Page 18 of Heart Strings
“Okay, loveen, turn the tiller to bring it left here,” the captain directs Lo next, half paying attention. Something about the rudder or a sail, but it goes fuzzy when I recognize the bright yellow diving tower to our right. Salthill Promenade.
She and I have history at this spot. A memory I occasionally return to during long showers. The faint taste of ocean water beaded on Lo’s skin, the way she whimpered into my palm as we lay on the wet sand together after the sun went down and the Ferris wheel at the fun park lit up in the distance.
When Cielo turns back in my direction, it’s clear that sherecognizes it, too. Well, that’s a nice change of pace from earlier, when she had me practically panting. Two can play that game.
Without breaking eye contact, I wrap my hand around a rope attaching the sail to the mast. Her attention drifts from my eyes, down my chest, across my arm, to my hand. My grasp confident around the rope, I caress the braided surface with my index finger. She tracks the movement, then slides her gaze up my hand to the strong tendons of my forearm and her mouth drops open.
Chapter 10
Lo
My eyes getlost in the whorls, tracing Aidan’s toned arms. Celtic knotwork envelops the sinewy muscle, a bold black-and-white take on a traditional motif. Something without beginning or end. It’s especially jarring to see what he’s added to his tattoo sleeve, tucked into his inner biceps: a pair of gleaming scissors hovers above the intact string. So realistic that I’m almost convinced it would cut me if I reached out to touch it. A threat to sever something meant to be eternal. The art is beautiful, but so jaded. I wear cynicism like couture, but it doesn’t suit Aidan. He was an idealist when we met.
What am I supposed to make of that? Is it about us? No. Of course it isn’t. I’d be even more of a fool to think I’d made that kind of impression on him.
I’d been overwhelmed by a tsunami of memories when I noticed the diving tower. Aidan’s hand in mine as we climbed the slippery steps and thundered down the diving platform. Momentary weightlessness before plummeting into the frigid water.His laugh as I shrieked. How he’d rubbed my arms to warm me up after we were back ashore. Then he’d slipped his fingers into my bikini bottoms. Aidan’s touch was always irresistible, no matter where we were. His wide palm had clamped over my mouth to quiet my cries as I came undone there on the beach. I can practically feel those talented hands on me now…see a glimpse of the man I used to know.
The soft nostalgia in Aidan’s expression becomes something hotter. It’s like he can sniff out my every hormonal thought. But then his face morphs from seduction to surprise as the captain pushes him out of the way and tugs on the sail.
“I said turn it!” the captain shouts.
I snap back into the moment.
“What do I do?” I say, embarrassed that I’d zoned out thanks to a little mental trip to my spank bank. Lark and Callum look alarmed; he’s holding on to her like he’s bracing for impact.
“Son of a b—” the captain mutters while Anvi yells, “Hold on!”
The sailboat lurches to a stop, flinging me forward until Aidan’s arm hooks around me. I make an inelegantoofsound and our life jackets chafe together. He steadies us by gripping the rope.
Lark spits out a mouthful of blonde hair. “Y’all okay?”
Callum has her in his arms.
Aidan’s arm remains protectively around me and I feel my pulse race. Our bare legs touch. Did he really need to wear those shorts?
“What happened?” he asks.
Admit that we crashed into a sandbar because I thought hemight’ve gotten a tattoo inspired by me? I’d rather dive into chummed waters.
“Is anyone hurt?” Rory asks, adjusting their grip on a rope.
We glance at one another, confirming the group is rattled but unscathed.
“We’ve run aground!” The captain wags his finger at me.
I crashed the boat thanks to Aidan distracting me with his indecent exposure. Huffing in embarrassment, I extract myself from his very warm, very toned arms.
“Did you not hear me holler to move the tiller!” the captain shouts at me.
Oh, I cannot wait to eviscerate this business on Yelp.
Aidan steps forward. “Hey. It was an accident.”
The captain scowls, but the rest of the group stares him down.
“If this area’s that treacherous,” Aidan continues, “you shouldn’t have let her sail. Considering you neglected to give her any direction until a sudden turn was the difference between crashing or not.”
Him coming to my defense is perhaps sexier than his arms. Jesus, I’ve just ruined my cousin’s bachelorette party and Istillcan’t stop thinking about Aidan’s biceps.
