The Scammer(71)

He rolls his eyes. “You’re not going to fall in. Trust me, I’ll be very careful,” he says, as he slips a life jacket around my back, smirking as he tightens the straps.

Can I trust him? I’m not so sure. He’s been so aloof. Sometimes, I don’t even think I really know who he is and why he kept this part of himself a secret. But as he finishes strapping me in, eyes full of light and a touch of lust, I decide to be brave.

He pulls a scarf out of his back pocket.

“Just put your hair up in a bun, tie this around it.”

I groan. “Okayyyy.”

With my hair all done, we climb down onto the Jet Ski.

I press myself against his back and rope my arms around his stomach, squeezing my legs against him. The chemistry thickens around us. His head jerks up; he must be feeling it too.

He glances over his shoulder at me, cheeks reddening. Is he nervous?

“Wow,” he mumbles, searching my face, and I want to kiss him. It was all I wanted to do since last night.

“Okay. Let’s go,” he says, easing away from the dock, towing out into the open water. “Hold on tight; once we get going, the water can be a little rocky. Be ready.”

I squeeze him a little tighter.

“Careful,” he chides. “You ready?”

Giggling, I nod.

The engine revs up and we take off, flying across the water, jumping over the small rip waves. He makes a quick turn in, spinning us around in a circle, and I shriek.

“Hold on!”

He revs the engine again and we sputter before taking off faster. I dig my face into his shoulder, staring at the passing houses lining the river, the thick trees, the lush woods, and the speedboats headed in the opposite direction. I feel myself springing back to life, the smell of the water, the wind hitting my face, holding tight to his hard stomach. We head south, going faster and faster over the rough waves. Suddenly he stops and we bob like a buoy. He glances over his shoulder, catching his breath, and grins.

“You okay?”

“Yes,” I breathe.

Nick makes a sharp turn, heading toward the wooded riverbank. He slows to a creep, the engine silencing to a purr.

“Duck your head,” he says.

“Huh?”

Then he drives straight into the brush. I thought we would crash right into the shore but I see a small opening, hidden in the thick vines you would never notice unless you were up close. He uses his arm to lift some branches out of the way and I duck as we drive under. Once through, the water opens up to a beautiful cove. He drives to the middle of it and turns off the engine. We sit in silence, giving me a chance to take it all in. The sun dancing off the dark crisp water, beating on our shoulders, the lush tall trees hiding us away. A chilly breeze combs through Nick’s hair.

“Wow, this is beauti—”

“Shhhhhh! Wait.”

I listen to the birds chirping and insects buzzing around us. Nick scans the riverbank intensely, searching for something.

“Nick, what are we—”

“Shhh,” he whispers then sits up straighter. “There! Over there, look.”

He points to the trees in the distance. I squint, ears picking up rustling coming from the bushes until a small deer emerges from the wood, cautiously taking a step to drink some water. Nick looks over his shoulder with a triumphant grin.

“Bambi,” he says, softly. “Not as beautiful as my Bambi.”

I gush, burying my face in his back. He grips my hands, unhooking them from his stomach, then places them on either side of the Jet Ski.

“Hold still. Don’t move.”

Quickly, he hovers up and swings his leg around and sits back down so he is facing me. I grip the sides of the seat to keep steady. He grins with that charming all-American-boy smile and slides his hands around my waist, scooting me up onto his lap. I freeze, afraid of falling over, but he holds me tight. His palm cups my face, thumb gliding across my lips. He leans up, searching my eyes, as if waiting for permission, then falls into my lips.

The kiss is deep, purposeful, perfect. The kind of kiss that you never want to end.

He releases my lips with a smile.

“I’ve wanted to do that . . . for a long time,” he breathes, still searching my face.

This is a different Nick. An overwhelming Nick. A sober Nick. Which feels so much better than the Nick I would’ve experienced last night. I bite my lip, holding in the urge to attack him. He smiles, then leans back on the Jet Ski handles.

“Okay, so you wanted to talk. Let’s talk.”

“What? Seriously,” I gasp.

“You said you wanted to know everything. Well, now, here we are. Alone. And I’m giving you what you want.”

I scoff, pointing over his head.

“You sure you don’t mind Bambi knowing your business? I know how secretive you can be.”

He shrugs. “Bambi’s cool. Think she’s too afraid to be my dinner.”

“Do you really eat deer?”

“Hey, it’s the other white meat.”

“Gross.”

He laughs. “How is eating Bambi gross but not cows?”

“Cows don’t have first names.”

He laughs, his hands gripping my back. “I love your ridiculous logic.”

My laughter slowly dies down, bravery taking over. “Why didn’t you want to tell me about Ashley?”