It took him a moment to unfasten the clasp, with as delicate as it was, but at last he managed. “There you go. Want me to take this to your room for you?”
“I can do that,” Jill offered, hurrying down the steps. “I’ll rest this in the box on the dresser, Miss.” She took the necklace from James with a grin. “Go have fun on the water, then be ready for a delicious lunch on the beach once you’re through.”
“Thank you,” Camila said. “That sounds wonderful.”
Yes, it did.
“I can’t get over the fact that I won’t be the one cooking,” she added as they headed to the side of the boat.
James gave her a grin. “It’s going to be a nice change, I hope. Having someone cook for you?” He’d ended it like a question since he wasn’t so sure that shewouldlike it.
“Definitely,” she said.
A relieved sigh pushed through his lips. “Good. Now let’s go catch some waves.”
It didn’t take long to slip into lifejackets and hop onto the wave runner. The guys had been right about Camila wanting to take charge in the driving department. When James had offered, he assumed she’d shyly tell him he could drive first and, after a little encouragement, take the water reins. But that wasn’t the case.
Sitting behind Camila while she took control didn’t feel like the manliest thing, but he was dying to see what her style would be. Slow and cautious didn’t seem like her cup of tea.
James adjusted his grip on the handles at the back of the seat.
“You ready back there?” Camila called over her shoulder. The life jackets they wore were the latest makes. Sleek and slender, not puffy and large. He was glad. It allowed him to get even closer.
“I’m ready,” he hollered over the sound of the idling engine.
“Aren’t you supposed to hold onto me?” she asked.
He liked and disliked that idea all at the same time. Sure he wanted to be close, but he’d rather have Camila hold onto him as he helped her lean into one sharp turn after the next.
“I’ve got these handles back here. I think they should keep me in place.”
Camila shrugged. “If you say so. Hold on tight.” With that, the engine revved and the wave runner kicked into gear. The back part of the craft was lower, with James weighing more than Camila as he did, but as the thing shot into action, it lowered even more.
James had been warned, but he hadn’t exactly braced himself for the action. He’d never sat on the back while someone else drove. If he had, he might have known that Camila was right. Holding onto her would have been much better. He straightened his arms behind him, tightening his grip, and realized just how unstable his position really was. The slightest turn was all it would take to throw him right off the craft.
He’d barely recognized how dire the problem was when Camila turned the handlebars hard to the right. The front end hovered there for a blink, but the back end spun with a vengeance, swinging fast and hard. He contemplated, for a split-second, grasping onto the only thing that might keep him from going overboard—Camila. But the force of his weight would likely yank her off along with him.
Soon the momentum reached its peak, flinging him right off the craft.
A massive splash.
One hard swoosh, and James was plunged into a barreling wave. He broke through the surface with a few of Duke’s choice words, then bobbed with the rise and fall as Camila spun back around for him.
He covered another curse as it came to his lips. It took a second to recognize the sound he heard coming from her direction as she neared. She was laughing. Not just a shy giggle either. This was a hearty, full on, I just-dumped-you-on-your-butt laugh.
He joined in, enjoying the sound of it all too much. Liking the way she continued to surprise him.
“You okay?” she asked through laughter still.
He brought a hand up to the back of his neck and groaned. “I think I broke something.”
Her face went serious, those brown eyes growing wide and worried. “Really? What? Not your neck…” she said frantically, gaze falling his grip.
He nodded. “Actually, I think I broke my…my ego.” He held up his finger and thumb to show a tiny measurement. “Just a little.”
Camila rolled her eyes. “Well, you probably needed that then.” Water drops glistened on her skin as she squinted against the sun, an unrepentant expression on her face. Dang, she was gorgeous.
“This isn’t your way of saying you want to drive, is it?” She gunned the watercraft in two shorts spurts, bringing it close enough for him to climb back up.
