When I spotted his bare chest on full display, I took my own steps away from him.Whydid my boss have to look like that? Now it was my turn to stare because his torso was Greek god-tier. Like, grab a chisel and some marble to commemorate that perfect fucking body.
I cleared my throat and refocused on Noah.
“Oh, no worries, brother,” Tanner answered good naturedly. “I’ve got this. It’s shallow enough so that everyone can stand,” Tanner replied. “Team Stingray, woo hoo!” He fist pumped.
“Well, remember that you’re being paid to teach the kids, not chat up our staff.”
My face went scarlet at the blatant callout. Noah was watching the show from his surfboard, swiveling his head back and forth like he was watching a tennis match as the two men sparred.
“Easy, bro, take a breath,” Tanner laughed, but I could tell he was intimidated by Logan. “We were just talking.”
Tanner backed away, leaving the three of us alone. Noah paddled in circles nearby, probably to show off for his dad.
“Okay, that was a bit much,” I scolded Logan in a low voice. “He was just being nice.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, would you prefer that he keep flirting with you while one of our young cruisers slips under water? You were that into him?”
I was shocked by the displeasure in his voice.
“Come on,” I hissed, because Noah was circling back to us. “Not at all.”
“Hey, Daddy! Look at me!”
Noah attempted to get onto his knees on the board, causing it to tip back and forth. He pancaked back onto it, his eyes wide and panicked.
“Bud, don’t fight the water,” Logan coached. “Feelit. You’re in a partnership. That’s the only way to find your flow.”
“Hold on, you surf?” I asked incredulously.
He bobbed his head. “When I can.”
The tightly wound man was the last person I could picture embracing chill surfer vibes, but as he coached Noah, it became clear that he did know what he was talking about.
“Hey, Miss Nina, come here!”
It was Brayden, standing on top of his board and waving me over. I waved back and held up a “one second” finger.
“Guys, excuse me for a minute.” I glanced between them. “You’ll be okay?”
Noah nodded, but he was frowning, clearly not happy with the idea of me walking away. Weirdly, his dad’s face wore the same expression.
And honestly, I would have liked to stay…but Noah was in good hands, and the other kids deserved to get my attention too.
We neared the end of the class, and I realized that I hadn’t taken a single photo. The ship had a staff photographer, of course, but I had gotten into the habit of capturing shots of the kids throughout the day to send to parents, which they all seemed to love. Not a job requirement, just something I did to share the joy.
I walked back to shore relishing the perfect day. A cloudless blue sky, bathwater-warm water, and laughter all around me. I waded back out into the water and snapped photos of the kids having fun, then turned my phone to Logan and Noah.
Damn it, why did his back have to flex like that? And those arms…so strong and capable, holding onto the surfboard while Noah stood up. It didn’t help that he was having a genuinely sweet moment with Noah, and guys being good dads was a weak spot of mine.
To distract myself, I snapped a flurry of photos and couldn’t stop even after he sat back down. I zoomed in on Logan.
Yeah, I needed to share evidence of the hotness with Tasha, so she’d understand what I was up against.
I waited until Logan was perfectly framed, with his wet hair slicked back and his body covered in rivulets of cascading water.
Fuck. He wasperfect.
“Can my boss be any hotter? FML,” I typed quickly, then attached a zoomed-in photo of Logan.
