Not that any of that matters. I can’t be with him, and I don’t even know if he wants anything to do with me. It’s been years since we’ve hung out. Maybe he’s been through all the women in town, and that’s why he couldn’t find a date.
I push that thought aside, not wanting my irrational jealousy to take over.
Kai turns off the highway and starts to navigate the crowded Los Angeles streets. We ride in silence for a bit, and I try to give myself a pep talk before we reach the ferry.
It’s only for a few hours, I remind myself.Then you go back to the hotel room, and you can lock yourself inside and pretend like tonight never happened. You’re just two friends going to a wedding. It’s not a big deal.
“Here we are,” Kai says with relief when we pull into the ferry parking lot.
He finds a parking spot, and we hop out. I grab a sweater from my bag before we head up to the terminal. I’m always cold, and I’m worried that I'll get chilly once the sun goes down.
The terminal isn’t very busy and I look around as Kai grabs us our tickets.
“Ready? The ferry is leaving in eight minutes,” Kai says, and I nod, letting him take my hand as we weave through the line and over toward one of the doors. My entire arm tingles, the sensation of his large, rough hand wrapping around mine almost too much to take.
“I’ve never been on a ferry before,” I admit to Kai as we step aboard.
He squeezes my hand, giving me an easy smile as we head over to the edge. I want to curl up against him and breathe in his leather and spice scent.
“Me neither. It’s kind of cool, though. I haven’t been to the beach in forever,” he says as we look out over the water.
The sun is still high in the sky and I push my sunglasses up higher as I look out at the water too.
“Want to head inside and check it out?” he asks. I nod.
We walk into the room, and I frown as I look around at all of the empty chairs.
“Where is everyone for the wedding? Are we running late?” I ask him. He frowns too.
“I didn’t think so.”
“Do you recognize anyone here?” I whisper, and he glances around.
“No, but I’m not super close to anyone in the wedding party.”
I nod, moving to take a seat as the boat takes off.
“People probably went over earlier and helped them set up or explored the island,” he says, and I smile.
“That sounds nice. Do you think we can look around a little bit too?”
“Sure.”
I try to get settled in the hard plastic chair as the boat starts to chug along.
“Do you want to go stand outside again? We can go up,” he says, pointing over to some stairs.
“Lead the way.”
We head over to the stairs, and I follow him up and onto the deck. The wind whips my hair into my face, and I laugh as I try to hold it back.
“Let’s face this way,” Kai says with a grin, and I let him turn me around, my back facing his front as my hair blows over my shoulders.
The heat of Kai’s body burns into my very soul as he steps up behind me. He places one hand on my hip, steadying me as I tremble against him. I rest my hands on the railing in front of me, looking out over the water.
A gust of wind pushes me back slightly, and Kai’s hold on me tightens. He slips his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs into the shell of my ear. I hold back a moan as his warm breath tickles my skin.