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“I’m sure they don’t,” I say, propping my head on my fist. “They love you exactly as you are. Adventurous and funny and reckless and daring and… you. It would be a shame to change all those things about you just to be more like Adam.”
Jack’s eyes soften as he looks at me, a drop of seawater trailing down his jaw. “You really think so?”
“Of course.”
“You wouldn’t like me better if I was more like Adam?”
It’s a strange question, one I’m not sure how to answer. I can only say, “I like you just as you are, Jack Stevenson.”
He submits to a half-smile, his gaze roaming down the length of my body. “And I like you just as you are, Orca Monroe.”
* * *
We return to the marina far later than we were supposed to, but Jack says it doesn’t matter. My hair is still damp, more tangled than ever, and I haven’t put my dress back on—because the sunshine feels so good on my bare skin.
“That was fun.” I sigh happily as Jack pulls the boat up to the dock.
He laughs a sad little laugh, knotting the rope around the proper cleats. “I hate that phrase.”
“‘That was fun’?”
“The ‘was’ part. Because it means the fun is over. But I don’t want it to be. I don’t want this to end.” He turns off the engine, leaving only the gentle splashing of the waves underneath us.
“Well, the day has to end, Jack—”
“I don’t mean the day. I mean you. Us.” His smooth, cool hands find my waist, pulling me closer. “Orca…”
“Jack…” My hands have nowhere to go except to his bare chest, which is firm with lean muscle, sun-kissed golden. I can feel his heart racing underneath my fingers.
“I was thinking a lot about you last night,” he murmurs, tracing his thumb over the curve of my waist. “How much you’ve changed things for me. How much I’m going to hate it when you leave.” He looks down, a shadow passing over his face. “What I’m trying to say is… I’ve never felt for any girl the way I feel about you.”
“Jack—”
“I know you might not feel the same way,” he interrupts. “And that’s okay. I don’t want to rush you. But I want you to know that you’re more than just a good time to me. More than just a friend. And if there’s even the smallest chance that you could feel the same way about me… I would wait for you.” His words are raw and honest, the light in his eyes so hopeful it nearly breaks my heart.
“Oh, Jack, I like you so much. I don’t want to hurt your feelings—”
“Then don’t.” He stops me, gently pressing one finger to my lips. “Don’t say any more. Let’s just… leave it there. We’ve had such a good day; let’s not ruin it.” He tucks a damp strand of hair behind my ear, a little smirk quirking at his mouth. “After all, you changed your mind about the swimsuit. Maybe you’ll change your mind about me, too.”
His gaze darts over my face, resting on my lips. My heart gives an anxious flop as I remember the last time he looked at me like that—at the fireworks, right before he kissed me.
I’m frozen in place as he leans closer to my lips, his warm hands encircling my waist. He’s about to kiss me when—
“Jack!”
We break apart at the sound of Adam’s voice. I whirl around to find him standing on the dock, looking at me in a way he has never looked at me before.
43
Aemulus
ADAM
“Here’s the oil gauge,” I say, placing a box on Dad’s workbench with a thunk.
He glances up from the carburetor in his hands and nods. “Great. Thanks.” The storage building around us is loud with echoing voices and idling engines. “You get things done much faster than your brother.”
I grunt, leaning back against the workbench. “Unless it’s something he wants to do.”
