I may know how to swim now, but I’m not getting on that “boat.”
“Not happening.” I shake my head.
It’s toy-sized and barely seems big enough to fit two people.
“You can wear a life vest. We need to take the water taxi to get to my boat.” Nate points to a bunch of sailboats docked inthe middle of the water. “Would I ever knowingly put you in a dangerous situation?”
“No,” I sigh. “But still.” It’s my only excuse.
“Come on, it’s less than sixty seconds, you can keep your eyes closed the whole time.” He’s already loading our stuff, then pushing me in like cattle.
Skye jumps in after me.
The guy driving the boat is a man of few words, and I can’t decide if I want to kiss him for going lightning speed and getting the ride over with quickly or kill him for scaring me half to death.
That thought is swiftly replaced with awe when we pull up alongside the boat.
“Nate,” I turn to him, “This is…” I smile dreamily, unable to get my words out.
He smiles proudly. “For you, my love.”
My eyes follow as he drags his hand in a sweeping motion across the length of the boat where the name is scripted in large black letters.
Endless Summer
They’re the words Nate spoke when we were only teenagers, promising me that we were never-ending and that, after our first summer together, it would last forever.
“You, Mads, are not a summer love…unless summer is endless.”
Nate helps Skye and me onto the boat, then unloads our supplies.
“When did you get this boat?”
His eyes dance with delight, stepping into my personal space. “Five years ago.”
I throw my arms around him, squeezing him even tighter when his arms loop around me.
I burrow my head into his neck and breathe him in, always my breath of fresh air.
“I love you,” I mumble into his neck, then lean back, taking both of his cheeks in my hands, pecking him on the lips, nose to nose. “I love you endlessly, Nathanial. Always and forever. Thank you for waiting for me. A life without you would have been misery, because with you, I have always truly felt alive. I love you.”
There’s a tenderness between us when he smiles, one I’ve been lucky to feel many times in my life.
“I love you, Mads. My beautiful cherry bomb, goddess.” I giggle against his lips. “I love you endlessly, too.”
We kiss, embraced tightly, as the boat rocks gently against the waves, and at this moment, I know that I’m the luckiest girl alive.
My sunglasses slide down my nose, and I don’t bother pushing them back. I love watching Nate like this, completely in his element.
I hate thinking about his past and why sailing is so important to him, but the way it comes so naturally makes me think he would have always found his calling.
He’s barefoot and shirtless, sweat trickling down his tanned and toned abs as he works his boat. His hand lifts to adjust a line, his biceps bulging, while the other keeps him balanced as the wind shifts.
My eyes are half-lidded, pretending I’m sunbathing, not re-memorizing the way his forearms flex when he moves.
Boat porn could be the next best thing if someone got a good look at Nate right now.
He’s sexy as sin, ever since the first time I ever laid eyes on him.
