Page 21 of In Step

I glanced back to find him watching me. “Yes. It was time to do something different.”

“But mussel farming?” Abe looked doubtful. “I mean, Leroy and Fox are no-brainers. They could walk on water, they’re so at-one with the ocean. But an English major? Forgive me, but it hardly seems a good fit.”

I snorted. “Maybe not. But I needed the work and I like it well enough.”

“If you could choose anything, what would it be?”

The question caught me off guard since I rarely allowed myself the luxury of that kind of thinking. “To be honest, I’m not sure. I liked the animal side of farming, just not the farming itself. But I suck at sciences, so vet school is a non-starter, unlike Leroy who aced sciences.”

Abe’s eyes widened. “Leroy went to vet school?”

“Until their dad died. Then he came back to run the farm.”

“He seems to love what he does.”

“He does. It’s a better fit for his less sociable personality. And that boat nickname he hates so much?” I waggled my brows. “It’s Prickles.”

Abe laughed. “It suits him. And yours. Sugar?” He grinned. “Well, flirting aside, it’s pretty fucking cute.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s fucking embarrassing is what it is. They all are, which is, of course, the whole purpose,andthe reason they’re strictly confined to the boat.”

“Well, I think it’s a good fit.” His eyes danced with amusement and something that set my skin on fire. “You are totally sweet.”

The casual tease was at odds with the thickness in his voice, and sparks shot through my nerves and straight to my fucking balls. Before I could stop myself, my gaze dropped to his full lips, and a voice inside my head screamed,terrain warning, pull up, pull up.

I dragged my gaze sideways to the glittering sea and a fresh stripe of violet on the horizon that carried the promise of rain. “I very much doubt that,” I managed in a glaringly husky voice.

“You underestimate yourself,” he answered, then groaned and shook his head. “Fuck. I did it again, didn’t I? I can’t seem to stop flirting with you, and I’m not sure why. I’m sorry.”

I stole a sideways glance, but he didn’t look sorry at all. In fact, he looked like he knew exactly where my mind had gone and why. I fucking knew this had been a bad idea.

“Did you do anything special for your birthday?”

The subject change was a relief. “Are we doing small talk now?”

He shrugged. “Why not? I’m having a nice time. You?” His gaze shifted from the bay to me, and there was a challenge in it.

He knows.It hit like a punch to the chest. But instead of panic, I felt oddly calm.

I held his gaze. “Yeah, actually, I am.”

“That’s... good to know.” His smile turned into a huge grin, and like an idiot, I returned it, until my cheeks flamed and my throat dried like I’d swallowed a cup of sand.

For the next hour, we talked and laughed, and then talked some more. We covered the highlights and lowlights of Painted Bay and small towns in general, my time at university, Abe’s job, more on his family, his travels, and the quirky world of professional dance.

He pushed me a little aboutmyfamily, but I kept things brief and turned the conversation back to him. He avoided my school years, which made me wonder what he already knew. He was Judah’s friend, after all. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but whatever he knew, it clearly hadn’t put him off.

We talked past the sound of Leroy’s car pulling into the garage below the bedsit. Past Fox’s call for Prue, which I answered, promising to return her soon. And well past the buzz on my phone, which signalled another unwanted text from my father.

And before we knew it, the violet stripe on the horizon had rolled in to cover the bay in blue-grey shadows thick with moisture, while a chill breeze corrugated the surface of the incoming tide and caught at the trees.

I shivered and rubbed the stand of hairs on my exposed arms. “Wow, that sun disappeared quick. I can’t believe we’ve been talking for a couple of hours.”

“Good company will do that.” Abe checked his phone and shot me a quick smile while I was still stuck on the good-company bit. “But I should get down to the boathouse before Judah starts blowing up my phone.” He got to his feet and brushed off his sweats, the material dragging against his soft cock while I tried not to stare. “Will I see you at lunch tomorrow?”

I stood and waved the comment aside. “Nah. That’s a family thing.”

Abe frowned, looked like he was about to say something, but then changed his mind. “Well, maybe you could show me some of the local sights while I’m here.”

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