I snorted a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand so I wouldn't spit out my coffee. It wasn't like anyone had never made the joke before, but when he said it, it was hilarious. It took me a second to recover and not shoot coffee out my nose.
Adele came by then, and dropped off our food. I took a big inhale of the rising steam before diving into the scrumptious feast. This was why my wetsuit was a little tight, but it was more than worth it. Butter dripped off the fried slices of cinnamon roll. The eggs were covered in cheese, and my bacon was the prime level of crispy. Adele had made the perfect breakfast yet again.
“Holy mother...” Noah said quietly as he chewed his first bite. “Did I die and go to Breakfast Heaven?”
I just grinned at him and dug into my plate. We ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, the food taking both of our attention away from talking.
“Have you ever been bit by a shark then?” Noah asked, his blue eyes concentrated entirely on my face. He pushed his empty plate away and leaned forward in his chair, honestly interested in my profession. It was wonderful to get to talk to him and not be constantly interrupted by drink orders.
“Once, but it was a baby. I didn't even get a good scar out of it.”
“I can't imagine being in the water with one of those monsters. They kind of freak me out a little bit.” He smiled with just a hint of bashfulness. Like admitting he was afraid of sharks made him somehow less of a man. “How many sharks are in the area?”
“Well, we've recorded about thirteen species. The island actually has one of the highest populations of sharks in the area,” I told him.
He paled slightly. “I'm never going in the water again.”
“Oh, they're not that bad! Sharks are cool!” I reached out and put my hand on his without thinking. “Haven't you seen Shark Week?”
“Yes. And I've seen all the episodes where people get bitten!”
I rolled my eyes, but I smiled, taking any sting out of my expression. “Fine. I dare you to come swim with me, then. I'll show you the wonders of the deep.”
“If my arm gets bitten off, I get yours.”
I pretended to think about it for a moment. A movement outside the window caught my eye, and I could see the woman with the khaki shorts from earlier looking in various windows of the local shops.
“You'd look pretty silly with my arm,” I told him, wearing a serious face. “I think it would be too short for you.”
“Hmm...” He frowned and nodded. “Good point.”
“How about I take you on a tour of the research pools sometime? You can see a baby shark, and it won't bite you,” I offered.
“Baby sharks just bite you, then?” he asked with mock seriousness.
“Only when you are tagging them and they're mad at you,” I said with a smirk.
“Sounds good to me.” He grinned at me and then followed my gaze out the window to the woman in khaki shorts.
&nbs
p; “Let's get out of here,” he said quickly, throwing a fifty dollar bill on the table. Our bill couldn't have been more than thirty dollars even with a generous tip, but I knew Adele wouldn't mind the extra money.
Noah grabbed my hand, a grin spreading across his handsome features as he pulled me out the restaurant and back toward the beach.
Chapter 7
Noah didn't drop my hand as we walked out of the restaurant. He didn't drop it as we walked out of the town square, or as we meandered down the pathway leading to the beach. I wasn't about to let go either, even though I could feel mine going sweaty and hot. I didn't want to lose our connection.
We crested a small hill to the beach, and I could see the ocean laid out before us. The golden sunshine sparkled on the waves, the white light almost too bright to look at. We stood there for a moment, hand in hand, staring out at the waves.
“How long are you in town for again?” I whispered. I had been thinking the words since we met, but I hadn't found the courage to say them until now. Despite my best intentions, I liked Noah. Really liked him. But he was a tourist and was going to leave as soon as his vacation was done. It was better just not to get attached. I didn't let go of his hand, though.
Noah stared out at the water for a moment before answering, his eyes distant and his voice quiet. “Just a couple more days. I really only came for the party last night.” He turned and smiled gently. “You can't say no to a Jack Saunders party.”
“He would definitely be a hard man to say 'no' to.” I turned to look out at the water again. I loved the way the blue of the sky melded with the blue of the water, obscuring the horizon. I wanted the ocean to go on for forever, and I liked the illusion that it did.
Noah suddenly disengaged our handhold and took off for the water. He sprinted across the sandy beach and ran into the foam of the waves. I hurried after him, afraid he had seen something that needed rescuing. Dolphins had been known to wash up on shore, or even exhausted swimmers.