Page 49 of Love on Deck

You can touch me anytime you want. I want you to.

The trouble was, I wanted me to, also. I wanted to slide my hands over his strong shoulders and pull him close and feel what it would be like to have someone else help carry my problems for a minute. His back was broad. He could probably hold quite a few of them and not even feel it.

But wanting this and succumbing to the temptation of his cocky smile and glittering green eyes were two different things. He wasn’t a Forever guy. He was a Just For Fun guy.

I couldn’t do Just For Fun. It wasn’t in my nature.

“Should we find our friends?” I asked, pulling my goggles down to cover my eyes again. It made Jack all blurry, which was probably a good thing. He looked too attractive with his bare shoulders dipping out of the ocean, his muscles rippling while he moved his arms to keep afloat. Distance and the buffer of other people would be good.

Jack didn’t move. But I didn’t either.

“They’re probably wondering what we’re doing,” I said lamely.

“They think we’re dating.” Jack swam a little closer. “I guarantee none of them are wondering what we’re doing. It stops being interesting gossip once two people are together.”

He had a point. “I’m not sure Sydney got the memo, though.”

“Maybe she doesn’t believe us.” Jack reached over and lifted my goggles back onto my forehead, then looked down at my lips. “We might need to try something else to convince her I’m not on the market.”

“Now that definitely sounded like a line.”

“Is it working?”

Yes. “Maybe if we had an audience, it would. Everyone’s underwater now.”

Jack swam up until he was almost touching me. Our arms were both out to the sides, keeping us up and making our breathing heavy from the effort. He slipped one arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Good point. They can all see everything underwater.” His fingers skimmed my waist, driving goosebumps over my skin. “I would file this under totally necessary touching.”

My pulse raced. His hand was strong and warm, the pressure dropping lava along my waist. “I’m sure Sydney’s attention is on the fish, not us.”

“Doubt it. She has a sixth sense for where I’m at. Guaranteed she’s watching us right now.”

“You think highly of yourself.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “No, I’ve just had to fend her off for a while. It’s exhausting.”

“Why is she so obsessed with you?”

“Because she had a taste, I guess.” He didn’t sound cocky about it, though. “She wants a relationship with me, and we had a bit of it, but then I cut her off. She didn’t get enough, maybe? Or she’s just super competitive? I don’t know. None of my other ex-girlfriends have been this crazy after we broke up.” He tilted his head a little, the water dripping from his hair into the ocean. “What about you? Your last boyfriend was...”

“Derek. We didn’t date long, and then he was over it. I let him go without making a scene because I didn’t really have time to devote to a relationship anyway.” Breakups were also easier to manage if you decided you were better off without the other person. Even if it was only a lie you told yourself. It definitely helped me get over him faster.

“Right. The guy Kevin didn’t like.”

“I’m not gauging who I date based on Kevin’s approval.”

“He has solid taste.”

“In women.” I shrugged. “He’s marrying my sister, so I can’t really argue that point.”

“Kevin really likes me,” Jack said quietly. “I’m pretty sure I have his full approval.”

My smile widened, but I shook my head. It was impossible to tell whether this was just flirty Jack, who wanted a kiss because he was a guy, or if he meant it. I wanted to believe he was being authentic, but my mind flashed back to our first date and the voicemail he left me.

“You and I had our chance,” I said. “Didn’t work out.”

“Yeah, and you never really told me why.” His second arm came around my waist now, and it was impossible to tread water without kicking him. “Just let me hold you up.”

I succumbed, letting him hold me in the water, relaxing while the ocean waves lulled us. It was suddenly overwhelmingly peaceful. How the heck was he treading enough for the both of us?

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