Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 123435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 617(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 617(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
“You did?” Her forehead creases. “You never mentioned anything.”
“I was planning on asking you tonight. You know how Gil told me I can use the Lightning? I thought …” I shift awkwardly. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tongue-tied around a chick before. “I thought we could go out on the boat. Maybe anchor at Kearny’s Cove. You wouldn’t think it, but there’s a roomy cabin below deck. It’s cozy. We could do an overnight … ?”
The implication hangs in the air.
Cassie visibly swallows. We both know what will happen if we spend the night alone together in one bed.
“That sounds nice,” she finally says, a soft smile tugging on her lips. “I’m in.”
I almost sag over in relief. “Perfect. So it’s a date.”
“Just one date, Tate. Your only date of the evening.” The humor dancing in her eyes tells me we’re good again.
“My only date. Scout’s honor.”
* * *
“You ready?” I ask the following day, jumping on board the Lightning. I hold my hand out to Cassie. It’s late afternoon and we’re supposed to be leaving for our overnight, but she remains standing on the dock. Her gaze is focused on the gray and black life vests I set down on the copilot’s seat.
“Do we need to wear those the whole time?” she asks warily.
“Only when she’s moving. And it’s only a precaution.”
“Okay, now I’m kind of scared. Just how fast do you plan to go?”
“Fast.” I’m practically shaking with excitement. “Gil says she can do 125, 130 miles per hour.” I shudder happily. “I’m gonna come in my pants, ginger.”
“Should I be jealous? Of the boat, I mean?”
“Probably.”
That gets me a laugh. “Fine. Let’s go.”
I grip her hand to help her in. While she dons her life vest, I stash the cooler below deck, but grab two bottles of water out of it to throw into the cupholders. Once we’re seated, I gently steer us away from the dock. Don’t want to go all speed demon right from the jump. A bit farther out, I give her more juice. The boat comes to life. Anticipation coils in my gut as I ease the stick forward. When the Lightning’s bow rises, Cassie jumps in alarm.
“It’s fine,” I assure her, and the bow settles. Oh man. This is nuts. Only cruising speed, and she’s still going faster than any speedboat I’ve ever been on.
“Why are we going out so far?” Cassie looks worried the more miles I put between us and land.
“This is a no-wake zone. We need to go just past there, beyond the speed restrictions.” I slice forward, cutting around the bend in the bay. Once we’re far enough, I slow to a crawl, then idle for a minute. The Lightning gently bobs on the waves. I do a quick assessment. Wind is light, providing no resistance at all. Waves are decent, not too choppy.
I turn to Cassie with a grin. “All right. I’m gonna give it all I’ve got. All she’s got. You ready?”
Cassie takes a breath. “Okay. Do it before I change my mind.”
I accelerate and the Lightning takes off.
Cassie yelps, holding on for dear life. And we’re not even going that fast yet. Maybe eighty, ninety miles per hour. It’s incredible how much the Lightning still has left in her. Adrenaline surges through my blood as I speed up. The wind rushes past our faces, slicking my hair back. Cassie’s ponytail hovers in the air like the tail of a kite, sticking straight out. Yet the Lightning is stable. So stable you’d never guess how fast we were going.
Like a little kid, I let out a loud whoop, and turn to see Cassie grinning at me. Then she throws her hands up and whoops too, and we surrender to the speed, the exhilaration. We’re about a hundred miles an hour now, but I want more. Just a little bit more. I adjust the trim, play with the throttle, and then we’re flying. One hundred and twenty miles an hour, and I’m on another plane of existence. We barely feel the chop. We’re fucking soaring, so fast it feels like slow motion. It’s unbelievable.
I let her fly for several more miles before slowing. My heartbeat takes a while to regulate. I look over and Cassie’s still smiling. Her face is red, cheeks slightly windburned. The hull rocks as I bring us to a not-so-ass-puckering speed.
“That was incredible,” I say, still breathing hard.
“You look like you just had an orgasm.”
“I feel like I did. I’ve never piloted anything like her.” She’s a dream to handle. Tight turns, responsive.
“You should buy one.”
I bark out a laugh. “Um, no. This is a million-dollar speedboat. And Gil got it used.”
“Holy shit.”
“Exactly. I’m saving up for a sailboat, anyway. That comes first. Powerboats are playthings for later in life.”
“You’re a plaything for later in life,” she cracks.