“Uh?”
“For the rest of the trip, let’s see what happens. I want to kiss you again, and I don’t want to live with the regret of not doing it.”
He’s lost his goddamn mind.
I scan the space for Doug to pop out with his camera and to let me know this is some elaborate prank the two of them concocted to tease me about kissing him. The remaining tables are empty, not even a hotel employee. Jett fiddles with his straw.
Oh, god, he’sserious.
“You—Youwantto…kiss me?” I stumble over the question.
I’m short-circuiting.
If I thought kissing him last night was insanity, I was wrong. This is it.
He scrubs at the nape of his neck. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you regret it and want to forget it ever happened, we can. But if you don’t…well, the offer’s on the table. Either way, Iwant you to know I’m not uncomfortable, you will not lose your job, and this stays between us.”
I need time to think—to plan. He sprang this whole thing on me when I should have been apologizing for mauling him with my mouth. I lost my wits somewhere between here and Los Angeles, and now I’m doing stupid shit like contemplating saying yes.
This is not who I am. I don’t do irresponsible things. I make calculated, thought-out choices.
Kissing Jett last night was not thought out. It was impulsive, reckless, foolish. So many things, but I still can’t say it’s a regret, which, on its own, is a massive problem.
The distinct laughter of our friends grows closer, and Jett straightens in his chair. Before he stands, I grab his hand. “I’ll think about it.”
His gaze lingers on the contact. I should tell him no. It’s a terrible idea, even if I want it more than I know.
A muscle in his cheek jumps, as if he’s biting back a smile. “There’s no right answer, just so you know.”
He walks away, and the truth rattles my bones. No matter the choice I make, he won’t hold it against me.
It would go against his nature, who he is as a person.
“Are you coming with us?” Charlie asks, braiding back her wet hair in preparation to dive again.
When I booked the overnight liveaboard—a boat docked on the Great Barrier Reef, where you can scuba dive multiple times a day—I did not include myself in those events. This was my time to catch up on emails and other work that’s fallen behindbecause of the time difference and minimal access to service in some places.
While I still anticipate spending my time working, I’ve also scheduled pockets of time to obsess over Jett’s offer and the near compulsive need to agree, if only to kiss him again.
I shake my head. “Maybe next time.”
Unlike my friends, I don’t know how to dive. Even Amy, who I didn’t expect to possess the skill, has her certifications. They all went out for the first dive after their safety briefing, Doug and Molly included. I was happy for the time to decompress, to reorganize my thoughts a little.
I’m also hiding that I’m too afraid to snorkel on my own. I’ve only done it a few times in my life, and the waves are strong on the surface. What if I’m ripped out to sea or get water in my snorkel and drown?
It’s easier to keep my feet on the boat.
Charlie shrugs, heading out to the deck where the rest of the group is slipping on wetsuits and collecting camera gear. A pang of jealousy hits me when Oliver advises Molly to look beneath rock cliffs to find tropical rock lobsters.
I’m watching through the window that leads to the back deck when a droplet of salt water sizzles against my skin.
Jett hovers over me, his hands gripping the back of my chair. The knot in my diaphragm tightens, and with a flick of the wrist, he closes my laptop.
“You’re going to miss the dive,” I say, lifting my screen. He shuts it again. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not going with them.”
The feet of my chair drag against the carpet as he hauls me out from under the table. He’s rendered me speechless for the second time today, and when he pulls me up, I allow him the control, too stunned to formulate a coherent response.
