Page 20 of Impossible Thrills

Darcy’s face blanched.

“We can’t miss the gelato,” Nick continued, “but we can skip the scuba part.”

“Thank you,” she breathed out, ignoring Paul’s obvious disappointment.

Nick smiled at Darcy. “Did you hate being down there?”

“Well, not until the mask filled. Could we snorkel instead? I did that once with …” Her face reddened. “I really loved snorkeling. Even though I stink at swimming, I floated nicely face down. I think my spot is on top of the water.”

“Oh, yes, yes, snorkel will be fine. You still see our beautiful reef.” Paul clapped his hands together. “Let’s do this.”

“Are you sure?” Nick asked Darcy. He’d done plenty of scuba and snorkeling with the Marines. It was fine if he missed out on one, especially with the lingering headache. He would welcome the time on the yacht without Hays and Jagger. Talk with Darcy some more. Celebrate with more kissing. Maybe she’d share that she’d snorkeled with Johnny. Maybe he could find out the truth—did she know about her husband’s drug dealing, or was she as innocent as she appeared? He prayed for the latter, but too much experience in the military and security ops had him leery.

“The most beautiful snorkel sounds fabulous.” She looked around. “Thank you all. One event down and we beat Jagger. Woo-hoo, woo-hoo.” Darcy pumped her hands and looked absolutely adorable.

“Don’t rub it in,” he protested.

Everybody else laughed.

Nick would enjoy the day Paul had planned with the group, but he could hardly wait to be alone with Darcy tonight. Would she finally open up to him? He couldn’t simply kiss her or hold her close like he wanted. Not when he had to go back home in four days and continue monitoring and hopefully taking down her ex. He could never dream of dating Darcy. Unless he could prove she was clean and needed protection from Trattori.

When Aiden had asked him if he wanted this reality television show assignment, he’d thought it would be a fun week and a chance to earn a million dollars to put away for his future. With as well as Aiden paid him for assignments and his boss’s financial advice, he was already in a better financial spot than he’d ever dreamed of as the youngest of seven children in a middle-class family. His family refused any ‘charity’ from him, but he did send them loads of gifts.

This week was already so much more than he’d envisioned, confusing and thrilling at the same time. He had the feeling it might change his future’s trajectory.

Darcy smiled at him.

Yes, definitely thrilling.

Chapter

Seven

Darcy was on a high after winning the day against Jagger, but she was concerned that things were progressing too quickly with Nick. How could she explain she’d been devasted by a flirtatious player, she instinctively couldn’t trust him because he was too charming and handsome, and she wasn’t the type to have a fling? She’d impulsively kissed him after their challenge, but he’d started it by kissing her first.

She couldn’t get either kiss out of her mind. Incredible. The kisses alone made her want to forget her concerns and pursue Nick. The fact that he’d rescued her and made her feel safe and as if he’d be there for her was even more enticing than his perfect lips.

The rest of the day was fun, and she pushed the concerns to the back burner. It wasn’t as if she could talk with Nick alone anyway. She didn’t even really know him, but with the way they’d been thrust together and how nobly he’d acted rescuing her twice now, it was hard not to trust him and want to date him.

She and Nick snorkeled, the other men far below them in the ocean. Her mask didn’t leak this time. Nick held her hand, making her feel safe. Facedown in the water, she floated easily and with Nick guiding her, she barely had to kick her legs.

She loved viewing the underwater world, without the stress of the challenge, the pressure of the deep water, and her mask leaking. They saw brilliantly colored fish, manta rays, an eel, a tiger shark, and turtles. The turtles were her favorite. Well, holding Nick’s hand was her favorite, but she kept reminding herself she couldn’t let him into her heart.

After snorkeling, they all showered on the yacht, and Paul and Raoul motored them to a private dock where they had a van waiting. They drove them to the town square. Lunch was delicious, and the shopping was fun. Mostly it was fun teasing Jagger because he grumbled and hated shopping so much. They bought floral shirts and cowboy hats for the men, which Darcy made them put on. They should’ve looked hilarious, but they were too tough and good-looking. The shirts flattered their broad shoulders and trim waists, especially Nick.

They entered a small square filled with stores. All kinds of clothing, hats, leather goods, knives, jewelry, toys, and trinkets spilled out and were displayed inside and out of the too-packed shops.

Jagger and Hays got distracted looking at knives while Nick stayed right by her side. Paul and Raoul followed, chatting in Spanish with each friendly shopkeeper. The shopkeepers did not like them walking away, telling them they had the ‘best cheap souvenirs’, ‘most beautiful dresses’, or ‘real jewelry not fake’.

As they sauntered along, Nick stopped and pointed to a row of dresses displayed on the outside of a little shop. “Darcy. That one is perfect.”

She followed his finger and saw a white dress trimmed with red and turquoise lace. It had a scooped neck, short sleeves, and would probably hit just below her knees.

“I love it,” she said.

Glancing back at Nick, their gazes met and she couldn’t look away. In his deep-brown gaze, she saw longing and vulnerability. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and kiss him again.

The shopkeeper bustled out. “You like? For pretty lady?”

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