Page 29 of Love By The Falls

“That’s not what you said. You said you would be Opposite Charlotte.”

“Okay,” she says slowly. “What are you getting at?”

“If you’re normally cautious, then we throw that to the wind for the next couple of days. We’ll keep this casual. No last names, no more questions about ourselves. It’s just about experiencing as much as we can for as long as you’re here. Deal?”

She presses her lips together and looks around the restaurant. “Why do I feel like I’m agreeing to something I might regret?”

“You’ll always be in control, but I might tempt you out of your comfort zone more than a jeep tour.”

She leans back. “That wasn’t just a jeep tour, and you know it. Oh, that reminds me, we should ask the front desk to check how Arturo is doing.”

“I already did. They released him from hospital and he’s resting at home with a nurse.”

“Oh. I’m glad to hear that. That’s a great healthcare system they have on the island to provide that.”

The health care system didn’t pay for the nurse. I did.

“So, do you agree?” I have no idea why tempting Charlotte to do things she normally wouldn’t do is the most exciting thing to happen to me since my team won the World Series years ago.

She sits straighter in her seat and licks her lips. “Fine. Agreed.”

“Great. Let me know when you’re finished with your dinner, because I have plans for you.”

“What plans?”

“I plan to do a little exploring at the beach tonight.”

“I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”

“You won’t need one.”

8

Charlotte

Caleb’s brown eyes pierce mine and his nostrils flare ever so slightly. I’ve never had a man look at me like I’m his favorite dessert on the menu. The look releases a jarful of butterflies in my belly, and it’s both exciting and terrifying. After last night, I know he’s capable of stirring repressed emotions, and it terrifies me how quickly we’ve become so comfortable with each other.

I take another bite of my dinner, but my appetite fled with my reserve when Caleb suggested we might be swimming naked in the ocean. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Could I really take my clothes off on a beach where anyone could walk upon us? I couldn’t.

But maybe ‘Opposite Charlotte’ could.

“Are you finished?”

I nod and push my plate forward. “Yes.”

He stands and extends his hand to me. I accept it, relishing his fingers over mine, his thumb rubbing across my skin. In three short days, the gesture is familiar to me already and my body reacts instinctively. Whether he realizes he’s doing it or not, isn’t something I’m going to delve deeper into now.

The sound of the waves lapping against the shore is louder at night, perhaps because there’s hardly anyone around. Most people are drinking at the bar or lounging in the lobby listening to the violinist.

We’re the only ones on the beach right now. There’s not a soul walking along this stretch of sand for miles.

Despite the water being the most vibrant shade of blue during the day, it is still and black at night. “I don’t think I can go in there. There could be jellyfish or seaweed, and if anything touches my legs, I swear I’ll scream so loud the receptionists at the front desk will hear me.”

Caleb covers his laugh with his hand. The splattering of hair on his forearm is still pleasantly visible through the darkness. The moonlight is strong and hits his face like the white screen in a dark movie theatre.

Caleb could be an actor, at least he definitely looks like one. Perfectly straight, white teeth, well-dressed, body honed like he lifts weights in a gym for hours. My fifteen-minute YouTube videos are the closest thing to exercise I’ve done in a decade. Although I've taken Sage’s Yoga classes, I usually sign up for the relaxation ones.

“Fine. Suit yourself, but I’m going in.”

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