Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
How was Tessa supposed to pretend that nothing had happened between them this afternoon?
Her impromptu visit to the treehouse with Russ had been almost magical.
Like they were a brand-new couple on an adventurous first date.
And now, an overwhelming sense of infatuation had started to consume her.
Was it the tropical, romantic setting, or what?
Because she could hardly stop thinking about him.
He obviously wanted to keep it quiet around the others, which she understood. And it was fine with her. But it left her wondering if she’d been imagining things.
They’d exchanged glances and remarks across the table, however, since Russ, Malik, and Jules had joined the group for a breezy dinner tonight. Tessa had enjoyed it immensely.
The conversation had been lively, and the three of them had contributed plenty to the fun and interesting banter of the group. But he hadn’t appeared to pay any more attention to Tessa than he had to anyone else .
Still, Tessa wasn’t upset about it. There were probably certain professional lines he couldn’t cross, unfortunately.
So, instead of focusing on it, she and the girls had helped Jules clean up as the sun had gone down, joking and laughing over wine as they made light work of the dishes. Russ and Malik had anchored the boat securely, closed things down for the night, and disappeared to their cabins.
Now, the last streaks of sunset faded into a warm indigo sky, and the stars blinked overhead. Tessa and her girlfriends gathered on the bow deck, glasses of wine in hand, while the guys set up a makeshift poker game at the main table on the stern where they’d had dinner.
Tessa curled up with her glass under a thin blanket, feeling the lazy glow of the day settle into her bones. The air was chillier tonight.
Marin stretched out beside her, while Jenna and Avery shared a blanket and whispered over a phone screen, probably sorting through the dozens of photos Jenna had taken that day.
Marin bumped her shoulder gently. “So,” she said, voice low, “what’s going on with you and Captain Hotstuff?”
Tessa nearly choked on her wine. “What?”
Tessa had to admit things had changed for her immensely since her first day on the boat. She’d relaxed and found her island-time pace. And going barefoot now seemed second nature. She might start kicking her shoes off more often when she got back to Miami .
Still, nothing was actually going on with Russ. She was just crushing—hard. But that was all.
“Rebound on the Reef,” Jenna said in a stage whisper, grinning. “I saw him throwing glances your way across the dinner table.”
“You did?” said Tessa, not realizing it had appeared that way. She’d just thought they were talking.
Avery laughed and kept her voice down. “You’re definitely spending more time with him than the rest of us are.”
Tessa shook her head, smiling. “Nothing is going on. We’re just passing time together now and then while you guys are off with your fiancé and your husband and your boyfriend.” She grinned. “And hey, at least I’m not missing Ethan. I’ve barely thought about him since we left.”
It was true. She was so relieved he hadn’t come on the trip.
Marin raised her glass. “Cheers to that.”
“I’m serious,” Tessa said, laughing. She kept her voice down.
“Besides, Russ is probably just being nice. It’s his job to keep the guests happy.
” She was beginning to wonder if this was true.
It sure hadn’t felt that way today, but men could be mysterious.
Confusing. She didn’t pretend she understood them well.
Jenna waggled her eyebrows. “Pretty sure he’s not teaching all the guests to do donuts in the dinghy.”
Tessa chewed her lip. The dinghy had been fun.
He hadn’t made her feel small for not going in the water.
Instead, he’d found something else that made her tick.
He’d lifted her higher rather than shaming her, which gave her more courage, oddly enough.
With him, she wasn’t lacking; she was good enough exactly the way she was.
The girls all laughed at the donuts comment. “Kyle’s ready to sign up for lessons next,” Marin added, grinning.
“I’ll bet he is,” said Jenna, smirking.
Tessa sipped her wine and looked out at the dark horizon, letting the teasing wash over her. Could they be right, though? Was Russ interested in her, too? Did she even dare to hope?
“Talk to him,” Avery said. “See what’s up. He’s single, right?”
Tessa nodded slowly. “As far as I can tell, but I haven’t asked him straight out.”
“Then maybe it’s time to do that,” said Avery. “It would get your point across, that’s for sure.”
“And if he is, then what’s the harm?” Marin asked.
Tessa tucked her knees to her chest and tried to suppress the tiny thrill of hope fluttering in her chest.
Later, when the others peeled off for bed and the deck quieted, she grabbed a sweatshirt and slipped out of her cabin, her heart beating a little faster than usual. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Was that so bad?
She climbed the steps to the top deck, feeling the night breeze tug gently at her hair.
Russ was already there, standing at the railing. He turned at the sound of her footsteps, and when he saw her, Tessa knew it wasn’t her imagination—his entire face lit up .
“Hey,” he said, his voice warm, remembering the phrase she’d used last time. “Fancy meeting you here.”
The night was one of those perfect ones—warm and quiet, the scent of salt hanging sweet and heavy in the air as the ocean lapped softly against the hull.
Russ stood at the rail of the top deck, one hand in his shorts pocket, feeling more like a man waiting for something than a captain wrapping up another day.
When he heard Tessa's soft footsteps behind him, he turned, and the simple sight of her—hair loose, smiling like she belonged here—hit him harder than it should have.
He greeted her warmly, and she smiled in return. And just like that, the rest of the world slipped away.
She joined him at the railing, and this time, he didn’t leave a respectable distance between them. Their shoulders brushed, and he let it happen. Just standing next to her closely was no sin, after all. And something about her made him want to get closer.
She shivered.
“Are you cold?”
“Just a little,” she said with another shimmy of her shoulders, so he moved closer to keep her warm. When that didn’t work, he wrapped an arm around her. She leaned into him, and he felt something shift inside of him.
“Thanks,” she said.
He wasn’t sure why he wanted to take care of her like this. Yes, she was his passenger and charter guest, but it was far beyond the scope of his job to make sure she was warm out here. He just wanted to make sure she was.
They looked out over the dark, endless water, the stars laid thick and sparkling above them.
“So,” he said after a moment, “how’s the last week of your twenties treating you?”
She laughed softly. “Pretty amazing, honestly. But not without its challenges. I kind of feel like I’m failing this turning-thirty thing. Staying nice and safe right here inside my comfort zone. No stepping outside… despite what I said last night…”
He smiled. “Challenges are good,” he said. “Are you getting what you wanted out of the trip?”
“I think so,” she said thoughtfully. “Sometimes it feels like one step forward and two steps back, though—like this morning at the reef.” She looked up at him, her gaze intent. “But you really turned things around for me when you let me drive the dinghy.”
He dropped his arm because she’d stopped shivering, but now their hands dangled between them, so close it made his heart race. On impulse, he let his fingers brush hers—and when she didn’t pull away, he linked his hand into hers. She took it without hesitating, and he squeezed it.
They stood there, hand in hand, gazing at the sea, no words needed for a few long, perfect moments.
“It was brave,” he said quietly. “Speaking up like that instead of forcing yourself to do something you didn’t want to—that takes guts.” She was willing to be vulnerable. So few people, himself included, were willing to open themselves up for criticism. He liked her all the more for it.
She squeezed his hand lightly. “Really? Because I didn’t feel brave. I felt… like a hopeless fish out of water. No pun intended.” She chuckled over her reference to the sea, and he smiled. “I still do. I feel like I’ve been making excuses so I can avoid the things that scare me out here.”
“I disagree.” Because she was brave in a way that went much deeper than physical courage. “You weren’t making excuses. You were making choices. I wish I could be that brave sometimes.”
He desperately wanted to make those kinds of choices for himself. Move forward with a plan; stop leaving the decision as to whether he’d go back to Florida up to fate—in the form of one lousy job offer. He needed to take more action if he wanted to make a change.
Because he was tired of drifting, tired of staying away from the ‘real world’ here in paradise, simply because it had become comfortable. Tired of going along with the old plan when he was actually ready for a new one. Tired of letting the chaos that Mia had created govern his future.
Tessa was proof that change was possible—and beautiful.
“But my friends—they’re all so comfortable by the ocean. They’re not afraid of anything here. It’s like I’m the only land-loving mammal on the boat.”
He chuckled and shook his head, but not to disagree this time. “They all have their significant others at their sides, cheering them on, sharing the moments, and that makes it easier. But you… you’re on your own. That’s brave.”
She gazed up at him, and her eyes met his. “I have you,” she said.