“I was thinking margaritas on the beach, but I'll take snorkeling with a marine biologist.” He gave me a serious face. “Just as long as there's no test at the end.”
“Oh, I was going to make you name every species of nudibranch!” I teased.
“I'm not sure I want to even know what that is.”
“They're basically sea slugs. Afterword, we can go for margaritas. I know a great spot for both,” I said. I made no effort to move. His arms were still on either side of me, and I had no intention of leaving.
“You definitely know all the best spots,” he murmured, his lips going to my collarbone. I blushed at the reference to last night. At least I knew he had enjoyed it as much as I had.
“You better believe I do.” I leaned my head back, giving him better access to the sensitive skin around my throat as he nibbled down my jaw. At this rate, we would never even make it off the porch. “It's a secret spot, but I think I can trust you.”
He gave me one last flutter of a kiss before stepping back and releasing me from the balcony. “I'll get my swim suit.”
“I thought I’d interest you in something first,” I growled, stepping forward and putting my hands on his chest.
Noah grinned. Snorkeling could wait.
***
We walked along the sandy path away from the bungalow holding hands. After our morning romp, Noah had microwaved the leftovers from the night before, and we had feasted. I wasn't sure how it was possible, but the pancakes had tasted just as good the next day.
With full stomachs and happy hearts, we headed toward the research station. We walked by the sandcastle we had built the day before.
“Look, it's still up,” Noah said, pointing at the castle. Somehow it had survived the tides, and no one had knocked it down. It was still close to being picture-perfect. The idea that the fragile creation the two of us had made was still up and standing made me smile.
We continued down the path, laughing and talking. Noah pretended to casually bump into me at every opportunity, and I relished it. His every touch was heaven. We walked passed the mangrove peninsula that made up the Grove, cutting through the private property to reach the research facility. It was afternoon now, and I needed to check on the sharks as well as pick up our snorkeling gear.
Noah glanced around as we walked, and I could see him formulating questions for later. I wondered what he saw with his expertise in real estate. The property was considered prime location for the island.
“Any questions?” I asked as we walked.
“I'm on vacation,” he answered with a smile. “I'll ask the questions when you're not playing tourist with me. I'll ask when you're back to being the islander.”
I laughed. This was going to be a fun day. It wasn't often that I got to play tourist on the island, and I had forgotten how much I loved just visiting places here. I couldn't wait to show Noah my favorite two places in the entire world.
The research station was finally visible as we rounded a corner and cleared the peninsula with the Grove. It was just a small house, but it held so much more than just people. Four research assistants, the Doc, a staggering amount of sea life, and a wealth of knowledge filled the small building to almost bursting.
I looked down at the dock to see the main boat was gone and breathed a sigh of relief. Doc would be out on his dive, and the others had hopefully gone with him. I had the place to myself. It wasn't that I didn't want my coworkers to meet Noah; it was that I didn't want them to give him a hard time. I liked him, and I didn't want them scaring him off.
I turned to see Noah staring at the house, his face blank as if he were remembering something and trying to forget it.
“You okay?” I asked, taking his hand.
He shook himself, smiling as he cleared whatever he was thinking from his mind. “Yeah. Just thinking. Is this where you live?”
“Yeah. I guess you can come pick me up here next time instead of the parking lot,” I said. He chuckled. “Me and four others live and work here. If we are able to purchase some land near by, then I'll be able to do my doctorate research program here too.”
“What if you don't win?” His voice held a note of concern that made me smile.
“I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it too much. Once we find out, then I'll make a decision as to where to go next. I really love it here, though. I want to stay,” I said. I took his hand. “But that is not tourist talk. You want a tour? I have to grab my swimsuit.”
Noah nodded and followed me in the back door. I couldn't remember the last time I had used the front door.
“Here's the kitchen. There's an attachment over there where we can make the shark food and not get it mixed up with ours,” I told him as we entered the house. He nodded, his head on a swivel as he looked at everything. We walked through the “living room” filled with all sorts of fish tanks, and I gave a running commentary on our research and what we did with all of them. His eyes glassed over a little and I hurried him to my room.
I peeked in the door to make sure that Brooke wasn't still sleeping. Her bed was neatly made in the corner, and I gave a little sigh of relief. “Come on in,” I invited him. “That's my bed over there.”
Noah walked cautiously into the room, going over to my corner. He looked strange standing next to my bed, and yet somehow like he belonged.