Page 19 of One Reckless Night

Jared started the jet ski again. We headed back to the shoreline, this time at a slower pace. He kept us clear of the other boats and the choppy waves. I could feel the tension in his body, though he didn’t say anything.

I was shaken, not just from the fall but from the way he’d looked at me, the way he’d held me. It was too much.

When we reached his private dock below his house, I climbed off the jet ski, my legs still wobbly. Jared followed, his expression unreadable. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked, his voice softer now.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just a little shaken up.”

I unhooked the life jacket but didn’t take it all the way off. I took a deep breath, testing my ribs to make sure none of them were cracked. I had hit the water hard, but the life jacket seemed to take the brunt of it.

“Come inside for a minute. Have a drink to calm your nerves.”

I shook my head, taking a step back. “No, I should get back to my condo. I have some studying to do.”

He looked disappointed, like he was about to say more, but I cut him off. “Thanks for taking me out,” I said, forcing a smile. “It was… an experience.”

Before he could respond, I turned and hurried away. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just crossed some invisible line.

When I got back to my place, I headed straight for the shower, letting the warm water wash away the salt and sand. The events of the afternoon played on a loop in my mind. Jared was annoying, egotistical, and infuriatingly charming. But there was something about him—something that made me feel alive in a way I had never felt before.

I shouldn’t like the way he grated on my nerves. I shouldn’t like the way he looked at me, the way he made me feel. But I did. And that was the problem.

As I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, I couldn’t help but wonder what it all meant. He was my boss. A player. He was a man that enjoyed the thrill of the chase. I wasn’t interested in getting into some whirlwind affair that left me heartbroken in the end.