Page 10 of The Catch

“You need a hand?” Josh asked Cat as she attempted to step on by grabbing the throttle and lifting her foot.

“Nope.”

The jet ski bobbed and tilted as she hoisted herself up. Josh stepped closer, but to his credit, he didn’t insist on helping.

Once she’d climbed somewhat awkwardly onto it, she scooched to the back and watched Josh jump up in one athletic motion, swinging his leg over the seat in front of her. The back of his life vest pressed the front of hers, and even though there were four inches of foam between them, it felt way more intimate than their dance the night before.

He pressed the ignition, and the jet ski hummed, vibrating beneath her seat.

Sonya was still in the water.

“Dylan will be careful,” Josh said. When she still didn’t move, he said, “You want to ride with us?”

Cat pasted on aget your ass on this jet skismile, but Sonya’s desire to challenge Cat was stronger than her fear of Dylan’s driving.

“Thank you, but I can’t leave Dani alone with the sharks.”

“There are no sharks out here,” Dylan said, watching Dani’s ass as she bent to give her hand to Sonya.

Sonya skewered him with her eyes. “Mm-hmm.”

“Let’s go out to the sandbar,” Dylan said to Josh, pointing to a blurry blob way in the distance.

Josh nodded and revved the gas making the jet ski lurch in place. Cat reflexively gripped the sides of his vest to keep herself upright.

Dylan took off first, Dani with her arms wrapped around him, and Sonya clutching the back of her seat.

“You ready?” Josh asked over his shoulder, raising his voice to speak over the engine and the splashing waves.

“I guess.”

“I promise no tricks.” He placed his hands over hers and moved them higher up on his vest. “We’ll just take it slow.”

“Slow is good,” she said. Sonya was getting way more than murder eyes when they got back to dry land.

The sandbar was empty, peaceful compared to the main beach, and Cat allowed herself to relax just a fraction as she sank her toes into the rippled sand and watched the surf form little tide pools all around them.

The ride over had actually been kind of fun. Josh had kept his promise—no tricks—and the noise of the water and the motor kept her from having to say anything coherent. Now, though, they were walking alone on the far end of the oval-shaped bar. Dani, Sonya, and Dylan were just offshore, taking turns diving off of the jet ski.

Josh pushed his sunglasses into his hair and wiped a bead of sweat from the back of his neck.

“Sure is hot today,” Cat said, inwardly groaning at her lacking conversational skills. She was much better at this with a few drinks in her. Not that she cared. She wasn’t flirting.

Josh replied with a wide grin, though, as if she were. “Perfect day to be on the water. We might be able to see dolphins from here.”

“Really?” Her excitement got the better of her, and she sounded way too giddy. “I’ve just never seen one.”

Josh stopped walking and turned her toward the water, pointing over her shoulder. “Keep your eye on the horizon,” he said. “Watch for them jumping.”

She did what he said, but she found herself stealing glances at him instead, his hands on his hips, looking out at the sea with a peaceful look on his face. The clouds had turned into thin wisps, unable to accomplish the task of offering any shade, and the light reflecting off the water made his nut-brown hair look lighter than it had the previous night. It gave his appearance a certain easiness, like a lazy Sunday morning. An image popped into her head of him lounging half-naked in bed, that thick wavy hair of his a mess from a night of being tugged on by greedy fingers.

Woah. Okay, Cat. That’s enough of that.

“So, you surf?” she asked, casting her eyes back out to dolphin hunting.

“Since I was a kid. I was teaching lessons by the time I was eighteen.”

“Wow. You must be good.”

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