Page 32 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

Definitely not.

I’m almost thankful for his insistence that I can’t pick a fight with him on the boat. Because I want to. I want to stake my claim on him and let everyone know he is mine. I want to force a reaction out of him because I’m special to him. It’s childish and I don’t know what about him generates this response from me. But it makes me feel alive.

Once we’re in open water and the sails are raised, Bristol shares a long history of Egmont Key State Park. It’s primarily a wildlife refuge with clear blue-green water I’m dying to explore. That type of beauty shouldn’t faze me since I’ve lived in Wendell Beach for seven years and came here growing up. But the beauty of the gulf never gets old to me. Haley is the same way.

We reach the island and Orion expertly anchors the boat close enough for us to wade in the shallow water to the beach. I’m surprised by how deserted it all is. There are only a few other boats down the beach, but far enough away that it feels like we’re alone. Maybe because it’s a weekday and school is in session.

Haley, Bristol, and Christian automatically head toward the beach to fish, and Alex follows, saying something about looking for shells. I didn’t know he was interested in shelling. I immediately think about bringing Sienna here. She’s a marine biologist who studies seashells. I pull out my phone to text her but don’t have service.

A shadow crosses over me, and I realize I’m alone with Orion.

“What are your plans?” he asks. “I can pull out the paddleboards.”

I look down at his feet. We’re on land. He’s being nice to me.

“Um…not sure.” I focused on getting here and being with him. I didn’t think about how I would pass the time once I got here, except absorbing the stunning nature. “I can paddle at home. Maybe we check out the fort?”

“Sure.” He walks toward the structure.

“What’s happening here?” I ask, moving briskly to catch up.

“We’re exploring the fort,” he says.

“Together?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, I thought you needed to do other work stuff. Like explore the water or something.”

He shrugs. “Nope, I know where to anchor. How long it takes to get here. Guests can figure out the rest.” It’s because I’m the only one doing any exploring. Besides Alex. Maybe Orion doesn’t care about shells. I’m sure he’ll interrogate everyone else later.

We don’t talk. It feels natural and comfortable. I don’t need to pick a fight or find something to complain about. We take the red brick path lined with palm trees until we get to the fort. There, we climb up the white stone stairs until we stand on the rampart. From here, we have a clear view of the water for miles. The crumbling walls overlook the sparkling turquoise water and I want to take it in. I can’t believe we have all this to ourselves.

“You looking for a spot to pose?” Orion’s question brings me out of my thoughts.

“Um. Yes.” I wasn’t. I was trying to be in the moment. But he’s right. This is a great spot.

I know better. Part of my job is always being on. I’m constantly promoting my brand with everything I do. But, fuck, sometimes I just want to look out over the gulf and breathe.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and hand it to him. “You think you can do it?”

“Half my job when I’m captaining is taking pictures of the guests.”

“I’m sure taking pictures of women in bikinis is really difficult for you.”

“Carina.” He drags out my name because he knows he dragged out my jealousy.

It’s easier to be mean than to admit I don’t want to hear about him with other charter guests.

I bite the inside of my lip and move to the edge of the structure. In my head I run through a few poses that would look good here. Handstands are popular, but the edge is narrow. I’m high up so I don’t want to risk it going wrong and falling. Not if my mind wanders to Orion.

His opinion shouldn’t matter to me. Because I don’t want anything more from him, and he’s already gotten everything he wants from me.

I think back to the time in the cabin with him. How he didn’t treat me like I was fragile. I’ve never been one to show off my physical strength, opting instead for balance and flexibility. I was always taught I should be delicate and graceful. He saw through me.

Orion watches me and waits. He’s not saying anything, being patient as I decide what I want to do. I’m surprised he’s taking this seriously and not treating it as a joke.

But everything Orion does surprises me.

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