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)
“Where’d you get it?” he asked. Obviously, she had not fooled him.
“I found it in my grandfather’s possessions. Grandma gave me the ledger he kept all his dives in. He loved scuba diving, even way back before all the fancy equipment.”
“It seems like you inherited his love for the water,” Caesar suggested.
“Yes. I wish I’d had him longer. We would have had fun together,” she said. “I was pleased to get his notes.”
“And in this ledger was a treasure map?”
“More like a drawing and a set of coordinates.”
When he looked skeptical, she added, “And a few notes about why he’d marked that for his next exploration.”
“Your grandfather marked down coordinates in New Zealand to explore?”
“He did. He had plans dating back to the seventies, but he passed away in a hurricane off the coast of Florida before he could follow through.”
“He planned to travel from Florida to New Zealand in the seventies? That was a long way to go back then,” Caesar pointed out.
“He was a pilot for one of the airlines. He traveled everywhere. Unfortunately, the airline sent him on a flight to Florida just before a hurricane hit. My grandmother never recovered. She didn’t go through his things for years. When she did, I got his dive ledger because I’m the only one who loves scuba.”
“And you flew here immediately?” Caesar sounded skeptical.
“I know it sounds crazy. I got the ledger three years ago. I didn’t even open it. I needed to get away for a while, and the thought struck me to recreate some of my grandfather’s explorations. That’s when I found the map. I asked around about it and got some pretty shady responses. I could tell they thought it was a fake and were only interested in taking my money. When no one else was interested, I decided to come see for myself. I needed a vacation anyway.”
“Now, that’s the best reason to come to Danger Bluff. How about you show me this map, and I’ll let you know what I think. If it’s near here, we could spend a good day diving, even if it’s totally fake.”
“Do I have your word you won’t try to explore where the map says the treasure is located without me?” she asked, studying his face closely.
“I’ve reached this point in my life without finding buried treasure. I’m looking for something even more precious,” he admitted.
“What’s that?”
“My Little girl,” Caesar told her softly.
“You’ve never found someone right for you?” she asked.
“I think I may have met her today.”
“You’re talking about me?” she squeaked.
“Is that horrifying?” Caesar said with a smile.
“No. I don’t know what to think. I didn’t come here to find a Daddy,” she said, her voice sounding a little breathless.
“Perhaps that could be an added bonus…?”
She considered his suggestion and nodded, “That would be just as exciting as a buried treasure.”
“That’s good because I seem to have a new entry in my contacts. Someone named Little Girl…?” He raised an eyebrow.
She tried to think of something to say and could only come up with, “Oops.”
“You are not sorry at all, Little girl. Perhaps you need a spanking,” he told her firmly.
“That doesn’t really happen,” she said with a laugh.
When he nodded, Isla heard herself say, “Maybe I do then.” Appalled that she’d been so brazen, Isla felt her face heat and knew she was blushing bright red.
Caesar reached around her to cup the back of her neck and pulled her close before offering, “I could be convinced to let you off with a warning this time in exchange for a kiss.”
Pressing her lips to his, she kissed him softly and started to move away. Caesar drew her gently forward again and claimed another kiss. This one was tender but beguiling. She opened her lips under his, and the handsome man deepened the kiss, making her squirm to the edge of her chair as she tried to get closer to him.
“Boss, the next group just turned onto the path,” Jack warned.
Caesar lifted his mouth from hers, and she could read the reluctance on his face. Her lips curved slightly as she celebrated that he was as affected as she was. “Eat some more, Little girl. Let’s go back out and let you swim like a fish,” he said as he picked up another half a sandwich and moved away to greet his next group as they wandered down to the dock.
She chose another, carefully wrapped up the rest, and stowed them in the small refrigerator under the counter. Taking a big bite, she chewed happily as she debated whether she needed to use the restroom. It seemed like a big hassle to take off the wet suit. Deciding that she’d be okay, Isla took another swig of her cola and settled back in her seat to wait for everyone to wander into the shady sitting area. To her surprise, she’d almost eaten a second half of a sandwich. She really had been hungry.