“It is.”
“And to think, you made it.”
“Under your supervision,” he pointed out.Mac beamed under his praise and started eating.
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”Mac asked after a few bites.
“I hadn’t really thought about it.Maybe I’ll check out that fall you mentioned.Are you working?Maybe we can do something together.”
“I am working, unfortunately.”She wasn’t, but she really wanted to check out the southeastern side of the island.
“Do you work every day?”
“Not every but close.To work with certain sharks, we only have a few months of the year we can study them before they migrate.The reef sharks and tigers are here year-round, so I can gather intel on them all the time.”
“And I take it you’re here year-round.”
“I am; I rarely leave the island.”
“Don’t you have family that misses you?”
Mac took a sip of her beer to delay having to answer that question.It was a rather long and personal conversation she didn’t want to get into.The only member of her family she was somewhat close to was her sister, but even that was the occasional letter and phone call.She hadn’t seen her sister in over five years.“I call them from time to time, but I don’t visit them much.”
“May I ask why?”
Mac squirmed in her chair, feeling uncomfortable with the turn of conversation.“I’d rather not get into it.”
Barry looked away as if in shame.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.I only meant to make conversation.”
Mac felt bad for getting defensive.He hadn’t meant any harm by his question.“It’s fine.”And awkward silence fell between them that Mac wasn’t sure how to ease.She’d vowed to herself not to get to know him, and she didn’t want to bore him with talk of sharks.They were her passion, not his.“Is there anything in particular you’re hoping to see on the island during your vacation?”She knew pretty much all the hot spots and even places only the locals knew about it.
“No, this is the first time I’ve had my own time, so there isn’t anything I feel I have to see.”
That was strange.Most people went to a location on vacation for a reason.Whether they wanted to see something or do something.Barry didn’t seem to want to do any of that.He was nothing like the normal tourists that came to the island.So why was he here?Then again, it wasn’t any of her business.“Well, it’s a great place to just do nothing.Sit on a beach and watch the waves for hours.”
“The food here isn’t half bad either.”
Mac chuckled.“It is one of the better vacation spots to eat to your heart’s content and not worry about gaining ten pounds when you get home.”
“Speak for yourself.I’m tempted to get Elsie’s conch salad again tomorrow and the rest of my days here.”
“Then you’ll just have to find ways to burn off the extra calories.”Not that he needed help in that department.The man was pure muscle.Mac stroked her finger and thumb along the neck of the beer bottle before gripping in and taking a drink.She set it down and slowly licked her lips.
Barry cleared his throat.“Any suggestions?”
She took a bite of her fish then rice and peas, making sure to lick her lips after every bite as she looked off, thoughtful.“There’s swimming.It’s a great cardio too.Gets the heart pumping.”She took another drink of her beer, wiping her bottom lip with her thumb and sucking the liquid off.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just enjoying my meal,” she responded, striving to appear innocent though inside she was jumping up and down with joy.She was getting to him.Mac could tell by the way he kept shifting in his seat as if he couldn’t get comfortable.He cleared his throat more than once, and he had to keep looking away from her.
“Are you done yet?”Barry asked; he looked like he was getting to the end of his rope, and honestly, she was too.She was ready to move this to somewhere more private.
“I’m actually thinking about dessert.”
Barry’s eyes heated as he looked her over from the top of her head down to her chest before the table blocked the view of the rest of her.“As am I.”
Mac’s sex clenched in anticipation.“I’m afraid I don’t have anything for dessert though.”
