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“Wow,” I say, walking over to the side where she's standing. She’s got her aviators on and beams up at me when she sees me.
“How about an adventure?”
I shrug. “I’m told I’m an adventurous kinda guy.”
She smiles wider, before grabbing my hand and yanking me on to the boat. She leans into my arms the second I’m safely on board, and I pull her to me, sealing my lips over hers.
We’re like two lovesick teenagers, and right now, I can’t even find the fuck to care.
"Hi,” I say.
“Hi.”
I drop the duffle bag on the bench at the back of the boat and look around us.
“Nice boat. Yours?”
She pulls back out of my arms and walks over to the cockpit and does a twirl that makes my heart pound in my chest.
“My grandpa’s. I think the first time I got to drive her, I was five years old. By the time I was a teenager, I was able to take her out on my own, because I had practically been behind the wheel since I could walk. It’s my favorite thing to do when I come and visit my grandparents.”
I step closer to her, placing my hand on top of hers on the wheel. “So, what you’re telling me is that I’m putting my life in your hands on this thing, right?”
She smirks. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. What, you don’t think a girl is capable of handling this massive thing?”
Pretty sure she didn’t mean it the way that it came out, but I laugh anyway, and shake my head at the innuendo behind her words. “I have no doubt that you can handle massive things, Mads.”
Her cheeks immediately tint pink. “Oh god, I didn’t mean it like that I just mean-”
I silence her with my lips, dipping my tongue inside her mouth and kissing her until her hands reach up to fist in my t-shirt. “I know, babe. Just kidding.”
The level of comfort between us… it shocks me. A girl I’ve known for just over twenty-four hours makes me feel more at home than I have with any of the people in my life for the past year. When she looks at me, it doesn’t feel like she’s looking right through me to all of the fucked-up things I’ve been doing, but she sees me. The real me.
The man I really am.
The man who’s loyal and compassionate and honest.
“Ready?” she asks.
I nod. “When you are. Just remember, you’ve got precious cargo on here.”
Her eyes roll as she stands behind the wheel that seems to be twice the size of her. She presses a few buttons, then walks to the back of the boat, untying it from the dock, and hops back in.
I stand close by and watch as she seemingly goes through a mental checklist to get us ready to push off.
The boat is definitely older, but I’m impressed with its upkeep. There’s a hatch that leads down a flight of stairs to the cabin of the boat, meaning there’s probably a small bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. There is a spot for poles, and a tackle box tucked under the bench in the front.
Maddison eases us away from the dock, careful not to cause a wake, since there are a few people swimming by the shore. I sit on the bench opposite of her and watch as she expertly maneuvers us out on the lake. She’s so feminine and delicate, doing something as strong as driving a boat and it blows my mind.
“I heard that you used to want to be a professional fisherman when you were little.”
Her head whips toward me, eyes wide, and the pink on her cheeks even brighter now. “God, Grams has to tell everyone that when they see that picture.”
I laugh, “I loved it. You were an adorable kid.”
“I used to want to be a lot of things.” She speaks up as she pushes the throttle, increasing the speed. “I was always the kid who had big ideas, and even bigger hopes and dreams. That’s why I work so hard at my career. I’m in a career mostly dominated by men, and I refuse to let the fact that I’m a female hinder me in any way.”
“I respect that. I’m sure the others you work with do too.”
