Page 17 of Meet Me in Tahiti

But something shifted in his eyes, just as it had on the bridge when they’d been talking, as if he’d suddenly remembered he shouldn’t be spending so much time with one of the guests?

He looked across the square into the distance and then back, clearing his throat, and Tessa felt her heart stumble. “I, uh, I ought to head to the produce market to grab the supplies I promised Jules, huh?” He lifted the tote from his shoulder for a second to make his point. “I’ll see you back at the boat?”

She nodded. “Oh, yeah, sure, no problem.” She pretended this was a perfectly natural way to end a pleasant, casual hour spent together.

“I want to grab a souvenir or two, anyway, before we board,” she said, since it was the first thing that came to mind. “Thanks again for the ice cream.”

He smiled and nodded, then strode off in the other direction, leaving her standing there.

Chapter

Six

Russ climbedthe gangplank and stepped back onto theLatitudewith the quiet, familiar thud of deckwood beneath his feet. He set the full tote bag on the floor plus a box of fruit he’d decided to grab for Jules. The extra supplies always helped, especially when the guests wanted to prepare their fruity tropical drinks all week, like this group seemed fond of doing.

The sun was beginning its slow descent behind the mountains of Raiatea, casting golden light across the harbor, painting the water in streaks of amber and rose.

He should have felt relaxed after a shore break. Energized, even.

But instead, his chest felt tight.

Spending that hour with Tessa had been... easy. Too easy.

It had felt almost like a date.

Laughing with her over gelato. Wandering through the crowded market, stopping to listen to streetmusicians. It had felt like slipping into something warm and familiar—comfortable and new all at once.

And that was the problem.

What was he doing?

What was he thinking?

He’d told himself it was just about making her feel included. Keeping a guest from feeling awkward. She was solo on a couples’ trip, after all. It was a kind gesture, nothing more.

But it hadn’t stayed there.

The way her smile tilted when she said something clever. The light in her eyes when she caught him looking. The way she listened—really listened—when he spoke.

He shook his head and stepped onto the aft deck where Jules was slicing citrus at the galley counter.

“Back in one piece?” she asked without looking up.

“More or less,” he muttered, moving toward the stern. “Got the vegetables you asked for and some more fresh fruit.”

“Thanks, boss.”

Upstairs, Malik was rinsing the salt off the deck railings with a hose. Russ grabbed a cleaning towel and started drying the upper deck benches beside him.

“Rough landing back into reality?” Malik asked, grinning.

“Something like that.”

“You run into any of them onshore?”

“Yeah,” said Russ.

“Oh, yeah? Which ones?”

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