one.

I nearly drift off when Amiya calls for my attention.

I look up to see her peeking over the top of her lowered sunglasses and follow her gaze to the water’s edge, where Sebastian is reaching for the hem of his T-shirt, his muscles flexing subtly beneath the fabric. With a swift motion, he peels it from his body, revealing bronze skin, glistening with a sheen of perspiration.

“Damn,” she murmurs as the shirt slips from his fingers.

Minnow promptly snatches it from the ground and runs toward us.

Her eyes come to me. “You lucky bitch,” she says.

I open my mouth to protest when she shakes her head.

“You’re crazy if you don’t take that man for another spin. Look at him.”

I do indeed cast my eyes back in his direction and watch as he ties his hair up out of his face.

A shiver runs down my spine as I imagine the feel of his beard as he kisses his way down my throat. A tantalizing mix of roughness and softness as his stubble grazes my skin and his hands cup my face.

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