Page 62 of Hot Saltwater Kisses

Before I could think of a suitably sarcastic response, Luis was upon us with a resounding, “What a pleasure!” His yellowing teeth showed gaps. “Both of you, together! Sleep well, I hope?”

The implication was characteristically unsubtle. I considered a rebuke only for Nia to huff out a laugh—and really, yeah. Luis was as delicate as a shipwreck, but somehow, his old-school bluntness was comforting. Behind him, the little station still clung to its worn-out charm that blended practicality with eccentricity. Coconut slices waited by the pump, fresh and ready for anyone who needed a snack or some shaky advice.

I let my mouth curve into a smile, small but genuine. Just another day in paradise.

Logan wasquiet on the way to the dive site, sprawled on a bench with his eyes closed while other guests bustled around him. Tom and Kyle seemed to notice as well, trying to rope him into conversations a couple of times before they gave up. While Tom went to chat with Nia, Kyle moved to the front of the boat to take pictures of the island, glistening like green silk under the morning sun.

Once I was done equipping three new guests with weights, I sat down next to Logan, close enough that I could twitch my hand over and nudge a finger against his shoulder. “Hey. Something the matter?”

He twisted his head to send me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just gearing up for a conversation later today.”

“You breaking up with me?” I was careful to make it sound like a joke—just kidding, haha.

But. What if?

“No.” Logan wasn’t laughing. He sat up and propped both elbows on his knees, watching me through steady eyes. “It’s just… family expectations, kind of. Something I need to do. I’ll tell you after, okay?”

Something about his tone was off, too much hesitance tucked into its folds. Not unusual when it came to his family, though. As someone who’d been there, I knew how hard it was to shake a deeply ingrained sense of inadequacy.

“Can you stay?” I asked. “After the dive. I was thinking we could take the boat for a spin, have lunch in a little bay. Just us, you know? But if you have to leave for that conversation—I mean, that’s fine. I should have checked before making plans.”

Except I’d been too nervous. Yeah, I’d packed sandwiches and some fruit, a couple of beers. Asking Logan, though? I’d kind of chickened out when he and Tom had walked up to help us carry the gear, talking quietly with each other and falling silent when they caught sight of us. All morning, Nia had made quiet clucking sounds whenever I passed.

Well, I’d just asked. So there.

“Lunch on the boat sounds great,” Logan said. This time, the smile reached his eyes, reflected sun sparkling in his hair. “I’d love to.”

“Okay, great.Awesome.” Ugh, he made me feel like a stuttering teenager all over again. I might have minded if not for the way he looked at me, all sweet intensity. Heat itched along the back of my neck—the slow smolder of arousal, yes, but alsomore.

“Milo,” Logan started, only then Nia called out a five-minute warning and everyone scrambled to get ready.

“Hold that thought,” I told him.

“Yeah, all right.” He nodded, his words low and fond. “Go do your thing. I’ll be right here, watching.”

I got up and paused for a deliberate, lingering stretch, my voice pitched so it wouldn’t carry. “You know, if you need help putting your gear on… I’m a professional.”

His mouth quirked up. “That so?”

“Mhmm.” I moved around him to grab my wetsuit, brushing his knee as if by accident. “We’re talking personal attention here. Deeply intense experiences, feels like you’re flying.”

“Quite the promise.” Logan’s smile shone through.

“Well.” I slid him a subtle glance, my attention caught by the hollow of his throat. A faint bruise darkened the skin, almost invisible unless you knew what to look for. As I’d been the one to mark him up, fucking him slow and deep with my teeth dragging along his Adam’s apple—I knew. I bit down on a grin. “You’ve had some time to sample our services. What’s your verdict?”

He tilted his head, mouth curving into something slow and secretive. “Exceeded expectations. I might be ruined for all other, uh… dive instructors.”

Joking. Or not?

I held his eyes for a moment, then aimed for a smirk, ignoring the warm flush of my cheeks. “Thank you. Please be sure to leave a five-star review.”

His low laugh felt like a caress. He didn’t reply, but his gaze lingered, heavy with promise, as I slipped into my wetsuit.

I fought a smile and lost.

The sea wascalm when we arrived in the secluded bay, jagged cliffs casting shade that drenched the water in deeper hues of blue. We sat on the swim platform at the back of the boat, feet dangling over theedge, half-eaten food and two sweating bottles of beer behind us. All I’d had were a few pieces of Luis’s coconut earlier this morning, but I wasn’t all that hungry, my gut twisted into a child’s attempt at a sailor’s knot.

Nothing forced me to tell Logan today. I could leave it until tomorrow, or his last day on the island. I could fail to tell him at all—keep him at arm’s length until he went back to his life in Miami while I stayed right here as though I’d never known him.

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