Page 126 of One Night in Vegas

“I think he’s charming and kind,” I said.

They all laughed. “That’s very sanitized,” one said. “We all know he’s attractive. He knows it as well.”

That was definitely true, but I was still not going to get into any of that. I went back to reading my book and tried to ignore the gossip about him and his private life. I was just glad none of them knew about me. I did not want to be included in the poolside gossip.

That afternoon, the boat docked at a small, primitive island. There wasn’t much more than a small resort and a single store on the island. Some people chose to explore the beaches while others opted to stay on the boat. I was one of a handful that wanted to go on the jet skis.

As I was putting on my lifejacket, I noticed Jon approaching the guy handing out lifejackets. He took one and glanced over at me. I said nothing and stepped onto the one I was being given to use. It had been a long, long time since I had ridden one. Other people were already setting off, revving the engine and bouncing across the water.

I figured it was like riding a bike. It wasn’t exactly rocket science. Throttle and steer. I sat down, gently hitting the throttle. I putted away from the boat and did a little test run to get a feel for the machine. The excitement of being on the water got the best of me. I hit the gas before immediately backing off.

“Let’s go!” one of the guys from accounting shouted.

He took off, water spraying up behind him. I was a little nervous but hit the gas. It felt good. I was doing fine. I started going a little faster. Soon, I was whipping around in circles. My hair was flying behind me. The other jet skis were creating small waves that sent my own ski bouncing through the air. I was laughing and having the time of my life as we zipped around each other. The ship was in the distance. It was nothing but us and the open water.

Water sprayed up, hitting me in the face. I had on my dark sunglasses, knowing it was likely a matter of time before they were going to fly off my head. I had brought backups and wasn’t worried. I was having way too much fun.

I heard a ski coming up on my right. I looked over and saw a shirtless Jon. He was grinning and bouncing over the waves.

“Careful, Miss Speedy,” he shouted over the engines.

“You worry about you!” I called back.

I took a sharp left and sped away from him. It could have been an invitation to play a little cat and mouse. Maybe. I circled around and went back toward him. I was laughing like a fool. I felt free. I stood up a little, holding on while hitting the gas.

The waves my jet ski had created on the way out were coming back at me. I was bouncing over them, catching air.

I heard something and turned to see what it was. My novice ass jerked the handle sharply to the right at the same time I crashed into a wave. One moment, I was flying through the air with the breeze in my hair, and the next, my body was crashing into water that felt like steel.

My leg tangled in the handles as the jet ski flipped over with me underneath it. Darkness enveloped me.

The abruptness of the accident left me shellshocked. I didn’t know how long it took me to realize I was under the water before I tried to move. My foot caught, trapping me under the jet ski. My arms flailed. I tried to find the surface. Panic was setting in.

I was in the ocean and drowning.

48

JON

“Macy!” I hit the gas to get closer before cutting the engine and jumping off my jet ski. I dove underwater and grabbed at her. Her nails sliced over my chest. She was panicking. It didn’t take long to figure out she was hung up on something.

I quickly pulled her free and brought her to the surface.

She was coughing and sputtering.

“It’s okay,” I assured her. “I’ve got you. You’re okay. Relax. Stop thrashing.”

She stilled in my arms. With my arm around her waist, I kicked my feet and used my other arm to move us through the water back to my jet ski.

“Get up there,” I instructed.

She was shaking and seemed too weak to crawl onto the seat. “I can’t,” she said through chattering teeth.

It wasn’t cold. She was shivering from shock. I needed to get her back to the ship. “Macy, I need you to hold on to the footrest,” I said calmly. “I’m going to climb up and then I’ll pull you up.”

“No!” she shouted and grabbed the arm I had wrapped around her waist. “Don’t let go.”

“Baby, I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. I’m going to get you on the seat. I can’t lift you. I can push you up, but if you can’t do it, I need to pull you up.”

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