I swallowed hard, tamping down the emotion. “Now I realize it was always meant for you. A treasure I’d been holding onto without even knowing why.”
“I love it,” she whispered. For a second, I thought she might cry. Then she laughed, a soft, melodic sound that touched something deep within me. “So my love is tied to a rock?”
“Hey, it’s a beautiful rock!” I protested. “It’s coral, and it’s special. Just like you.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Eli Coleridge.”
“Good, because I’m just getting started. We are.” I gently returned the coral and stepped closer.
Her breath caught, and I saw tears shimmering in her eyes. “Thank you.”
I took a deep breath, examining the way my heart pounded. And discovering I was fine with that. “I need to be honest with you. These feelings, they scared the hell out of me at first.”
She lifted her head, acceptance flitting through her eyes. “I know they did.”
I ran a hand through my hair, struggling to find the right words. “For years, I thought all relationships led to pain and resentment. And I was determined not to follow in my parents’ footsteps.”
“So you kept everyone at arm’s length.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I was terrified of repeating their mistakes. It almost drove me away from you.”
She reached out, intertwining her fingers with mine. “And now? How do you feel?”
I gazed into her eyes, marveling at the depth of emotion I saw there. “Now? Loving you feels like the most natural thing in the world. I spent my whole life running from anything that felt real. You make me want to stop running. Because it’s not fear anymore. It’s strength.”
Jules’s lips curved into a soft smile. “I understand that fear, Eli. After what happened with Travis… I was so afraid to trust again, to open myself up to that kind of pain.”
“Hey,” I said gently, stepping closer, bridging the distance between us again. “I get it. I really do. You’ve got your walls, and I’ve got mine. But when I’m with you, those walls don’t seem so solid anymore.”
“Because they’re not, yours or mine. Trust changes everything.We’redifferent.”
I nodded. “Completely different. I trust you. Implicitly.”
“And us?” The question hung between us, weighted with possibility.
“Us,” I replied quietly, “is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
The classroom around us, with its marine life posters and whiteboards, became smaller. Peripheral. Her fingers traced the edge of my T-shirt, a deliberate touch that sent electricity skating across my skin.
She wrapped her arms around my neck as she pressed herself tightly to me. “Your passion for life is infectious. You made me remember what it feels like to truly live, not just go through the motions and call it a life. I’ve missed you every day.”
Taking a step back, I cupped her face and stroked the warmth of her skin. Saw everything I’d been afraid of—and everything I now wanted—reflected in her eyes.
“I love you,” I said. Not a declaration. A promise.
Then I kissed her.
Deep. Consuming. No holding back.
“I love you too. So much.” She pressed the words into my mouth.
The kiss deepened, becoming raw and urgent. I slid my hands down her back, tracing the line of her spine through her thin shirt. Jules gasped against my mouth, then followed that up with her tongue. I moaned as it skated over the roof of my mouth.
When we finally broke apart, both breathless, Jules’s eyes were dark with desire. She glanced around the empty classroom, a mischievous smile playing at her lips. “You know, I noticed when I came in that the dive shop is closed. We’re all alone here.”
My pulse skipped at the implication in her words. “Why, Ms. Verne, are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
She bit her lower lip and gave me a scorching look through lowered lashes, which only made me throb harder. “Maybe. What are you going to do about it?”
