Page 88 of Hot Saltwater Kisses

Brief surprise glittered in his eyes. True—I wasn’t great at emotional declarations. Something his parents and I had in common, wasn’t it? Then he shot me a brilliant smile, dimples poking shadows into his cheeks. “Me too.”

I smiled back and took us to stable ground, namely the absolute wonder of diving with whale sharks. Watching them move had felt as though I was witnessing something ancient, almost mythical—massive, graceful creatures, their sheer size both humbling and awe-inspiring. A living piece of earth’s history.

By the time our starters arrived, we’d moved on to his last few days. “Did they manage to stabilize the coral growth in the nursery?” I asked, cutting into my seared tuna.

“Yeah. Got the algae overgrowth under control, too.” A playful note entered his voice. “Unfortunately, they also added a sculpture in the welcome area that’s just… several shades of ridiculous. Looks like a jellyfish had a seriously bad day.”

Ha. We’d been in touch a bit, but he must have decided to save this one for a live retelling. “Show me?”

After a surreptitious glance at our surroundings, he slid his phone across the table and… yeah. It was, well. A lot.

“What’s the title?” I asked. “How Many Tentacles Is Too Many?”

“I chose not to ask.”

“Your restraint is admirable.”

He winked. “And don’t you forget it.”

The hum of the restaurant faded into the background as we traded more stories between bites. After a waiter cleared away our main courses, Logan settled back slightly, attention drifting to the shifting view beyond the acrylic wall.

“You know they do underwater weddings here?” His casual tone carried that telltale hint of something more and oh. Ohno.

I swirled the wine in my glass, my tone careful. “Kind of cheesy, isn’t it?”

“I mean…” The corner of his mouth twitched downwards as he shifted in his seat. “Yeah. I guess.”

God, I loved him. In fact, I was absolutely fuckingstupidabout him. Tangible proof? Round, shiny, and hiding in my pocket.

I fought a smile. “You do know you’re a terrible liar, right?”

He dropped his gaze to the table. “Well, I just thought, you know... it’s kind of nice. In a way.”

For a beat, I simply watched him—the way his fingers traced the edge of his plate, the faint flush creeping up his neck. Did he really think...? Yeah. He did.

Jesus, as if I’deverreject him.

“Logan.” I reached over and touched the back of his hand. “Look at me?”

He did, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

“It’s not a no,” I said, low and firm. “Quite the opposite. But I want to be the one who pops the question.”

“You want...” Slow relief swept across his features. Then a grin spread, dimples staging a triumphant return. “Yeah?”

My idiot heart beat out of time. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” His voice was soft, and for a few seconds, we stared at each other, the ocean outside a kaleidoscope of blues.

This was... God. We were doing this, then? Or,Iwas doing this. Would be doing this. I still needed a plan, a speech, hadn’t gotten thatfar just yet. The ring? Yes, that part I had covered. Rings, actually, because I’d known the moment I’d stumbled upon them a couple of weeks ago. It had been in a small Miami boutique that showcased handcrafted, ocean-themed jewelry, tucked between a vintage record store and a café boasting the ‘world’s best empanadas.’ Drawn inside by a silver pendant shaped like a breaking wave, I’d sifted through a whole array of rings, each unique and beautiful in its imperfection.

I’d settled on matching, simple bands etched with a pattern of gentle waves, metal catching the light in a way that reminded me of sunlight dancing on water. They weren’t flashy or extravagant, just… solid and steady. Like the constant ebb and swell of the sea.

Cheesy, God. I blamed Logan.

“You’ve got until Christmas,” he said right into the spiral of my thoughts. “Three months. Or I’m taking over.”

I let out a breath, warmth creeping up my cheeks. ”An ultimatum, Logan?Really?”

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