“I’m confident you can look without touching,” he said, grinning. “But I’ll let you know if I’m feeling violated.”
He could see Natasha was fighting a smile. “For sunburn, Max.”
Max waved off her comment. “I’m fine. I put on sunblock, though you’re welcome to apply another layer. In any area.”
She sighed and shook her head.
“At least sunglasses,” she said.
“Aren’t we using that stuff?” He gestured to the basket of masks, snorkels and other gear outside the cabin.
“Nope.”
What the hell? Something was definitely going on. At her insistence, he grabbed his sunglasses and a shirt, and followed her down toward the beach.
They started along the trail that led out to the shore, where they had met up the day before. But when they hit the sand, she turned.
“We don’t seem dressed for this,” he said conversationally.
“You’ll see.”
They continued through the sand until they came to a row of sturdy-looking yellow kayaks.
“We’ll take these,” she said and headed up the beach to where the paddles lay.
Max looked down at the kayaks. More like oversized surf boards with a seat in the middle. The kind where their legs would be uncovered. He wasn’t a small guy by any stretch, and it wouldn’t take much of a nudge to tip him out of one of these. Into shark-infested waters.
“I’ve seenJaws,” he said casually. “And I’m pretty sure this little boat won’t offer me much protection.”
Natasha just laughed as she dragged the kayak down the beach. She looked completely at ease, and she had a hell of a lot more experience in this area than he did. Time to get his shit together and go look for sharks.
They slid the boats into the warm water, and Max climbed on, tottering a little before he found the center. Natasha paddled out toward the jetty, and he followed. The surface of the water was calm, almost glassy, and he rested his paddle to peer down at the reef. Fish of all colors and shapes swam under him, weaving through the bright coral. Slowly, they made their way around the island, under the jetty to the mainland side. The tide was low, and parts of the reef jutted out of the water.
“We’re going there,” she said, pointing at the exposed reef. “We’ll probably have the best chance of seeing epaulette sharks right at the shallow edges.”
Were they headed for some sort of drop-off point where the sharks gathered for unsuspecting prey? At least his kayak was red and not seal-belly gray...though red was the color of blood. She was right about one thing—flippers weren’t the best choice for this viewing.
Max paddled through the roped-off snorkeling section and into a deeper patch with a sandy bottom. Right beyond them, the coral beds stretched off that side of the island, dark and glistening. Natasha stopped paddling, drifting right beside the exposed reef but not touching it. Max maneuvered his kayak just behind hers and looked down into the water. Sandy paths wove into the crevices between the coral. On these sandy paths, little things moved. The water stilled around them, giving him a better view of the fish that swam in and out of the channel.
“What are those fish called?” he asked, pointing at a yellow pair.
Natasha followed his gaze. “Those are longnose butterflyfish. But the one swimming there...” She pointed to another yellow fish just beyond the pair. “That one’s a raccoon butterflyfish. See the difference in the black stripes?”
Yeah, he did.
“Hey, look,” he said, pointing next to the raccoon butterflyfish. “Some creature took a dump in here. Pretty big. Is it shark shit?”
Natasha looked where he was pointing. “That’s a sea cucumber, Max. It’s alive. And they’re not dangerous.”
His eyes met hers, and she started to laugh. A rush of tenderness swells inside him as her eyes glittered with warmth and humor. It felt so good to do just about anything with her. They were nowhere near the bedroom, but every moment together made the attraction between them grow.
“You sure this is shark territory?” he said. “I know I’m not the scientist here, but I’m pretty sure they need deeper water to sneak up on their prey. The reef is really shallow here.”
Shetskedat him over her shoulder. “Patience, Max.”
The hot sun blazed down on him. It was probably good he’d covered up because the heat was intense.
They paddled farther along on the reef. Some of the channels were deeper, so he kept a lookout on both sides for approaching sharks. Natasha slowed as they came to one of the crevices, looking into clear water.
