Page 21 of Like You Know

Mena giggled, and they headed for Nicola hand in hand.

I stuck with mojitos and danced a bit with the others, keeping an eye on Mena. She was totally fine though, marveling at the sand and the water with the most wonderous smile I’d ever seen on anyone’s face. And Harlow followed her around like the good friend she was.

I’d managed to stay distracted enough not to look for Jet the whole night, only catching glimpses of him here and there. And he was staying away from me. Was that on purpose? Did I intimidate him? Or maybe I was the one who was intimidated. Because the girls were right—no guy had ever had this effect on me before.

With the fire dying and everyone either gone back to their rooms or enjoying the tail end of their trip by staring at the stars, I decided to go for a stroll before bed.

Leaving my shoes and bag behind, I made my way down to the ocean. The warm water lapped at my feet as my toes dug into the wet sand. A bright waning gibbous moon reflected off the waves and, away from the fire’s glow, cast everything around me in silvery, shadowy grays.

It was beautiful, and kind of soothing.

I’d nearly reached the end of the beach, some rocks creating a natural end point with what must’ve been staff quarters beyond, when I realized I wasn’t alone. There was someone sitting in the sand, looking out over the water.

The strong shoulders and closely cropped hair told me it was probably a man, and I paused. If it was one of the staff, I didn’t want to bother them during their time off. And regardless, alarm bells went off in the back of my mind just from being in a dark, secluded place with a male I didn’t know.

Just as I was about to turn around and walk a little faster back to my room, the man on the beach tilted his face up to the sky. The moonlight illuminated Jet’s features, and the tension in my body seeped out of me.

He didn’t look in my direction, but surely he knew I was there. Even as I moved forward—my feet carrying me to him without me really making the decision—he still remained staring at the moon as if it had all the answers.

I wished I knew what the questions were.

It wasn’t until I’d sat down next to him that I wondered if maybe he wanted to be alone. Why else wander out here in the middle of the night?

“Are you stalking me, princess?” he asked, his voice low, his gaze still refusing to meet mine.

“Not this shit again.” I sighed dramatically. He quirked his lips in a barely there smile, the dimple making a brief appearance before it was gone.

We fell into silence for a while, nothing but the light of the moon and the sound of gentle waves between us.

“Did you have any of Nicola’s treats?” I asked. Maybe that explained why he was so mesmerized by the sky.

He chuckled. “Nah. Not really my jam.”

I nodded, secretly satisfied I’d chosen not to partake tonight. I didn’t want him to judge me, or think less of me.

“You?” he asked, flicking me the first look since I’d joined him.

I shook my head no, and he nodded.

The several cocktails I’d had were quickly draining out of my system, so I wasn’t so drunk I’d make reckless choices—just buzzed enough to do something a bit out of character. I’d never made the first move with a guy, but the liquid courage made me feel as if maybe I should. Maybe this time. Maybe this guy.

“Jet?” I had no idea why I whispered, but he heard me just fine.

I tucked one leg under me and turned to face him. He leaned back on one hand, angling his body a bit more toward mine. He looked at me with an open expression, waiting patiently.

“Earlier.” I licked my lips and forced myself to at least appear confident, even if I didn’t feel it one bit on the inside. “Before the barbecue. We had a moment, right? I didn’t imagine that.”

His eyes softened slightly, but he held very still before answering. “Yeah, we had a moment.”

“I think I’d like to have another moment, with you. One that doesn’t get interrupted.” My heart beat so fast I was sure the sound of it was drowning out the waves. Nervous but exhilarated, I slowly leaned forward.

Jet’s lips parted on an exhale, and his gaze flicked down to my mouth. He leaned in too. Our lips were barely an inch apart, my eyes were drifting closed, my skin tingled with anticipation, and—

He pulled away.

With a sigh, Jet turned his head to the side and leaned back. His hand gripped my upper arm, as if he had to physically hold me back from trying to jump him.

“W-what ...,” I stammered, genuinely confused. He was into me; we had a connection. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to kiss me just as badly.

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