Page 12 of Meet Me in Tahiti

When she woke, the sun had shifted, and the music had stopped. The deck was quiet.

She sat up, blinking against the brightness. The others were still asleep—Avery and Nate huddled together in a cozy embrace, Marin and Kyle both with heads back, limbs sprawled, and soft snoring all around. Jenna and Drew had disappeared, probably to their cabin.

Tessa checked the galley. No Jules. No Malik.

The waves were enormous. Like nothing she’d ever seen before, except in movies. Not stormy, and not out of control. Just—huge.

She stood quietly, holding onto the railing as she pulled her swimsuit coverup tighter around her. Then she padded up the steps to the top deck, gripping the handrail tightly so she wouldn’t fall, the wind in her face.

Finally, signs of life at the bridge. Malik, near the front of the boat, keeping an eye on the sea. Probably waiting at the ready if Russ needed him.

And Captain Russ, who sat on a stool at the helm, one hand on the wheel, the other resting comfortably near the throttle.

Why was it that the sight of him could make herbreath hitch? She studied him for a moment. He looked so relaxed yet so engaged in the act of sailing this vessel. So in control.

He’d told them at dinner last night he’d been captaining boats like this for over a decade, and it showed. No wasted effort. No hesitation. Just a quiet authority that settled over the deck like a steady wind. Tessa watched, a little in awe, as he throttled down with the kind of control you didn’t fake.

She exhaled slowly and ignored the butterflies that fluttered inside of her stomach, then reached for the vertical metal bar next to the bridge to steady herself against the rocking of the boat.

He glanced back when he heard her approach, his brow lifting.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She swallowed. She could not go crushing on this guy. He was theircaptain, of all people, not just some random guy she’d met on vacation. He was an authority figure, of sorts. Well, notof sorts,actually. He wastheone and only man who could keep them alive out here in the middle of the South Pacific. She had no business hanging on his words or watching the way the wind ruffled his hair. Yet, she was having a hard timenotdoing that…

She also did not need a man in order to enjoy this vacation.

She sucked in another breath and brushed away the thoughts. “Yeah, doing fine.”

“Didn’t expect anyone to be awake yet,” he said. “Malik said you’d all drifted off.”

Tessa shrugged, brushing the hair from her face. “I didn’t expect to sleep. But wow, that was a great nap.” Maybe it was the jet lag, or maybe it was the Dramamine, but she’d slept like a baby for probably over an hour.

Her eyes fell on his wide shoulders as he steered the boat, and she forced her gaze away. “See, I told you, you’d get used to it. The ocean sings the perfect lullaby, doesn’t it?”

He’d been right that first night. She smiled. “It does. And again, so poetic.”

He chuckled. He must’ve noticed her studying the control panel. “Want to join me?”

“Uh, sure.” There was nothing else going on right now, after all. Why not hang out and chat?

She stepped up beside him, careful not to touch any controls. “You don’t have autopilot for this?”

“I do,” he said, “but I like holding the wheel on longer stretches. Makes me feel like I’m doing something useful.” He grinned.

“Uh, I don’t think there’s any danger of you not being useful,” she said, still impressed by the whole man-in-charge image he projected so well. Her eyes fell on his hands, and she noticed the way his fingers absently flexed on the wheel, how his jaw tightened as he looked out to sea.

He smiled at her with a sideways glance, and they stood quietly for a moment, the sound of water rushing along the hull filling the silence.

“Do you ever get tired of this view?” she asked, lifting a hand to shade her eyes from the sun.

Russ checked his dashboard.He couldn’t let himself get distracted, handling such a large powerboat on the open waters, even though he’d enjoy another conversation with Tessa. Sailing could be lonely at times, even on trips where there were nine other people along for the ride. So it was nice to have company for a while. Especially hers. She was easy to talk to. Not to mention gorgeous.

He shook his head and returned his gaze to the vast, open sea, his hands still on the wheel. “Never. I’ve been sailing since I was fifteen. My dad taught me back in Florida. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.” He’d been sailing professionally for thirteen years, as a second-in-command on some larger vessels for three years before he’d acquired his captain’s license.

He felt her warmth as she leaned on the railing beside him, her white bikini straps visible under a yellow wrap that only served to accentuate her curves.

“Florida, huh? That’s where I live,” she said.

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