Chapter 11

CHAPTERELEVEN

The moment Jane’s ass hit the padded seat of the patio chair she twisted to the small table that was between us and picked up her coffee.

“I take it you like coffee?”

“Live for it,” she muttered, cradling the mug with both hands. She brought it to her mouth.

“Forgot to ask you how you take it.”

She took a sip, lowered the mug a fraction, and said, “Any way it comes as long as it’s strong.”

That was unusual. People typically liked their coffee how they liked it and only how they liked it.

“Seriously?”

She nodded then added, “Sometimes I’m in the mood for sweet or flavored or a latte. I like coffee in all forms. And I don’t limit my coffee intake to the morning though that’s a must or I can’t start my day. Sometimes I like a cup midday or after dinner. Again, I just like it. Some people like soda or tea. I like coffee.” When she was done her gaze dropped to my mug and noted, “No creamer. Do you like sugar?”

“Nope. Black.”

She nodded again like she was filing that away. Then she looked out to the ocean.

“It sure is beautiful,” she mumbled her understatement. “Peaceful.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Other than a few charters that had gone out earlier, the marina had been mostly quiet. The beach was empty and other than a lone fisherman trolling back and forth no one else was out in the water.

“Why isn’t that boat tied to the dock? Did it get loose?” Before I could turn to look, Jane leaned forward and went on, “Is someone…”

She didn’t finish.

Or she did, by slamming her mug down on the table. I turned to see what made her shove herself to her feet.

“Davis!” she unnecessarily shouted since I was less than a foot from her, and took off running toward the water.

No, not the water, the dock.

I was up chasing her when I finally saw what had her sprinting—there was someone in the water not far from the boat. I only caught sight of a head before it went back under.

Fuck.

I quickened my pace and ran past her. I was on the dock nearing the end when I heard Jane yell, “The sign on the office says closed.”

That would be because the owner of the marina had closed the office when he left on the second charter.

I hit the water, popped up, and heard a splash behind me.

Fucking crazy woman.

Thankfully the boat was only a hundred yards off the dock. Unfortunately I didn’t know how strong of a swimmer my new bride was.

I shifted to a sidestroke and yelled back to Jane, “Please tell me you can swim.”

“Swim team. Came in fifth in state. Breast and freestyle.”

Well fuck me running.

With the assurance this wasn’t going to be a double rescue I dove back under the water so I didn’t have to fight the current and quickly made my way to the boat.

My hand hit something solid. I opened my eyes, fought the burn, and saw a man tangled in a net.

Shit.

I wrapped my arms around the man’s middle and kicked to the surface, but could only get his head above the water.

“What’s—”

“Climb in the boat,” I cut Jane off. “Find a knife. He’s tangled.”

I watched Jane take a few more strokes, then reach up and grab the side of the boat. She was struggling to haul herself over the side when I went back to the man. I felt for a pulse. Finding it pounding, I told him, “Just hold tight.”

“I…” the guy stopped, coughed, then tried again, “I can’t…”

“It’s all good,” I told him. “Just relax.”

“Found one,” Jane said.

Thank fuck.

Jane jumped back into the water. I felt a tug on the net. The more she pulled the harder it was to keep the man above the water.

“Prepare to hold your breath,” I warned.

Jane popped back up, took in a huge breath, and dipped back under the water.

I counted to forty-five, expecting her to pop back again. I got to fifty and started to get worried. By sixty I was ready to take the guy back under with me to check on Jane when I felt the net give way. Five seconds later I had the guy free and was ready to dive under when Jane surfaced and immediately turned on her back and gulped for air.

Christ.

Fuck.

“Jane—”

“I’m fine.” Cough. “Good.” Cough. “Just…fine.”

I couldn’t think about the overwhelming relief that washed over me.

“What’s your name?” I asked the man in my arms.

“Noah.”

“Alright, Noah, we’re gonna head back to shore. All I need you to do is relax.”

“I think I can swim.”

“Just float,” I told him. “Relax and float.”

Once Noah’s body relaxed I looked over at Jane.

“You good to start back or do you want to rest a minute?”

“Ready.”

Damn if she didn’t sound ready.

“Okay, then nice and slow back.”

We were halfway back to shore when Noah took a big breath and sounded strong when he said, “Thanks.”

“Happy to help.”

“Want me to do the rest of the way?” Jane offered.

Hearing that something loosened in my chest. A tightness I hadn’t noticed.

Jane was fine.

Noah was fine.

It was all good.

“No, baby, I’ve got him.”

Twenty feet from the shore I could stand, so I did. Noah did too. Then Jane. And when she did the light-pink t-shirt she’d fallen asleep in last night, slept in, and hadn’t changed out of clung to her curves. My gaze dropped to her chest, and now was not the time, but seeing her nipples clearly outlined under the wet fabric I felt my body start to respond.

“Jane, go on up to the cabana and get changed.”

“But—”

“Baby.” My eyes dropped back to her chest, this time not hiding I was checking out her tits in the hope she’d catch my drift. “Go change, yeah?”

It took a beat but I knew she got it when she crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.

“Yeah. Right. Okay. Glad you’re okay, Noah.”

Jane turned and was trudging through the gentle waves rolling in when Noah finally pulled it together and shouted at her back, “Thanks!”

Drama over, I finally took Noah in. My guess, he was in his twenties. Tall, thin, built as a twenty-something would be who worked on the water and likely surfed. He also resembled the man who owned the marina.

“Your dad own the place?”

“Yeah,” he answered and looked to the left toward the office. This proved he was a good kid. He didn’t watch Jane’s ass in wet jean shorts as she maneuvered her way to the beach. Instead he stared at me.

Residual fear lingered but mostly all I saw was gratitude.

“Seriously, man, thanks for saving me.”

“Glad we were out on the porch and saw.”

Noah shook his head.

“I don’t know how it happened. My net got caught, I jumped in, then I got caught. I’ve freed that net hundreds of times. Don’t know how it happened this time.”

With his dad owning the marina, this being Hawaii, I didn’t doubt he’d been out hundreds of times with no incident.

Still…

“That’s why it’s called an accident.”

“I guess,” he mumbled miserably then shifted his attention back to the water.

“You need help getting your boat.”

“Nah. I got it.”

“Right. Let me rephrase. Let’s go get your boat and bring it in.”

“You’ve done—”

I didn’t let him finish.

“We grabbing a skiff or are we swimming out?”

The rest of the fear slipped out of his eyes and he smiled.

“Skiff.”

I figured that would be his answer. I didn’t know exactly how long he’d been out there treading water, getting pulled back down by that heavy net, but I knew from experience that shit was exhausting.

By the time we got Noah’s boat, got back, tied it up, and I made sure he was good to be alone until his dad got back from the charter—which he told me was due back within the hour—Jane was freshly showered and sitting on the porch.

I took in the new loose-fitting, low-cut V-neck white dress with a big, light-blue leaves pattern. Even with her sitting I could see it cinched at her waist and landed mid-thigh. A dress that would give me easy access. A dress I would have bunched around her waist if we were a different kind of married.

She looked sexy as hell sitting there freshly showered, face openly beaming with happiness, eyes steady on me as I made my way to her.

“How’s…” Jane stalled when I didn’t slow my approached. “Davis?”

Her voice was nothing but a shaky breath when I bent down, planted my hands on the back of her chair, and took her mouth.

The kiss was unlike the others. It was slow and deliberate and lasted a long fucking time. But by the time I pulled back, I knew my message was received.

We were taking the fake out of our fake relationship.