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“Uh, sure.” I’m uneasy around him but seeing as we’re stuck on this yacht together for god knows how long, I might as well hear him out.
Jack runs his hands through his hair, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to another. “I want to apologize for yesterday. I’m a friendly guy, but I don’t mean anything by it. I hope I didn’t cause any friction with your fiancé.”
I sigh and take off my sunglasses. He needs to hear what I’m about to say. “Jack, you seem nice enough, and I’m sure plenty of the ladies who are guests on this boat appreciate your attention. But I am not one of them.”
He dips his head, a contrite gesture. “Understood, and I hope we can still be friends.”
We were never friends, but I don’t want to make more of this issue than necessary, so I smile and say, “Sure.”
“Good, I’m glad.” He’s still staring at me, though, that flirty little smile ever-present on his lips. “Are you ready for today?”
“I don’t even know what’s happening today,” I admit. I take a step back, crashing into a big hard body. Might as well be backing up into a brick wall.
“That’s because it’s a surprise,” Leo says in my ear as one big arm wraps around my front, pulling me into him. Warmth floods my veins at his familiar touch. “Jack.” Leo nods in acknowledgment. I’m grateful he’s put the alphahole bullshit behind him. Maybe we could all just be civil to each other. “Everything ready?”
“’Course it is, Mr. Walker.” Jack smiles a little too brightly.
“Good, we’d like to get going soon.”
Jack takes the hint, backing away to do whatever the hell a first mate does.
Leo spins me around in his arms. His eyes travel over my lips and over my face, like he’s trying to get a read on me. My eyelids flutter in the wake of his hot breath caressing my skin. In the brilliant sunshine, he looks like a sea warrior come to life. Maybe Sex God of the Seas is fitting.
I break the silence. “Are you going to tell me where we are going?”
His smile is mischievous. “Somewhere special.”
I squint, looking past Leo at the horizon, but we’re literally surrounded by water. “So mysterious. I wonder if we’re going to be looking for treasure?”
Leo’s lips twist to the side. “Something like that. You always loved a good adventure. I think you’ll love this, too.”
One of the deckhands approaches us with a smile. “Good morning. We’re all ready for you,” he says, leading us to the tender deck at the back of the yacht. He helps us step from the stern onto a small motorboat, but when he makes a move to join us, Leo stops him.
“I got it covered.”
Concern creases the young man’s features. “But do you know how to drive one of these—”
Leo’s already fired up the small engine, and we’re on our way before the poor guy can get his words out. A laugh peels from my throat. “Ah, there’s that Kozlov charm, after all. And stupid confidence.”
“How hard can it be to drive one of these things?” Leo is clearly in his element, wind whipping through his hair, handsome face turned up towards the endless sky. He’s wearing nothing but tiny swim shorts and stylish shades, it’s all I can do not to stare at his bronze skin. In his early twenties, he was hot, but as a grown-ass man, he’s devastating.
He points to a rocky outcrop in the distance. “That’s where we’re headed.”
“And what is that exactly?”
“A deserted island—basically a big cave with a sandy beach.”
I arch an eyebrow, skeptical. “How do you know? Have you been here before?”
“Not exactly. I hacked into the University of Rome’s computer system. The university uses it as a research center for geologists studying tectonic activity in the Mediterranean region. That’s how I discovered it.”
“Putting your hacking skills to good use, I see.”
His lips tip up in amusement. “Guess you could say that.”
Closer to the island, the clear blue waters shift to a darker hue, and he kills the motor, dropping a small anchor into the water below.
“We have to swim from here.” With that, he grabs a waterproof sack, slings it over his shoulders, and dives in, disappearing under the water. When he emerges, he’s all slick, and his smile is bright. It might be the most genuine smile I’ve seen on his face in years, and I swear it makes my heart stutter in my chest.
