Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“That color looks good on you,” he says, the phone still pressed to his ear. His voice is deep and gravelly and makes the space between my legs tingle, as it rolls across my skin. You would think that after last night, some of the sexual tension between us would’ve cooled, but it’s obvious it hasn’t. If anything, it might be worse, now that I know exactly what he’s capable of doing to me.
“Thanks.” I pull my eyes from his and start looking through my bag for something to wear over my suit, finding a simple black cotton spaghetti-strap dress that reaches mid thigh. Putting it on, I avoid looking at him again and go back to the bathroom. I quickly brush my hair and put it into a tight French braid, then lather myself with sunscreen. When I’m done, I walk back into the bedroom, where he’s now up and off the phone.
“Are you ready?”
“Yeah.” I gather my beach bag and towel along with my cell that has been charging. It only takes a few minutes to get downstairs to the lobby, and when we’re outside, I give a cabdriver the address for the snorkeling place. It’s not far from the hotel, and if I had more time, we could walk. But this morning, I’m short on time.
We reach the small building near the beach in less than fifteen minutes, and I outmaneuver Walker before we get out of the cab and pass the driver some money for the ride. Probably way more than I should have, judging by the happy smile and about a dozen thanks he gives me before we even get out of the car.
Stepping into the simple gray building, I look around. The walls are covered with photos of people either diving or snorkeling, and there are racks of wetsuits and equipment behind the counter.
“Morning,” a very attractive man with a thick Spanish accent greets us when he steps through the door behind us, wearing a gray shirt with the same logo on it as the sign hanging outside.
“Hi, I’m here to meet Antonio.” I smile, then look up at Walker when he gets close to my side and wraps his arm around my waist.
“That’s me. You are?” I focus on the man now walking across the room.
“Hanna.”
“Great.” He goes behind the counter and picks up a clipboard. “I just have a little paperwork for you to fill out, and once everyone else arrives, we’ll head down to the beach to go over some things before we take the boat to where we will be snorkeling.”
“Awesome.” I take the clipboard when he passes it over and begin to fill it out, with Walker watching.
“Have you snorkeled before?” Antonio asks, and I glance up at him.
“I haven’t had the chance, but I’ve always wanted to.”
“So, I get to pop your cherry, as you Americans say.” He grins.
“I guess so.” I laugh.
“I’m going with her,” Walker snaps through the room startling me, and his fingers clamp around my hip as Antonio focuses on him.
“It’s $150 for the trip she signed up for.”
I don’t look up at Walker to see what he does, but he must give some kind of signal of agreement, because Antonio reaches for a second clipboard and passes it over to him. Biting my bottom lip, I sign my name on the line of my form and hand it to Antonio.
He doesn’t even look it over before he places it on the counter and orders, “Come with me. While he fills that out, we can get you set up with a mask and snorkel.”
“Okay.” I go to him behind the counter and try on three masks before I find one that fits my face properly. Before I’m done, ten other people have shown up, and Walker has finished his paperwork. It takes Antonio a while to get everyone checked in and set up with their gear, so by the time we head out a side door and down a set of stairs to the beach, the sun is above the horizon, and the beach has started to fill with people who are up early to catch some sun, a lot of them looking hungover, probably from partying too hard last night.
Taking off my dress when we reach the edge of the water, I shove it in my bag while everyone else undresses down to their swimsuits. I try not to think about the women checking Walker out, but I fail miserably. The only thing that makes me feel even a little better is that I haven’t once caught him eyeing any of the women in our group most of which are young and beautiful.
“We're going to practice close to the shore until you’re comfortable blowing out your snorkel, diving, and taking off and putting on your mask. Then we’ll get on the boat and go out to the reef,” Antonio tells us, and I look over at Walker. He hasn’t once admitted he knows what he’s doing and that he’s—as Otto put it—one of the best divers in the world. So I don’t know what game he’s playing or if this is a game at all.