Chapter 16
Why hadn’t Sylvie realized that dolphin spotting would be on a boat?
Maybe she had, somewhere in the back of her mind, but why hadn’t that translated into people might be swimming?
Sylvie had stood on the dock, smiling at the captain as he gave the safety speech, nodding as he gestured to the life vests lined along one side, and laughing politely at his joke about sharks—even though she barely heard a word of it.
Her brain had short-circuited the moment she realized every single person standing in line with her was wearing a swimsuit and some sort of cover-up.
Not that many of them were hiding much, she thought as she tried not to look at one exceptionally muscular man wearing skin-tight briefs under mesh board shorts and an open shirt that refused to stay closed.
“Ready?” Luke asked, snapping her out of her blank.
“Oh, sure. Yeah,” she replied, locking her eyes onto a safe, neutral spot on his left cheek.
Luke was wearing significantly more than anyone else on the boat—other than her—but it didn’t matter when he looked that good in a soft, faded vintage tee.
“After you.” He motioned to the narrow gangplank running from the dock to the boat.
She wouldn’t have felt quite so foolish if she hadn’t spent an hour obsessing over what to wear. Still, as she stepped carefully onto the slippery board, she was glad she’d chosen the strappy sandals over the slip-ons.
Once safely aboard, she made a beeline for a seat in full shade near the cabin—she didn’t need a sunburn on top of everything else.
The gleaming white boat was prepared for tours, featuring three tidy rows of four fixed sun loungers, each pair separated by a small table.
She carefully placed her bag on the table and tried to settle into the plush cushion on the lounger.
Luke sat in the lounger beside her, and they waited silently as the captain got ready, the tour guide handing out small cups of fruit juice.
The guide explained there were a few good spots where they’d try their luck, although there were no guarantees on sightings. Then came the surprise—before lunch, everyone would have the chance to go swimming.
Luke must have caught her wince because the moment the guide sat back down, he leaned toward her. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, uh, yes,” she said, trying to figure out how to say even if I had a swimsuit, there’s no way I’d strip down in front of you and a boatload of twenty-five-year-old Instagram models without actually saying any of that.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed movement. The girlfriend of the guy in mesh shorts stood, untied the belt of her lace cover-up, and stepped out of it to reveal what could only be considered the smallest bikini on Earth—worn on a physique that looked like it belonged in a Marvel movie.
Sylvie blinked and turned back to Luke, who was—blessedly—not looking in that direction. “Wow, she must live in the gym.”
Luke chuckled low. “Feels like they both do. Gym, and probably the kitchen. Muscle like that doesn’t happen on steamed spinach.”
She laughed. “It’s funny, isn’t it? All the marketing is about not eating, but these folks probably eat their weight in protein every day.” As she spoke, she glanced at the couple—now lounging at the front of the boat, smiling at each other and reaching for the same hand.
“Yeah,” Luke said. “What’s even funnier is that half those fitness ads have a legal team scrubbing the fine print so it’s clear the models may or may not have even touched the product.”
“Seriously?” she asked, turning to him.
“Yep.” He sipped his juice. “If they use it once, the company gets to say ‘as used by’ and slap it on a poster. Technically true. Functionally worthless.”
She squinted at him. “That’s…really unethical.”
“It is,” he agreed, unfazed. “Unfortunately, there is very little we can do about it.”
“We?” she asked, eyebrow raised.
Luke handed his empty glass to a passing assistant. “Not anymore. My last firm handled some big suits—injury cases from bogus ads. These days, it’s mostly contract law. Fewer headlines. Much fewer juicy cases.”
She couldn’t help but laugh as she handed over her own glass. “Oh sure. Nothing juicier than corporations dodging accountability.” Smiling, she leaned back and closed her eyes, letting the sea breeze warm her face. It felt good to laugh. No tiptoeing, no sad looks, no eggshells.
“Well, you know what they say,” Luke murmured. “Classic villains call for classic heroes.”
She was so comfortable, and the air was so nice that Sylvie realized she could easily fall asleep if given the chance.
The boat shifted slightly, and she felt the sun hit her face directly.
She reached out toward the small table where she had dropped her tote bag in search of her sunglasses.
Instead, electricity shot up from her fingertips and across her chest, making her heart race.
Sitting bolt upright in a flash, she yanked her hand back from where her fingers had brushed against Luke’s hand, which rested on the table next to her bag. “Sorry,” she said quickly, though whether it was for the awkward apology or for touching him in the first place, she wasn’t sure.
“It’s okay.” He smiled, flexing his fingers. “Static electricity is a surprisingly strong thing.”
She gave a nervous laugh. Had that really been static? Or was he just being kind?
A cheerful, accented voice called from just over her shoulder. The tour guide had stepped to the railing. “Okay, everyone, come and see! This isn’t an official stop, but our friends have decided to put on a show!”
Sylvie swung her legs off the lounger, and Luke hopped over to perch next to her. Together, they leaned toward the railing, following the guide’s pointing finger. She gasped as she saw four dolphins leaping among the waves, launching themselves skyward before disappearing under the water again.
“Wow!” Sylvie gasped. “That’s amazing. Look!”
“Check it out,” Luke said, pointing. “Is that one a baby?”
The guide beamed. “Well spotted! If you look carefully, there are a few little ones in the pod.”
“Where?” Sylvie asked, peering.
“There,” Luke said, leaning behind her. His face was suddenly right next to hers.
It made breathing complicated.
Tearing her eyes away from him, she followed the line of his outstretched arm—his surprisingly toned arm for a lawyer—and focused. Sure enough, three smaller dolphins jumped alongside their parents.
“Oh my gosh,” she breathed, barely above a whisper. “That’s incredible.”
“It is,” Luke replied softly, so close that she felt the warmth of his voice near her ear. A ripple of goose bumps skated across her arms.
Sylvie risked a glance sideways. With that smile and golden tan, he looked like something out of a Renaissance painting—or maybe a movie she’d been too young to appreciate when they first met.
Luke Preston. Sitting beside her in the Caribbean. Still as good looking as ever.
“Yeah,” she murmured, forcing herself to look at the dolphins. “It really is.”