Page 18 of The Catch

“Catia,” Emma groaned, “that’s not exactly what I said.”

“You said I should have fun.”

“I said give him a chance, not chalk him up to a bucket list item.”

“It’s not like that,” she said, rolling her eyes. She was letting herself enjoy this, wasn’t that what they had been begging her to do? “Look, Em, he’s cute and fun, and we’re enjoying each other’s company, but I’m not looking for ‘something else’ right now, or ever.”

Emma narrowed her eyes and looked Cat up and down. “We’ll see,” she said in that tone she took when she was comparing your life choices to her textbooks. Cat ignored it. “Just don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

“And be careful. Stay in well-lit areas.”

“You do remember who you are talking to, right? What I do for a living?”

“Yes, of course. I just feel like a friend should say these things.”

“Well, thanks. I’ll see you later. Don’t wait up.”

Cat caught the elevator, leaning against the back wall as she rode the many floors down to the lobby with Emma’s rolling eyes imprinted on her brain.

She stepped into the lobby and didn’t spot Josh yet, so she used the time to send Sonya a quick text letting her know where she would be. She immediately received an inappropriate emoji in response, and a reminder about the episode ofLaw and Order SVUthey’d watched together that had started eerily similar to this. She also confessed that Emma had already texted her.

Cat could only imagine how that conversation went. Emma was probably writing “Cat & Josh” in little hearts on the hotel stationery as she spoke. At least Sonya was being realistic about this, more worried that Josh was going to murder her on the dark beach than his potential boyfriend specs.

The revolving door spun, and a rush of warm air charged against the air-conditioned room. Josh pushed in behind it, wearing a sweatshirt unzipped and the same bright bathing suit as earlier that day. She tossed her phone in her bag and regarded his bare chest and strong legs, this time letting the flutter in her belly spread.

“Were you waiting long?” He looked as if he might have run there.

“Nope. Right on time.” She hooked her arm through his again, his bicep round and firm under her hand, and they headed outside and around the building, arriving on the sand almost immediately.

The beach wasn’t deserted, but the few people who roamed it at this hour were enjoying the waves from afar. A flash of light lit up the distant horizon, flickering wildly across the clouds and startling her. She hesitated. She’d been playing in the ocean all day, but now it had magically evolved into a dark and brooding force in the dark. She was suddenly nervous about exploring it. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

“It’s just heat lightning,” Josh said. “It’s still far away.” He had a confidence in his estimation that she assumed came from living on the coast, under undiluted night skies and open air where people could really feel nature. It fit him to know that.

She accepted his assurance, and they continued down to the edge of the water, dropping their things on the sand along the way. The lazy advance of the tide began to reach her toes and she turned to him, anticipation skittering through her veins. “Ready?”

“I am if you are,” he replied.

She wondered if they were still talking about swimming.

Making the decision that she was ready, whatever the proposition, she grabbed his hand and waded in, letting the water splash the front of her thighs. She could feel his eyes on her, and she let their fingers fall apart, continuing until she was waist-deep. Leaning back into the water, arms outstretched to keep afloat, she smiled brightly at her own bravery. This wasn’t so hard.

“It’s warm,” she said.

Josh followed in after her, recapturing her hand and pulling her up against his chest in one smooth motion. The courage she’d been riding on quickly deflated, making way for a feeling akin to leaning over the railing on a rooftop balcony and letting yourself imagine the fall.

“Cat?” His voice was a low rumble, and he tipped her chin up with his fingertips. “Would it be okay if I kissed you? I’ve been trying all day.”

Well, that didn’t take long.But she supposed that’s why they were there. Her heart thudded as she settled against him, studying the restraint on his face. He was giving her control, and she desperately wanted to take it, to flirt and make him dangle in uncertainty for a few more moments. Her attempts at a smart answer were defeated, though, by the way the moonlight was cast across his strong jaw and glowing eyes. All she could do was nod.

It was enough. Josh took her face in his hands again, the way he’d done at the bar, but this time there was no way he was pulling back. She squeezed her fingers around his arms, and his eyes rolled shut for a long blink. When they opened again, his fully bloomed pupils had turned his blue eyes almost black, the way the night had darkened the sea. She was equally as intimidated by the change as if at any moment she might be swallowed up by either one.

Josh’s hands remained innocuously on her hips as he pulled her closer and slowly leaned down. By the time he finally pressed his full bottom lip between hers, she thought she might faint from holding her breath.

His mouth curled into a smile against hers. He pressed again, parting her lips and letting their tongues gently touch. The kiss was sweet, respectful—everything she would have wagered against in such a charged moment, and her whole body melted like butter in his hands.

Josh’s grip on her tightened as she let him in further, and his hands began to explore the planes of her bare back between the two islands of her bikini. She fought the urge, initially afraid of the intimacy of the gesture, but she finally pushed her fingers into his thick, dark hair, gently tugging. He seemed to like that. He grunted against her mouth, lifting her onto her toes.

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