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“I was,” he answered in a raspy voice that tickled her insides and made her look up. “I was afraid you’d miss me, though, so I had to maneuver at the last minute.”
He was grinning. He had the audacity to grin. It was a hell of a grin, too — slightly naughty, with teeth that were just crooked enough to give his mouth character. He was tall and lanky with a bronzed, sharp-boned face; his green eyes were twinkly, like he’d just gotten a joke someone had told him earlier. Tawny, sun-streaked hair fell in waves to his tanned shoulders, which were bare and freckled. There was a small star tattoo on the left one.
Adina had the disconcerting feeling that the ground beneath her was not as solid as she imagined. “I-I have to check the fishing lines,” she said, squeezing past him.
“I’ll come with you,” he said and fell into step with her as she marched toward the lagoon.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.” He flashed her that grin, the one that made her borders feel unprotected. “I’m Duff, by the way. Duff McAvoy.”
Adina didn’t answer.
“This is usually the part where you tell me your name.”
“Why?”
He nodded, thinking it over. “Interesting name. Were your parents overly inquisitive people?”
“No. Why should I tell you my name?”
“You don’t have to.”
“Adina. Adina Greenberg.”
“Nice to meet you, Adina.” He stuck out his hand and Adina shook it warily before turning her attentions to the tangled fishing lines.
“It’s pretty amazing what you’ve done here.”
“What, did you think we’d lie down and die?” She waded into the water, untwisting the lines as she went.
“Um, that was a compliment.”
“Crap,” Adina said.
“It was a crap compliment?”
She cupped a hand over her eyes and looked out at the water. “No, I mean, crap, the line’s stuck on something out there. It took forever to get these working. This one’s probably going to break from the strain and we’ll have to start all over again.”
“Let me help you with that.”
“I don’t need your help,” Adina called, but Duff was already wading into the water. This was the problem with men. They just assumed. They just took action. It was infuriating. And reductive. And slightly thrilling.
The wet clung to Duff’s pants as he strode into the surf, and she could see the curve of his ass. Man, he was fine.
“Stop it, Greenberg,” Adina said. She walked back to shore and busied herself with rearranging the HELP stones.
Duff took a deep breath and dove under. He was under for a count of ten, and Adina found herself worrying. Another few seconds went by and he popped up. “Got it! Give it a try!”
Adina tugged on the line and it moved easily. Duff trudged back through the waves. His body glistened in the sun. Why was her heart speeding up? It was an autonomic betrayal. Stop it, she told her senses. Stop being so dumb.
“All better?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“No problem.” He shook off the excess water like a big dog and sat down in the sand. “It’s brilliant here. Peaceful.”
“I’d trade it in a heartbeat for a night at a hotel with room service.”
