Chapter 4 Sophia
Sophia
The salty morning air clung to my skin as I left the building with Amy.
My bikini top and shorts looked modest compared to her string bikini—she was practically naked.
A long wooden boardwalk stretched out to a small harbor where boats swayed under the watchful eyes of seagulls, eager to claim bait from an unsuspecting fisherman preparing his boat.
Amy walked ahead of me, a big smile plastered on her face.
“You seem a little too excited for this,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.
“Do I?” She glanced at me, her smile faltering.
I softened. “No, I’m sorry. It’s your first time out—of course you’re excited.”
She looked at me cautiously, then perked up again as she spotted someone in the distance. I followed her gaze to our boat, now just a short walk away. Waving back at her, but locking eyes with me, was the last person I wanted to see. Despite my obvious irritation, a smile formed on Gabriel’s face.
“You invited him?” I muttered, but she was already jogging toward the boat, deliberately bouncing with each step as if her outfit wasn’t attention-grabbing enough.
“I’m so happy you came!” she exclaimed. Gabriel reached out a hand, matching her energy. She took hold of it, letting him guide her onto the rocking boat.
“Aren’t you excited too, Sophia?” he asked, extending his hand as I approached the boat. “It’s a beautiful day. Take my hand.”
I forced a smile, my jaw tight. “No, thank you.” I stepped onto the boat, trying to come to terms with this situation.
My foot was just inches from the deck when the boat dipped unexpectedly.
My stomach lurched, like I had missed a step on a staircase.
With one foot still on the pier, I fell forward.
Before I knew what was happening, I was standing steadily on the boat, my hair whipping in my face.
“You’re alright,” Gabriel said, his voice calm. His hands firmly gripping my waist and ass.
I stepped away from him and pulled my hair into a ponytail, my cheeks flushing. Under the bright noonday sun, I hoped he hadn’t noticed, but the way he looked at me suggested otherwise. I moved to stand next to Amy as Gabriel rummaged through the boat's compartments.
“Do you have another hair tie?” Amy asked, her eyes narrowing as her hair whipped into a tangled mess.
“No, sorry,” I replied, my tone flat.
She rolled her eyes and turned away, as if it were my fault somehow. Gabriel started untying the rope that secured the boat to the dock, his muscles flexing under his unbuttoned white linen shirt. He held the dock with one hand, anchoring us in place.
“Sophia, start the engine for me and bring us out of the harbor.”
I rummaged through the bag that had everything we needed for the day: wetsuits, water, the keys to the boat, an extra hair tie…
I started the engine and brought the boat to a slow crawl.
The sun hovered directly above us, casting a golden shimmer across the rippling waves.
Gabriel and Amy were talking at the front of the boat, their voices barely audible over the low hum of the engine.
I maneuvered the boat steadily, but at the slightest turn, Amy cried out, reaching toward Gabriel.
A confused look flashed across his face as he stepped back.
Just as suddenly as she wobbled, she steadied herself.
The engine was loud, but not loud enough to conceal my laughter.
She glared at me, pure hatred in her eyes. “Stop driving like a maniac!”
“I didn’t do anything,” I shot back.
Gabriel looked between the two of us, amused. Amy crossed her arms and plopped down in a chair at the front of the boat, letting the wind tangle her hair even more.
“Bitch.” I muttered under my breath.
My gaze drifted back to Gabriel as he made his way toward me.
I scooted over on the oversized ice chest that doubled as the captain’s seat, big enough for both of us.
His chiseled features were even more striking in the sunlight, his strong hands confidently taking control of the boat.
As we exited the harbor, he pulled the throttle, and we soared across the water.
When he wasn’t being an ass, there was an undeniable magnetism about him, something that drew me in despite my best efforts to resist. What was he smiling for?
His piercing blue eyes met mine, and for a moment, all I saw was an intriguing, impossibly handsome man.
Beneath the surface, I was still furious at him for canceling the commission, but as I looked into his eyes, I had to remind myself to stay angry.
A twinge of guilt passed through me as I considered how Amy had just looked at me.
Is that what I looked like to him? Maybe I was taking things too personally, just like Amy was.
"What's on your mind, Sophia?" Gabriel's voice cut through the wind and engine noise.
I hesitated, unsure how to express what had been building up for the past two days. "I’m mad at you," I finally said.
Gabriel's smile faded. "I know I messed up with the commission, and I want you to know that I really am sorry about how I handled it." His tone was flat, his expression unreadable.
"But why?" I asked, my voice betraying the vulnerability I was trying to hide. "Why did you order it if there was even a possibility that you couldn’t pay?"
Gabriel exhaled heavily, his gaze shifting to the horizon. "It’s complicated. Up until that morning, being able to pay was never in question."
"How is it complicated? The way you treated me—I mean, the way you canceled it was heartless and cruel. You seemed to enjoy how much it hurt me.”
He looked at me, his angular features hard as stone.
“I shouldn’t have acted that way. I know it’s not a good excuse, but I had just found out some terrible news, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.
What I said in the café was true—I didn’t want to cancel it.
" His tone held no sorrow, no acceptance of fault, but there was something in his deep blue eyes—empathy, maybe—that he couldn’t quite hide.
I leaned closer, my curiosity piqued. "What happened? Tell me why, then."
He looked away, back to the horizon. "It's a long story," he said, his voice barely audible now over the sound of the boat cutting through the waves.
"Can’t you tell me now?" He brought the boat to a stop and effortlessly tossed the massive anchor into the water.
"No.” He walked over to the cargo box near the front of the boat.
When I was mad at him, he was all smiles and wouldn’t stop talking, but now, he was just grunting responses and shutting down.
I followed him past Amy, who was staring into a small mirror, trying to comb her ruined hair with her fingers.
He was closing off, distracting himself with the task at hand.
If there was any anger left in me, I couldn’t find it—I was just curious now.
Whatever had made him cancel his order was clearly more than a careless decision.
Whatever his reason, it had cracked his charming mask.
"There are only two wetsuits in here. Who packed this?" he said irritably, glancing between Amy and me.
"Oh, silly me. I must have forgotten to pack one for Sophia. But that’s okay; we probably need someone to stay up here to keep an eye on the anchor, right?" Amy said with a wicked smile.
I narrowed my eyes at her, but before I could respond, Gabriel spoke with calm authority.
"Actually, Sophia will be joining me in the water.
But yes, by all means, watch the anchor.
" I couldn't help but feel a sense of victory over her attempt to exclude me.
Gabriel rummaged through the cargo box and handed me a wetsuit.
"Have you done this before?" he asked, his tone lightening.
"A few times. You?"
"Never," he joked with a grin.
I smiled back. "How about you tell me your long story over lunch sometime?"
They both looked at me, surprised. He raised an eyebrow, studying me. "I’m supposed to ask you that, but sure, I’ll go on a date with you."
I could feel the heat returning to my cheeks. "It’s not a date. I just want to hear what lousy excuses you can come up with."
Gabriel chuckled, a deep rumble that sent shivers down my spine.
"Alright, you've got yourself a deal." His eyes twinkled mischievously as he slowly removed his shirt, revealing a bare chest and broad shoulders glistening in the sunlight.
A tingle ran through me, and I turned away, slipping out of my shorts to reveal my bikini underneath.
Glancing over my shoulder, I shimmied the wetsuit up my legs.
His shirt was now completely off, his body a sculpture of perfectly defined muscles.
He ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes lingering on me as I struggled to pull the wetsuit past my hips.
I adjusted the fabric against my skin, pulling and stretching it higher, fighting with the zipper at my chest. He gave me a knowing look, clearly amused by my struggle.
Finally, the zipper relented, and the fabric hugged my chest comfortably.
I crouched down by the cargo box next to Amy, who sat with her arms crossed, facing away from us, clearly irritated by her own karma. I sorted through it, looking for two masks. Gabriel’s heavy footsteps reverberated through the boat as he came up behind me.
"These masks are a bit dirty, but they'll work," I said, looking up and nearly stumbling back. His wetsuit strained over a massive bulge. He stood there with casual confidence, looking down at me, arms resting easily at his sides.
I handed him his mask and flippers, quickly making my way to the back of the boat, the anticipation of diving into the ocean building inside me.
I looked over the edge, with Gabriel by my side again.
His eyes were filled with curiosity at what was coming, as if he really hadn’t ever done this before.
"Ready?" he asked, his strong voice resonating through the now calm air.