Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Nope. No way my heart was fluttering for the woman. And I was too smart to fall for someone I worked with. To prove it, I turned to work. I wouldn’t talk personal lives. I’d talk partnership. So, as Ruby wrapped up the conversation with Kylie and then stepped away to the ladies’ room, I looked something up on my phone.
See? I was doing this for someone I valued as a one-time-only partner, not for the woman inspiring all sorts of crazy feelings about her and for her.
Though as I wrote a few quick lines, I knew—I absolutely knew—that I was lying to myself.
41
BUTTERFLY RESISTANCE
Ruby
I stared into the mirror in the ladies’ room and tried to center myself with one of Mom’s yoga mantras. To calm my racing emotions and the fast-forward imagining of future possibilities with Jake.
Meeting his family. Getting to know the people he loved most.
I shook my head. What on earth had gotten into me? We’d agreed to an island tryst. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t think too much about the future.
But conversation with Jake was so very easy. Even the massive misunderstanding that had nearly derailed us was a speck in the rearview mirror, and Jake and I seemed to be growing closer.
How had that happened? This was supposed to be just business, then it was supposed to be an island fling. And now I was feeling more?
Maybe it was the time factor. The steady ticking of the clock as it marched toward the end of this trip surely had tricked me into believing something was brewing between us. As I finished washing my hands and grabbed a paper towel, I reminded myself that this was an arbitrary intimacy, born of island breezes and too much sunshine. None of the factors should lead to a rapidly beating heart; to flushed cheeks; to the dopey, happy look in the eyes of my reflection as I pictured more days and nights with him.
Stay strong, I lectured my reflection. Don’t give in to all those butterflies.
Duke had promised to be good to me, and that had turned out to be a crock.
Now with Jake, our goals were parallel, but not exactly the same. I didn’t think he was or would be dishonest with me if he could help it—probably—but he had a job to do. His family relied on him.
And my mom, even if she didn’t know it, was relying on me.
The only smart thing to do was to keep focused and let my brain guide me.
When I returned to the table, Jake shot me the sweetest smile. His soft lips curved up, his eyes crinkled at the corners, and they seemed to light up.
Ugh. Resistance is out. Brain, you’re at the plate.
“What are you smiling about?” I asked, tilting my head and trying to read him. A waitress skirted around us, balancing a loaded tray. I barely noticed her as Jake held my gaze captive.
He gestured to the chair. “Sit down. I have something to show you.”
I sat, and he showed me his phone screen.
It was open to a TripAdvisor page about Ariel’s Island Eco-Adventure Tours, where a new review had appeared on my listing. As I read the words on the post, a smile took over my face, too wide to contain. Words like great customer service, incredible dive leader, brilliant knowledge of marine life, super-nice woman running the business.
They were simple words but thrilling ones.
They meant the world to me. Not because I was jonesing for one more review. But because he’d done it knowing it mattered to me. He understood why it mattered so much.
Jake couldn’t be more different than my ex. I set down the phone, leaned across the table, cupped his cheeks in my hands, and kissed him. It was soft at first, but in seconds it climbed higher and turned feverish. My skin sizzled as the kiss consumed me. He groaned as our tongues tangled in a furious duet of longing. I was vaguely aware of the diners and my own sense of propriety—or decency, even. So I sealed my lips tightly to his, kissed him hard one final time, then let go.
“Thank you,” I said as I sat back down. “Even though you’ve never done one of my tours, that was very sweet.”
“I beg to differ. I have done one of your tours,” he said with a playful rise in his eyebrow. “Tonight.”
“Was that an official or unofficial tour?”
“Unofficial, unpaid, who cares? I had the time of my life, and I want everyone to know Ariel’s Island Eco-Adventure Tours is the best in the business.”
“You know what you deserve for that amazing review?”
“An epic blow job? A chance to put you on all fours and sink into you?” he asked.
Okay, fine. Ripping off clothes was quite fun, and I wasn’t going to take that possibility off the table. I laughed. “You are such a dirty man.”