Page 56 of SIN Looks Good On Us!

I melted right there against him. My stomach did that little flip again, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the boat ride.

"You're something else," I managed to say.

"So, I've been told."

He walked straight up to the helm without waiting on a captain or a crew, and I stood there watching him ease the boat away from the dock like he's been doing it his whole life.

"Wait, you're driving this yourself?"

"Yep."

"How did you learn to sail this thing?"

"My grandfather." He kept his eyes on the water, easing us out into the intercoastal. "He was a sailor. Retired Navy SEAL."

"Y'all sound close."

"We are. That's who raised me. Maybe you'll meet him one day. If you act right."

"Haha. You're so cute."

"I prefer funny."

"Fine. You're funny."

"Better."

We settled into a comfortable silence after that. The yacht glided across the water while the city lights reflected off the waves around us. Soft music played through the speakers, and the only other sound was the water rolling beneath the boat. The whole night felt peaceful.

"Where's your mom in all this?" I asked, leaning against the railing beside him. "You mentioned your grandfather, but not her."

"Prison."

That response caught me off guard. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear that. Is she getting out soon?"

"No." He kept his eyes on the water. "She killed my father and his mistress. So, you know how that goes."

"Jokah, I’m sorry for prying."

"It's fine." He glanced at me, like it was something he made peace with a long time ago. "It is what it is."

I didn't push it any further, just let the moment sit between us without trying to fill it with something that wasn't mine to fill.

My phone buzzed in my bag, and I already knew who it was before I even looked. Kyrie's name lit up the screen, so I silenced it. We barely spoke since I saw those text messages. Every time he called trying to explain himself, I found one less reason to answer.

The crazy part was I didn't even feel guilty anymore. I slipped my phone back into my bag and looked over at Jokah. He was standing at the front of the yacht with one hand resting on the rail, the wind pushing against his shirt while he stared out at the water. Being here with him felt a whole lot easier than going back to everything waiting on me at home.

We spent the next forty-five minutes cruising through the Intracoastal, talking when we felt like it and sitting in comfortable silence when we didn't. Every now and then, Jokah pointed out another mansion or yacht, casually mentioning who owned it like it was no different than talking about the weather. Meanwhile, I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the man driving the boat owned one too.

By the time he eased us into a slip outside one of the waterfront restaurants, the city lights were dancing across the water, and I honestly didn't want the ride to end. He hopped out first, tied the yacht off, then reached his hand out for me.

"Come on."

The restaurant sat right on the Intracoastal, its string lights reflecting off the water while boats drifted past every few minutes. We grabbed a table overlooking the dock, ordered drinks, fresh seafood, and settled right back into the same easy conversation we'd been having all night.

"So, tell me something," I said, cracking open a crab leg. "How does a man like you end up this charming?"

He looked up from his plate.