That loud exclamation comes from the woman on the seat next to us. She stares directly at me. “Are you nuts?”
“I, er …” I stammer as an imaginary tumbleweed blows across the deck of the boat.
“Shannon,” comes from the man I’m assuming is her husband, and he doesn’t sound impressed at all.
Her face turns as red as I know mine is.
“Oh, I meant,” she sputters, “that she must be nuts if she wants to be alone on this island and not in a couple like everyone else. That’s totally what I meant.”
Her husband gives her a look that says they’ll be having a long chat when they’re next alone.
“So …” Aden says, seeming a little startled. He shakes his head, as if to gather his wits. “Let me get this demonstration done for those of you who haven’t snorkeled before.”
The minute Aden starts talking, I lean in a little closer to West.
God, he smells good.
Focus, Dillon.
“Was that really necessary?” I whisper to him.
“Just doing as you asked.” He shrugs.
I can tell he’s fighting a smile. The twat.
“You’re an ass,” I murmur. “That was not doing what I asked. I asked you to correct people when they thought we were together.”
A low chuckle. “That’s what I did.”
“Sure. And what about all the I’m into her and I think she’s gorgeous bullshit?”
“Who said it was bullshit?”
My eyes meet with his, and the look in them makes my mouth dry.
He’s definitely not joking now. His gray eyes are dark.
I swallow and turn away, forcing myself to listen to Aden tell us how to put on a frigging pair of goggles and a snorkel.
But how am I supposed to concentrate after that?
I might be shit with men and have zero sense when it comes to them. But I do know one thing, and that was flirting. He was one hundred percent flirting with me.
Holy. Hell.
eight
Dillon
It’s official. I’m shit at snorkeling.
Everyone is off and exploring, West included, and I’m here, choking on seawater. He made that offer to help me lose my snorkeling virginity when we were back on the boat, but he didn’t mention it again when we were getting in the water, so I didn’t say anything either.
But contrary to what he said before, I don’t mind being alone. I mean, it’s not my favorite. I like people. I like the company of them. But I can be alone. I came all the way here alone, didn’t I?
Now, if I could just figure out this snorkeling business. I honestly don’t know where I’m going wrong. I listened to what Aden said about putting it on and … okay, so I didn’t fully listen.
I was too distracted by West. What he’d said, the whole who said it was bullshit thing. Yes, I totally said it in a deep American accent in my head. But it wasn’t just that. It was him … his proximity to me. That damn thigh nearly touching mine. Every move he made, down to each inhale and exhale of breath, I was aware of.
It’s maddening. Why am I so aware of this guy after such a short period of time? I’m not supposed to be interested in anyone else. Not after what I’ve just been through.
Unless … this interest I have in West and the attention he’s giving me, maybe I’m soaking it up because it makes me feel better. I was so sick of feeling sad all the damn time. It’s nice to not feel sad. Around West, I don’t feel sad.
Yes, I’m slightly irritated and in a perpetual state of arousal and confusion, but I’m not sad.
And honestly, after what I’ve been through, I’ll take that.
I readjust my goggles, put the mouthpiece back in my mouth, and then lower my head into the water.
All is good for a few seconds, and then I breathe in and take a load of water. I lift my head up, coughing and spluttering, yanking the mouthpiece out.
“Argh!” I shove the bloody goggles up to the top of my head.
I’m tempted to pull them off and launch them into the ocean, but I don’t want to get billed for losing them and end up having to pay for a new set for them. I really have no clue how much snorkels and goggles cost.
“Your tube is the wrong way.”
“What?” I turn in the water to find West behind me.
Where the heck did he come from? I thought he’d swum off to explore with the rest of the group. Guess I was wrong.