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Love at 20,000 Leagues

Page 13

by Lizzy Gayle

Mason moved so close to me that I felt the heat from his body. Confusion flushed through me along with desire, since I had no idea which man I was responding to.

I needed space. This wasn’t why I’d come down here.

“Well, I hope you both enjoy the ride. I’m here to check out the tech.” I gestured to the control panels in the glass booth behind the front counter.

“Not for the gift shop?” Travis said in mock horror, gesturing at a turnstile of stuffed jellyfish, sharks, and robostaff in the corner. I for one, had no desire to cuddle with any of them. Travis and Mason though…

I shook my head to clear it.

“You’ll need access,” Mason said, placing a hand on my shoulder. Was he marking his territory or being friendly? I stiffened.

“Oh, I didn’t realize.”

“No worries, I got you covered.” He wiggled his hand, showing off his wristband. “All-access perks.”

“Then by all means, let’s take a look,” Travis said through gritted teeth.

Fuck. This was definitely not what I had in mind. Still, the attention had me excited in more ways than one. I was beginning to get used to the high strangeness of two hot men fighting for my attention.

“We should go scuba diving to the sunken ship sometime,” Mason said, turning so it was clear he spoke to me alone. My insides warmed, but my head started spinning with fear at the thought of it.

“She’s afraid of water,” Travis said with an infuriating smirk.

“What?” Mason’s eyes widened. “How the hell are you down here then?”

“I’m not afraid of water,” I corrected. “It’s the ocean itself. Besides, it’s not that bad. I can handle it. But maybe not scuba diving.”

Embarrassment burned my face, but Mason’s hand squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. “No worries. There’s plenty to do aside from going in the ocean.”

I nodded and started behind the counter for the control room, hoping they’d get the message to change the subject.

“Aren’t your parents waiting for you?” Mason asked Travis as he waved his hand, opening the door to the control room.

“I’ll catch the next ride,” Travis said, shouldering his way inside.

“Wow,” I said, pushing between them to look around at the semicircle of controls overlooking the tubes. Sure enough, the coral reef I’d seen in the hologram was out there, sunken shipwreck to the left of it. It was amazing enough that I forgot to be afraid for a full minute, staring at the clear arms swinging slowly through the waters above the scene, with people interspersed inside them.

“That’s amazing,” I said. “The movement is so smooth, it’s hardly like I pictured it.”

“You expected it to shake people around and toss them back inside?” Travis asked with a laugh.

I hit his arm. “I expected the motion to be jerkier. Like you.”

Mason chuckled, but Travis and I shared a smile.

“Take a look,” Mason said, coming around my other side and leaning over the controls. A whiff of his tropical scent passed over me. “There are settings so that we can send them in any direction. If someone asks to visit the other side of the reef for example—” He moved one of the empty arms with what looked like a joystick, and it glided over and around the reef, curving like a snake around the other side.

“Nice,” I said. “There are your parents, Travis.”

I pointed over at another arm, seeing them through the glass. Two other people I didn’t recognize were inside as well.

“Dr. and Mr. Gould,” Travis said into his wristband. “Hey Ma and Pops, want a ride to the shipwreck?”

“Sounds fun,” said his mother.

Travis reached for the controls and smoothly guided them over to the other side of the shipwreck.

“See any buried treasure?” he asked.