Tanner, the laid-back hockey player, is as excited as a little girl with her first boy band crush when the first whale breaches, the powerful body crashing into the sea with a white-plumed splash that is a little too close for comfort.
Leo screams when the wave hits us, which makes me laugh.
I like the way Jon stays close—like he’s a bodyguard that I actually want to protect me— and how both Boone and Ashton try to stay cool and casual, but are as excited as the rest of us.
We manage to see two different pods of humpbacks and a fin whale in the distance. Rand insists that he sees a dolphin, and Jon agrees, so our driver heads over to find a friendly dolphin who swims alongside us for a while.
I wish the water was warm enough for me to swim along beside her.
Closer to shore, we see porpoises and seals and so many birds. It’s a good day—a fun few hours on the water. I like these men. I’m comfortable with them all; I can say with certainty that I’m attracted and interested, maybe even intrigued enough to want to find out more about them.
Is this how it starts? Tiny flicks of interest that I either snuff out or fan into a flame?
Is the spark strong enough with one of these men?
On the ride back, I’m in one of the SUVs with Eliott and Rand and my cheeks hurt from laughing by the time we get back to the hotel.
It was a good day, maybe a great day. Once I rid myself of the smell of salt and sea, and let Alexa do something with the windblown mess of my hair, I’m going to explore more of the tentative connections I’m developing with these men.
For the first time since arriving, I feel hopeful.
Maybe this will work.
Grayson waits at the door of the hotel as we tumble out of the SUVs. The men talk over each other, with big smiles and a comradery that comes from sharing something special. They trail after me like an excitable band of puppies as I head over to Grayson.
“Good time?” Grayson asks.
“The best.”
There are two camerapeople off to the side, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Johnny lift his camera and start filming.
I don’t think anything of it until Grayson starts speaking.
“Before you go in,” he says, raising his voice over the laughter. “We have a new addition to our group.” He says this to the men, eventually shifting his gaze to me.
I can’t read his expression, but something pricks at the back of my neck.
“Somebody new is here?” Leo demands.
“No,” Boone grumbles.
“No way,” Jon agrees. “There’s enough of us now.”
“Who?” Rand wants to know.
Ashton just slides his gaze to me, eyebrows up and questioning.
“Why?” I manage. I like the group I have. I don’t want to have any more choices.
“Before we started, we looked for a specific archetype that we all felt might be a good match for you,” Grayson says to me. “We didn’t have any luck then, but now…” He trails off with a grin.
I don’t like that grin.
I don’t like this at all.
“I don’t want—” I try, but words fail me.
Because stepping through the door of the hotel, is my brothers’ best friend.
