Page 70 of Ruining His Smirk

“I thought you were about to kiss me.”

I choked. “Right there?”

“I mean… I would not have objected strongly.”

“Holy shit.”

A soft alarm sounded. This one brought Nate’s attention fully back to the controls.

“We’re approaching the bottom, but… hold on… we’re not done. Give me a minute.”

“Okay.”

I sat back and closed my eyes. At some point, the whale songs had stopped. We were probably too far below. I had a headache from all these new truth bombs being dropped and the emotional roller coaster I had been on over the last 24 hours. My life was simple. I was a simple man. All these fucking feelings were killing me. I opened my eyes to take a look at the ocean floor.

It was nothing like I’d imagined. I thought it would be grey and dull, full of sand-like sediment. The submersible’s light showed pale sponges, strange leafless shrubs, and even stranger small creatures that I had no idea about.

“Okay, we can settle here,” Nate said. “The substrate is stable enough, and it gives you the angle you requested. I’m deploying the remote probe now.”

I nodded, but then realized he couldn’t see me in the dark, so I snaked my arm around his waist and pulled him closer.

“What are you doing?”

It didn’t feel enough to just hold him. I lifted him. Nate yelped as I pulled him sideways and settled him across my thighs.

“Garrett!”

“What?”

“I am the pilot.”

“We’re parked.”

“I am still responsible for the submersible.”

“Hmm. Controls are right there.”

“You… you…” He made a huffing noise but made no effort to move.

The inspection probe detached from the submersible and I watched it drift away from us, along its programmed route. It would get into the crevasse where the skeleton lay and get us additional imagery.

Nate checked the route, adjusted one setting, then settled his full weight on me.

“Okay, now we wait. One thing I don’t understand. Why would you think I looked down on you? I’d never even spoken to you at that point.”

Nate twisted in my arms.

“Because of what you said after the duel.”

“What did I say?” he asked.

“You said you wouldn’t look twice at men like me.”

He looked down at his hands. “You’re right.” He sighed loudly. “I do remember saying that now.”

I remained silent.

“But it still doesn’t explain why you thought I looked down on you even before I said that.”