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The creature’s deep brown color was perfectly designed to blend with the coral. Its small, barbel-fringed mouth gaped, drawing water over gills that heaved with a hypnotic cadence. The shark’s eyes held an ancient, unblinking calm that rooted us to the spot.
I could feel Aiden’s gaze on me and turned to find my excitement mirrored in the wide-eyed wonder behind his mask. My heart pounded not from fear but from the thrill of sharing this moment. Aiden extended his hand, palm open and inviting. Our fingers met, and his thumb brushed against mine as a silent language of emotion flowed between us. I squeezed Aiden’s hand tighter, my smile reaching him through the softening of my eyes.
Suspended in the water’s embrace, we lingered a moment longer before exchanging a look that said it was time to move on. Reluctantly, we released our hands and began to ascend, the nurse shark fading into the shadows below as we returned to the world of sun and air. At fifteen feet, we leveled off to complete our three-minute safety stop. And our hands found each other once again.
The sensation of breaking the surface was like waking from a dream. Climbing back on Aiden’s boat, sunlight played on my skin, chasing away the chill as I peeled off my mask and fins.
“God, that was incredible,” I breathed, my voice sounding foreign after the long silence underwater.
Aiden’s smile matched mine, his eyes still holding echoes of our dive. “I’d never be able to tell you don’t dive every day.”
“Thanks. That just reminded me how much I love the ocean.” I reached out to brush his arm. “You reminded me of that.”
“I’m glad we got to experience it together.”
As we stood on the deck, Aiden twisted the knobs of the fresh-water shower, and crystal droplets cascaded over us, warmed from being in the sun. It felt like a baptism, washing the salt from our skin and hair, sealing the experience within us.
With the water spilling over his strong shoulders, Aiden laughed. “The butterfly fish were cool—that one with the stripes kept following you.”
“Maybe it liked me.” I shrugged, unable to suppress a laugh.
“Or it sensed your kindred spirit.” Aiden paused, turning serious for a moment. “You have a way of drawing things—and people—in, Stella. Underwater or not.”
His compliment warmed me more than the sun overhead. I allowed myself to bask in the glow of his admiration before shaking off the sentiment like droplets from my skin. “What about that nurse shark? That was the best part of the dive.”
“It was.” He reached for a towel and offered it to me. As I wrapped it around myself, I caught his gaze lingering on me for a heartbeat longer than necessary. “It didn’t even care that we were there.”
“Like it knew we meant no harm.” I broke down my gear, then settled onto the cushioned bench at the stern of Aiden’s boat. I watched as he secured our equipment with focused attention to detail. The sun was past its zenith now and cast its warmth like a net, including on Aiden’s bronzed skin. His movements were fluid, methodical, and I found myself hypnotized by the play of his muscles.
“Enjoying the show?” he asked with a grin.
“Nature has a way of putting on quite the display,” I replied with a wink. My heart beat a little faster as he approached.
He sat beside me, close enough that our knees brushed. The contact sent a ripple through me, amplified by the intensity in his eyes. Aiden reached for my hand, his fingers entwining with mine. The action was gentle but deliberate, sparking a connection that vibrated through my body.
“Today reminded me how much I’ve missed… this. Just being together.”
I looked down at our joined hands, feeling the strength in his. “Me too. I loved every minute. Because I was with you.”
Cupping the back of his head with my hand, I pulled him to me. Our mouths met in a salty kiss as the warmth of shared experience gave way to a completely different kind of heat. His lips were soft yet demanding, moving against mine with a fire that reignited old flames and sparked new desires. With a quick tug, he untied my bikini top and slid his hand around to cup my breast.
“Mmm,” I said softly, nipping his earlobe. “Why do I get the feeling you’ve got something else in mind now?”
With a deep laugh that made my core clench, he grabbed my wrist and moved it to his board shorts, and the rapidly growing bulge there. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
After a quick squeeze, I lifted my hand to run it through his wet hair, closing it and pulling him tighter as my lips moved back to his. This time our kiss was a storm of passion, threatening to break over us both.
“Did you know,” Aiden murmured against my lips, breaking away only enough to speak, “there’s a comfy bed just down those stairs?”
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I remember. So let’s go.”
My bikini top slid completely off as I stood and reached out my hand. Aiden’s eyes went on a slow, leisurely journey from my feet upward. They paused for a long moment on my breasts before he stood, his eyes pinning me. His fingers interlocked with mine as he guided me toward the cabin.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aiden
A week later, the warm breeze tousled Stella’s hair as we walked hand in hand along the pedestrian path running parallel to Seven Mile Bridge. Though less than ten miles away from our little islands, it felt half a world away. The endless stretch of turquoise water below competed with the sky above, both captivating shades of blue. I couldn’t help but think the water won, reflecting Stella’s vibrant energy back at us.
