Page 42 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“Vee,” he whispers my name, “what if I promise to hold your hand the entire time and never let you out of my sight? I’ll protect you from all of these slimy fish.”
It’s almost enough to make me say yes.
“What about the stingers?” I ask.
“The risk is so slim.”
“But not zero.”
“I’ll swim in front of you and be your personal shield. Any nearby jellyfish will have to get through me first.” He grins, and after that kind of sacrifice, all I can do is smile back.
“You’d do that for me?”
“I really want this shiny, pretty thing in the water with me.”
My feet splash him with water. “Neverlet go.”
He tugs on my hand, and I slide into the ocean with him. My first reaction isn’t to shiver from the cold water or to push the hair back from my face. Instead, I scream at the sensation of hundreds of fish swimming past my body in search for food. Ernie does the cruelest thing of all and throws another handful of fish food directly over me. It sends me screaming again as more hungry fish bump into me. Beside me, Adrian laughs, then takes me by the waist and pulls my body tight to his.
“Tell me, Vee, are you honestly focusing on the fish right now instead of the repulsion of being in my arms?”
I take a breath and realize he’s right—minus the repulsion part. My body is flush against his firm and perfect torso. Our faces are the closest they’ve ever been, aside from maybe last night when we cuddled up to each other.
“You’re supposed to be holding my hand,” I whisper.
“You’re clinging onto me, Vee. Let go and I’ll hold your hand.”
Letting go is the last thing I want to do.Because of the fish, I tell myself. Why, then, does my gaze disobediently lower to Adrian’s lips? Why can’t I think about anything other than closing the distance between us?
“I can kiss you if you’d like,” Adrian says.
I have to check my hearing. Yes, he definitely said that. There’s a teasing spark in his eyes and nothing genuine about the comment. I’m annoyed at myself for being disappointed. My earlier question of whether his intensions are romantic or not is answered.
“The revulsion of a kiss would distract you from the ocean,” he adds.
“Good idea, but then I’d have PTSD.”
He chuckles, swimming away from the yacht with me still in his arms. “Come on, let’s go out to the reef. You ready to put your head under the water yet?”
I lower my goggles and place the snorkel in my mouth, speaking with it between my teeth. “Now I’m kiss proof.”
“Only your lips.” He raises my hand to his mouth and kisses it. Damn him and his suave ways. It’s too early for me to be hyperventilating in this snorkel.
Without saying anything else, he places his own snorkel on, and we both duck our faces under the water.
As promised, Adrian never releases my hand from hisandhe always swims in front, protecting me from any jellyfish that might be lurking. We reach the reef after a few minutes of paddling, and it is truly the most magnificent sight of nature I’ve ever seen. The Great Barrier Reef is an underwater paradise with the most vivid colors and intricate shapes. There’s every color fish I could ever imagine, sparkling like a rainbow. It takes me only a second to forget all of my anxieties of being in the ocean. I abandon my secure position behind Adrian and swim beside him, gazing at the wondrous beauty beneath us and being filled with inspiration for my next collection of couture.
A surface level view of the reef isn’t enough. I tug free of Adrian’s hand and dive deeper to get a closer look, holding my breath as the snorkel submerges with water. Something jabs at my sides and I turn to see Adrian right behind me, smiling around his mouthpiece. He removes it from his lips and mouths the words,I made a promise, then holds out his hand to me.
I smile back and take his hand in mine, never letting go for the remainder of our swim, regardless that my nerves have long faded.
ChapterFifteen
It’s lunchtime when Ernie calls everyone back onto the yacht over a loudspeaker. With my hideous wetsuit slung over one arm and me now dressed in my cute beach-throw, I step out of a changing room and head for the seafood buffet.
After throwing my wetsuit into theusedbucket, then piling up a plate of gourmet fish and chips for me and Adrian to share, I venture out onto the back deck in search of him. Even among the herd of guests, Adrian is easy to find. He’s by himself with his forearms on the railing, watching the water pass by while we sail to our next destination, Whitehaven Beach. Seeing him solo is a sight my eyes are still adjusting to. He’s great with conversation whenever anyone approaches him. He still exudes the charm I remember so well from our childhood, but there’s something different about him as an adult. He doesn’t seek out the attention anymore. He’s content without being the center of everyone’s focus, and I like this version of him so much more. Maybe I’m selfish, but too many years of us being separated have passed and I want him all to myself.
As if sensing my eyes on him, Adrian looks over his shoulder and eases into a grin when he finds me approaching.
