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“Welcome aboard.” A deckhand smiles and waves us forward. Chase helps me down the plank leading to a platform at the stern. “I’m Matt, that’s Billy.” He motions to the other deckhand. “Captain’s name is Frankie,” he says, motioning his head toward the bow.
Matt leads us up a ladder to the top level. “Stay seated until she comes to a stop. We’ll be going straight out to the reefs, about a half hour trip,” Matt says to us. We both take a seat on a bench facing forward. Chase puts his arm around me, pulling me close.
Matt and Billy scurry around the side of the boat, untying the lines attached to the cleats on the dock. They both push off simultaneously and we float away. The captain revs the dual engines, the dock growing smaller every second.
Chase holds me tight, a huge smile on his face as his hair whips around his face from the wind. I can’t see his eyes through his Gucci sunglasses, but I know they are sparkling from the giant grin plastered across his face. He leans in and kisses the top of my head. “Isn’t this great?” he asks, his voice full of mirth.
“It’s beautiful.” I smile back.
Twenty minutes later, the captain stops the boat in the middle of nowhere and Chase and I make our way down the stairs to the main deck. The crew rushes around, grabbing equipment from the stocked cabin. Billy hands me a vest and a pair of flippers while Matt does the same for Chase.
Taking off his shirt and sunglasses, Chase places them on the bench. Matt motions for me to turn around so he can put on my vest, but Chase snatches it from him. I quirk a brow and turn, placing one arm through the opening as he gently brings the other side around for my other arm. Turning me toward him, he zips the front and lifts my chin so I’m looking into those big, beautiful blue eyes.
“If you get tired, there is a valve in the front,” Chase whispers, pointing to a brass nozzle. “Blow in this and it puts air in the vest. Just in case. I don’t want anything happening to you.” He places a tender kiss on my lips and turns to put on a vest as well.
We are directed to the back of the boat and I take a seat on one bench while Chase sits across from me. I watch him put on his flippers and follow his lead.
Matt picks up a mask from a crate in the center of the boat. “Make sure the snorkel is on the left side of your mask when you put it on,” he says, motioning to his left. “It’s more comfortable that way.” I watch Matt with rapt attention, wanting to make sure I get this right. There’s muffled laughter from in front of me. Tilting my head past Matt, I find Chase smiling at me, and he chuckles again. That prick is laughing at me. How would I know which side to put it on? I scowl at him, which makes him laugh even harder. Narrowing my eyes, he coughs and looks down at his feet. Bastard.
Matt hands me a mask. “I need you to try this on first, see if it fits. Hold your breath, gently place the mask up against your face, and press very slightly.” He demonstrates with his own mask without putting it on. “Now, let go of the mask with your hands. A well-fitting mask will stick to your face without you having to hold it in place.”
I do as instructed, but the mask falls to the deck with a thud. He hands me another one. “The better the mask seals to your face, the less likely you’ll have any leaks when moving your head in the water,” he states, matter-of-fact.
The second mask feels tighter around my face than the first, reminding me of a suction cup attached to a window, and stays put. I look over at Chase to see Billy handing him multiple masks. After trying on five, he seems to find one he likes.
I take the mask in my hand and go to stand. Now I know what a penguin feels like. Taking one careful step at a time, I shuffle across the deck, skimming my feet across the rocking boat.
The water level platform has two large ladders that make it easy to get in and out of the water. The benches are on either side of the boat, which allows you to walk down the center. “Watch,” Chase says as he starts down the ladder. Placing his back to the boat, he takes a seat on the edge, and I follow his lead, carefully placing my feet on the rungs. Reaching the platform, I sit next to Chase and let my feet dangle in the water. Chase turns toward me with his mask in hand, waiting for me to follow suit.
“You don’t need to spit in these masks, they have an anti-fogging agent,” Matt says to Chase.
“Spit?” I ask.
Chase chuckles. “Yeah, if you rub spit on the inside of regular goggles, it keeps them from fogging up.”
“Oh.”
Smiling, Chase applies his mask. I watch and repeat what he is doing. He straightens it out and makes sure the snorkel is attached. Billy leans over to make sure my snorkel is secure. I look over at Chase.
“Ready?” he asks. Nodding my head, he stands and pushes himself from the ladder. “It’s easy, nothing to it,” he encourages. I follow, staying close by his side.
Wading in the water, I kick my feet leisurely as I enjoy the warmth of the ocean. About ten feet from the boat, Chase stops moving forward, places his snorkel in his mouth, and motions for me to do the same. He points in a direction away from the boat and I follow.
We swim about 500 yards before coming across the coral reef. A smile spreads across my face and my heart flutters, knowing Chase brought me here to share this amazing sight with me. Chase dives toward the bottom while I stay at the surface, watching him sink into the shallows. Finding something of interest, he places it in his one of the two pockets in the front of his vest.
Continuing to swim over the massive reef, I watch the anemone sway like flowers in the wind. Brilliantly colored fish dip in and out of view, hiding among the coral. Giant starfish crawl along the bottom, and I’m momentarily startled as a manta ray swims directly under me.
Chase grazes my shoulder as he swims up from behind me. Reaching over, he takes my hand in his, intertwining his fingers with mine. It is the most comfortable thing, swimming hand in hand with Chase.
He continues his dives toward the bottom, releasing my hand when he goes, but grasping it when he surfaces. Finally, I get the nerve to dive down with him. Looking over, Chase smiles as we glide through the crystal clear water.
He shows me things I’ve never seen outside an aquarium before, let alone touched. Handing me a starfish, it’s suction cup feet stick to my hand as it walks across my palm. Growing tired, I tug at Chase’s hand, signaling toward the boat. Nodding in agreement, we drift back to our awaiting ride.
Chase gets on first and reaches down to help me up the ladder. Once on board, we strip off the mask and flippers and place them in the crate. Matt comes over to take our vests while Danny hands us each a glass of champagne and places a platter of mixed fruit on the bench next to us. I look over at Chase and he just shrugs, giving me that panty-busting, lopsided grin.
The boat crawls across the still water, the captain taking his time getting back. Sitting beside me, Chase caresses the back of my neck, stroking side to side with his thumb. Goose bumps scatter across my arms as he teases, my shoulders slumping as I relax, my head lying on his chest.
“Did you enjoy your day?” he murmurs, his lips moving against my forehead.
