Page 54 of Revival

She tilts her head playfully. “Let me guess. You can’t swim?”

“I can swim. You’ve seen me swim.”

“Our infinity pool doesn’t count.”

I love the way she calls it ours. Not loving the T-minus three days until we’re back home, and this all becomes a distant memory.

“I meant all the summers we spent hanging around Twig Lake.” I spin the sterling wedding ring on my finger with my thumb.

“Right. I forgot about that.” Her smile is apologetic. “So it’s not the swimming that scares you.”

“I’m not scared.” I fix her with a glare.

“It’s the ocean. Aw, Spencer, are you scared a shark will eat you?”

“I quite like all my limbs, thanks.”

Her hand slipping into mine eases the tension in my neck. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

“Kitten, I love your enthusiasm, but I don’t think you have those skills. We grew up in a landlocked state.” I let her lead me to the transport van while my gut screams at me,What the fuck!

“Ollie showed me a video once about sharks and how you just have to redirect them.” She pushes on the healthy side of my face, demonstrating how she will redirect the ocean monsters. “Boop. See? It’s that easy. They know you aren’t food, and they swim away.”

“Did you justboopme?”

“I’m teaching a lesson.” She repeats the motion.

I dig my heels into the threshold of the resort. “Babe.You are not going snorkeling.”

“Spencer, it’s fine.”

“You know I’d sacrifice myself if you’re in trouble. You do know that, right?”

“I do now.”

We pause outside the idling white van. “Good. So why don’t we both head back to the room where it’s nice and safe and neither of us has to risk our lives?”

Cortney rises onto her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my cheek. If I thought it’d help me get my way, I’d break my own rule and kiss her right on that fucking sweet mouth.

“Get in the van.” She has the audacity to pat my ass.

“Any other fears you want me to face while we’re here? Cliff diving? Why don’t we try that next. How about parasailing? Heights and sharks at the same time.”

The eight-person van is already full, leaving only two spots in the very back. I squeeze by the other passengers with a scowl.

“This is the last included excursion for the trip. Humor me one more time.” She bats her eyelashes.

I zero in on her mouth. “You’re lucky you’re so fucking sexy.”

“Consider it crossing off your bucket list since I don’t imagine you’ll get out again in the next fifty years.”

“Kind of you to assume I’ll live that long.”

She snorts. “Whatever, Spence. You’ve somehow managed on your own this long. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

“Unless I run into a hungry shark.”

Cortney’s head is down, digging into her beach bag. Her lack of response effectively ends the conversation.

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