Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
“Is there any chance you have room in your next dive group?” Isla asked as they approached the mainland. “My room isn’t ready until after three. I’d love to go back out.”
“Let me check.” Caesar pulled out his phone and checked the schedule. “Looks like there’s two spots. Want me to call the front desk and see if they can sneak you into it?”
“Would you?”
“Definitely.”
Caesar pulled up the front desk and celebrated inside when Sadie answered, “Hey, Sadie. Isla is here in my first dive group. She’s wondering if she can get in the afternoon session. Can I let you talk to her?”
Hearing the enthusiasm in her fast, “Yes,” Caesar handed his phone to Isla as he prepared the boat to dock. “Go sit down so you won’t get bumped off balance,” he instructed. “I’ll get my phone in a minute.”
As he and Jack helped everyone step back onto the dock, Isla carefully returned his phone.
“Did they have space for you?” he asked.
“They did. Sadie said she’d send lunch to me with yours and Jack’s so I don’t get hungry. I love it here. Everyone’s so nice.”
“That Sadie is a keeper. She’s awesome at her job. We usually eat under the shelter after everyone gets out of their wet suits.”
“Perfect. Thanks for letting me hang around.”
Caesar forced himself to nod instead of answering as he wished to. He could save his thoughts until they could speak privately.
Chapter Two
By the time Caesar had said goodbye to all the guests from the first round, Isla had peeled off the top of her wet suit and made herself comfortable at one of the tables. She tried to pretend to herself that she was studying the ocean view, but her gaze kept returning to Caesar. Biting her lip, she wondered if she could ask to borrow his phone again to undo her flirty move.
As he strolled forward to join her, a uniformed employee showed up with a laden tray. Isla watched Caesar thank the man and then take it from him. When he reached her a few minutes later, he set the tray down with a thump.
“I think Sadie thinks one of us has a hollow leg,” Caesar joked as he peeled off the top of his wet suit.
“I am hungry,” Jack professed as he took a seat across the table from Isla, leaving the chairs on both sides of her empty.
“Me, too,” Isla agreed, trying to look anywhere but at Caesar’s powerful chest. “Thanks for letting me crash your break time. Feel free to leave me here and do anything you need to do. I’m just enjoying the view.”
She felt her face heat when her gaze immediately focused on Caesar’s muscles instead of the beautiful panorama in front of them.
“It is gorgeous here at Danger Bluff,” Caesar agreed, seeming not to notice her perusal. “Okay, there’s two sandwiches of three different varieties. That means each of you has two to eat.”
“I’m good with anything,” Isla said quickly.
“I’m going to take a ham and a lamb if that’s okay…? I need to make some calls,” Jack told them as he stood and picked up his phone.
“Go for it, Jack,” Caesar said.
Hoping she didn’t look too eager for him to leave, Isla snagged one labeled as veggie. “I’ll claim this one.”
“Are you a vegetarian?” Caesar asked as Jack walked away.
“No, but I seriously doubt that you are,” she laughed, waving the sandwich to encompass his muscle mass.
“You’re right, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t like veggies. How about if we split these in half? Then we can try them all.”
She watched him carefully cut them all, knowing she’d never eat an entire sandwich, much less two. When he finished, she reached over and picked up one of the veggie halves.
“Brat,” he growled when she laughed at his expression. That only made her laugh harder.
With a gleam in his eye, he picked up the other half and took a big bite, foiling her plan to eat that one as well. As soon as he swallowed, Caesar growled, “Checkmate.”
When she was finally able to recover, she took a drink of the canned cola. “Thank you for letting me join you.”
“Of course. I couldn’t keep that view to myself. Tell me what you want to do on your private dive.”
“Are you thinking about taking me?” she asked, leaning forward eagerly.
“That depends on what you plan.”
“I’m going to be truthful. I think I can trust you.”
“Because I’m a Daddy?” he suggested, raising one skeptical eyebrow.
“Well, that and because you’re you,” she confessed. Isla didn’t know why she felt so comfortable around him. She just did.
“As long as you don’t tell me you have some long-hidden map to a secret buried treasure, I’m sure I can take you out,” Caesar teased.
Caught off-guard, she knew her expression gave her away when that statement came seemingly from out of the blue. Quickly, she tried to cover up her blunder. “Right? A treasure map. Who would be that lucky to have one fall into their hands?”