Page 27 of Blame It on the Bikini
"I still think it's dangerous, but I have to admit that it also sounds exciting."
She thought so, too, but it wasn't just the idea of exploring the caves that was exciting her— it was spending more time with him.
Saturday morning, Grayson checked his watch as he parked at the end of a dirt road that led to an overgrown hiking trail. It was six-fifteen in the morning, and the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn. Lexie had been quiet since they'd left Ocean Shores, and he didn't know if the past twenty minutes of silence was because she was still half asleep, was worrying about going into the caves, or had something to do with him.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" he asked, peering through the windshield at the steep, rocky coastline that dropped precipitously to the beach, the vast ocean waves crashing onto the jagged rocks below with an intimidating force.
"According to the GPS, it is. The water looks like it's high."
"Hard to tell from here. We need to get closer." He gave her a look. "You don't have to do this if you're having second thoughts. I won't judge you."
"I'll judge myself if I back out before even giving it a try."
"Well, you can still change your mind at any point."
"I know," she said with a determined nod. "But for now, I'm going."
"And I'm going with you."
As they got out of the car, she grabbed her camera bag and hung it over one shoulder, with another camera hanging from a strap around her neck. "Two cameras?" he asked in surprise.
"One for digital, one for film. I doubt I'll ever do this again, so I want to cover all my bases."
"I'm curious. Did you take classes in photography or are you self-taught?" he asked as they headed down a dirt path.
"I took several classes because that's what I do when I'm interested in something. I research everything I can about it."
He bit back a smile, thinking that was something else they had in common, although he'd never wanted to know anything about photography. But he had a feeling he was going to learn a lot more about it in the next hour.
They made their way down the trail, which became more treacherous the closer they got to the beach. It was steep in places, with loose rocks and slippery dirt, which was probably slick from the constant spray of the ocean.
Lexie was ahead of him, but he stayed as close as he could as they slipped and slid a few times, reaching out to each other to steady themselves. When they finally made it to the sand, the ocean was receding, leaving about eight feet of wet, sandy beach between the ocean and a jagged rocky, cliff with narrow openings that led into the caves. Despite the outgoing tide, the waves still sent water back up the beach a little too close for his comfort, making him wonder what the hell he was doing.
He wasn't an adventurer or an explorer. He was good at boardroom negotiations, at selling, making money, growing a business, and none of that had left time for impulsive adventures like this.
As Lexie glanced back at him, he saw the same uncertainty in her gaze.
"Maybe this is a bad idea," she said.
"It could be," he admitted. "But…"
"But it could be amazing, and we're here, so we should do it, right?" she finished.
Her worried gaze clung to his, and despite his misgivings, he felt a compelling need to help her do what she'd come here to do. "Yes, we should do it."
The grateful smile she gave him warmed his entire soul. "Thank you, Grayson."
"Thank me when this is over."
Lexie glanced at her watch. "The tide should be out for another fifty-five minutes."
"Let's aim to be in and out in forty," he said, "so we have a fifteen-minute buffer. I'll set my alarm and keep us on track. I want you to focus on getting your photographs without worrying about the time."
"I appreciate that." She drew in a deep breath. "Let's go."
"After you."
Lexie jumped onto the sand and led the way toward the largest open crevice. Before entering, she pulled a beanie from her bag. It had a light attached to the front. She slipped it over her head, then turned on the beam, flashing it over the rocky walls. He stayed close to her back as they stepped inside. The air smelled of salt and seaweed, with an underlying hint of something more mysterious—the scent of dark, hidden places that were never completely dry.
