Page 33 of Riptide

“You, me, and Lars? I’d be down. You do the surfing.” Garrett laughed as Seth poured. He leaned forward and held up his glass. “I want to propose a toast.”

In the moment, Kaimana wondered who the real Garrett Emerson was. The distrustful businessman? The concerned gentleman? The true friend? Either way Kaimana still didn’t trust him.

Saving her from Cami had been a nice gesture but perhaps it had been a simple act to keep peace on the flight and nothing more. As Kaimana held up her glass, she kept her thoughts to herself, wearing a deadpan expression.

“To Seth. You’ve once again cheated death. And I’m—” Garrett’s face reddened as his emotion seemingly rose from nowhere. He bit his lip and quickly regained his composure. “Damn, I don’t mean to get in my feels, but man…” He blew out a breath. “I said goodbye once. I don’t ever want to do it again. So I won’t say don’t do anything dangerous again because you know I’ll just be the first one to talk you into the next crazy thing. But I love you. And I’m glad you’re with us.”

“Same, dude.” Seth nodded.

“And to Kaimana. For saving him,” Garrett continued.

Kaimana forced a tight grin, unsure if Garrett’s speech reflected his true feelings. While she understood his distrust, she didn’t appreciate the earlier inquisition. As she brought the glass to her lips allowing the bubbles to dance over her tongue, reggae music filled the cabin. She looked up to see Seth tapping at his cell phone.

“Bob Marley, baby.” He set the phone onto the table and reached for her hand.

“I’m not a very good dancer,” Kaimana lied. She laughed as he tugged her to her feet shaking her from her thoughts. “Especially on a plane.”

“We’re not dancing,” he told her as he wrapped his hand around her waist.

Kaimana beamed as they swayed to the music. Her body responded to his and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered in her ear.

His warm breath brushed over her neck, her skin tingling as he pulled her closer. For seconds she nearly forgot they were thirty thousand feet over the Pacific Ocean. She looked up to Seth who flashed her a flirty smile. Happiness and desire swirled in his eyes. She softly laughed, her forehead resting gently on his chest.

Emotions surged, her heart pounding in her chest. Her back warmed as his fingers rubbed across it. She didn’t know how she could have begun to lose herself so quickly, to lose control of her inhibitions.

She stepped back, still holding his hand and gazed up into his eyes. Silence enveloped the cabin. Her pulse raced as they exchanged a heated moment. All she could think about was how good it felt to have him deep inside her, fucking her up against the wall in the shower. Her cheeks flushed with arousal.

A glass clinked onto the table distracting her and she released Seth’s hand. With the spell broken, she inhaled a deep breath trying to regain a semblance of self-control.

“Damn phone,” Garrett commented. “I’m going to have to get the WiFi checked out on this bird.”

In an attempt to put distance between them, Kaimana slid into her seat. She glanced at Garrett who raised an eyebrow at her, a corner of his mouth tugging upward. Oh God. Can he read my face? He knows what I’m thinking…how I feel. You’ve got to stop. Stop thinking about sex. Think about anything else but sex.

Her cheeks flushed with heat, and she turned to stare into the clouds. She unconsciously brushed her fingers over her breastbone as if she was trying to keep her heart from bursting from her chest. She couldn’t logically explain her response to Seth. She’d slept with other guys and never once lost control.

As if she’d jumped out of a plane without a parachute, she could feel herself spiraling down. Seth would challenge what she knew about the world, about herself. Helpless to do a damn thing about it, she’d go on the ride and hope she didn’t wipeout.

* * *

Still reeling from the flight, Kaimana breathed in sea air, and allowed the scent of the ocean to wash over her. She curled her fingers around the cool metal deck railing and admired the view, taking in the sight of the palm trees, the sun setting over the ice-blue ocean.

Seth had brought a quintessential dichotomy of emotions into her life. Like a flower blooming in the desert, Kaimana’s feelings grew no matter the harsh conditions. It wasn’t logical. It was impossible. Her mind warned her of the danger, but she continued to walk towards the edge of the cliff.

“How about some dinner?” Seth asked.

Kaimana’s rumination shattered as Seth came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She rested the back of her head against his chest, simply content in the moment to be with him.

“You sure you’re ready for tonight?” Seth asked.

“Yes, I think so. I’m not really sure what to expect.”

“It will be fine. Better than fine.” He kissed the top of her head.

“We need to go find Joli. Go to that club. Or maybe even that house where the party was.”

“We’ll find her. We’ll find Evan.”