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She glared at him with her lips pressed tightly together. “Really? You have some scuba equipment to show me all of a sudden?”
Taken aback by her ferocity, Alex blinked several times. “No, but I’ve been around that guy the last couple of days. He’s a jerk, and you didn’t look really happy being around him.” Though you sure looked relieved when I first showed up.
Hope thawed slightly, turning to look at the turquoise ocean. She wore a long blue sundress with thin straps. He narrowed his gaze at the tattoo on her shoulder.
It was a cocoon with a black line leading to a butterfly, very colorful and not too big or flashy. For some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
What would it feel like if I stroked a finger across it?
Alex wrenched his eyes away, making sure his expression was neutral as Hope turned back to him with a cool, professional look on her face. “Thank you for your concern,” she said. “But I can assure you that I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need a man to do it for me.” With that she stalked away, her sandals slapping against the wooden boards as Alex tried to keep his eyes off that tattoo.
He frowned, not able to figure her out. “What did I do?” he asked the empty pier. As expected, he got no response and turned to trudge up to his apartment.
CHAPTER 17
Hope set down the empty coffee cup with a thump on her porch coffee table. Another morning was dawning, and she still hadn’t been swimming yet. In the distance, Alex walked down the pier with a towel over his shoulders.
Unfortunately, that reminded her of his little intervention the other day. She’d avoided him since, but that couldn’t last forever. Nor was it very mature or professional. Hope needed to face him and prove to herself that she was not attracted to him, despite his gorgeous blue eyes and chest to die for. The truth was, she had been very reassured to see him approach and chase off Tim. At least until that had made her feel weak and helpless.
Hope shook her head and groaned. “You like being around a guy who’s strong and protective, then hate that you feel that way. Hope, you’re a mess.”
None of which was Alex’s fault, either.
And a small part of her couldn’t help but glow a little at how easily Alex had handled the situation, and without ever raising his voice. Good thing she wasn’t attracted to him. If she kept repeating it, maybe it would sink in. Still, she might owe him an apology. But being a man, he’d probably forgotten about the whole thing.
She returned her gaze to the distant pier as Alex dove off and began his swim. I was a top swimmer in high school, for God’s sake. I should never have stopped swimming in college.
There was no time like the present.
She hadn’t brought any sensible, one-piece swimsuits with her to St. Croix, so she changed into her sportiest bikini, threw on a cover-up, and headed out the door. At the pier, Hope tossed the cover-up on the bench and shucked off her flip-flops. She stood near the edge opposite of the side Alex had dove off, watching the water shimmer in the morning light, hesitant now.
How would it feel to swim after so many years? Nothing for it but to dive right in.
She smiled at the cliché, donning her goggles and entering the water with a perfect dive.
Surfacing quickly, Hope swam in a sure, steady freestyle, breathing to either side every third stroke. The motions came back to her quickly, and she felt fluid and relaxed. After twenty minutes, she pulled up to tread water, breathing heavily but satisfied as she rested. Looking back at the shore, she lingered on the four northern bungalows spread along the beach. Soon, she took a deep breath and turned around to head back, enjoying every moment.
The fatigue hit halfway back. By the time she neared the ladder, her arms burned, and she was out of breath. As she climbed back onto the dock, the sound of clanging caused her to look over. Alex was loading scuba tanks onto a cart.
He smiled when he saw her. “I wondered who that was. Good morning.”
Hope quickly replaced her cover-up, flustered in her bikini. It didn’t escape her notice that he hadn’t put his shirt back on after his swim—his chest was nearly hairless, and water beaded on his skin. “I was on the swim team in high school but stopped after I graduated. This seems like the perfect place to take it up again. I’d forgotten how much I love it.”
“I swim just about every morning. Feel free to join me if you’d like.”
“Thanks,” Hope said. “Maybe after I build up my stamina a little. Don’t think I’m ready to try keeping up with you yet.”
Alex looked at the wooden planks and stubbed a bare toe into it, then looked at her from under his brows. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure.” Her heart sped up as she took a seat on the bench. Is he about to unload on me for how I acted the other day?
“I feel like you and I got off on the wrong foot, and I’m not sure why. I’ve been wondering if you’ve been avoiding me the last few days.”
Warmth crept up her face. She hadn’t thought about Kyle in months, but couldn’t help it now. He’d avoided uncomfortable discussions and had been almost passive-aggressive about insisting everything was fine—until he broke up with her out of the blue. Yet here was Alex, a man she wasn’t even involved with, initiating a conversation because he knew something was off.
“I’m sorry,” Hope said. “I got off to a really rough start here, and it has made me defensive.” Hope met his gaze to find eyes full of concern. The first stones of the wall around her began to crumble. “Thanks for your help the other day. You were right—that guy was an asshole, and he made me uncomfortable. That’s not a position I handle very well, and I lashed out at you.”
His eyes softened. “It’s ok. You’ve really gotten up to speed here quickly. I know it’s been a whirlwind.”
