CHAPTER7
mariella
Talking with Kai was easy… too easy. I laughed as he told me how he’d lost the bet with one of his brothers that he could eat an entire jar of pickled jalapeños in five minutes. That’s how he’d ended up with a tattoo of the state of Texas on his left shoulder.
“You’d think I would have learned my lesson, but it took one more tattoo before I got smart enough not to make bets I couldn’t lose.”
“Another tattoo? Where?”
His eyes held mine. “That’s classified info. We’d have to get to know each other a hell of a lot better for you to find out.”
Heat simmered in my belly before traveling lower. In less than a day, he’d charmed his way past my weak defenses. I wanted to find out where that tattoo was, but that would mean putting myself out there.
Time sped past and our server stopped by to let us know they were about to close for the night. That had to be impossible. I checked my watch, surprised to find we’d been talking for hours. While Kai held me captive with his stories about growing up in Texas, the sun had slipped past the horizon.
Kai paid the tab, and we got up from the table. I’d never tried navigating a boat back to the campground in the dark. If we’d been closer or in familiar waters, I wouldn’t think twice about it. But we were a couple of hours away. How had I let myself get so distracted?
I stopped on the dock leading back to the boat. “I’m just going to come right out with it.”
“Please do.” He faced me, his thumbs casually tucked into his belt loops.
“I’m not comfortable navigating back in the dark. Our best bet is to stay on the boat overnight and leave at dawn. I’m sorry if that causes a problem…” My voice trailed off as I tried to get a read on him.
“Didn’t I say sometimes problems are just opportunities in disguise?” The barest hint of a smile spread across his lips.
My cheeks prickled. “Did you distract me from the time on purpose?”
“No, Mariella.”
I tried to commit the way he said my name to memory. He might think he’d lost his southern accent, but I could still pick it up, especially after he’d had a couple of beers.
“Well? What do you think about sleeping on the boat?”
“I think it might be one of those disguised opportunities.”
A chill raced through me that had nothing to do with the temperature outside, and everything to do with the way he lifted his hand and ran his thumb over his bottom lip. Giving in to the attraction between us would only cause problems. I didn’t do one-night stands. I didn’t do flings. When I got involved with someone, I always had the long-term in mind.
And where exactly had that gotten me?
Nowhere.
The realization rolled over me like a strong wave crashing onto the shore. Everyone I’d ever loved had left me in one way or another. Made me think of that quote about how the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result. Wasn’t that what I’d been doing most of my life?
Maybe it was the force of the full moon shining down on us. Or maybe the attraction that had been simmering all night between us came to a boil. Whatever it was, something made me reach out.
My palm skimmed over his beard. I’d imagined it would be coarse, but his whiskers felt soft against my hand. I didn’t have any kind of plan in mind. At least nothing beyond trying to get out of my own head for a night.
“Are you sure about this?” Kai hadn’t touched me yet, just stood there looking down at me, his eyes holding a mixture of heat and need.
I wasn’t sure about much. My confidence in myself and everything I ever thought I knew had been shaken to the core. But I was sure about him. At least for tonight.
I nodded and slipped my arms over his shoulders. My fingers twined through his hair.
He slid his hands behind my back and pulled me close until we stood chest-to-chest. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.
It was a gentle kiss, like he knew we had all the time in the world, and he was in no hurry. His lips lazily explored mine, while his beard tickled my chin. I’d never kissed a guy with facial hair before, and damn, I liked it. Heat uncoiled from my belly and simmered through my veins. It was like my long dormant senses came to life. Despite diving all day, his skin smelled like a rich mix of the sea and sun.
The waves played background music as they rolled into the beams holding up the dock. His tongue slipped past my lips, and I tasted the lingering peppermint flavor of the mints our server had brought with the check.
Kissing Kai was the perfect release of the tension I’d held all day. Only now that my body had a hint of the escape he offered, I wanted it all.
He pulled back, his eyes two pools of dark sea green. “Are you ready to head back to the boat?”
Nodding, I twined my fingers with his. I’d been numb for so long, I’d forgotten what it felt like to feel anything. I wouldn’t go so far as to think a few kisses from an attractive—okay, hotter than hell—guy had undone all the emotional trauma I’d been through in the past few years, but it definitely provided a welcome distraction.
Kai led the way down the dock until we reached the boat. Though I was perfectly capable of climbing aboard on my own, I held his hand and let him help me onto the deck. I’d gone down below earlier, so I knew we had enough blankets to be comfortable for the night. I tugged Kai below deck, crossing my fingers that I wouldn’t regret what I assumed we were about to do.