I shrug and smile. “Apparently, since theft was involved and I didn’t get to keep the gerbil, it doesn’t count.”
“Okay, klepto,” Noah teases.
“Hey, I just saw the opportunity to give it a better life. I was doing a service for the little guy.”
He nods like he doesn’t agree before smirking. “Sure,” he says as he leans forward to kiss me.
His tongue twirls around mine as his hands delve into my hair. Slowly, he lays me down in the sand, his body covering mine as we deepen the kiss. His hand cups the side of my face tenderly before his mouth moves down my neck, peppering kisses against my skin.
I’m overwhelmed in the best way, breathless even, and as much as I like fooling around with him, I do want to get to know him.
“So, uh, what’s your favorite part of your job?” I ask, sounding more like I just ran a 5K than had a light make-out session.
Noah’s mouth pauses, then he looks up at me from my collarboneand smirks. “It’s really creative. Every day is different,” he says, then continues kissing his way down my body.
“Yeah, the music business sounds like it would be,” I rasp as his hand comes between my thighs, his palm rubbing against my clit through the shorts I’m wearing.
I let out a moan as a crew member appears literally out of nowhere. I yelp in surprise when they approach and attempt to cover myself, even though I’m not naked. I feel like it, though.
“Sorry to interrupt. We have to get Noah to his next date.”
Noah’s shoulders fall, and he looks to me with an apologetic frown before leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine. “To be continued.”
I muster up a smile, and honestly, props to me, I think I pull it off well.
Noah stands up and walks away with the crew member, who escorts him back to the house. I grab the abandoned glasses of champagne and toss them back one after the other. Can’t let it go to waste, right?
Before I know it, I’m lost in the soothing rhythm of the waves rolling into the beach. I don’t even know how long I sit here before another person appears out of nowhere.
“Christ on a cracker, you all need to wear bells or something,” I mutter as the young guy looks to me apologetically.
“Sorry, we texted you for your date, and we noticed you weren’t coming.”
Oh shit. I didn’t even hear it.
Glancing down at my phone, sure as shit, I have a notification from fifteen minutes ago, alerting me about my date with Shane by the dock.
Oops.
I push myself to my feet, wobbling in the sand slightly, or maybe it’s from the champagne? Let’s call it a combination.
The crew member leads me towards the dock, and there Ifind Shane staring out at the ocean, wearing a horrible beach-themed button-up shirt and a pair of black shorts to complement the atrocity.
When he sees me, his face lights up. “I thought you weren’t gonna show!” he shouts as I start walking down the dock.
Turning to look over my shoulder, I notice the crew member is gone. Okay, am I buzzed or did he disappear into, like, thin air?
Shane pulls me in for a hug as he smiles down at me.
“Sorry I’m late. I didn’t hear my text.”
“No sweat. You ready?”
Smiling softly, I nod as Shane leads me to a boat with a captain. It’s a small boat, like something you’d take out on the lake for the day for waterskiing, kneeboarding, or…
“What is that?” I ask as I stare at the mattress-like inner tube connected to the back.
Shane smirks at me as he reaches for a couple of life jackets. “Just in case,” he teases as he helps me buckle into one before sliding one on himself.
