Her brows knitted. “Was that why you were so upset? I thought it was because you wanted blow jobs in your future.”
“Well, yeah, that too,” he said honestly.
“I figured as much.”
He leaned over her and said, “I could have lived without blow jobs, but it felt like something that could drive us apart. I hated knowing there was something about me you didn’t like.”
“Aw. I’m sorry.” She ran her fingers over his lips and said, “But you found a solution.”
He’d read everything he could to try to figure out how to change the taste, and he’d eaten cinnamon, peppermint, pineapple, cranberries, and celery on the daily. “Yeah, but my poor mother thought I must have had some sort of vitamin deficiency to crave all those foods every day.”
“At least it worked,” she said playfully.
“Yeah, and then Nick turned me on to pineapple juice.”
Her eyes widened with shock. “Please tell me you did not tell him.”
“I didn’t have to. He used my computer and found it in my browser history.”
“That is so embarrassing.” She was quiet for a second, and then she said, “I definitely owe him a thank-you card.”
“I’m the one who sought out the answer,” he said, feigning jealousy.
“And as I recall, you were rewarded often for that research. Would you have rather had a card?”
“Hell no.”
“Well, if I didn’t thank you appropriately back then, thank you for going the extra mile, and thank you for this trip. I’ve loved every second of it. I love your friends—”
“Our friends now,” he corrected her, kissing her neck. He was going to kiss her so many times over the next twenty-four hours, he could stock up and draw on the memories when they were apart.
“I love being on your boat and here in your van. I love sharing your world, Zevy.”
He fought the urge to say, Then stay in it with me. He didn’t want to put her in the position of having to choose between the two lives she loved. Instead, he said, “I love sharing it with you. I told you, I don’t want any Carly-free zones.”
She rocked against his erection with a seductive glimmer in her eyes and said, “I have a particular zone that needs a little—big—dose of you right now.”
As he lowered his lips to hers, their phone alarms went off.
Zev uttered a curse and Carly groaned. They’d set their alarms for the very last minute, allowing them just enough time to get to the boat for a quick shower and then to the airport.
“Think we can turn our six-minute record into three?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I want you more than I want to link our treasure to the Pride, but I am not going to earn a three-minute crown that’ll leave us both unsatisfied.” He gave her a chaste kiss and said, “I promise to make it up to you so fantastically you’ll never want to do it quick again.”
LESS THAN AN hour later they were seated in Tessa Remington’s luxurious small plane. Going home was bittersweet for Carly. She had Zev for only one more day, but at the same time, she had Zev for one more day! One more day to sit with him, hold his hand, and kiss his lips. She’d already relived their dive, the dinner with Ford and Randi, their walk through the sanctuary, and every moment of last night so many times, she could recall it all like a movie. And now, as she added this morning’s memories to her stockpile, she realized she’d never even set her eyes on Fortune’s Landing. She’d only seen the sky. But what a glorious time they’d had!
She glanced at Zev and saw deep affection gazing back at her. She was trying to go with the flow, but as their time together neared an end, it wasn’t easy not to think about how their relationship would work in the long run.
As if he’d read her mind, he took her hand and kissed her cheek, soothing the rough edges of her worries. How could they have only found each other a week ago? It felt like the wedding had taken place ages ago. But Zev had always had that effect on her. She leaned closer, their shoulders touching, and said, “You always make me feel like I’ve lived a month in just a few days.”
“It’s not me, Carls. It’s us. We’ve always lived more than anyone else.”