a summer day, reflecting the warmth settling into my soul. “I like spending time with you too.”
“Good.”
The next few hours passed in a haze of blissful normalcy. Once we landed in Friday Harbor, we ate a late lunch next to the water, then meandered through shops and galleries, hand-in-hand.
When we wandered into a casual gallery displaying paintings, photography, pottery, and jewelry by local artists, I found myself drawn to a small painting of the harbor. The colors were so intense, they echoed the vibrancy of this day. Of how I felt letting go of all the bad for a few hours. I wondered if I’d be able to re-create the feeling in my own artwork.
We never mentioned Vincent or Tristin or the looming deadline.
Instead, we discussed first-date kinds of topics, getting to know each other in a way we’d failed to previously. We exchanged our favorite bands, TV shows, and hobbies. I told him how drawing had become my escape, when all I’d felt was trapped. He told me how he’d struggled to decide on a major, waiting to declare it until the last minute. How he’d given into pressure from his father to go with business but had chosen the marketing route over administration.
Being with Leo was so easy. Easier than I’d ever imagined.
But that didn’t make it any less exciting. Every time he took my hand, whispered in my ear, pulled me in close, I wanted more. More time. More touches. More of this connection, so unexpected and so right at the same time.
As we eventually made our way back to the ferry, Leo tugged me toward a business boasting every kind of water tour imaginable.
“What are we—”
He chuckled. “You didn’t think I was taking you home already, did you?”
Yes, that’s exactly what I’d thought.
He kept our plans a mystery, and less than a half-hour later, a shuttle dropped us off on a quiet stretch of shoreline. I didn’t understand what we were doing until two brightly painted kayaks came into view.
Our guide was a rather attractive guy in his twenties, and I had to bite back a laugh when Leo immediately wrapped a possessive arm around my waist. Maybe it was silly to care, but I liked that he wanted this random guy to know I was his.
“Hi, I’m James,” the guide said with a friendly air as he approached. “I have to say, this is a first.”
“I’m sorry, what’s a first?” Kayaking on calm waters couldn’t be that dangerous, but I wasn’t sure I felt comfortable with a novice in charge.
“Buying out the entire tour. We usually don’t go out without at least three more boats.”
I tipped my head up to look at Leo, who wore an innocent expression. “You bought out the tour? Why?”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “I wanted you all to myself.” He glanced at James. “Well, almost.”
“You’re ridiculous.” Yet, I was smiling. Because this wasn’t about showing off. He didn’t need to throw his money around to impress me, and he knew it. This was about making our first real date as memorable as possible. And he was doing a damn fine job of it.
After James went over the instructions and we strapped ourselves into surprisingly comfortable life vests, we settled into a two-person boat. I’d never realized how low kayaks sat, and as we took off, it felt more like we were gliding through the water rather than on top of it.
If I’d thought sitting on the deck this morning had been peaceful, I didn’t even know what to call this experience. Even with the physical effort put into paddling, it was beauty and tranquility at its finest.
Our pace was leisurely, and we stopped frequently to admire and take photos of sea lions lounging on a rocky shoreline and harbor seals frolicking in the water. They made me laugh with their playfulness, reminding me of Petra. Not that she would appreciate the comparison.
But it wasn’t until the sun touched the horizon that I was struck speechless. Every streak of yellow, orange, and purple was reflected in the water surrounding us. We weren’t only seeing the sunset. We were living it.
“This is...I don’t even have the...wow.”
Leo leaned forward, and with a husky voice, said, “Does that mean I’ve earned a blow job?”
I sputtered out a laugh before twisting my neck to playfully glare at him. “Way to ruin a moment.”
The grin that split his face was so beautiful, I was half-tempted to turn around and reach for his cock right