Page 92 of Deep In Love
She peruses my body, and I suppress a shiver.
“Could you help me identify something?” I ask, trying to hide a manic smile.
“Oh, sure.” She pops up from the table, pausing to drag a hand along my bicep. She follows me to the monitor, and I step aside for her to view the screen. “I’m glad you’ve realized my intellect is far superior…” Charlie trails off.
Her head jerks over her shoulder, disbelief contorting her face, before she steps closer to the screen.
I plug my ears, prepared for the scream about to escape her lungs. This is her holy grail, one of the top five on her scientific bucket list tacked to the wall by her desk.
A glass-shattering squeal fills the room as Charlie leaps and cheers, her fists punching the air. She performs the world’s most adorable wiggle. God, I hope someone is recording this moment so I can experience her joy over and over.
She groans, her face pinching before it returns to pure joy. Then she launches, wrapping her arms around my neck and smashing her lips to mine.
I’m so stunned that I don’t move. So surprised she’s kissing me in front of all these people that I don’t kiss her back.
She pulls away, horror creeping over her features. “Oh my god. I didn’t…do you not want—”
I cut off her rambling with a sloppy kiss of my own. People cheer in the room, either for Charlie and me, or for the once-in-a-lifetime discovery.
“This is the greatest day of my life,” she screams, kissing my cheek.
Her laughter is deep and joyous as I twirl her around, basking in the happiness she radiates. I would spend every day of the rest of my life chasing her laughter, even if she’s laughing at me.
“We kissed,” Charlie says, her fingers touching her lips like she’s ina daze.
“We did.”
“In front of people. We kissed in front of other people.” Her skin pales, and the slight tremor in her voice frightens me. “Is that okay?”
“Okay?” I laugh in disbelief. “Bruja, I would kiss you in front of a million people just so they know you’re mine.”
Her smile gradually blooms into something magnificent. I get lost in her before she jerks.
“The whale fall!” She grabs my hand, dragging me over to the screen. “Do you think there will be tissue left?” she asks, bouncing on her toes.
Jett pounds a fist against my shoulder, his focus darting to Charlie.
“How’s it feel?”
“She’s fucking incredible.”
Jett laughs, moving to stand beside her, both of them watching the monitor with rapt attention. Vivian is locked into her work, guiding the ROV closer, and Lucas is scrambling to get clear video for the documentary.
The bottom of the ocean is vast, and stumbling upon a whale fall is rare, even in areas with large whale populations. Hell, the first one wasn’t recorded until 1977.
“What is that?” Jett asks, awe and disgust creeping into his voice.
Charlie’s hand flies backward, slamming against the center of my chest.
“Tell him, Mateo. I’m too excited to speak!”
Her fingers linger between my pectoral muscles, and I clear my throat. Her hand flies back to her side, a small blush creeping up her cheeks when she peers over her shoulder.
“It’s a whale fall,” I explain, choking down my lust. “They’re pop-up ecosystems. When a whale dies, they fall through the water column, and organisms feed on the carcass. At the surface, sharks, birds, and other large pelagic species will scavenge the flesh.”
“Sick,” Jett mutters.
“It’s insane,” Charlie cheers. “Get closer. Get closer!”
