Tanner blew a whistle to signal the end of class, and everyone started swimming back to shore. Noah ran straight for me, trailed by Logan.
“Did you see me, Miss Nina? I stood up!”
“I sure did! I even got pictures of it,” I replied. I handed him his towel and scrolled through the camera roll to find the series I’d taken of the two of them. I handed my phone to Noah.
I watched his face shift into a giant smile as he looked at the images. “Daddy, look at us!”
He handed my phone to his father, and as I watched him scroll, I remembered the creeper pictures I’d taken of him and sent to Tasha.
“Uh, can I get my phone back?” I asked nervously.
Logan didn’t answer as he scrolled with his thumb. I could feel my cheeks going hot. But then again, maybe it wouldn’t register that my photo series made me look like a groupie.
“Noah, you have to bring the surfboard back to Tanner,” I heard a little voice call out. “I can help you.”
My heart warmed when I saw Ryan running over. Was it the beginning of a new friendship? They each grabbed a side of the board and hiked over to the meeting spot.
“These shots are…interesting,” Logan said, reminding me of the more pressing issue I was currently facing.
His eyes flicked to me for a moment—I could see the little smirk from ten paces away—then back down to my phone as he continued swiping his finger on the screen.
Busted.
My text alert chimed.
“Oh, I’m expecting a reply to something,” I said, reaching my hand out and clawing the air. “Can I grab my phone…”
“From Tasha?” Logan asked mischievously.
I went numb. Oh hell no. He didnotjust see her reply to the thirst-trap photo I sent her.
“She said, ‘What a body, holy eye candy, did you sign a non-fraternization policy?’ Now what could she mean by that?”
“She’s, uh, talking about, um,” I stuttered as reality crashed down on top of me. “A guy at her job.”
He pursed his lips and did an exaggerated nod. “Sure. Right. That makes sense.”
Logan walked my phone back over to me, eyes locked on mine. I wanted to fidget, to look away, but I was hypnotized, unable to look away despite my embarrassment that this shirtless, damp, muscley grump now knew exactly what I thought about his body.
He placed my phone back in my hand, and I blamed my overactive imagination on the way his fingertips lingered against my palm.
Logan started walking away, then turned to look over his shoulder at me.
“Just for the record, Ashford Cruises doesn’t have a fraternization policy.”
Double fuck. So busted.
6
LOGAN
“Hey, bud, your uncle is calling me if you want to say hi,” I said to Noah as the FaceTime call came in from Harrison.
My oldest brother had built a playful relationship with Noah that warmed my heart, and it had gotten even stronger lately. He’d never been an especially demonstrative guy, but marriage and a baby had changed him in all the best ways.
Noah and I were hanging out in the sitting room before he had to get ready for bed, which was a ritual Noah was slowly warming to. I was cautiously optimistic that he was turning a corner.
“Uncle Harry!” Noah said. He gently moved Ariel off his lap, dropped his tablet, and ran over to where I’d set up shop on the couch.
