Page 11 of Curves and Waves

"Morning, shortcake," he said, his voice low and warm.

I felt a blush creeping up my neck. "Morning."

Jake, bless his oblivious heart, didn't seem to notice the charged atmosphere. "I got you some coffee," he said, pushinga mug towards me. "Caleb insisted on waiting for you before hitting the buffet."

"Such a gentleman," I said.

As we made our way through the buffet line, I was acutely aware of Caleb's presence behind me. Every accidental brush of his arm against mine sent sparks shooting through me. When he reached around me to grab a plate, his chest pressed against my back for a brief moment, and I nearly dropped my fork.

"You okay there, Zo?" Jake asked, noticing my fumble.

I nodded, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. "Yep! Just, uh, excited for snorkeling."

Back at the table, I found myself seated across from Caleb. As Jake launched into a detailed description of the marine life we might see, Caleb caught my eye. Slowly, deliberately, he bit into a piece of pineapple, his tongue darting out to catch a drop of juice on his lower lip.

I choked on my coffee.

"Jeez, Zo, you're a mess this morning," Jake laughed, thumping me on the back. "Late night?"

Caleb's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Yeah, Zo. Did you have trouble sleeping?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. Two could play at this game. "Oh, I slept like a baby," I said sweetly. "Must have been all that fresh air on the lower deck last night."

It was Caleb's turn to cough, nearly inhaling a piece of pineapple.

Jake looked between us, confusion evident on his face. "Am I missing something here?"

"Nope!" Caleb and I said in unison, perhaps a bit too quickly.

Jake's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but before he could question us further, an announcement came over the ship's speakers.

"Attention passengers. The snorkeling excursion will be departing in 30 minutes. Please make your way to the main deck."

As we made our way to the deck, Caleb fell into step beside me. "Did you really sleep well?" he murmured, his hand brushing against mine.

I suppressed a shiver. "Very. You?"

His grin was wicked. "Had some pretty interesting dreams."

Before I could respond, we reached the gathering point for the excursion. Our guide, a perky blonde named Stacey, was handing out equipment and going over safety procedures.

"Alright, folks!" she chirped. "We'll be pairing up for buddy checks. Safety first!"

Jake immediately grabbed a set of gear. "Dibs on the hot redhead," he said, nodding towards a girl a few feet away.

I rolled my eyes. Typical Jake. But his departure left me alone with Caleb, a fact that didn't escape either of our notice.

"Guess that leaves us," Caleb said, his voice low.

I swallowed hard. "Guess so."

We grabbed our gear and found a spot to suit up. As I struggled with the zipper of my wetsuit, trying to tug it over my generous breasts, Caleb stepped behind me.

"Need a hand?" he asked, his breath warm on my neck.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. His fingers brushed against my skin as he slowly zipped me up, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

"There," he murmured. "All sealed up."

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