But it was the best kiss I’d ever had—in adult life, anyway.
I got positively submerged in it. It was like every single nerve in my body decided to take a sip—or maybe a gulp—of Cooper’s complimentary cabin champagne. I started to float and churn and glow like a phosphorescent tide. My breaths got deeper and slower, overflowing the edges of my lungs and seeping out into the rest of my body—swirling at the toes, and the fingers, and everywhere.
Had he really never done this before?
Liar.
He had to know what he was doing.
He was a musician, after all, and I was like a musical instrument that was being playedjust exactly rightin every possible way.
And what do musical instruments do when you play them like that?
They…sigh erotically.
Wait—
Hold on—
But, yeah. That’s what happened.
I didn’t even realize at first the person sighing was me.
It could have been—anybody, I guess. Out in the world. Anybody who was having a very, very unexpectedly nice morning.
But then—it had to be me. Cooper must have realized it, too.
Next, everything stopped.
Cooper ceased all hickey-making, released me, and took a step away.
I stumbled back a little but grabbed on to the railing.
For a moment, the ship’s motor just kept humming, and the wind just kept whipping, and the wake behind us just kept churning.
I took one of those three-second breaths that are supposed to be so good for you.
Cooper regrouped first. He coughed, and nodded, and looked around.
And then—decisively—he dusted off his hands. “Well,” he said. “I hope that worked.” Then he checked his watch and said, “You wanted sixty seconds, but that was actually closer to two minutes. Hope that’s okay.”
That felt like too much math. And there was no such thing as too much math.
I kept clutching the railing and nodded.
Cooper peered in at my throat, all business, to check his work. “Looks good. Red and blotchy, for sure. That’ll bruise up great.”
I was still too melted to speak.
Then Cooper shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “Okay. Great teamwork. Got it done.”
I nodded liquidly.
Next, the hands came out of the pockets so Cooper could gesture over his shoulder at the staircase with his thumb. “Well, I’ve got—some things to do back at the—somewhere. So I’m just gonna—go—make that happen.”
Then he held out that same hand to me so we could shake.
Like business partners or something.
