Chapter Nine
Jade woke early to run on the track at the top of the ship. She showered, got breakfast, and then went to meet her snuba group at the end of the pier. She had this hope that she might make some friends on the excursion. She was a friendly person, and she was getting lonelier and lonelier.
There was a large group of people, a few workers holding up signs for the different excursions and people waiting or filling out their paperwork. She found her sign, and the man gave her a medical history and waiver to fill out.
As she was writing, someone brushed against her arm. Glancing up, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Joshua smiling down at her. “Hey,” he said, all cute and surprised. “You’re doing the snuba too?”
Jade’s eyes narrowed. “Too? What do you mean too?”
He held aloft his own clipboard and papers. “I’m on this excursion. How about that?”
“How about that,” Jade muttered. She focused back on her paper, filling out boxes and trying to concentrate on her answers, but that was almost impossible with Joshua’s presence commanding her every sense. He was close enough that she could smell his lovely cologne, and way more often than was necessary, his bare arm would brush against hers. She heard him striking up a friendly conversation with the other couple. She loved his voice; it was deeper than her priest’s, but in her mind, it was similar to Jesse’s. She’d think he was an exceptionally friendly and charming guy. If she didn’t know that he couldn’t trust her.
Gritting her teeth, she finally finished with the disclaimer and waiver and handed them over.
“All set?” The guide clapped his hands together. “This way, my friends.” Only four of them walked off the pier and to a gravel parking lot. Jade had hoped for more friends to meet, but she’d also hoped to stay away from Joshua.
The guide introduced them to their driver, and they climbed into a shuttle van. Jade chose a window seat so she could look at the island on the drive. Joshua sat down right next to her. His thigh pressed into hers, and Jade wanted to scream at the warm current of desire that rushed through her.He’s not the one, he’s not the one, she chanted to herself. Jesse was her one. Maybe. If they kept developing their relationship the way they had been, and he took his hat and sunglasses off when she went back next Sunday.
Fixing her eyes determinedly out the window, she listened to the driver talk about the island as they drove. They went up a steep hill, and he stopped in a parking lot where the west side of the island bordered the Caribbean Sea and the eastern coast faced the Atlantic Ocean. Joshua stayed close to her as she walked to each view, but he didn’t say anything. She hated how he acted like they were a couple. She wanted to make new friends, but the other couple, though friendly to Joshua, were newlyweds and seemed very engrossed in each other.
They finally climbed back into the van and cruised down the other side of the island. Within minutes, the driver pulled up to a dock next to a beautiful sandy beach with chairs and umbrellas already set for the day, next to a nice, open-air restaurant. “You wait here, and Mark be with you soon,” he said.
They unloaded their backpacks onto the dock, and then the other couple sank into a beach chair, all cuddled up together.
Jade walked to the end of the short dock and stared out into the sea. Joshua followed her. Why was he so persistent? He knew where she stood, and he knew what he had to do. A terrifying thought struck her. If Joshua’s investigator discovered the truth and the real thief took the blame, that would be awesome, but then how would she resist this incredible man?Jesse, Jesse, Jesse.She tried to picture his smile and remember his arms around her. It helped.
Until Joshua came much too close and said, “Have you ever done snuba?” Such an innocent question, no flirtations or anything, but in his appealing voice it felt much too charming and intrusive.
“No,” she said shortly.
“I haven’t either. Should be fun.”
She let herself look at him. His blue eyes were twinkling at her. As if he had a secret, and he knew all of hers. “Really?” She put her hands on her hips. “Mr. Billionaire who owns resorts around the Caribbean has never done scuba?”
His smile grew. “I’ve got an advanced certification in open water for scuba. I’ve never donesnuba.”
“I’m sure it’ll bereallyexciting for you,” she said snarkily.
His eyes traced slowly over her face, as gentle and appealing as a caress. “Anything’s exciting with you here.”
Jade wanted to let herself fall for him. She wanted it so badly. She straightened her shoulders and blew out a breath. Falling for the reclusive billionaire ex-boss was not happening. Not today.
A truck pulled up, and a small, deeply tanned man popped out. “Hello. Sorry, my friends. I sleep in today—too many Mai Tais last night—” He gave them all a wink. “—but we give you extra time in the water, I promise. I am Mark.” He walked over and pumped their hands, and the newlyweds came over and greeted him as well.
He took the time to explain and train them for a few minutes. Jade was certain that Joshua was bored beyond belief or silently laughing at the rest of them as they soaked it in and the newlywed man with a thick New Jersey accent explained how he couldn’t even snorkel because he ran out of oxygen. Joshua, Mark, and his bride all tried to reassure him that if he just relaxed he’d be fine, but the guy looked like he might be having a panic attack.
They took things really slow, wading into the lukewarm water when they finally got their gear on, kneeling down and breathing for a while to get used to it. Jade was acutely aware of Joshua staying right by her side. She was amazed how comfortable it was to breathe underwater with the ventilator, and she was excited to do the adventure.
Finally, the instructor went through their hand signals one last time and then told them to follow him. They swam along the edge of a long rock pier and gradually got deeper. Jade plugged her nose and blew hard a few times, but her ears adjusted well and the pressure in her head wasn’t bad at all.
Joshua took her hand, and she darted a gaze at him. He gave her an okay symbol, then pointed to the right, where gorgeous tropical fish were swimming in and out of the rocks. Jade kicked her fins and let Joshua tug her along. She felt like she was swimming in a fish tank, and even though she didn’t want to love it, she loved that Joshua had her hand in his firm grip and was directing her exactly where to go.
The instructor was busy trying to help the man from New Jersey, who hadn’t descended at all but was staying with the raft that held their air tanks. The wife from New Jersey followed Joshua’s lead and hand signals, and the instructor kept the raft moving so they could explore their underwater world without being held back by their hoses as they progressed.
Jade gasped when she saw an eel slide by to the right. She pointed with her free hand. Joshua glanced at her, and she could tell he was smiling, as his dimple was on display. Oh, she loved that stupid dimple.
They progressed along the rocks, checking everything out. The fish were mostly blue and yellow, but occasionally they were orange and green. There were a lot of striped fish and even some polka-dotted ones.